It was Charles' fourth day in the hospital and he still hadn't seen Sheryl. The doctor told him that she had made an appearance while his operation was being done, but then left.
His thoughts were driving him crazy. 'Why has she not come to see me yet? Did I do anything wrong? Is she no longer concerned about me or my well-being?' All he could do was force a smile and hope for the best.
What Charles truly wanted to do was ring the nurse and have her help him call Sheryl. But as he continued to lay there in thought, he decided against it. He wouldn't know what to say if she answered.
When Charles had his accident, the only thing on his mind was Sheryl. All he kept thinking was that if he survived, he would love her for the rest of his life.
But now, having made it through the brink of death, Charles found it difficult to undo the knot in his heart caused by those rumors.
He was starting to worry that maybe he didn't have a place in Sheryl's heart anymore. 'What if she doesn't love me as much as she used to?' he thought to himself.
Suddenly, Charles could hear loud voices and chaotic footsteps approaching the door of the ward.
It was Charles' hysteric mother, Melissa.
Hearing that her precious son was in a car accident, she had rushed through the hospital to see him, even though her own body wasn't completely healed.
"Charles, are you all right? What happened? Tell me how the accident occurred. I've been so worried!" Melissa said quickly as she sat down in front of his bed. The traumatized look in her eyes instantly turned to shock at the sight of Charles, who was lying in the hospital bed, weak and pale.
"Mom, why did you come here? You're not in good health yet. The doctor said he'd discharge me soon. I'm fine," Charles comforted Melissa.
She only had one son, so if something were to have gone wrong, Melissa didn't think she'd be able to live with the results. Hearing Charles' comforting words, Melissa sobbed in relief and said, "Oh Charles, I'm so glad you're alright." Without wiping her tears, she began busily inspecting Charles' injuries.
Seeing his mother behaving with such tenderness, Charles felt touched.
"Mom, don't cry. I'm okay now. Don't worry about me, please."
"I'm going to speak with the doctor and inquire about your condition. Take this time to have a good rest. If you need anything, let me know, I'll bring you anything you want," Melissa assured.
"Okay thanks, Mom. But please don't worry about me. You haven't recovered yet so leave me now and go rest," Charles replied. Hearing Melissa's concern for him warmed his heart and made him feel loved.
"Where is that woman?" Melissa interrupted Charles' thoughts. Turning around, she suddenly became angry.
"I knew that woman shouldn't be trusted. Charles, I have told you time and time again that Sheryl just wants our family's money and that she doesn't really love you. But you never believed me. Do you believe me now?" Melissa exclaimed harshly. "Our company's stock has fallen drastically. I've heard that many shareholders are still scrambling to withdraw your title. Sheryl knows this and is now hiding from you."
While Melissa rambled angrily, Charles blocked her out. He was thinking about other things.
Having been with Sheryl for so many years, he could never believe she was the person his mother was claiming her to be. But he had almost died on the operating table from a car accident, and Sheryl was nowhere in sight.
Thinking about this made Charles sad. Sheryl and he had been through so much, which had made him believe a happy life was in their future. He never expected things would end up like this.
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