Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection - Season 1 Episode 11

I pursed my lips and said nothing. I didn’t have to try to know Walter deliberately. Anyone who wasn’t blind could tell.

Walter seemed angry, but he didn’t flare up. He took the soup, took a sip, and looked at me. “It’s too light. I don’t want it.”

I frowned. “The doctor says you can’t eat anything else right now.”

He raised his eyebrows at me and parted his thin lips. “Not even salt?”

I stood up, nodded, tried to be patient, and said, “OK. Give me a second.”

It was already early morning, and the vendors who set up stalls outside the hospital were nowhere to be seen. I looked around the hospital before I found a 24-hour convenience store and bought salt. Worried that he was making things difficult for me, I bought sugar as well.

I spent a lot of time with Rachel shopping during the day, and I walked a lot around the hospital. My shoes were hurting me, and my heels bled. By the time I got to the hospital, I was limping.

Finally, I went back to the ward. Unfortunately, I saw Ashley. I didn’t know how long she had been there. She was holding a half-peeled apple in her hand, and she looked at Walter affectionately and said, “I couldn’t sleep at home. I feel at ease when I come to the hospital to stay with you. Walter, don’t be so impulsive next time. I’m not worth the risk.”

Did they have to be so sappy in the middle of the night?

I looked down at the salt and sugar in my hand and wanted to laugh. What a poor fish I was.

The room was silent for a moment. Then Walter opened his mouth, and he sounded tired. He looked at Ashley while saying, “It’s getting late. I’ll send Roy to take you home. Get some rest.”

“No.” Ashley looked at him, her beautiful eyes affectionate. “I don’t trust you in the hospital alone. I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if I went back, so I might as well stay with you.”

Walter frowned. “I’m not alone. Go back.”

“Who is with you? It’s late. Let me stay, OK?” Ashley pleaded. It seemed that if Walter continued to say no to her, she would cry.

I wanted to leave, yet when I looked inside the ward, I accidentally met Walter’s cold gaze. Obviously, I, the poor fish, was his so-called reason why he wouldn’t be alone.

He was so ridiculous. He asked his beloved to rest while asking me to watch over him all night. Was I a free carer?

Upset, I walked into the ward, looked at Ashley, and said, “Then thanks for staying here and taking care of Walter.”

Ashley froze for a second, probably a little surprised to see me out of the blue. “When did you get here?”

I smiled and glanced at Walter. Then I said, “A while.”

Probably it was because Walter was here. She looked guilty and looked at me. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Tabatha. I was worried about Walter, so I came to see him. Today’s accident happened because of me. I blame myself for it. Don’t blame Walter. He did it … out of good intentions.”

Seeing her look so pathetic and innocent, I was actually a little disgusted, but I still pulled a fake smile and looked at Walter, who was in the bed. I said to him, “It seems that Ashley cares about you a lot. Let her stay and take good care of you tonight, OK, Mr. Hinton?”

He frowned and didn’t answer. He said in a deep voice, “What took you so long?”

At the mention of that, I was furious. He bossed me around to get him salt while he flirted with Ashley. How nice for him.

“The air was nice outside, so I stayed a little longer.” Ignoring his sullen face, I went straight to his bed and picked up the cold soup. Then I said, “The soup is cold, so I’m afraid that you have to ask Ashley to make you something to eat later.” After saying that, I threw the soup into the trash can, wiped my hands with a tissue, looked at Ashley, who was kind of in a daze, and said, “He’s yours now.”

Then I faked a smile and said to Walter, “Mr. Hinton, take care. I’ll get out of your hair.”

After saying that, I turned directly out of the ward and gave the salt and sugar I had bought to the nurse on duty.

The nurse was here to change Walter’s dressing. She thought it was garbage in the bag, so she looked at me and said, “Is this trash? Why don’t you throw it in the trash?”

I smiled, turned to look at Walter, who was gloomy in the ward, and then nodded at the nurse. I said meaningfully, “Yes. It’s all trash.”

Then I left the hospital.

***

The next day was Monday. When I was getting ready to go out, I saw the car of the Hinton family outside the villa.