“You guys are just ridiculous,” Elina said, shoving past the crowd and hurrying to Jaslyn’s bedside. She gently stroked the little girl.
Jaslyn had woken up at some point without anyone noticing. She wasn’t crying or fussing, just staring at Elina with tear-filled eyes.
“Mom, please don’t blame Aunt Elowyn, okay? Don’t let Aunt Elowyn go to jail. I’ll be good. I won’t cry, I won’t make a fuss, I won’t even eat fried chicken anymore. Just please let Aunt Elowyn go.”
Jack and her parents’ countless arguments meant nothing compared to one plea from Jaslyn. Elina’s heart turned ice-cold, like she had been thrown into a freezing pit. She never imagined that the first thing her daughter would say upon waking up would be to beg for Elowyn’s forgiveness.
“Jaslyn, don’t be upset over this. Once you’re better, Mom will…”
“Mom!” Jaslyn interrupted her, “Why do you always fight with Aunt Elowyn? Why don’t you like her? Aunt Elowyn is so kind. Why do you insist on making her leave us? Aunt Elowyn stayed with me all night when I needed you most. She took care of me and Dad. Aunt Elowyn would never hurt me.”
Elina froze for a second, staring at Jaslyn as if she were looking at a stranger. At that moment, the security guards entered the room.
The nurses, who had long sensed the growing tension, had called security to escort Ronald and Rowena out. Even as their shouting echoed from the hallway, Jaslyn burst into tears again.
“You’re being reckless, but are you really going to abandon your daughter too?” Jack demanded.
Elina pulled her gaze away, stood up from the bed, and picked up her shattered phone.
“I’ll let Elowyn go,” she said coldly, facing away from the bed, “Jack, if you sign the divorce papers, I’ll immediately tell the hospital to withdraw the charges.”
If even Jaslyn had turned against her, Elina thought, then she really had no reason left to keep fighting. Jack stared at her, lips tightly pressed together, saying nothing.
Without waiting for his response, Elina walked straight out. Behind her, she heard Jaslyn’s weak but joyful voice saying, “That’s great, Daddy! You’ll marry Aunt Elowyn, right?”
Her heart felt as if it were being slashed open. She left without caring about Jack’s reply.
For the rest of the day, Elina didn’t think about anything troubling. Occasionally, when she heard the sound of children laughing, she would think of Jaslyn lying in that hospital bed.
But it was only a fleeting thought. She knew Jaslyn didn’t need her anymore.
At the police station.
Inside the interrogation room, Elowyn was sobbing dramatically. “I swear I didn’t do anything!”
The officers, exhausted from hearing the same words over and over, finally stood up and said, “Lock her up.”
Without evidence, they could only hold her for 48 hours, after which Elowyn would be free. For the police, those two days were a last chance to find evidence. For Elowyn, they felt longer than 48 years. But she had barely sat down in the holding cell when an officer returned.
“Someone posted bail for you. The hospital also dropped the charges. You’re free to go.”
Elowyn breathed a sigh of relief and hurried out, only to burst into tears again when she saw Ronald and Rowena.
“Dad, Mom, I don’t know why Elina would accuse me like this. I swear I didn’t do it…”
“There, there, sweetheart. It’s over now,” Rowena said, hugging her tightly. “It’s all thanks to Jack and Jaslyn convincing Elina. She won’t press charges anymore.”
On the way home, Rowena brought up Elina.
“I heard Jack agreed to divorce her, which is why she withdrew the complaint. Who knows what Elina is scheming?”
Elowyn’s eyes lit up and a smile spread across her face. “Is she really willing to let Jack go?”
Rowena snorted. “I think she’s playing hard to get. I’m a woman too, I know her tricks.”
That night, after making her rounds, Elina went to check on Jaslyn’s condition.
She was about to return to her office when the emergency room called. “Dr. Ford, there’s a patient en route who attempted suicide by overdose. The ambulance is almost here. Please prepare.”
“Understood.” She closed Jaslyn’s door and hurried toward the hospital entrance.
The ambulance pulled up and the paramedics rushed the patient in. Elina immediately stepped forward, but someone yanked her back.
“Get out of the way, Elina! Don’t act like you care about saving Elowyn. We need another doctor!” Rowena’s voice exploded like a thunderclap.
Elina frowned deeply and said coldly, “If you want her to live, let me work.”
Rowena stubbornly blocked her. “I said we need someone else!”
“I’m the only attending physician on duty. You’re welcome to wait… and book a funeral home while you’re at it.”
“If anything happens to Elowyn, I’ll never forgive you,” Rowena threatened.
The nurse didn’t waste a second and dragged Rowena aside. Elina rushed to the stretcher and began examining Elowyn as they ran.
No matter how much hatred she felt toward Elowyn, her professional duty remained. She didn’t need Rowena’s biased warnings to do her job properly.
When they reached the ER, Elina quickly assessed the situation. “The patient is still conscious. Prepare to pump the stomach and set up IV fluids–”
As she issued orders, Elowyn suddenly grabbed her hand.
“Elina, it’s my fault you fought with Jack. Nothing happened between us. Please don’t divorce him. If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it with my life.” Her weak voice dripped with guilt and remorse, making it seem like her overdose was entirely Elina’s fault.
Behind her mask, Elina’s eyes were filled with cold contempt. She shook off Elowyn’s hand and told the nurses to start the IV.
While Elowyn underwent gastric lavage, Jack, still recovering in another part of the hospital, heard about the incident and rushed over. He watched anxiously through the glass window, his brows tightly furrowed.
Rowena sobbed beside him. “It’s all because Elowyn felt so guilty about breaking up your marriage!”
Jack’s fists clenched at his sides, worry clouding his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I spoke to the nurses. She didn’t take a lethal amount. She just needs her stomach pumped and observation. She’ll be fine.”
Rowena nodded and sighed heavily. “Elowyn has had such a hard life. Thank goodness you still care about her.”
Seeing Jack’s worried face, Rowena felt extremely satisfied. “Don’t worry, Elowyn is Lina’s sister. I’ll take care of her. We’re family.”
Through the window, Elowyn noticed Jack’s concerned gaze. Despite the pain and humiliation of vomiting, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction.
If she hadn’t overheard the nurses calling her a homewrecker and learned that Elina was on shift tonight, she wouldn’t have pulled this stunt.
Elina thought divorce was just a scare tactic? She would make it real.