Chapter 10: Silently take care of her

Alley Houston opens her eyes and wakes up, not knowing when she passed out. She groggily feels the coolness on both sides of her face, and the soreness has subsided. Alley Houston realizes she has been changed into new clothes and is lying in an unfamiliar place.

"Ms. Alley, are you awake?"

Alley Houston looks slightly surprised to the side and suddenly recognizes the familiar face of Sam Goodwin. Sam Goodwin is Karimba Cellon's subordinate, more accurately his personal secretary. Although she is young, she is competent and often entrusted with confidential tasks within the company. It is rare to see Sam Goodwin at the office.

"Sam Goodwin, why are you here? Oh, thank you for taking care of me."

Sam Goodwin smiles and skillfully responds to Alley Houston:

"It was Mr. Karimba's request for me to stay by your side and take care of you. After all, you were injured, so you shouldn't further harm yourself."

"Karimba? He asked you to take care of me?" Alley Houston is surprised.

Sam Goodwin's words contain many implications. It is clear that Karimba Cellon, through Sam Goodwin, wants to advise Alley Houston not to cause trouble at the Cellon household, which could result in further harm to herself. Alley Houston suddenly feels a fog in her mind, as if today's events are completely absent from her memory.

"What... What did I do? What happened?"

Indeed, she did visit the Cellon house to have a frank conversation with Karimba Cellon, and then she got into a conflict with Janet Cellon and her two nieces. Afterwards, if Alley Houston remembers correctly, Karimba Cellon appeared and vehemently defended Brenda Mclean, reproaching and verbally abusing her. Sam Goodwin is surprised to hear Alley Houston ask about this. She blinks a few times, carefully ponders, and then tells everything happening in the Cellon’s house to Alley Houston.

Listening to the stories from Sam Goodwin, both Alley Houston's heart and pride are hurt. However, if Karimba Cellon is completely indifferent to her, then why did he send Sam Goodwin to take care of her wounds? Alley Houston knows that this is Karimba Cellon's way of showing his concern. Throughout the past three years, he has always been like this, never speaking sweet or affectionate words to her; all his care is expressed through actions.

“So, has he told you anything about me?” Alley Houston looks into Sam Goodwin’s eyes and asks, just like she wants to hear something that can make her feel better.

Sam Goodwin remembers the words that Karimba Cellon said about Alley Houston. All of them may roll Alley Houston in the deep ocean. So, Sam Goodwin decides to keep silent.

“Nothing. He just said that you should stay at home and listen to the Doctor. Then, you will get well soon.”

Alley Houston sighs and says thanks to Sam Goodwin. She is really disappointed.

Alley Houston finds herself sinking deeper into unrequited love due to Karimba Cellon's consistent care, of which she was oblivious. It is only when he hands her a divorce letter and decides to leave her that she realizes she is akin to a person standing on quicksand. The more she struggles, the more she becomes trapped in the affection and warmth that Karimba Cellon showers upon her.

Once Alley Houston is sound asleep, Sam Goodwin returns to the Cellon family. Meanwhile, Karimba Cellon remains in his study, anxiously awaiting news from To Bac and Sam Goodwin. His mind is consumed by Alley Houston's tender gaze, and with each blink, his thoughts grow more frantic and unsettling. Karimba Cellon cannot comprehend nor accept the sudden change he witnesses in her.

However, when Karimba Cellon recalls the image of Alley Houston in pain, suffering from wounds on her body, his heart tightens. He feels incredibly uneasy, yet he doesn't understand why he feels so uncomfortable and heartbroken. When Karimba Cellon sees Sam Goodwin, he remembers Alley Houston's wounds. He is not at all at ease, so he feels the need to instruct Sam Goodwin:

"Call Doctor Will and ask him to take care of Alley, don't let the wound on her face continue bleeding."

Before Sam Goodwin leaves the Cellon residence, Karimba Cellon carefully instructs her to invite the doctor to tend to Alley Houston. Pausing for a moment, Karimba Cellon adds:

"I don't want her demanding any compensation from the Cellon family for those injuries. I want no further involvement with that crazy woman. Do you understand?"

Sam Goodwin receives the order from Karimba Cellon, feeling just as perplexed as Alley Houston. It's evident that Karimba Cellon cares for Alley Houston, so why does he inflict such pain upon her in her presence?

When Doctor Will arrives at Taylor Kindsley's small apartment, Alley Houston is sitting slumped by the window. She ponders something for a moment and then asks him:

"Doctor Will, have you ever encountered cases where patients suffer from short-term memory loss?"

Doctor Will is Karimba Cellon's personal physician, someone he chose for their exceptional professional skills and expertise. Doctor Will smiles at Alley Houston and asks her a few more questions.

"There have been such cases, and they are not uncommon. The individuals with this condition usually experience trauma, particularly head injuries, or they may be dealing with depression, substance abuse, addiction, or severe nutritional deficiencies."

Alley Houston attentively listens to Doctor Will's words, then reflects on her own condition. She doesn't abuse substances, drink alcohol, suffer from trauma or accidents, and her body is completely healthy. So why are there certain memories she can't recall, only learning about them through others' accounts? For instance, the "crazy" things she did that Karimba Cellon and the Trinh family couldn't accept, leading her to sign the divorce papers.

Alley Houston falls into contemplation, as a sense of fear slowly engulfs her mind. Could it be that the pain medication her father often gave her has side effects? However, this possibility seems unlikely. Even though Alley Houston doesn't know the composition of the medication, Taylor Kindsley also uses it, and she doesn't experience temporary memory loss.