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Chapter 114. If He Loved Her, Then Why Did He Keep On Ignoring Her Before?
Over the years, Mark had managed his emotions quite effectively. Given his inclination toward stability, he was not prone to mood swings. However, the current situation was unexpected…
“To sum it up, we need to prevent any major emotional upheavals. While it might not impact his life. immediately, it’s not wise to allow such occurrences to happen again,” Torrance stated. Several individuals nodded in agreement, their gaze resting on the man in the hospital bed.
“Could it be that my big brother has actually fallen in love with Mae?” Victoria finally spoke up, her lips pursed. As she said it, she found the idea a bit unbelievable herself.
The notion of Mark, who was known for his detached and unemotional demeanor, falling in love seemed almost magical
“No… could it be possible? If he loved Mae, then why did he keep on ignoring her before?” she added.
“Can’t someone be in love and not realize it?” David said, and Victoria gouged out her husband sharply for not speaking well.
“How can he not know that? Mark is not a fool.” David carefully interjected, trying to maintain a balanced perspective.
“Indeed, he’s not foolish. He’s incredibly intelligent–world–renowned for his brilliance. However, he might have traded his emotional intelligence for intellectual prowess,” Victoria retorted, emphasizing
her point.
David could only sigh in response, realizing that his wife was drawing a somewhat unconventional comparison.
“Honey, if Mark really cares so much about Mae, then would having Mae come to see him make him. feel better?” David started to suggest again, and Victoria wanted to gouge him out again, but she had to say that it was a good idea.
But she didn’t have the heart to do it!
“Jason, why don’t you… give Mae a call?” Victoria looked at Jason, a sardonic smile on her lips.
Jason was left speechless for a while. But before he could say anything, a voice rang out.
“No need for that.”
Mark, whose voice was hoarse, suddenly spoke up. The three of them turned to the hospital bed to see Mark awake, his pale face and disheveled hair adding a touch of fragile beauty to his
appearance.
“This chapter of my life with Mae is completely over. There’s no need to involve her in this, and no need for her to involve me in her life,” Mark declared resolutely.
Observing Mark’s tough façade, Victoria couldn’t help but roll her eyes internally, believing that some people were simply obstinate.
“You see, some people are just unyielding. We shouldn’t overthink it,” Victoria commented, comparing Mark to her husband, Jason, who had a bit more empathy.
Approaching Mark, Jason conveyed his concern, “Torrance mentioned that you’ve experienced significant mood swings today. If this happens repeatedly, it could be dangerous.”
With a hoarse voice, Mark, seeking an excuse, tugged at his lapel while awkwardly explaining, “Maybe I drank too much alcohol.”
Silence ensued among the three people as none of them wanted to debunk Mark’s explanation.
Mark, increasingly uneasy under the strange silence, felt impatience and anxiety rise within him.
“You don’t need to stay here with me. Go back.”
“Are you sure it’s safe for you to stay alone here?” Victoria asked anxiously. Despite Mark’s ungracious behavior, he was, after all, her biological brother. She couldn’t abandon him entirely.
“Yes,” Mark replied in a low tone, reclining on the bed.
“Fine then. The cell phone is right by your side. Call us if you need anything,” Jason’s group left Mark’s hospital room, respecting his space.
“You see, fate works in mysterious ways. Despite his past indifference, he’s now unreachable. Even if something happens to him, Mae won’t be able to see it,” Victoria remarked.
Jason and David shook their heads as they looked at Victoria, tired of her snarky remarks against her
brother.
“Thus, you both should learn from my brother’s experiences. Don’t follow his path, understand?”
Jason pursed his lips. After all, he remained single and hadn’t reached Mark’s point.
In contrast, David exhibited puppy–like enthusiasm, gently patting Victoria’s shoulder. “No worries, my dear wife. I’m not like you brother. I only have my eyes for you, and you are alone.”
“Hmph! One can’t truly know another’s heart just by looking at appearances. What if you will just end up being like my brother? Stay away from him in the future.”
“I’ll listen to your advice,” David said with a playful grin. “Let’s head back. Our son must be missing us.
With Jason’s group gone, Mark lay alone on the hospital bed, his forehead creased in discomfort coming from his head.
Mae’s cold and resolute gaze lingered in his thoughts. Each subtle expression of hers was etched clearly in his memory.
He laughed bitterly to himself. “Don’t delude yourself, Mark. She doesn’t care about you at all.”
After spraining her ankle, Mae had spent the entire day at home, not venturing outside as what had Auntie Melissa advised her. As she braced herself to freshen up, her phone buzzed on the side table. It was Victoria who was calling.
“Victoria?” Mae was curious about the timing of Victoria’s call, so she picked up the phone.
“Hello, Victoria? Are you looking for me?” She asked.
“My sister–in-… no, Mae. It’s… well, it’s about my brother.”
Despite her derogatory comments about Mark, Victoria still held genuine concern for him deep down. Her unease lingered even after returning home, prompting her to call Mae.
The moment Mae realized the conversation was about Mark, her interest waned.
Without hesitation, Mae stated firmly, “Victoria, big brother, and I had completed our divorce
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formalities a few days ago. You don’t need to update me on anything related to him.”
Victoria laughed wryly. “You two really are a wonderful pair, saying the exact same things together…” Victoria mumbled under her breath, her words audible to Mae.
Mae paused for half a second, then chuckled, “See? Since he’s already informed you, why bother telling me?”
“This is important, Mae.”
Worried that Mae might hang up on her, Victoria hastened to explain, “My big brother’s condition has worsened this time. He vomited blood tonight. There’s a piece of shrapnel still in his brain that’s causing this. Due to its dangerous position, the doctor hasn’t been able to remove it. Normally, it wouldn’t be such a serious matter, but his emotional instability tonight has triggered a significant increase in intracranial pressure, leading to the bleeding. I’m really concerned about him despite of how I talk to him, Mae…” Victoria spoke with an air of concern
“Shrapnel?” Mae repeated.
“Yes, the doctor said it’s quite risky. If these episodes continue, even nine lives might not be enough for him.” Victoria said worriedly.
Mae fell silent, gripping the phone tightly. After a moment, she responded in a calm voice, “In that case, it’s up to the doctor to figure it out. Talking to me won’t change anything. I can’t remove the shrapnel for him.”
On the other end of the line, Victoria hadn’t expected Mae’s response to be so despondent. She was momentarily stunned.
Nonetheless, she didn’t blame Mae. Facing someone like Mark, a cold–blooded individual who seemed impervious to his own emotions, even the warmest heart could eventually grow cold.
“Mae, if you don’t mind… may I ask… why did you suddenly leave my brother back then?”
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