Chapter 5

Even a stranger was kinder to Yvonne than Marcus.

Xavier, the man she'd just met, draped his jacket over her shoulders and helped her up. He offered to take her to the hospital.

He drove swiftly, all the while reassuring her, "Hold on a little longer. We're almost there."

Yvonne was trembling from the pain, huddled up on the seat to avoid staining it with blood.

Noticing her discomfort, Xavier joked, "Maybe you shouldn't have left the house today, Ms. Chapman."

"What?"

"I dabble a little in astrology. Mars is in retrograde lately, so it would affect some people's luck," he explained. "Maybe you're one of them."

Yvonne laughed, amused by the ridiculousness of his statement, and thanked him for trying to lighten the mood.

At the hospital, she insisted on going in alone, so Xavier had no choice but to let her.

At the entrance, Yvonne shuddered as the chilly wind swept over her. She had always dreaded going to the hospital.

She had watched her parents being wheeled into the hospital after a fatal car accident, their bodies drenched in blood. She had still been a child then, and she had knelt on the ground, praying fervently that they would be safe, but all she received in return was their cold, lifeless bodies.

Since then, no matter how unwell she was, she refused to go to a hospital. The last time she had braved a hospital and gotten surgery done was because of Marcus. She just didn't want him to continue being ridiculed just because she was deaf.

She never expected to return so soon. Suppressing her fear, Yvonne stepped through the entrance and made her way slowly to the doctor.

The doctor frowned as he extracted shard after shard of glass from her knee. He told her that her wounds were pretty serious and she would need to have an IV drip with anti-inflammatory medication.

Yvonne didn't want to stay any longer than necessary, but the doctor insisted.

In the ward, she lay on the bed, her pale complexion betrayed her weakness after a day without food. She was also running a slight fever.

While getting her IV drip, Suzy sent her a link to an article. The headline was stark, bolded against the white background. "The Truth Revealed: This Is Marcus Cunningham's Mysterious Fiancée!"

The accompanying photograph showed Marcus rushing through a crowd, holding Rachel in his arms. His worried expression spoke volumes about the nature of their relationship.

The Cunningham Group's official social media account even shared the article.

The blatant show of affection quickly became a hot topic on the Internet. Everyone praised the pair as a perfect match.

"Such a beautiful couple. They should get married soon!"

"No wonder Mr. Cunningham is still single. He's been waiting for her all this time!"

Yvonne stared at the post that the Cunningham Group had reposted. The company wouldn't have acted without Marcus' instruction.

After a while, she finally replied to Suzy's message.

However, the hand she was using to type out her message was trembling uncontrollably, and her phone fell to the floor. Not wanting to jostle the IV, she cautiously bent down to pick it up.

When she looked up, she heard a familiar voice outside.

"You'll have to make do with this small room for now. I've already requested a suite for you—they'll have it ready soon."

"There's no need for all that trouble."

Then, two familiar figures appeared at the door.

Marcus was carefully supporting Rachel, afraid that she might stumble. When Rachel leaned against his shoulder, he pinched her cheek fondly.

Then, he looked up and noticed Yvonne. The three of them stared at each other for a moment. "You're… you're here too?" Marcus asked awkwardly.

Bitterness welled up in Yvonne's heart. She was supposed to be his fiancée, but right now, she felt like the interloper in Rachel and Marcus' relationship.

"Rach was hurt badly, so I brought her here for a checkup," Marcus explained.

Yvonne smiled suddenly, all bitterness dissipating.

What a coincidence.

Without answering, she glanced at her IV bag, which was almost empty, and closed her eyes.

Rachel went up to her and took her hand. "Are you upset, Yvonne? It was my idea for Marcus to accompany me…"

Yvonne pulled her hand away. However, Rachel didn't let go. In the tussle, she fell to the floor.

Marcus immediately panicked. "Yvonne Chapman, watch yourself! She's already hurt. Can't you show a little compassion?"

His voice was so loud that several passersby stopped to stare.

Realizing his outburst, Marcus hesitated, but in the end, he didn't say anything else. He helped Rachel settle into her bed, carefully adjusting her pillows so that she could be comfortable, all the while complaining about the poor conditions of the regular ward.

Yvonne pulled the IV needle out of her arm. She didn't want to continue getting involved in the drama.

She left without looking back, but Marcus ran after her.

"How are you doing?"

Yvonne did not want to talk to him. "I've been seen to," she replied coldly.

When he hesitated, she knew instantly that he had more to say. "You… go and make some soup for Rachel and bring it over. She's badly hurt, so hurry up. I'll wait for you here."

It was late at night by now. The wind, though cold, didn't affect Yvonne—she was numb enough already.

Badly hurt? Yvonne knew very well that Rachel only got a small scratch. How did that translate to being badly hurt?

"You're heartless, Marcus Cunningham," she told him.

Marcus was furious by her defiance. "Rachel just got divorced. You know that! She's emotionally fragile right now. That's why I've been more attentive to her as her friend.

"Stop making such a fuss! I know you made her fall deliberately today. I'm not going to hold that against you, but why are you still throwing a tantrum?"

"I'm throwing a tantrum?"

All he needed to do was check the surveillance cameras to find out what really happened at the refreshment table, yet he chose to believe whatever Rachel told him.

His baseless accusations made Yvonne feel suffocated.

The wounds on her knees, aggravated by her movements, had started bleeding again, darkening the fabric of her dress.

However, Marcus didn't seem to notice. He was too busy instructing a passing nurse to hurry and prepare a private room for Rachel, too worried that she might be inconvenienced by the regular ward.

That was the final straw for Yvonne. All of her grievances and anger vanished in that moment.

All she wanted was to end this farce of an engagement as quickly as possible.