Chapter 5

“Ma’am?” Mary peeked in. “You’re still awake?”

Lizzie tried to speak, but her throat was too hoarse.

She managed only a faint “Mm.”

Mary stepped closer and touched her forehead, then jerked back in alarm. “You’re burning up!”

“Probably got caught in the rain,” Lizzie said with a strained smile. “I took some medicine.”

“That won’t do!” Mary panicked. “A fever like this is serious.”

She quickly pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Mr. Hall. Get him to come back.”

She dialed.

There was no answer.

She tried again and still nothing.

“Forget it.” Lizzie pushed herself up with effort. “Just call me a cab.”

“I’ll go to the hospital myself.”

“You can’t go alone!” Mary said, flustered. “I’ll go with you.”

“It’s fine.”

Lizzie shook her head, forcing a small smile. “I’ll manage faster on my own. You stay and get some rest.”

She steadied herself against the bed as she got up, slipped on her coat, tied her hair back in a loose knot, and changed into a pair of flats.

The emergency department was always brightly lit. Even in the middle of the night, the hospital lobby was crowded with people coming and going.

She put on a mask and made her way to the registration desk, her legs unsteady. After checking in, she was directed to the IV area to wait.

Some patients dozed off with IV drips in their arms, others lay on stretchers in the hallway.

Lizzie sat in a corner chair, leaning against the wall, the noise around her fading into the distance.

Just then, a man pushed a wheelchair past her.

Sitting in it was a woman in a loose dress.

“Miss Johnson, this way. The OB-GYN department has squeezed you in for an ultrasound.”

The nurse’s voice carried clearly.

“Thank you,” the man replied, his voice low.

It was a voice she knew too well.

Lizzie followed the sound and saw Nathan and Sharon.

“Nat, I’m scared,” Sharon said, her voice trembling as one hand rested lightly over her abdomen.

Lizzie felt her heart jolt.

“Don’t worry. It should be fine. I’m here,” he murmured softly.

The nurse smiled from the side. “No need to worry. It’s just a few scrapes. It shouldn’t affect the baby.

“We’ll do an ultrasound in a bit, just to be sure.”

The baby.

An ultrasound.

Her nails dug into her palm, the sharp pain snapping Lizzie briefly back to awareness.

Nathan pushed the wheelchair farther down the hall. He leaned slightly as he walked, speaking in a low voice meant to soothe, while Sharon looked up at him, her eyes full of reliance.

From where she sat in the corner, Lizzie took out her phone and snapped a photo.

The mask hid most of her face, her bangs casting a shadow over her eyes, her expression unreadable.

But she knew her hand was trembling.

“Lizzie Lee?”

Someone called her name.

She snapped out of it and turned. One of the IV nurses was standing there. “You’re up.”

She cast one last glance down the corridor.

They had already turned the corner.

There was no sign of them anymore.

She withdrew her gaze, said nothing, and followed the nurse inside.

By the time she finished her IV and stepped out of the hospital, it was nearly six in the morning.

A faint light had begun to edge the sky.

This time, the illness had come fast and hard.

It was partly the rain, and partly the tension she’d been holding in since her father’s death finally giving way.

She felt better after the IV.

After picking up her medication, she headed toward the exit.

All she wanted now was to go home and rest.

But things rarely went that way.

Right outside, Nathan’s black Mercedes was parked at the entrance.

“Careful, Sharon.”

His voice came, steady as ever, but edged with quiet concern.

Lizzie looked up.

They were less than five meters away. Nathan was helping Sharon get in the car.

Lizzie turned immediately, pretending she hadn’t seen them.

She was bundled up so tightly.

There was no way they’d recognize her.

But after just one step, her legs gave out.

Her knees hit the concrete hard with a sharp thud.

“Ah—”

The pain forced a cry from her lips.

The noise was enough to draw their attention.

“Liz?” Nathan only realized it was her when he came closer. “What are you doing here?”

Their eyes met.

He noticed the scrape on her knee, but he was still holding Sharon, with no way to help another person.

Lizzie pushed herself up with difficulty, swaying slightly.

She steadied herself as best she could, a thin layer of sweat forming in just a few seconds.

“Just a cold. I came to pick up some medicine.”

A long moment passed before he spoke, his voice low. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lizzie lowered her gaze, her tone mild. “I called you. Couldn’t reach you.”

His throat moved, but he said nothing.

Sharon hesitated, then said, “Lizzie, please don’t blame Nat. I was in a car accident yesterday. He was just worried about me, that’s why…”

“Mm. I know.” Lizzie’s voice was calm as she turned and walked away.

“Liz, I’ll take you.”

“It’s nothing serious. I already called a car. It’s just up ahead.”

She didn’t look back, each step sending a sharp ache through her legs.

Nathan watched her back for a second, then turned back to Sharon.

It was the weekend.

That afternoon, Nathan came home earlier than usual.

Lizzie was rummaging through the medicine kit for gauze.

“You’re back early?”

She looked up.

“Nothing much today. Thought I’d come check on you.”

His gaze fell on the bandage around her knee. “Does it still hurt?”

“It’s fine. Just need to put some medicine on it.”

“That’s good.” He paused. “You’ve always been pretty healthy.”

“Mm.”

Nathan’s brow tightened.

Lizzie seemed too quiet.

Just then, his phone rang.

“Nat, talk things through with Lizzie, okay? Don’t argue because of me. Clear up any misunderstandings…”

A startled cry came from the other end. “Ah!”

Then a heavy thud followed.

Nathan’s entire body tensed.

“What happened?” he asked urgently.

“I’m fine. The floor was slippery, I just…”

There was a sharp inhale.

“Don’t move. I’m coming right now!”

He hung up, grabbed his car keys, and said quickly, “Liz, get some rest. I need to go check on her.”

Lizzie turned and went upstairs without a word.

Nathan watched her limp away, a strange discomfort stirring in his chest for the first time.

Back in the bedroom, Lizzie washed her face and checked her temperature again.

Thirty-nine point two.

She swallowed a fever reducer from the hospital and was about to get into bed when her phone lit up.

A message from Victoria:

[We’ve gathered most of the evidence. We’re organizing the materials and moving to the next stage.]

The message felt like a shot of adrenaline.

Somehow, her body didn’t feel quite as heavy anymore.

She was almost there.

This marriage was almost over.

She sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, catching her breath.

The illness dragged on for nearly a week before it finally eased.

She took leave from the studio as well.

That day, she was in the living room arranging flowers, switching out the diffuser to a fresh, woodsy scent.

Nathan came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, his tone gentle. “Liz, you’re so good at this.”

Lizzie instinctively shifted away, then forced herself to steady, managing a faint smile. “As long as you like it.”

“Oh, right. Come with me to a gathering tomorrow. A few friends want to meet you.”

In three years of marriage, he had never introduced her to any of his friends.

What was this sudden change?

Lizzie didn’t answer right away.

“If you’re not feeling up to it, forget it.”

Nathan noticed her silence and added considerately, “I’ll decline for you. I know you don’t like these things.”