Chapter 2

The day Dad was moved to a regular ward, Sophia brought over a care plan.

It was meticulously put together, outlining dosing schedules, physical therapy, dietary restrictions, and even the nursing shifts.

She set the folder down on the nightstand. "I had a word with the head of rehab, and he's coming in for a consultation tomorrow."

Dad had just woken up. The corner of his mouth was still drooping slightly, making his speech slurred. "Sophia… thank you for everything."

Sophia leaned over his bed. "Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Ellery. Just focus on getting better."

Her behavior was completely flawless. She was polished, attentive, and a perfect future daughter-in-law—that was, if one ignored the fact that Harrison existed.

Around noon, Harrison showed up carrying a fruit basket. He was wearing a cream-colored sweater, looking incredibly pale with his hospital ID band still strapped to his wrist.

The second he stepped through the door, his eyes locked onto Sophia.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Sophia set her glass down. "You haven't even recovered yet. What are you doing here?"

Harrison looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "I heard Mr. Ellery woke up, and I just couldn't sit still. If it hadn't been for me the other night, you wouldn't have—"

He cut himself off, his eyes welling with tears.

Dad had no idea what was going on, so he waved his hand. "It's fine. There's no need to cry."

I stayed by the window, watching Harrison place the fruit basket on the table. Inside was a box of imported blueberries, something Dad wasn't allowed to eat.

Sophia glanced at it and immediately smoothed things over for him. "Harrison was just trying to do something nice."

I picked up the basket and handed it to the caregiver waiting by the door. "Could you take this down to the nurses' station for them to share?"

Harrison stiffened. "Conrad, are you still mad at me?"

Sophia shot me a fleeting glance that carried a very clear warning not to embarrass him.

I used to be terrified of that look. I used to worry that she'd find me unrefined, petty, or less of a man, so I sucked it up more times than I could count—like the night Harrison ran a fever and she walked out on our anniversary dinner.

I also remembered when she drove across half of Greenley during a storm because Harrison claimed he was terrified of thunder, or the time Harrison muttered that he was uncomfortable around strangers, which prompted Sophia to personally handle booking his therapy sessions.

Meanwhile, when a severe stomachache had me hooked to an IV in the emergency room, she only texted, "Do whatever the doctor says."

I looked Harrison dead in the eye and said evenly, "I'm not mad at you."

He froze, and Sophia lifted her eyes to look at me, too.

"You're free to run to her whenever you need something," I continued. "And it's her choice to drop everything and go."

The room fell dead silent.

Harrison bit his lip. "Conrad, hearing that really hurts my feelings."

Sophia finally snapped. "That's enough, Conrad."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp enough to make Dad look over at me. "Harrison is in a fragile state right now. Stop backing him into a corner."

Dad frowned weakly. "Conrad, cut it out."

My hands gradually curled into fists as I realized that even my own father thought I was the one being difficult.

Sophia marched over, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me out into the hallway. Her grip on my arm was firm enough that I couldn't shake her off.

"Your dad just woke up," she said. "Do you seriously have to pick a fight right there in his room?"

I looked her dead in the eye. "How am I picking a fight?"

"Harrison already apologized."

"He apologized to make sure everyone knows what a victim he is," I countered.

Sophia's face darkened. "Conrad, you never used to be this antagonistic."

Of course, I hadn't been that way before.

I used to make excuses for her, telling myself that she just took her responsibilities too seriously or that she simply couldn't bear to watch Harrison fall apart.

However, the harsh fluorescent light outside the operating room had shone all night long, and it had made something glaringly obvious.

Harrison staggered out of the room, leaning against the wall as if he might collapse at any second. "Sophia, I'm feeling a little dizzy."

Sophia dropped my arm and rushed to his side. She threw an arm around his shoulders to steady him, her tone softening. "Let me take you home."

Then, she threw a glance at me over her shoulder. "Stay here and take care of Mr. Ellery. Call me if anything comes up."

I kept my eyes on her hand resting against Harrison's shoulder.

"If I call, will you actually answer?" I blurted.

Sophia froze for a split second.

Harrison leaned into her arms and murmured, "Conrad, please stop putting her in such a difficult position."

I simply nodded. "Fine."

Sophia looked relieved as she helped Harrison toward the exit.

When the elevator doors closed at the end of the hall, I looked down at the marks her fingers had left on my wrist.

It was faint and would disappear in a few minutes, just like all the humiliation I had endured over the years.

Nobody saw it, and nobody cared anyway.