Chapter 3

After being checked by the doctor, my father was diagnosed with a fractured wrist. His heart was also giving him problems due to the excitement, and he had to be admitted to the hospital for observation.

Before he was taken into the surgery room, he held my hand with his healthy hand. "I'm sorry I gave you so much trouble, Sam."

I held his hand back. "It's fine, Dad. Just focus on getting well."

He lowered his head to look at his swollen wrist, and took quite a while before saying, "I couldn't take it when I saw the bourbon I brewed with your mom used on someone else's wedding. She was keeping them for you."

I nodded, and tucked him in under the covers. "I know, Dad."

He finally released my hand.

When the surgery was over, he was taken to the hospital room. After I tucked him into bed, Josie and William arrived. She stood outside the door and glanced into the room. "Is Hank all right?"

"It's none of your business, Josie."

Josie's expression froze, and she raised her voice. "I've been with you for three years, Sam! Do you need to act this way when I've only been with William for one day because we were trying to cheer up his grandmother? Isn't it enough that you're mad? Did you really need to send your father to the wedding to create a scene?"

I stared back at her. My father was lying in the hospital bed after his surgery, but Josie was too busy blaming him for creating trouble instead of checking if he was fine.

William reached out to pull her back. "Don't be mad, Josie. This is all my fault. I feel bad that I'm the reason you're fighting each other."

Despite claiming to feel bad, William was still smiling. "But Sam isn't really mad at you, is he? When you were preparing for your exams, he resigned from his job out of town to be with you. When your father was hospitalized, he focused on taking care of Arthur and missed his job interview. I don't think he can ever leave you."

Josie frowned. "That's enough."

I looked at her, and she continued, "Those were all Sam's choices. I never forced him into choosing anything."

William laughed. "That's why I said he can't leave you. When his mother wanted both of you to get officially married, he didn't agree because of you. He's probably trying to make you mad by putting on a stubborn show today."

I stood up right away. "Shut up."

William stopped laughing, and Josie quickly shielded him behind her. "This is the hospital, Sam. What are you trying to do?"

I stared at Josie. "Why did you tell him about my mom?"

"It's not a secret, and William isn't an outsider."

I looked back at her, suddenly unsure of what else to say.

That was when my phone buzzed. It was a confirmation email for my visa and flight ticket. I lowered my head to confirm the contents and sign for them.

When Josie saw that I had fallen silent, her tone softened. "Once I'm done with everything, let's discuss our wedding next month."

After that, she held William's arm and turned to leave. The hospital room was right next to her, but she walked past the door without stopping.

When her father was hospitalized, I waited by his side until she arrived. When my father was hospitalized today, she only stayed for a few minutes and used that time to try to talk me out of being mad at William.