Chapter 42


    Chapter 42


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    As soon as Larissa left Travis‘ room and went by the nurses‘ station, she was stopped by the nurse


    who’d given her the ice packs earlier.


    “Oh, perfect timing.”


    The nurse beckoned. Confused, Larissa walked over to her.


    “Here!” The nurse handed her a bill. “You can pay downstairs.”


    Larissa looked at the bill in her hands. It was yet another five–thousand–dor bill.


    “I think you’ve made a mistake.” She smiled at the nurse. “I’m not rted to Travis. I think it’s better if


    you have his parents pay for this.”


    “What?” The nurse was evidently surprised. “Aren’t you his wife? I heard his parents say he’s married,


    but his wife-” She hesitated, looking embarrassed.


    Even though the nurse did not say anything else after that, Larissa was well aware that whatever the


    Hardys had said about her, it couldn’t have been ttering.


    “I’m so sorry. You’re the only one besides his parents to visit him in the hospital, and you’re a woman


    too, so I just assumed,” the nurse apologized awkwardly, blushing as she ced the bill back.


    “It’s fine.” Larissa remained herposure. “Oh, and-” She prepared herself to voice the question


    she’d been harboring in her mind since she heard of Travis‘ ident. What kind of injury does Travis


    have anyway?”


    Since he was in the spinal surgery ward, Larissa supposed there was a problem with his spine. And


    problems rted to the spine–they sounded serious enough to her.


    “I heard he’d been in an ident and fractured his spine. Some of the nerves in his spinal cord were


    damaged too. He’ll probably be paralyzed for the rest of his life.” The nurse paused and nced in the


    direction of Travis‘ room. When she was certain that no one wasing out anytime soon, she


    lowered her voice and continued, “Poor Travis. They say he’s married, but ever since he’s been


    admitted, his wife has not been here once. It was always just his parents. They took care of him, and,


    speaking of his parents, they look like good, honest people–they really do, but their tempers are simply


    unbelievable! They would start fighting in the ward, almost never for good reason, and they even got


    physical a few times. Sometimes, themotion would be so great that the other patients in the ward


    who aren’t bed- bound would get out of bed to watch. One of our patients even left the room because


    of them, and the other initially wanted to switch rooms, but was forced to


    stay there as we don’t have any other avable beds.”


    Larissa did not pay much attention to what the nurse said next. Her attention was entirely focused on


    the phrase “paralyzed for the rest of his life“.


    She suddenly understood why Mrs. Hardy had been so adamant about getting her to the hospital.


    Travis was paralyzed. His life was pretty much over.


    And from Mrs. Hardy’s reaction to Amber, Larissa guessed that Amber was either the reason why


    Travis had been in an ident, or she’dpletely ignored Travis after the ident.


    Mrs. Hardy hade looking for her because she had hoped that Larissa would be responsible for


    Travis for the rest of his life.


    She sneered coldly. It looked like they’d really thought this through.


    When Mr. Hardy finished smoking and returned to the ward, Larissa was already


    gone.


    Mrs. Hardy was still unconscious, and the ice pack on her forehead had slipped down to the side of her


    face.


    Mr. Hardy was shocked. “Where’s Larissa? Where did she go?” he asked Travis


    hurriedly.


    Travisy supine on the bed, motionless, his lifeless eyes staring nkly at the


    ceiling.


    “She left.” His tone was expressionless, resembling that of a zombie.


    Mr. Hardy immediately flew into a temper, the volume of his voice rising. “And you let her leave, just like


    that? Do you even know how hard your mother has worked to get


    her in here?”


    “Who asked you to go out for a smoke, then? Travis mocked. “Do you think I could’ve stopped her in


    my current state?”


    Mr. Hardy’s face turned a violent shade of purple, his rage preventing him from speaking for a long


    time.


    “Just you wait!” His hands shook as he pointed at Travis. “Wait till wakes up. See if she doesn’t scream


    at you!”


    your mother


    Travis‘ expression remained unchanged, unaffected by his father’s words in the