Chapter 4

I checked my navigation system and noticed that I was only ten minutes away from the hospital. "You can rest assured that I'm single from this moment forward. I'll see you at the wedding."

I felt my spirits lifting considerably after I hung up the phone.

I was just about to turn the corner when a car I recognized suddenly rear-ended me, the force of the crash forcing my car to flip over. I felt my leg throbbing in agony as the blood obscured my vision. I peered through the shattered car window and noticed Whitney walking over.

Whitney glared at me with pure hatred. "You left me no choice, Daniel. I won't let anything happen to Steven!"

She then disregarded my nearly lifeless state and swiftly reached into the wreck, pulling out my phone.

I struggled to try and stop her, yet I lacked the strength even to pull myself out of the wreckage. "Stop!"

Whitney continued fiddling with the phone, casting a brief, disgusted glance my way. "You want me to stop? I never thought you'd just turn a blind eye to someone in need, Daniel! I'm only doing this to improve your moral standing!"

I glared at her furiously and said through gritted teeth, "That's the injection Grandpa has waited half a decade to receive!"

Whitney rolled her eyes at me in utter contempt. "It's just some cheap medicine—you can just place another order for it. I'm sure the Lister family has contingency plans. You should stop being such a miser, Daniel! Your grandfather's already that old anyway; he should have kicked the bucket already!

"Will we get more inheritance if we keep wasting money on him? You clearly don't see the big picture here, Daniel!"

I looked at her, managing a wry smile through the agonizing pain. It seemed like my true feelings—and my grandfather's very life—were less valuable than Steven. She had clearly forgotten that the only reason she ever had the right to strut and boast was because of me.

"Is the wedding still on?"

Upon seeing the message I sent to my assistant, Whitney sneered and tossed the phone in front of me. "It seems like you're desperate to make me your wife, Daniel. I guess marrying you isn't out of the question after all, since I have already obtained the injection."

She furrowed her brow and began outlining her terms before I could even get a word in, saying, "I want Steven to move in with us once he's discharged from the hospital, since I don't feel comfortable with him living alone. I also need you to transfer all your private assets to him for financial security—you can keep the company to yourself.

"I also intend to bear Steven's child first before I can even think about having one with you. It's paramount to keep the Foster family's bloodline going, after all. You can surely accept these minor requests, right?"

She looked at me with absolute conviction, as though my agreement was a given. "Steven and I are childhood sweethearts. I have to make it up to him in some other ways, since I can't marry him."

Having said that, she rushed toward the hospital, leaving me with nothing but her departing figure.

I managed to call for aid, and as the sirens of the approaching ambulance grew louder, I finally lost consciousness. I was already in the hospital when I finally came to—that car accident had resulted in a broken right leg and a moderate concussion.

I then heard from the doctor that I was lucky to have called for help when I did; any delay, and the car would have exploded, leading to catastrophe.

It was then that my assistant, holding the documents, asked hesitatingly, "H-How about your wedding to Ms. Newman, Mr. Lister?"

I took a deep breath before replying, "It'll proceed as scheduled."

…

In the meantime, Whitney never left Steven's hospital bed, constantly dedicating herself to his care. Her phone, on the other hand, remained silent on the bedside table, receiving no notifications whatsoever.

She consciously suppressed the unease in her heart, concluding that I was simply trying to manipulate her by acting indifferent. She mused that if she allowed herself to be fooled, then she would be entirely at my disposal.

She was so distracted that she didn't even notice that Steven had already regained consciousness.

She turned on the television, hoping to distract herself. She instantly froze at the sight of the live broadcast—the Lister family's grand wedding. That stunning ceremony perfectly mirrored her aspirations, except the name of the bride flashing on the screen was unmistakably "Abigail Newman".