Chapter 1723


    Felix truly hadn''t expected Carol to show up at the hospital, and his expression turned chilly as he


    approached the bedside, pulling the weeping Listina into an embrace.


    "Stop crying, okay?"


    Listina''s eyes simmered with resentment, especially since she was the one confined to the hospital


    bed, while that woman got to see Felix every day.


    "Felix, why don''t you quit that job you have with her? I can''t stand it if shees here again. I''m


    feeling so messed up inside, filled with doubts I can''t shake off."


    "Okay, don''t overthink it."


    Listina''s lips curved, and her tears stopped just as quickly as they hade.


    "Listina, the doctor''sing tomorrow. You''ll need to cooperate with the check-up and get your


    strength back. Otherwise, the chances of a sessful surgery might drop."


    "What are the odds?"


    "About 70 percent, they said."


    Panic shed across Listina''s face. Those were not the high odds she had hoped for; she couldn''t


    bear the thought of leaving Felix behind.


    Sensing her fear, Felix lowered his gaze, holding her hand firmly, "It''ll be okay."


    N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    After leaving the hospital, he called Carol, "Where are you?"


    Carol had just returned to her apartment, her forehead throbbing painfully. ncing in the mirror,


    she noticed a swollen bump had formed.


    If this woman wasn''t Felix''s cousin, Carol would have really lost her temper. Hearing Felix''s voice on


    the phone, she was about toin about Listina throwing an apple at her, but he spoke first.


    "Don''te to see Listina again, Carol. I''ve told you, her emotions are unstable, and your presence


    is a trigger for her."


    Carol felt a twinge of hurt, her lips pressing as she massaged her bruised forehead.


    Felix''s tone softened, "Did you tell her about us?"


    "No."


    "That''s good."


    In that moment, Carol felt like she was being treated as a dirty secret. Angrily, she hung up the


    phone.


    Aside from a baffling cold war some time ago, she and Felix rarely argued. He was always so


    patient with her, yet now, because of Listina, Carol felt like a bomb was ticking in her chest.


    But then Felix sent a text exining that Listina''s parents had died because of his own father, and


    immediately, her anger dissipated. No wonder Felix was so amodating with Listina; there was


    this history between them.


    [If she did something that upset you, don’t be angry, Carol. The doctor just told me, she may have


    depressive disorder. She’s been in the hospital for years.]


    Carol couldn''t bring herself to argue after reading his message; she had no choice but m up.


    That evening, Felix came over to cook dinner.


    When he asked about the bump on her forehead, she had to lie, saying she had bumped into


    something at the diner.


    He gently massaged the sore spot, his voice filled with suspicion.


    "You got this at the diner?"


    "Yeah."


    Her pain seemed to lessen under his touch, but her heart ached for him, bearing the weight of past


    generations.


    With the double loss of Listina''s parents, it was clear that other rtives were unwilling to step in.


    Felix had been supporting her all these years; it must have been really hard for him.


    Carol couldn’t bear to imagine the details. Now she finally understood why he had to juggle jobs and


    be strict with himself; he probably left all his earnings to Listina.


    She took a deep breath and called the hospital to prepay for all the surgery expenses, hoping to


    ease Felix''s burden somewhat.


    Watching him bustling in the kitchen, she couldn''t bring herself to be angry at Listina any longer.


    Realizing that Listina had been in the hospital for so long exined her behavior. She decided to


    pay her a visit some other day. Maybe with more contact, Listina would let her guard down.


    Carol''s intentions were simple; she believed that Listina''s defensiveness stemmed from ack of


    friends her own age, not to mention her depression.


    A few dayster, Carol visited the hospital again, this time with an expensive fruit basket in hand.


    Listina had beenughing with a nurse, but her expression turned monstrous at the sight of Carol.


    Carol hesitated to speak, only to hear Listina''s sarcastic voice.


    "Didn''t finish you offst time, huh? Came back for another round? Didn’t I tell you to get lost? Stay


    away from me."


    "Ms. Geo, I mean you no harm."


    "Ha! As if! Having this bitch face, you''re after Felix, aren''t you? Just so you know, fawning over me


    won''t help. Felix only has eyes for me. You''re nothing!"


    Carol tried to ignore the insults, but Listina''s words grew more vicious until she hurled a fruit knife at


    her. The de sliced a wound across Carol''s palm, and blood spilled onto the floor.


    "Serves you right! Women like you deserve to be scarred!"


    Listina''s malice was overwhelming, her eyes bloodshot as if she wanted to pounce on her and chew


    her alive.


    Carol couldn''t understand why Listina''s animosity was so palpable. Fed up, Carol, who had always


    been pampered, was unustomed to such humiliation. She grabbed the fruit basket and walked


    out, Listina''s voice trailing after her.


    "Not even naked would Felix give you a second nce."


    With the door shut behind her, Carol held the fruit basket, suddenly feeling ridiculous for her


    misced kindness.


    As she approached the elevator, she encountered Felix. His face darkened at the sight of her, "Why


    are you here again?"


    Unnoticed by him, blood from Carol''s palm dripped down the basket''s handle.