Chapter 4

Sebastian looked confused. "Ethan, you..."

"Dad, Caroline is about to join the research institute! She's expected to make major contributions to our country, so we can't let anything happen to her. Mom is going to be a housewife anyway. It doesn't matter if she has some lasting injuries."

He paused, then continued in a hurt, stubborn voice. "Besides, she didn't even come to see me yesterday! I was in so much pain that I cried and cried, but she still didn't come! She deserves this! Let her suffer a little longer!"

Victoria lay in her hospital bed, barely conscious. Yet she heard every word clearly.

She had known for a long time that Sebastian and Ethan cared far more about Caroline than they did about her.

But hearing those words from her own four-year-old son still broke her heart.

Then she heard Sebastian agree in a low voice. "You're right. Caroline is about to join the research institute. She's a valuable talent who can contribute a lot to our country. Give her the medication first. Victoria can wait a little longer."

The doctor seemed ready to argue. "Colonel Blackwood, but..."

Sebastian cut him off with an unquestionable command. "Do it now. I'm sure the hospital and the military will do everything they can to save my wife. But right now, we have to put the greater good first."

"The greater good? A valuable talent? What about me? Am I just a housewife who can be sacrificed for the greater good? Does it really not matter if I suffer a little longer?" Victoria thought to herself.

The pain in her leg and the burns on her body were nothing compared to the agony in her heart.

Before her consciousness faded again, she made one final decision.

In this life, she would get as far away from them as possible.

...

When Victoria woke up again, it was already the following afternoon.

Sebastian and Ethan were both sitting beside her hospital bed.

The moment Sebastian saw her open her eyes, he leaned forward. "You're finally awake! How are you feeling? Are you still in a lot of pain?"

Ethan leaned over the side of the bed and looked at her. "Mom, you really scared me."

Looking at their genuinely worried faces, Victoria found the whole thing absurd.

Her heart ached, and her voice was hoarse as she asked, "Didn't you two say you didn't care whether I lived or died? So why are you pretending now?"

Sebastian and Ethan's expressions changed at the same time.

After a moment, Sebastian was the first to explain. "Victoria, about what happened yesterday... Caroline is going to work in scientific research, and her work is important to our country. You've already given up your place at the institute, so you're going to be a housewife. Your situation isn't as urgent as hers."

He paused before continuing. "I know we made you suffer, even if our decision was understandable. Ethan and I will take good care of you from now on. We'll make it up to you."

Ethan quickly nodded and tried to please her. "That's right, Mom! Dad and I will take care of you. I'll get you some water right now!"

As he spoke, he rose onto his tiptoes to reach the thermos on the bedside table.

He clumsily poured some hot water into a cup.

He filled it too full, and the water was far too hot. As he carried it over, some spilled onto Victoria's hand, making her jerk it back in pain.

Ethan didn't notice. "Here, Mom. Drink some water."

Sebastian picked up an apple. "I'll peel an apple for you."

He was clearly out of practice. The peel came off in rough, uneven strips, leaving the apple looking terrible. Worse, it was the kind Victoria hated most: hard and sour.

Victoria looked sadly at the cup of scalding water and the apple she couldn't stand.

Just then, a nurse opened the door and walked in. "Colonel Blackwood, Caroline has been calling for you ever since she woke up. She seems quite upset. Would you like to go check on her?"

Sebastian stopped peeling the apple. A hesitant look crossed his face.

Victoria spoke first, her voice calm, "You should go take care of her. Don't worry about me."

"Victoria, stop saying things you don't mean just because you're angry," Sebastian said with a frown.

Ethan grew anxious, too. "Mom, how can you stay here alone after we leave? I know you didn't come to see me yesterday, but I can't be that ruthless. I'm your son! You'll definitely be sad if I leave you here alone!"

Victoria suddenly laughed. It was a faint laugh, filled with a sorrow she could no longer hide.

She looked at them with cold, distant eyes. "Why do you think I'll be sad? You brought me a cup of scalding hot water. You peeled an apple that you know I hate. I don't really need this kind of care from either of you."

She paused and struggled to shift her bandaged body into a more comfortable position. "Just go. Maybe I'll recover faster if I hire a professional caregiver."

Sebastian and Ethan both went pale. They stared at her, stunned.

After a long moment, Sebastian finally spoke through clenched teeth, trying to hold back his anger, "Victoria, I know you're still upset because Ethan and I chose to save Caroline first yesterday. Why don't you take some time to calm down? I'll hire the best caregiver for you."

He put down the apple and the knife, then took Ethan by the hand and headed for the door. "Ethan, let's go."

Before leaving, Ethan looked back at Victoria. His eyes held confusion and hurt, along with a stubbornness that seemed far too old for a four-year-old boy. "Mom, you've changed. You keep throwing tantrums at us. What's the point of acting like this?"

The hospital room door closed behind them.

Victoria shut her eyes, exhausted, and wondered if she really was throwing a tantrum.

But she wasn't. She had simply woken up.