Norton Geve ate happily. He lost his appetite for days already. He swallowed prescribed pills every day that tongue almost went numb. He couldnât help but sigh, âItâs a blessing to eat.â
The diseases he was suffering limited him from various diets. He couldnât eat this, he couldnât eat that.
His wife complied by doctorâs advice. It was no fun for him to live in such a cage.
But, his life was at stake and he didnât know how long his body could stand this. He just wanted to live, spent his days with his wife, and hoped to see his daughter.
Olive Steele smiled, âYou should listen to the doctor. As long as the doctor allows me, I will bring you delicious food.â
âAre you bribing me?â asked Norton Geve.
âWell, you have to listen to the doctor. Auntie has done a lot. Helping you to cooperate better with the doctor is the least I can do.â
âYouâre playing with me.â Norton Geve glared at her helplessly, âBy the way, have you eaten? Itâs twelve oâclock soon. Donât patronize me to make me happy.â
Olive Steele smiled. Her face bloomed with happiness, âI have an appointment later.â
âOh, it turns out that this beautiful lady has an appointment!â Norton Geve smiled.
âIf you have something to do, you may go. Donât delay your appointment.â Lory Ted said.
âItâs okay. I havenât receive a call yet.â at the same time, her phone suddenly rang.
Norton Geve looked at her phone and laughed, âSpeaking of the devil. Go, quickly, I donât want him to think that Iâm holding you back here.â
âUncle, stop making fun of me.â Olive Steele smiled and answered the phone, âIâm coming.â she said to Alan Hoyle.
She knew that he was waiting in the hospital gate. They had an appointment.
Norton Geve asked for the phone and said, âAlan, be nice to our Olive. If you wrong her, I will deal with you. Iâve been laying low recently, but I still have it in me. If you wrong her, itâs going to be ugly.â
Lory Ted pitched his arms and scolded him, âWhy are you talking like that?â
Olive Steele giggled. It would indeed be ugly if Norton Geve decided to deal with him, but his enthusiasm warmed her heart.
Alan Hoyle smiled gently, âDonât worry, Sir. It wonât happen.â
âWell, I donât know that for certain. I donât have much time left. My medication has been good lately, but I donât know if my old bones will survive for another eight or ten years.â
âIâm glad that your health is improving. Iâm waiting for you to return to the hotel and free my wife.â he was worried that her work pressure would crush her small body.
Norton Geve gave the phone back to Olive Steele after arguing with Alan Hoyle several rounds.
Lory Ted looked at her husband funnily, âThe older you are, the more childlike you become.â
âHeâs young again. Isnât it nice?â Olive Steele laughed.
An illness was not a completely a bad thing; a psychological impact was.
âIâm happy just by looking at you.â he wished he had such a lovely daughter, but he dared not say this in front of his wife for fear that he might upset her.
Olive Steele put the phone back in her bag, âIâm going now.â
âIâll send you off.â Lory Ted said.
Olive Steele wanted to refuse, but it was awkward. She was about to say something, but finally nodded with a smile.
There were only two of them inside the descending elevator.
Lory Ted seemed to have wanted to ask this for a long time, âOlive, Alanâs mother, does she still refuse to accept you?â
She didnât mean to poke on her soft spot. She just cared.
Olive Steele sighed and smiled bitterly, âIt hasnât been easy with her.â
Alan Hoyleâs decision was a hard slap to his motherâs face. Their confrontation was a hot one.
âYou and Alan have come a long way. If his mother can accept you, it will be perfect, but the reality is sometimes cruel. Iâm afraid you will suffer more injustice. Also, Iâm afraid Ophelia Meyer will do something to you again. She is now in the hospital with Mrs. Hoyle. Do you know this?â Lory Ted inquired carefully.
âI know. I just met them. Donât worry, Auntie. They cannot hurt me.â
âI know Alan will take a good care of you. Norton told me what Ophelia did to you once. I think she wonât easily give up. You should be careful. Watch your back, always.â Lore Ted repeatedly told her.
âThank you. I will.â
Olive Steele didnât understand how she managed to win favors of so many people, but she couldnât do one with Mrs. Hoyle. She thought that the old lady must have hated her since the beginning of time.
Or, she was on her blacklist and that she never wanted to get to know her. The beloved daughter-in-law wannabe, Ophelia Meyer, was the only one in her mind. She wanted to erase herself out of the blacklist. She knew itâs bound to be a long ride.
Downstairs, after saying goodbye to Lory Ted, Olive Steele went out and headed to the hospital gate.
He went to see his mother earlier.
If Mrs. Hoyle still hated her so much, she might as well be down to straight things out with her.
But, Alan Hoyle told her not to worry, everything would be better soon.
She knew that he was working hard and was secretly doing something with Kent Bai.
But, she felt that it was not enough. It didnât mean that his mother would gladly accept and like her. She felt that she needed to find a suitable opportunity to approach the stubborn lady to end things. She also needed to make some preparations.
Some things werenât meant to be rushed. Some things were bound to be a long ass ride.
She hoped everyone would forgive her for being a scheming woman now.
She was holding herself back for a long time. She never thought of harming others.
However, these days, good people werenât welcomed.
Chloe Malan once said to her, âYou have to fight this war against your mother-in-law.â
The word âwarâ made things sounded serious and hostile. She didnât want it to turn out like this, but the old lady was a jealous asshole. There was a nicer word for this, but she couldnât think of it. After all, Mrs. Hoyle thought of her as a woman who stole her son.
âDamn it!â she cursed under her breath. She sighed and kicked a small stone on the roadside.
However, she didnât expect to see two familiar figures hugging under a cherry tree in a distance when she looked up.
Ophelia Meyer was facing her and the man, wasnât he was her husband to agree to meet her in the hospital gate?