Roxanne, having read between the lines, cracked a flat smile and replied in a cursory tone, “Ms. Pearson, since you enjoy such a close relationship with Mrs. Farwell, I’m sure it will be smooth sailing for you once you marry into the Pearson family. If there’s nothing else, I need to leave first, as it’s getting late, and the children are tired.”
Before Aubree could respond, Roxanne turned to leave.
No sooner had she done that than she felt someone grabbing her wrist.
Knitting her brows, she turned around to look at Aubree.
Aubree returned the gaze with a pathetic expression. “Actually, there’s something else I want to say. I owe you an apology.”
Having heard those words, Roxanne was suddenly aroused with suspicion, unaware of what Aubree was scheming.
“That’s not necessary.” Roxanne pursed her lower lip. “Ms. Pearson, there’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Even though Aubree had done plenty to harm her and her boys prior to that, she didn’t need the former’s apology. After all, a single apology could never make up for all of Aubree’s past misdeeds.
Besides, she had decided to draw the line with Lucian, ending any future interaction with him and Aubree.
She would also be relieved as long as both of them don’t cause her any trouble moving forward.
In spite of that, Aubree, adamant about her apology, continued to hold Roxanne’s wrist tightly. “It was an impulsive mistake of mine to have gotten the boys expelled from their school previously. Just thinking about your relationship with Lucian from six years ago is enough to fill me with fear, fear of him returning to your side. That’s why I came up with the idea to put some distance between the two of you. It was indeed wrong of me to harm the children. Hence, will you forgive me for doing so?”
Even though she could feel the mockery in Aubree’s words, Roxanne gave her a nonchalant nod. “Fine, I forgive you as long as you don’t harm Archie and Benny ever again. On top of that, there’s nothing for you to worry about, for you’re the one that Lucian fancies all this while. There has never been the possibility of him returning to my side. Thus, there’s no need for you to keep hounding me relentlessly.”
With that, Roxanne was in no mood to continue the conversation any further. Realizing that Aubree still refused to let her go, Roxanne, with furrowed brows, raised her hand to pry her wrist free of Aubree’s grip.
Unexpectedly, the moment her hand made contact with Aubree’s, the latter suddenly let go and stumbled a step before leaning against the wall on her side.
Roxanne’s expression darkened at the thought of Aubree’s injury. “What are you doing?”
After regaining her balance by supporting herself off the wall, Aubree couldn’t help but be stunned by Roxanne’s words. Subsequently, she gave Roxanne a confused look. “Do excuse me. Since I hurt my arm, I have had trouble maintaining my center of gravity. That’s why I lost my balance easily.”
Aubree had barely finished and didn’t wait for Roxanne to respond when she continued in a considerate tone, “I’m fine, and also heartened by your forgiveness. Didn’t you mention that the children need rest? You should hurry and take them home now.”
With that, Aubree ended the conversation with a cordial smile before returning to the corridor.
As Roxanne watched Aubree’s leaving silhouette, a niggling sense of dread descended upon her.
Nonetheless, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Since Aubree herself claimed to be fine, Roxanne didn’t give the matter much thought as she headed downstairs to drive the children home.
Upon emerging from the stairwell, Aubree, with a drastic change in her expression, hurriedly walked into the washroom. Gritting her teeth, she gently knocked her plaster-casted arm against the wall. The impact was instantly followed by her face writhing in agonizing pain.
When she subsequently checked the time and saw that it was the usual hour for Sonya’s visit, Aubree rushed back up the stairs to her ward.
The tremendous pain in her arm, plus climbing six to seven flights of stairs in a single breath, caused Aubree to be covered in sweat upon returning to her ward.
Lucian, who was waiting inside, was about to call her when he heard the commotion beyond the door. After watching Roxanne leave with the children, he went to the orthopedic department to look for Aubree. When he didn’t find her there, he decided to return to her ward, where she was still nowhere to be seen.
“Lucian, you’re back.” There was a hint of desolation in her voice.
Lucian simply nodded. “Where did you go?”
Aubree pursed her lips into an awkward smile. “After leaving the orthopedic department, I headed to the pediatric department, thinking that you were there. Since I couldn’t find you, I inquired with the doctor about Ms. Jarvis’ son’s condition with the hope that I could be of some assistance.”
Without dwelling too much on her response, Lucian flatly replied, “If she needs any help, she’ll naturally voice it out.”
Despite his answer, Lucian was cognizant that Roxanne, unless she was truly desperate, would never ask him for assistance.
Aubree nodded before lying back down on the bed. “I had gotten ahead of myself, as the doctor told me that it wasn’t anything serious.”
In the midst of their conversation, a knock on the ward door was heard.
As the door opened, in walked Sonya with a concerned expression. She then took a seat by Aubree’s bed. “How are you feeling today? Does your arm still hurt? Did Lucian take good care of you?”
Aubree, after throwing Lucian a meek glance, answered with a cordial smile, “Yes, he did. Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Farwell. I’m sure it must be tiring for you to travel back and forth from the hospital every day. Now that my injury is no longer that serious, you don’t have to trouble yourself so much.”
Sonya protested, “That’s not acceptable. I have to make sure that you’re fully recovered.”
When Aubree responded with a grateful smile, Sonya stroked the former’s cast sympathetically. “Usually, it takes about a hundred days for fractures to recover. Since you’ll be bored lying in the hospital all day, I don’t mind dropping by to keep you company.”
Suddenly, when Sonya noticed the sweat beading off Aubree’s forehead, she couldn’t help but worry. “Why are you sweating so much? Weren’t you lying in bed the whole time? Is your arm hurting again?”
Aubree squirmed self-consciously, hoping to move her arm out of Sonya’s sight. She explained softly, “I was just bored from lying down, so I climbed up the stairs just now.”
Upon hearing the answer, a dubious look flashed across Sonya’s eyes before she turned toward her son.
Lucian, unaware that Aubree had climbed the stairs, knitted his brows in response.
Nevertheless, Aubree’s excuse did sound reasonable.
“Wasn’t Lucian by your side?” Sonya followed up with a question.
Aubree had barely heard it when she glanced instinctively at Lucian. Her eyes sparkled vibrantly as if she was trying to find an excuse on his behalf.
Sensing Aubree’s awkward position, Sonya, with a frown on her face, turned toward her son and inquired further, “Where were you when Aubree was climbing up the stairs?”
Lucian furrowed his eyebrows in silence.
If he were to tell his mother the truth, she would definitely cause trouble for Roxanne.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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