Jack said nothing, his arms hanging limply by his sides.
Elowyn didn’t let go. Instead, she clung to him and said, “Jack, are you okay? I’m sorry I was late. I’ll take care of you and Jaslyn tonight.”
Her gentle voice was a stark contrast to Elina’s cold, distant expression.
Jack stared at Elina’s face, a sharp sting pricking his heart, but more than anything, he felt annoyed. When had Elina, who used to rush over in concern at the slightest frown from him, become like this?
“I’m fine,” he said shortly, his voice cold as he averted his gaze. “If someone doesn’t want to fulfill their duty as a mother, they should just stay away.”
To him, Elina’s repeated little tricks were nothing more than desperate bids for his attention. Jack wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.
Hearing this, Elowyn looked at Elina, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “Elina, you always bragged about being a good wife and mother, didn’t you? You’re not the kind of person Jack’s talking about, right?”
It was clear the two of them were working together, trying to rip away Elina’s calm mask, to watch her lose control. But Elina said nothing. She stepped past Jack without even glancing at them and headed straight for the nurses’ station.
Jack’s breath hitched, his face stiffening as he watched her walk away. Elowyn noticed and said guiltily, “She must’ve gotten upset seeing me, but when I heard you and Jaslyn were sick, I was really worried.”
Her big eyes shimmered with tears, her voice catching slightly.
Jack shook himself from his daze and looked down, his voice softening, “It’s not your fault. She’s just overly sensitive and petty. Even Jaslyn doesn’t like how she acts.”
His voice was quiet, but in the empty hallway, every word carried clearly to Elina’s ears. Her hand paused as she signed the paperwork, the pen pressing so hard against the sheet that ink seeped through the prescription form.
The nurse quickly printed out a new one and placed it carefully in front of her, whispering, “Dr. Ford, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take special care of your daughter.”
Elina double-checked the medications and signed again. “Thank you. If anything comes up, contact me immediately.”
The nurse nodded, took the corrected form, and asked, “Would you like to review your husband’s prescription too?”
“No need,” Elina capped the pen. “I’ll speak to Dr. Jenny directly about his meds. Thank you for your help.”
Jaslyn was just a child. It was natural for Elina to worry. As for Jack—whether he lived or died was no longer her concern.
Elina walked out of the emergency department, pulling her jacket tighter against the cold wind. She had rushed out too fast and had grabbed the wrong, thinner coat.
A car pulled up in front of her. Rowena jumped out, grabbing her arm in panic. “What happened? Elowyn suddenly said she was rushing to the hospital. Is something wrong with Jaslyn?”
Elina met her eyes, flashes of the afternoon’s events crossing her mind. Her gaze turned frosty. “Gastroenteritis.”
“How could you let such a young child get gastroenteritis?” Rowena snapped. “Where are you going? How can you leave Jaslyn alone? Don’t you have any shame as a mother?”
The barrage of accusations made Elina let out a cold, bitter laugh.
“And you’re one to talk?” she retorted, the anger that had been suffocating her finally spilling out. “Do you really think all of this has nothing to do with you?”
Before she even finished speaking, Ronald stepped forward, roaring, “Is that how you talk to your mother?”
He raised his hand and swung at Elina.
She flinched, instinctively shielding her face, but the expected pain never came. Instead, a familiar scent filled her nose. A tall figure had stepped in front of her. Elina looked up–it was Jack.
He had blocked Ronald’s slap. “Jaslyn’s awake. Elowyn’s upstairs with her. She told me to come get you.”
Ronald lowered his hand awkwardly and, without saying a word, led Rowena upstairs.
Elina took a step back, but Jack caught her by the wrist. “Whether as a mother or a daughter, you’ll never measure up to Elowyn,” he said coldly, his words stabbing straight into her heart.
In Jack’s eyes, even as a wife, Elina couldn’t compare to Elowyn. She yanked her hand free and stared into his dark eyes, full of disgust. “If I’m so bad, feel free to have her replace me. All you need to do is sign the agreement.”
“Replace you?” Jack sneered. “You think too highly of yourself. If you want to do this, don’t regret it later.”
Hearing this, the coldness in Elina’s eyes flickered. Jack thought she was about to break down and beg for forgiveness as he knew that look too well.
But he didn’t give her the chance. He turned and walked away.
“Jack.”
Sure enough, Elina’s voice came from behind him.
He stopped but didn’t look back. “If you’re hoping I’ll forgive you, an apology won’t cut it this time.”
Elina didn’t respond to that. She only said, her tone calm, “Jaslyn is your daughter too. If you care about her, take better care of her. Don’t let her eat anything unsafe again.”
Jack froze at her words. That’s all she had to say?
When he spun around in anger, Elina was already gone. He clenched his jaw, glaring at the hospital’s exit, his face dark.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, an urgent alarm blared from the children’s ward. Nurses rushed in with equipment to find the little girl on the bed vomiting uncontrollably, finally even throwing up bile.
Elowyn, who had been sleeping on the nearby cot, groggily opened her eyes, startled by the chaotic scene.
“What’s happening?” she asked in confusion.
No one answered. She only caught snippets of the nurses’ frantic talk. “Page Dr. Ford now! The child’s condition is worsening!”
Hearing this, Elowyn jolted awake, hurrying over to the bed. “What’s wrong with Jaslyn?”
Not that she really cared about the girl–she just didn’t want to give Elina any reason to blame her.
A nurse shot her a glare. “How were you even watching her? The poor kid had to press the call button herself!”
Elowyn paled, staring at the girl wearing an oxygen mask, instinctively blurting, “I’m not her nanny…”
Before she could finish, she spotted Jack rushing into the room and quickly changed her tune, “It’s my fault. I was just too tired. I only closed my eyes for a moment. I didn’t know…”
“Out of the way!” barked the nurse, urgently glancing toward the door. “Where’s the doctor?”
Jack furrowed his brow tightly. “What happened to Jaslyn? I’m her father.”
“She must’ve eaten something that made her condition worse.”
Hearing that, Jack turned toward Elowyn. “Where’s the nanny?”
Elowyn stood frozen, biting her lip, unable to answer.
Last night, she had sent the nanny away just so she could badmouth Elina to Jaslyn in private, and to win Jaslyn’s favor, she had even given her candy. Now, looking at the frail little girl on the bed, Elowyn didn’t dare admit the truth.