Chapter 4

I didn't know how much Ben had heard, but I no longer cared.

I lay hopelessly on the bed, completely drained.

By afternoon, Ben finally couldn't stand watching me waste away and insisted on taking me outside for some fresh air.

But when he went to the bathroom, he left me alone in the noisy lobby.

A wave of panic and helplessness washed over me.

After accidentally bumping my wheelchair into three people, I was about to leave in embarrassment when I suddenly overheard some patients talking.

"Was that Ms. Rhodes from the Rhodes Group this morning? Who's the little girl with her? She looks just like her! Could she be her daughter?"

"Is Ms. Rhodes married? I never heard anything about that."

Then someone answered, "She has a kid, so she must be married. I heard her husband is sick and staying in a VIP room on the top floor."

"Really? That little girl really does look exactly like her."

"I heard the nurses talking. They said the room on the top floor is a luxury suite, and she even hired a five-star chef to prepare meals just for her husband."

"Must be nice being rich. Vivian really treats her husband well."

Their voices reached my ears, and my heart sank.

Just when I had no idea how to escape the gossip, I heard a familiar voice beside me.

"Mr. Reed, I brought the divorce papers. Do you really need them this urgently?"

It was Lucas Foster, the divorce attorney I had hired.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Since you're here, come with me. Let's go see my wife."

There was only one room on the top floor, so when the elevator took us up, it was easy to find Andrew's suite.

Lucas leaned toward me. "The door looks unlocked. Let's go in."

He wheeled me toward the door and was about to knock when I instinctively grabbed his hand. "Wait."

I rolled my wheelchair closer, trying to get near enough to hear what was happening inside.

"Andy, how are you feeling?"

That was Vivian's voice.

"The doctor said the surgery went well. They'll remove the bandages and discharge you in a week. I'm sorry you've had to go through all this. But as long as you can see again, everything I've done is worth it."

"What about Julian?" Andrew asked, his voice hesitant.

"Don't worry. He doesn't know… He…" Vivian paused before continuing. "He won't cause you any trouble."

"Mommy!" A sweet little voice suddenly rang out.

Vivian picked Celine Cole up and cuddled her for a while before reluctantly letting the nanny take her away.

"Andy, in a week, we'll get divorced," she continued. "When the time is right, I'll go register my marriage with Julian.

"Back then, we had to register our marriage to get Cece's birth certificate. I gave Julian a fake marriage certificate and deceived him for three years.

"I owe him so much after all these years. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to him.

"Don't worry. His eyes have already been removed. He'll never find out. He loves children, so I know he'll love our daughter. Chase your dreams. Cece and I will always be here. You can come back and see us whenever you want."

Andrew tightened his grip on Vivian's hand. A trace of anger flashed in his eyes before he quickly concealed it.

"I understand," he said softly. "I was drugged that night, and you were just trying to help me. I know my place. I won't ask for something that doesn't belong to me."

Those soft, self-effacing words immediately broke Vivian's heart.

"No, that's not what I meant. I was willing to do it that night. You have a bigger world waiting for you. I can't hold you back. We may not be husband and wife anymore, but you'll always be Cece's father."