Chapter 11
“Mr. Matisse, your flowers got ruined.”
Right after I sent that text, he tried to video call me.
I still wasn’t comfortable with that, so I changed it to a voice call instead.
Raphael sounded a little annoyed, “Why won’t you let me see?”
I retorted, “Are you trying to look at the flowers or me?”
He knew I caught him, so he didn’t push it.
“I just want to see how you’re doing.”
“Keep dreaming,” I said.
It had been seven days since my surgery when we started talking again, but I didn’t let him visit.
Even though the outlook kept getting better, any hint of risk, no matter how small, was enough to shake me.
So until my condition is truly stable, it’s better if we don’t see each other.
Raphael didn’t win this time and gave in, but he still had people in the city send me new stuff every day.
Helena got suspicious and shot me a curious look. “Wait a minute. Don’t tell me all my top picks are useless now?”
I blushed and stayed quiet.
Two more weeks passed. Then Travis sat down with me, smiling while
Chapter 11
going over my test results. Things were looking really good..
“We’ll do one last full–body checkup soon. If nothing’s wrong, you’ll be discharged. Just stick to your meds and come back regularly for checkups.”
The heavy weight I’d been carrying in my chest finally lifted, and after thanking Travis, I walked out.
As I passed the hospital’s small garden, I spotted someone familiar.
It was Stephen.
He was sitting in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the plants like he wasn’t really there.
I debated whether I should walk away or say something, but he noticed. me first.
He awkwardly rolled his wheelchair toward me, clearly tired and sweating, but he looked excited.
“Zorelle, did you come here to see me?” he asked.
I replied quickly, “No, I was just passing by.
People who get too sentimental are the hardest to deal with.
His smile faded, and he looked more painful than if he were crying.
Still, I asked what had happened.
His face darkened as he started to explain, filled with anger, “That awful woman–when she found out I gave all my assets to you, she pushed me down the stairs.
“I broke my right leg.”
Chapter 11
He stared at me like he wanted me to feel sorry for him.
But honestly, it felt like watching a wild soap opera, and I was enjoying the drama.
I casually said, “Make sure you get enough sunlight. It’s good for your bones.”
Stephen must have lost his mind. He actually smiled and said, “I’ll take care of myself, don’t worry. As for that woman, I’ve already filed for divorce and sued her for intentional harm.”
Another round of drama–like a never–ending soap opera.
I was getting worn out and figured it was time to end the conversation. I said, “Well, good luck with that. You’ll be a divorced guy next, so try not to mess around again.”
Stephen’s expression went blank. “Do you hate me now?”
I let out a cold laugh. “I can’t stand you.”
With that, I turned and walked off. We didn’t owe each other anything anymore, and there was no reason to cross paths again.
As I made my way through the garden and reached the hospital entrance, someone in the crowd suddenly stood out to me. His presence was impossible to ignore.
He held a bouquet of flowers in his arms and looked down like he was texting someone.
Right then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Raphael texted, “My neighbor said the flowers arrived today. You can ask Helena to get them.”
Chapter 11
I froze for a second before it hit me, so there was never any delivery guy. He had been personally bringing the flowers every single day.
Helena once complimented my taste. Turns out, she’d already met him. before.
I looked down and chuckled. “Wanna meet up?”
Not far off, the tall guy instantly broke into a goofy grin, then started panicking a moment later.
He replied, “Right now?
“It’ll take me a few hours to get there.”
Look at him, still pretending.
But I couldn’t wait any longer. “Look up. Right now.”
Raphael followed my message and looked up, nearly dropping the flowers in surprise.
He quickly made his way through the people and stopped in front of me, staring like I was something really special.
If he were a big dog, his tail would have been wagging by now.
I joked, “So you’re done pretending?”
His ears turned red, but his words came out bolder than ever. “I just really missed you. I wanted to hug you. And…”
“And what else?” I asked.
He continued, “This isn’t the best place to say it.”
Alright then, we’ll talk about it later.
