Years ago, she made her choice. She let go. That meant she and Alexander Sterling were over. Completely.
She had clung to dreams all these years. She hadn't wanted to wake up.
Now, she understood. In this life, she and Alexander were finished. The next life wasn't guaranteed either.
They had become the most familiar strangers.
There was no need to tell him why she came back. For him, that answer no longer mattered. He didn't even want to see her.
Grace O'Sullivan walked out of the hospital. The morning sun wasn't harsh. But she still couldn't open her eyes. She closed them, feeling the warmth on her face. After a long time, she opened them again. She faced the sun.
Like it or not, the sun rose and set every day. Time didn't stand still.
So even if she didn't want to, she had to move forward.
Tomorrow would be a new day. She should start a new life.
That afternoon, Victoria Vance changed into sterile clothes. She went to the ward to see Evelyn. Evelyn lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She looked like a statue.
"Evie—"
Evelyn heard her sister's voice. She turned her head. A long-lost smile finally appeared on her face.
"Sister, you're here!"
"How do you feel now?" Victoria bent over her and asked.
"A little pain," Evelyn answered.
"It hurts after the anesthesia wears off. I asked Dr. Brooks about it. He said too much anesthesia isn't good for the body. Just hold on," Victoria replied.
Evelyn paused for a moment. Then she asked, "Did you see the baby? How is she? Is she pretty?"
"She's beautiful. Mrs. Sterling said she looks exactly like Alexander when he was a child."
"Oh. Not like me?" Evelyn asked, a little disappointed.
"She's too small to tell yet. Why? Are you unhappy she looks like Alexander?" Victoria asked, half-joking.
"No. I just wish she looked like me too," Evelyn replied calmly.
"She's a girl. I think it's better if she's handsome like Alexander," Victoria answered.
Evelyn smiled and said nothing.
"What happened yesterday? You scared us!" Victoria asked again.
"I think I just fell. I don't remember much after that," Evelyn said, dodging the heavy topic.
"How could you be so careless? You can't take care of yourself. It looks like Alexander will have to watch you 24/7!"
"Sister, it was just an accident," Evelyn said lightly.
"Luckily, both you and the baby are fine. Otherwise, what would Alexander do?"
Evelyn pursed her lips and didn't answer.
"What? Did you have a conflict with Alexander?" Victoria asked, squinting.
"No," Evelyn shook her head.
"Alexander hasn't left the hospital since he brought you in last night."
"Didn't he go back to rest?"
"You haven't been transferred out of the ICU yet. How could he dare to go back and rest?" Victoria replied.
"I'm fine now. I'm just a little weak. I'm sleepy," Evelyn said weakly.
"It's strange you're not weak after losing so much blood. The hospital ran out of type O blood last night. Luckily, Alexander had called ahead and had more prepared," Victoria continued.
"Oh," Evelyn answered softly.
"The doctor said if everything is fine, you can be transferred out of the ICU tomorrow morning. Then you should be able to see the baby. Get some rest. Don't think about anything else. There's nothing to stay in this hospital for. We need to get you out as soon as possible!" Victoria encouraged her.
Evelyn nodded with a smile. "I know, sister."
The five-minute visiting time passed quickly. Victoria told Evelyn a few more things, then walked out of the ward.
She changed her clothes and came out. Alexander stepped forward and asked, "Is Evie okay?"
"Her spirits are fine. But her body is still weak. Her voice is faint," Victoria replied.
Alexander turned to look at Evelyn in the ward.
"Alexander, how did Evie fall? Wasn't anyone watching her?" Victoria asked.
"Evie was in the bedroom. Lily was preparing dinner downstairs. She didn't notice," Alexander explained.
"Luckily, you found her early," Victoria murmured. Then she asked, "Did you and Evie have a conflict?"
"No," Alexander said.
It was just a misunderstanding. He needed to explain it to her.
"If not, I've heard new mothers are prone to postpartum depression. Please take more time to take care of my sister," Victoria continued.
"Of course, Victoria," Alexander replied.
"By the way, Evie asked you to go back and rest. I'll watch her first. There are doctors and nurses. Nothing will go wrong. You can rest assured. Just come back tomorrow morning to handle the paperwork."
"It's okay. I'll wait until Evie is transferred out of the ICU before I go back," Alexander said, looking at Evelyn in the ward.
Victoria saw his insistence and said nothing more. "Then I'll go back first. I'll come back for you tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Victoria," Alexander replied sincerely.
"It's fine. Evie is my sister. It's my duty," Victoria said. "I just saw her condition. She seems okay. You don't have to worry too much."
"Okay. Thank you."
Victoria smiled briefly, said nothing more, and walked toward the elevator.
After her sister left, Evelyn continued to stare at the ceiling. When she got tired, she closed her eyes to rest.
She was still very sleepy. Her whole body felt weak. But she couldn't sleep well because of the dull pain from the wound.
Sometimes she was too tired and tried to lie on her side. But when she touched the wound, the pain made her break out in a sweat. So she had to lie still. That was slightly better.
Nurses came in regularly to take her blood pressure, temperature, or check her IV. Sometimes they talked to her. Most of the topics were about Alexander.
They said Mr. Sterling had been guarding her outside all day. Rarely did a man care so much for his wife. She was truly a lucky Mrs. Sterling.
Sometimes they would ask her if Mr. Sterling could come in to see her when visiting time approached.
The first time a nurse asked her was in the early morning, right after she woke up. At that time, she refused. She just asked the nurse to tell him to go back and rest.
In the afternoon, when another nurse asked her the same question, she agreed.
What was the point? She was still in the hospital. It wasn't practical to avoid Alexander. At the very least, she didn't want outsiders to see any cracks in their marriage. On the other hand, even if she didn't consider their marriage, she had to consider Alexander's position.