Chapter 2
From the moment Oliver drew his last breath in my arms, I ultimately gave up on Chris.
But Chris thought I was just holding a grudge.
“Ashley, can’t you be reasonable? Oliver won’t disappear from the hospital. You can visit him anytime. Adeline is still here. Do you have to upset everyone?”
He won’t disappear.
That was what Chris said most often whenever I called him to visit Oliver at the hospital.
But now, Oliver really had disappeared.
He would never return.
I looked at Chris coldly.
“You don’t need to be involved in anything to do with Oliver anymore. Do whatever you want, I won’t care anymore.” After that, I pulled my suitcase and walked past him.
Chris finally sensed something was amiss and grabbed my hand.
“Did Oliver get mad because I didn’t visit him? I’ll go as soon as I’m done with this.”
I couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
It had been days. If he had just made a phone call to the hospital or even asked anyone around him, he would have known what happened. There was no need for him to utter such nonsense.
But he hadn’t, and even now, he was using the same absurd excuse of being too busy to fob me off.
I pulled away from his grip.
“No need!”
From now on, there would be no need at all.
I just want to get away from this dreadful place as quickly as possible.
He immediately blocked my path with a commanding presence.
“I didn’t think this through. From now on, I’ll come running as soon as Oliver calls. Will that make things right?” It was Chris at his most apologetic.
He probably thought my anger stemmed from his neglect of Oliver, and uncharacteristically, he lowered his stance to
coax me.
Commonly, I would have gladly accepted his apology, perhaps even flattered, and then hugged him, blaming my temper.
But now, I remained silent, my face cold and pale, my only desire to leave.
Finally losing his patience, Chris’s tone grew cold.
“Ashley, you’re my wife, and Oliver is my own flesh and blood. Why must you always compete with a patient?” Chloe had a frail heart since childhood, often relapsing, and as childhood friends, Chris had cared for her all her life, embedding it deep in his bones.
Even after both had married, he continued to look after Chloe and her daughter as if they were his own family. Yet, I found it all rather amusing.
My jealousy had caused scenes before, as Chris always insisted Chloe only as a sister to him.
He pitied Chloe, whose husband had died young, and felt it his duty to care for her more.
He would tell me to be sensible and not let my imagination run wild.
I feared losing him, and so I gradually came to accept that a third person could intervene in our relationship.
I allowed Chris to abandon Oliver and me for Chloe time and again and allowed our years of marriage to be marred by countless arguments over Chloe…
With all these allowances, I still couldn’t fulfill Oliver’s final wish.
It was just to see Chris one more time. How hard could that be?
After all, Chloe could see him every day.
I was done arguing with Chris. Whatever he said, so be it.
Chris watched my retreating figure, a flicker of bewilderment crossing his eyes.
He felt he was losing something, instinctively wanting to grasp hold, but Chloe interrupted him.
“Chris, let her go if she wants to. Where’s Adéline’s room? I’ll go check on her.”
Chris’s voice came from behind me.
“This way.”
Then, right before my eyes, I saw them leading someone into Oliver’s room.
“What are you doing?!”
I pushed Chloe away and blocked their entrance to Oliver’s room.