Chapter 830
When There Is Nothing Left But Love
I frowned at his snarky remark, but still wanted my question answered. âHas he come out from the ER
yet? Is someone looking after him?â
Instead of replying to my burning questions, Ashton continued to stare coldly at me. His gaze was filled
with despair and a hint of sad irony. After which, he left the room without uttering another word.
Despite knowing he was upset, I had no choice but to check on Marcus myself. As I sat up from my
bed and attempted to remove the IV drip from my arm, the door swung open.
Joseph walked in and saw what I was doing. He darted to my bedside and stopped me. âMrs. Fuller,
the doctor just said that you have to rest. You canât remove the drip.â
I furrowed my brows and asked, âJoseph, can you help me check on Marcus? Iâm really worried about
him. Is someone taking care of him?â
Joseph sighed helplessly and said, âMrs. Fuller, sometimes it baffles me how you manage to overlook
all that Mr. Fuller has done for you. Knowing that Mr. White has injured himself trying to protect you, do
you not think Mr. Fuller will take good care of him? After being told of your accident on site, he dropped
everything and rushed to the hospital in the first instance. But he was met with his stunned wife being
worried sick for another man, not responding to his calls when he tried to speak to you. When you
passed out all of a sudden, Mr. Fuller even fell into a full-blown panic mode that Iâve never witnessed
before. Knowing youâll be worried for Mr. Whiteâs wellbeing, he has made sure that Mr. White receives
the best care he can get in this hospital. Mr. Fuller has even hired a personal nurse to look after Mr.
White. And after all that heâs done for you, your first words after coming to were all about Mr. White.
Donât you think thatâs a bit too cruel to him? After all, he is your husband, and despite the very little
emotion he lets on, he does feel jealous and sad just like every other guy.â
I was overwhelmed and at a loss for words. Biting my lips, I tried to digest the information that had
been dumped on me.
Looking at my bewilderment, Joseph sighed again. âMr. Whiteâs condition has been stabilized. But he
hasnât come to as the anesthetic hasnât worn off. He is being looked after by doctors and nurses so you
donât have to worry about him. More importantly, you really need to get some rest yourself.â
As Joseph helped me back onto my bed, my mind kept flashing back to all the things that he had just
said to me. A pang of guilt rushed into my chest. In retrospect, I did hurt Ashtonâs feelings for being
insensitive.
Since I couldnât fall asleep right away, I waited till the nurse came to remove the IV drip before I
decided to take a walk.
Ashton was nowhere to be seen, hence I decided to check up on Marcus. After checking for his room
number and arriving at his ward, I was relieved to see that a nurse was looking after him. The nurse
greeted me with a smile.
Marcus was still unconscious from the effect of the anesthetic. His forehead was injured and his body
was covered in a blanket, hence I turned to the nurse and asked, âHow is his wound?â
âThe doctor just came by to check on him. She said that he has sustained an injury to his head, but
sheâs not sure at this stage if he suffers from a concussion. A metal rod pierced through his right
ribcage, but luckily, it missed his vital organs. There are a few other scratches but they are just
superficial wounds. Judging from his current condition, heâs going to be hospitalized for a considerable
amount of time.â
My body shuddered at the mention of his ribcage being pierced by a metal rod. That must have been
where most of the blood came from. My hands started trembling and my legs turned wobbly as I relived
the incident in my head.
I forced my weakened legs to move to his bedside and sat down, losing my bearings. If it wasnât for
him, the metal rod would have run through my body instead. Human lives are indeed very fragile and
short. And yet, in the span of my very short life, he has saved me twice; this time he even risked his
own life for me. Itâs not easy to just stop worrying about him like everybody else has been saying.
âMs. Stovall, why donât you get some rest yourself? Iâll be here to take care of Mr. White,â the nurse
said.
I shook my head a little. âIâm okay. Besides, Iâve already rested more than enough. I might as well stay
here. Please let me be.â
Sensing I was not going anywhere, she decided to stop persuading me.
âIn that case, Ms. Stovall, Iâll take a walk outside. Please call for me should you need anything,â she
said while heading out.
I nodded before I suddenly thought of something and called after her, âMay I know how I should
address you?â
âMy name is Layla Lane,â Layla replied with a smile.
I nodded. âIs it okay if I call you Layla?â
âSure,â she said before leaving the ward.
After Layla left the room, I turned to Marcus. It was impossible to not be moved by what he had done
for me.
I felt suspended in time, trying to decipher what I was feeling in my gut. Slowly, I came to the realization
that I had been avoiding people who had displayed the slightest amount of kindness or affection toward
me; people such as Ashton, Marcus, and John. It was as though I was incapable of accepting any kind
of compassion.
For some reason, I kept looking for every little detail in my life to push Ashton away; subconsciously
trying to sabotage every meaningful relationship I have had. A disembodied voice at the back of my
mind kept telling me that there had to be a reason why they approached me, be it I could be useful to
them, or that I could help advance their own motive. Whatever the reason, I was convinced that I was
undeserving of true love.