Chapter 8
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Yvonne sat on a hospital bench, holding a bottle of rubbing alcohol and staring at the instructions. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway as Iona rushed over, easily spotting Yvonne from a distance.
Her face darkened with anger, and she yelled, “Yvonne, you little brat! What did you do to my son?”
Yvonne had just looked up when she saw lona’s hand flying toward her face. She twisted sideways to dodge it, her hand twitching as if to strike back, but she held herself back.
Iona missed, and her fury only grew. “How dare you avoid it? Look at the trouble you’ve caused my son.” She pointed toward the ward, her voice sharp and furious.
Yvonne remained calm, slowly getting up with some difficulty, using her hand to support her back.
“My son made sure you had food and clothes, treated you so well, and still you were ungrateful enough to hit him. Have you forgotten how he saved you from those people?”
“So what? Am I supposed to just put up with him cheating over and over again, even keeping a woman right under my nose?” Yvonne retorted.
Iona was momentarily speechless, and then her eyes flared with anger and her voice sharpened. “You’re being unreasonable. Steven works hard. So what if he makes a mistake once in a while?
“Can’t you just turn a blind eye? Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?”
Yvonne’s eyes were cold and firm. “Working hard is no excuse for cheating. I have my own feelings and principles, and I won’t let him walk all over me.”
Iona snorted, “You think you’ll be fine without Steven? Don’t forget everything you have now is because of him. Without him, you’re nothing.” Iona crossed her arms, looking full of disdain.
Yvonne said, “Did you forget who stood by him when he had nothing? During his hardest times, wasn’t it me who worked while also supporting the family? And where were you?
“Oh, right. You were losing money playing poker and constantly asking us for money to cover your debts.”
“So now that he’s successful, he just thinks he can fool around with women, right?”
Iona’s face turned from pale to red, her lips trembling but unable to speak. After a while, she retorted defensively, “Well… well, he’s someone important now, so socializing is unavoidable. Those women are just for show. Why do you have to take it so seriously?”
Yvonne sneered, “I’m not taking it seriously anymore, am I? But can’t he just stop making me feel sick already?”
“How dare you call my son disgusting? You-” Iona yelled and raised her hand, ready to slap Yvonne again, only to have it caught in mid–air by a strong, firm grasp.
Yvonne paused and turned her head to see a man in a white coat standing in front of her, holding Iona’s hand tight. ̧
The man, Wesley Godfrey, said, his voice cold and commanding, “Ma’am, please calm down. This is a hospital, not a place for your tantrums.”
Iona, more upset by this sudden interruption, tried to pull her hand away, yelling, “Let go of me. This is our family matter, not your concern.”
Wesley didn’t budge, and his grip tightened. “No matter what the issue is, causing a scene in a hospital is wrong. If you keep this up, I’ll call security.”
Chapter 8
Hearing that, Iona felt a bit guilty, but she didn’t give in. “Yvonne, how innocent are you anyway? Aren’t you flirting everywhere you go?” she snorted.
Yvonne’s eyes flashed briefly, and she fell silent. Wesley let go of Iona’s hand, and she stormed into the ward, complaining all
the way.
Wesley looked around and noticed a crowd had gathered out of curiosity. He snorted at some nurses, “Move these people away.”
“Yes, Dr. Godfrey,” one of the nurses replied and they quickly calmed the onlookers. The crowd gradually dispersed.
Wesley turned to look at Yvonne. He wore a clean white coat, standing tall and handsome, with cold, sharp eyes and a blank face that seemed to distance everyone. The name tag on his coat glinted slightly in the sunshine, showing his name.
“Thanks,” Yvonne said. Wesley glanced down at her, remained silent, and turned to go into the office across.
Yvonne packed her things. Even though Steven had been hit on the head by her, his injury wasn’t severe. She didn’t enter the ward but leaned against the wall and slowly walked away.
Wesley sat in his office, watching Yvonne’s departing figure through the window. He remembered her stubborn but hurt expression and felt a bit sorry for her.
Early that morning, when Steven had been taken to the hospital, Wesley had overheard some of their family’s dirty secrets.
He couldn’t understand why such a silly woman existed. She had once supported a whole family and now was tossed aside like trash, yet she still stayed in that mess. He looked toward the door again, but she was already gone.
*****
Yvonne walked up to the hospital doors and saw Reid quickly getting out of the car. He looked really relieved to see her. “What are you doing here?” Yvonne asked, confused, with a slight frown as she looked at him.
Reid didn’t answer her question right away. Instead, his eyes quickly scanned her over. When he saw her holding her hand to her back, his brows furrowed tightly and anger flashed in his eyes. “Damn it, did he hit you?”
Yvonne was stunned. The word around was that the heir of the Simmons family was cold and dignified, always polite. It was the first time she’d heard him curse.
Reid noticed she didn’t respond, and his face grew even darker. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to head inside. “I’m going to beat him up.”
Yvonne quickly stopped him, saying helplessly, “Can you please not make any more trouble?”
Reid was clearly unhappy. “And you’re still not getting a divorce?”
Every time they met, he brought up “divorce,” which annoyed her. With a hint of pleading, Yvonne said, “I have my own plans. Please, just calm down.”
Reid laughed out loud when he heard that. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Seeing she was having trouble walking, he picked and walked toward the car.
Yvonne gasped and looked at the people around them, quickly shouting, “What are you doing? Put me down.”
“Why are you acting so shy? We’ve been closer than this before.”
Yvonne didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t that she was making a fuss, but his role was basically the “other guy” now. Holding her like that in broad daylight–what if someone saw them?
Then she thought, ‘Forget it. As one of the most central figures in Avaloria, he wouldn’t care about these things.’
T6M48 FM, 28 Mar
Chapter 8
Reid didn’t take her home; instead, he brought her to Yvonne Manor, the place where they had spent their first night together.
Yvonne sat quietly on the sofa, watching Reid wash his hands and then check the medicine instructions.
The medicine included both an internal and an external ointment. The directions for the external use read: [Apply the medicinal oil to the injured area and gently massage for a few minutes to help blood circulation and absorption of the medicine.]
Reid looked up at her and said, “Take off your clothes.”
Yvonne hesitated. “Is that really necessary?”
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Reid chuckled, told her to turn around, and then lifted her shirt to take a look. There was a large, dark purple bruise on the side of her lower back, standing out starkly against her skin.
Reid’s eyes darkened instantly, clearly showing his heartache mixed with anger. He wondered, ‘Steven dared to treat her like this. That jerk must have a death wish.'”
He took a moment before applying the medicine, gently spreading it on. Yvonne gasped and her breathing got heavier.
“Does it hurt?” Reid asked.
“Hmm, be gentle,” Yvonne murmured softly, her voice low and soft, with a hint of gasping.
Reid turned his head to look at her. Yvonne’s eyes were slightly red, but there was a stubborn gleam in them. She softly bit the inside of her lip, looking unintentionally charming–just like that enchanting, alluring fairy she had been those two nights.
Reid suddenly said, “If you don’t want me to act like a beast, I suggest you don’t cry and make it look like you’re enjoying it.” When Yvonne heard that, she immediately put on an angry expression and glared at him.
“Yeah, that’s more like it,” he said.
B
