Bertha returned the gesture with a smile, even though it was tinged with a hint of bitterness.
Ellinor didnât add anything more. She turned and took Theoâs hand, and together they said goodbye to Marlinie before leaving the hospital room.
Once outside, Ellinor paused. Her worry was still palpable.
Theo understood her concern. âIf you donât want to leave, we can stay here. If anything happens, we can rush right back in to be with Marlinie.â
Ellinor nodded. Even though she knew Bertha was no fool, she couldnât help but feel concerned.
After Ellinor and Theo left, Bertha, as usual, naturally walked to Marlinieâs bedside. âMarlinie, did you have enough dinner? Do you want me to warm it up for you at the nurseâs station? Maybe you should have a little more.â
Marlinie shook her head as she looked at her longtime friend with a concerned gaze. Even though Bertha was trying to act as if everything were normal, Marlinie could see that she was far from okay.Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updatesâ¦
âIâm not hungry. Bertha, did you⦠did you have a fight with Thaddeus?â
Bertha smiled. âNo. You need to focus on your recovery. Donât worry about me.â
Marlinie reached out and held her friendâs hand. âStop pretending with me! I can tell youâve been crying. What happened? Was it Sophia? Did you and Thaddeus fight over her again?â
Bertha couldnât hold back her tears. Her eyes reddened as she wiped away her tears. âReally, itâs not that! We did fight, but he already knows he was in the wrong.â
Marlinie looked puzzled and worried. âThen why were you crying?â
Bertha didnât want to bring it up, fearing Marlinie would be upset.
Lea pouted, and her voice choked up. âMs. Marlinie, my dad⦠he was taken away!â
What? Marlinie couldnât believe it. Given Thaddeusâ status, who could possibly take him away?!
But she knew children could sometimes misunderstand things, so she turned her gaze back to Bertha.
âBertha, tell me what happened! Who took Thaddeus away?â
Bertha sighed. She couldnât hide it anymore. She wiped her own tears and tried to calmly explain the situation to Marlinie. âHis company ran into some serious tax issues, and he was taken away for investigation. Marlinie, you donât need to worry about him. We donât know the outcome yet. And if itâs his own doing, he needs to face the consequences.â
Marlinie gasped. She felt sorry for her friend but didnât know what to say. âBertha, does this have anything to do with my daughter and son-in-law?â Bertha quickly shook her head. âNo! Marlinie, donât think too much. I know Thaddeus better than anyone. He must know what he did wrong; thatâs why he willingly went with them for the investigation.â
Even though Marlinie didnât say it, she had a feeling that this had something to do with Ellinor and Theo. She couldnât vouch for Thaddeusâs character, but she knew that with his resources, he could have easily covered up any issues in his company. The sudden revelation of these problems must have been orchestrated by someone with a higher status than him in this city.