True Love Waits novel Chapter 20

At the other end of the line, Emmett paused a little to think. "Mrs. Huo, where are you?" He asked instead of answering her question. 'Has she really gone to New York?' he thought to himself, a crease on his forehead.

Trapped in his own musings, he heard Debbie say, "I'm in New York. I just got off the plane."

Her voice trembled correspondingly, and then she added, "It's freezing cold out here." What she said was no exaggeration, and Emmett was more than aware.

Back home, the climate was welcoming with the soft breeze of Autumn. In New York, however, the temperature had dropped to several degrees below zero. The young lady did not sound like she had any idea until she was there.

Emmett's mouth was agape in shock for a bit. He had not expected her to push through with going to New York by herself. "Mrs. Huo, please find someplace where you can have a cup of coffee first. In the meantime, I'll arrange a car for you right away." Despite the grave possibility of a divorce, as long as it was not finalized yet, Debbie still had every right to enjoy all the respect and proper treatment as Carlos' wife. That was clear to Emmett, and so he insisted on being of assistance to the young lady.

Although she wanted to refuse, it was snowing heavily outside and she did not exactly have a better plan in mind. After giving it some careful thought, she turned to the side and entered the nearest coffee bar that caught her eyes.

Just as Emmett kept true to his word, a car picked Debbie up to drive her to the hospital where the old man she was supposed to see was currently confined.

Upon entering the ICU ward, Debbie eyed the old man lying in bed, with all kinds of tubes and apparatuses inserted into his skinny and frail body.

The mere sight of the man's condition nearly broke her heart. "What happened?" Debbie asked in a soft whisper, turning to the driver who had brought her to the hospital from the airport.

"Mr. Huo's grandfather has been in poor health for years," the driver began, his chauffeur cap in his hand. "He has been in a coma for over three years now. Ever since he got seriously ill, the man has not awakened from it."

Looking at the motionless old man once again, Debbie could not help but feel every kind of sadness. 'Poor man, ' she thought to herself.

At his age, instead of suffering alone in an ICU ward, he was supposed to be surrounded by his children and their respective families.

Although he appeared to be receiving every possible means of comfort, it was still different than to be resting in his own home. She then sent a text message to Carlos. "Why did you not tell me about your grandfather's condition?" If she had known about it, she might not have come to New York. The primary reason for her flying over had been to ask for an answer, but to her surprise, the old man could not even speak.

Nevertheless, since Carlos and she were still married, strictly speaking, the old man was also her grandfather by law. Perhaps, it was a good thing that she had come to see him after all. Otherwise, she would never have guessed about his current situation. Turning to the driver, she asked, "Who's taking care of Mr. Huo's grandfather?"

"Professionals, I hear. He's provided with around-the-clock care," the driver explained, squinting as though he were trying to recall. "Mr. Huo and his parents often come to check on him as well."

After asking a few more questions, Debbie left the hospital. While waiting outside for the car, she stretched out her right hand to catch some snowflakes until her hand went numb with the cold.

Thanks to Emmett making arrangements while she was at the hospital, Debbie could stay at a place which Carlos owned in New York. At least, just until she returned back home. It was not until she walked into the room that she learned the villa was where Carlos lived whenever he came to New York. A few personal items could be found neatly propped in their respective places, some suits in the closet being one of the things which she noticed.

Although Emmett was thoughtful in his actions, it was a pity that Carlos and Debbie were not meant to be together.

Having flown for more than ten hours, after which she had headed directly to the hospital, it was no wonder that she felt the exhaustion overcoming her. By the time she sat on the bed, she did not want to move a single muscle anymore.

However, when it dawned on her that this was not her own bedroom, but Carlos', and that she would be sleeping in his bed, she mustered what was left of her energy and dragged herself into the bathroom. As soon as she finished taking a shower and changing into clean clothes, she plopped onto the bed and fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

On the other side of the world, Carlos was still at work in the ZL Group.

He was putting aside some finished files, when he saw the text message from Debbie. "You didn't ask," he replied.

When he had received her message about letting Gail off easily the day before, he had been at a loss for words. Despite the lady being the one who was asking for a divorce, her message felt as though he was the one who wanted to get out of their marriage. More importantly, where had she gotten the nerve to propose terms and conditions?

After sending the message, Carlos turned to Emmett and asked in a flat tone, "How's everything with her in New York?"

'Her? New York?' For a moment, Emmett was confused as his thoughts were preoccupied with his work responsibilities. 'Oh, right, ' he thought suddenly. It finally occurred to him whom Carlos was asking about. "After her visit to the hospital, Mrs. Huo went to the villa on Mountain Avenue. Right now, she is likely resting in the villa."

Without lifting his eyes from the files before him, Carlos asked again, "When is she coming back?"

"I didn't ask. Mrs. Huo hasn't booked a return ticket yet," Emmett answered.