Chapter 1078



Despite her words, Sarai was, in fact, looking down on Belinda. How could she not? This was HIV they were talking about! A contagious and life-threatening disease. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be cautious or afraid? As a matter of fact, when Sarai found Belinda wiping Kenia’s hands and face with a towel earlier, her heart had almost pounded out of her chest.

It didn’t matter that Belinda had been wearing a mask and gloves the entire time, Sarai was still terrified. What if Belinda slipped up and accidentally scratched Kenia? Hadn’t Belinda hurt Holley and put the latter at risk of infection before?

Sarai was genuinely scared. She spent most of her time with Kenia, after all. If Kenia ended up getting infected, wouldn’t that put her in danger as well? And so, after careful consideration, she made up her mind to speak to Belinda about the matter and ask her to stop taking care of Kenia.

Belinda’s face was still ashen even after Sarai’s explanation. A long beat of silence passed before she let out a self-deprecating laugh. Of course, how could she have forgotten? She was now a carrier of a deadly virus! Who wouldn’t be afraid of her? Who wouldn’t want to stay away from her?

“I’m sorry, Belinda,” Sarai quickly said. “Was I too harsh? Please believe me; I don’t mean to be harsh to you. I’m just worried about Kenia. I—”

“I understand,” Belinda interjected. She forced a small smile, and while her voice was calm, she sounded distant. “You’re right. I’m not exactly the most ideal person to take care of Grandma right now.”

Belinda took a deep breath. “I suppose I shall leave her in your care from now on.”

Sarai let out a sigh of relief at that. “Don’t worry about it, Belinda. I’ll take good care of Kenia. You can count on me.” Sarai had always treated Kenia well.

She had looked after Kenia over the years, so Belinda really had no reason to worry. Even so, this exchange still felt like a knife to her heart.

Belinda nodded, then turned and walked into the hospital room with her head hung low.

When Kenia woke up, Belinda informed her that Sarai was in charge of her care starting that day. Needless to say, she didn’t disclose her reasons to Kenia. She simply said that she was exhausted and needed more rest.

Kenia didn’t question it at all. She immediately told Belinda to go home and get some rest, assuring her that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

Belinda left the Grand Plains General Hospital and took a taxi home. She made a beeline for the bathroom, took a shower, and then lay down on her bed.

She truly was tired. Soon, she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was already well past seven in the evening. Lucas had already returned. He had been staying over more and more recently, to the point that they were practically living together.

After dinner, Lucas trailed Belinda into the bedroom and asked why she was home early.

Belinda pressed her lips into a thin line and inhaled slowly. “No particular reason… It’s just that… Well, every time I tend to Grandma, I need to wear a face mask and gloves, and I need to be extra careful. It’s disconcerting for her, seeing me like that. So I figured it would be better if Sarai took care of her instead.”

She did her best to sound normal as she spoke, but Lucas still caught the sorrow and self-blame in her tone. He felt a pang in his heart.

He reached for her shoulders and gently turned her so that she faced him.

“Belinda,” he said softly, “let’s get your blood tested again.”

When Belinda heard those words, a flicker of astonishment passed over her face.

“Get another blood test?” she asked.

“Yes,” Lucas affirmed with a solemn nod. His deep, husky voice carried a weight of urgency. “After taking a step back and thinking carefully, I have to ask—do you think it’s possible that your initial test results were tampered with?”

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