Chapter 537
There was a chilly atmosphere in the spacious and comfortable VIP ward.
Because he didn’t eat anything while working overtime for days, Chandler had a stomach bleeding, managing to get himself into the hospital.
He lay on the bed, breathing evenly, as if he was extremely tired. He looked haggard and pale, asleep as if he did not want to wake up.
The door was opened.
“… You’ve been asleep for three days. It’s time to get up.” Walking in with a large bouquet of lilies in her arms, Erica turned around and muttered to herself, as she changed the fresh flowers on the bedside, looking at Chandler whose eyes were closed on the bed.
No one responded in the ward.
There was a trace of anxiety between Erica’s brows, although she thought she was stronger than Crystal.
“Chandler, are you unwilling to wake up yourself?”
The doctor said that he was malnourished and overworked. He suddenly fainted in his office because of staying up all night for a long time without eating. If he hadn’t been rescued in time, he would have almost died.
She knew that he was actually giving up on himself.
He worked so hard like this when his brother had just passed away.
Chandler was not as deep as Patrick, nor as free and easy as Charles.
The two elders of the Stephenson family always said how filial their late eldest son was when he accompanied them. Chandler was at least restless and liked to socialize. However, the old couple did not know that their youngest son was more responsible.
Chandler had been blaming himself for his brother’s death.
That was why he had endured her wanton behavior for so many years and actually married her for his brother’s child, which was ridiculous even in Erica’s opinion.
So in that marriage, Erica had mixed feelings, constantly trying to provoke and anger him.
She wanted to know if he married her just for the sake of the responsibility of the Stephenson family, or if he had affection for her.
“… I’ve really changed a lot.”
Erica sat by the bed and reached out to hold his hand. She was usually domineering, but now she was more gentle and said in a low voice. “I love you so much and have done so much for you.”
Erica reached out her fingers to caress his cold face. Because he had been unconscious and haggard for days, even his chin was covered with some beard. Brushing across his dry lips, she looked at him with a hint of affection.
She muttered to herself, “I don’t like children, but I gave birth to Geoffrey for you. I tried my best to be the daughter-in-law of the Stephenson family. But everything you did to me in the past was just for responsibility. You even slept with me in separate beds at night.”
The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. She tightened his wrist with her right hand, which caused a circle of red marks in his wrist, looking at the man who was right next to her.
“Chandler, are you selfish, or am I. You married me just to make yourself feel at ease about your brother’s death. I love you so much, but you never see it!”
In the cold and quiet ward, only Erica’s voice echoed with unwillingness, love and hatred.
The door of the ward was opened again, and along came an anxious voice. “Mark is no longer here. If something happens to Chandler, what should we do? Besides, Geoffrey is so young…”
Mrs. Stephenson walked in, her eyes red and swollen.
Senior Mr. Stephenson comforted her, “Don’t think so much. It’s just a stomach bleeding. The doctor said it’s okay… He just didn’t have enough nutrition, so slept for so long.”
“… Chandler has been disobedient since he was a child. He always likes to run out and makes us worry every time. If it was Mark, he wouldn’t be so willful.” Mrs. Stephenson mumbled in a choked voice with her hands covering her face.
Senior Mr. Stephenson looked worried, patting his wife on the shoulder.
Erica put away her agitation, stood up, and called out, “Dad, mom.”
Senior Mr. Stephenson asked, “How’s Chandler today?” As he walked towards the window, he pulled open the heavy curtains. With a whoosh, the bright sunlight came in in an instant, and the whole ward came alive.
Erica answered časually, “He’s not awake as the same.”
“… Who are you?”
Just then, Chandler, who was on the bed, opened his eyes and looked vaguely at the woman above him.
Seeming to feel stiff and uncomfortable all over, he frowned and turned to look at the white decorations around him, mumbling, “Where am I?”
Erica stared at him with wide eyes in excitement.
“Chandler, you’re finally awake.” Bending over to lean closer to his face, she said nervously in a sharp and urgent voice. “Don’t you recognize me?”
“Erica!”
He quickly called out her name in a wary tone, and then warned her forcefully in a hoarse voice, “Erica, I forbid you to hurt my brother!”
He grabbed her with his left hand which was with an iv drip. “Tell him not to climb the snow-capped mountain in Switzerland. It’s dangerous for him to be inexperienced.”
“Chandler, wake up!”
Erica yanked her hand back which was hurt by his grip and shouted, “Your brother is dead.”
In an instant, the entire ward quieted down.
There was only a vague sound of Mrs. Stephenson’s sobbing left.
Chandler looked blankly at the white ceiling above him as if he had suddenly realized something.
It turned out that he had had a nightmare again.
As long as he was nervous or stressed at work, he would dream back to the bad memories of the past and couldn’t walk out.
Someone came in, clearing his throat softly. “Chandler, you’re awake.” Charles bumped into the scene when Chandler was half asleep.
They had known for a long time that Chandler couldn’t get over his brother’s matter, taking all the blame on himself and taking responsibility.
They just didn’t expect him to put so much psychological pressure on himself.
When Senior Mr. Stephenson and Mrs. Stephenson saw an outsider come in, they immediately adjusted their emotions. Mrs. Stephenson went into the bathroom and washed her face, wiping the tears off her face.
“Help me get discharged.”
Without standing on ceremony with Charles, Chandler looked at him and reminded him.
Erica was agitated. “How can this be? The doctor said that you are very weak and may have gastric bleeding again. You cannot get discharged.”
Looking at Chandler’s pale face coupled with his firm expression, Charles shrugged, turned around, and went out to help him get discharged.
“Chandler, are you crazy? Do you know how worried I was when you suddenly fainted in the office? You’re not allowed to leave the hospital now!” Erica was very anxious.
He sat up and slowly removed the needle on his left hand. Then he got out of bed and muttered in a self deprecating manner, “There are many things I can’t control, but at least I can control my own body.”
Seeming to be a little annoyed, Senior Mr. Stephenson said in a low voice, “Chandler, you can’t be so selfish and let everyone worry about you so much.”
“I am selfish. I even abandoned my own wife and children.”
Wearing a hospital gown, Chandler, who was still weak, held the bed hard with his hands and asked through gritted teeth, “What else do you want from me?”
[…]
(At the master bedroom of the Eastern Garden, in the Hopkins family)
At this moment, Christina was on the phone with Crystal. “There’s one thing I need to tell you.”
“Chandler has been hospitalized with stomach bleeding recently.”
“He signed the divorce agreement you sent him before and sent it to the law firm.” Chandler didn’t wa to drag Crystal down and gave her peace of mind to rebuild her life in France.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My billionaire husband spoils me too much
plzzz update...
plz update new chapter...
Good story...