Chapter 4

When Renee woke up the next morning, she was at Metro General Hospital. Feeling groggy and disoriented, she opened her eyes to a sea of white, the sterile scent of disinfectant filling the air. Immediately, she knew she was at a hospital.

"Are you awake?" a nurse asked as she walked over with an IV bag. "Perfect timing. I was just about to hook this up."

Renee blinked slowly. The pain in her stomach was gone, probably thanks to last night's IV. But now, her head felt heavy.

Shifting slightly on the bed, she asked, "Do you know who brought me here yesterday?"

The nurse adjusted the drip and smiled. "I think it was your husband. He's very handsome, by the way. And very considerate too. He stayed with you through the whole IV. Only left after taking a phone call."

"My… husband?" Renee smiled, more bitter than amused.

That was impossible. Adam was the last person who would show up.

The nurse finished setting up the IV and left the room. With Renee's phone having been in her car, she couldn't contact anyone now. So, she couldn't do anything else but lie in bed and wait for the IV drip to finish.

Just then, someone knocked on her room door, and a man in a sleek suit stepped inside.

"Ms. Whitley?"

Renee looked up, surprised to see a completely unfamiliar man. "Yes, and you are?"

The man walked closer and replied, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Luke Sanders. We were in a car accident yesterday; your car has been towed and sent for repairs. My boss asked me to drop off your belongings."

Renee carefully sat up and weakly said, "Thank you for bringing me to the hospital. I—"

Luke quickly waved his hand, not daring to take credit for the deed. "Hold up, that wasn't me. It was my boss who brought you. I just work for him."

"Your boss?" Renee repeated. It wasn't like she knew who Luke's boss was, so she asked, "What's his name? And do you mind giving me his number? I'd like to call and thank him."

Luke scratched the back of his head, suddenly wary. Over the years, many women had tried all sorts of tricks to approach Jasper. Luke was worried Renee was the same.

"He said there's no need to thank him. Just call him a Good Samaritan," Luke replied with a polite smile, then set her handbag on the table. "Get well soon, Ms. Whitley. I'll be going now."

Just like that, he was gone.

By the time Renee thought to ask more, he was already out the door.

She sighed softly. Good Samaritan, huh? She couldn't help but laugh. In this day and age, people like that were rare.

She opened her bag and pulled out her phone. It was already eight in the morning, yet there were no missed calls or text messages. Renee stared blankly at her phone. If she hadn't called Adam yesterday for help, would she still be alive now? Or would she be dead? The thought made her shiver, and it made her more grateful for the stranger who had saved her life.

After a long while, her phone started buzzing on the bedside table.

It was Adam.

Renee stared at the screen, the contact name "Honey" mocking her. She didn't answer the call, but didn't reject it either. She simply flipped the phone over, face down on the table, and let it ring.

Adam called over and over, but Renee didn't pick up at all. After calling three times, he stopped.

An hour passed.

Bang!

Suddenly, the hospital room door flew open, the sudden noise making Renee jump. Adam rushed in, looking completely flustered.

He pulled her into his arms. "Renee! Are you okay? What happened? I heard you got into a car accident! Why didn't you call me?!"

He held her too tightly, leaving her barely able to breathe. The scent on his clothes and neck wasn't his usual cologne. It was perfume. More specifically, the same one Kayla had worn the night before.

"Adam, I can't breathe," Renee said, patting his arm.

Releasing her, he cupped her cheeks and looked her over, scanning her from head to toe for injuries. When his gaze finally landed on the bandage on her forehead, his expression twisted in concern.

"The auto shop called me about the crash. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. I was so scared. I thought something terrible had happened."

It was obvious that the worry in his eyes was real. But to Renee, his concern meant nothing now.

"I called you last night. You didn't pick up either," she calmly replied.

Her tone was flat, and she had always acted indifferent, even when angry. That made it hard for Adam to tell if she was actually upset.

"I… I was at a friend's place last night. I guess I must've been too tired and fell asleep," Adam said, stumbling through a half-hearted excuse. "My phone died, and I only managed to charge it when I got to the office this morning. That's when I got the call from the auto shop and found out what happened."

He let out a long sigh, pulling his wife into his arms. "Renee, I'm so glad you're okay. If anything had happened to you, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself."

Renee slowly pushed him away. "Forgive yourself for what? You were with your friend, not cheating. Nothing to feel guilty about, right?"

There was a weak smile on her face as she spoke, and she made it sound teasing. However, every word made Adam's heart race, leaving him shaken and sending a chill down his spine. He frowned, a deep, unreadable glint shining in his eyes behind the gleaming lenses of his glasses.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. They both turned to look as Kayla stepped inside. Smiling brightly, she held a bouquet of fresh flowers.

"Ms. Whitley, I heard you were in an accident. I was so worried that I came right away to see if you were okay."

She set the flowers down on the table, then walked over to the bed. "Oh no, your pretty face is hurt. Ugh, whoever hit you must've been blind. Seriously, they deserve jail time."

The fake sympathy in Kayla's voice was thick and overly sweet. It was so fake it made Renee feel sick.

She leaned back against the headboard and cooly said, "That's very thoughtful of you, Ms. Spencer. You sure got the news fast."

It sounded like a harmless comment, but the words clearly hinted at something else.

Adam shot Kayla a quick warning look, his eyes cold. Then, he turned to Renee and spoke gently, as if smoothing things over.

"Julian's out of town, so I've been keeping Kayla company these past couple of days. She called me this morning, and I just happened to mention what happened to you."

"I see."

Renee looked straight into the eyes of a man who could lie so easily, like it was nothing. She didn't even bother arguing.

Instead, her voice turned cold as she said, "Help me with the discharge paperwork."

Adam tried to convince her to stay for more observation, but Renee wouldn't hear of it. She was done. Left with no choice, he nodded and stepped out to handle the discharge.

Now, it was just the two of them—Renee and Kayla. Alone. They locked eyes.

Kayla didn't even pretend to be polite this time. She smirked, rolled her eyes, and flopped onto the couch.

"Honestly, I wouldn't have come if Adam hadn't insisted on seeing you," she said, flipping her hair. "Hospitals are such a drag."

Renee smiled coldly. "Really? This is what you call a drag? I'd think sleeping with a man someone else has been with for five years would be worse. But I guess that kind of secondhand trash suits you."

"What did you say?!" Kayla jumped to her feet, furious, her face flushed bright red. "If you already know Adam slept with me, then why don't you do the smart thing and file for divorce? Step aside and let me be his wife already! Irene told me herself that she adores me. Her biggest wish is for me to become her daughter-in-law!"