Chapter 8

As Reina looked at Xavier's eyes, which were devoid of warmth, a sharp pain shot through her heart. Just as she was about to speak, one of her friends stopped her. "Reina, Hugo's spleen nearly ruptured because of Xavier. You'll be too kind to him if you let him off so easily." The others echoed her words. "Reina pities him because he's infertile, and he's so old that no one else would want him. That's why she reluctantly agreed to marry him. But now, he dares to act so high and mighty. This is outrageous!" "Hugo loves oranges, so why not have Xavier peel ten oranges as an apology?" "Reina, if you don't teach Xavier a lesson, Hugo might not survive next time!" Her friends' incitement erased any trace of sympathy in Reina's eyes. It was replaced with cold, harsh resolve. "Leon, bring in ten oranges!" "Don't, Reina." Hugo's eyes gleamed with triumph, but he maintained his poised and refined demeanor. He reminded, "Have you forgotten that Mr. Caldwell is allergic to the smell of oranges? It could be dangerous for him!" Reina hesitated for a moment before she ordered, "Leon—" Suddenly, Hugo bent over in pain. Frowning, he passed out again. "Get the doctor!" Reina called out. She anxiously called out Hugo's name to wake him up. Then, she sternly commanded, "Xavier, you're not leaving until you peel ten oranges!" Xavier smiled bitterly, tears welling up in his eyes. He remembered when he had worked at the bar to raise money for Reina's treatment, one customer had forced him to drink orange juice. She had offered him 100 thousand dollars for every glass. For the sake of Reina's treatment, he had gone all in and drunk it. As a result, he had suffered respiratory failure and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Reina had never left his side then and had even made a note of his orange allergy in her notebook. She had sworn she would never let him suffer like that again. But now, she was willing to use oranges to torment him for Hugo's sake. How cruel! Oh, right. She was just pretending to be a loving wife. She didn't really care about him. How could he have forgotten? Whether Reina was 18 or 24, she only loved Hugo. The room was thick with the sharp scent of oranges, making it hard for Xavier to breathe. He felt like he was on the brink of passing out. Fighting against the overwhelming dizziness, he tore at the orange peel. He struggled to separate the orange pieces and place them on a plate. When he was done with one, he continued with a second orange. His vision blurred with multiple orange shapes dancing before his eyes, but he still didn't hear Reina tell him to stop. He felt utterly disheartened. He let the suffocating sensation consume him as he continued to peel the oranges. After five oranges, his breathing became more and more ragged. He could hear Hugo's worried voice. "Reina, Mr. Caldwell looks like he's really struggling. You should send him home. I'm afraid he'll faint if he keeps going!" "You're too kind, Hugo. He's obviously faking it!" one of Reina's friends chimed in. "Xavier, your pity act won't work on Reina. Keep peeling!" Reina frowned as she looked at Xavier's face, which was turning blue now. Finally, she said, "Alright, that's enough. Get out. Don't let this happen again." Xavier felt like he had been granted a pardon. He immediately bolted from the ward. Clutching his chest, he gasped for fresh air. Suddenly, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the floor. As he lost consciousness, he heard a soft voice nearby. "Hugo, the oranges are so sweet. You should eat more." Hugo looked at Xavier, who was lying unconscious in the hospital corridor with a vacant expression, and let out a hearty laugh. "They are really sweet. Reina, you should try some too." Xavier gasped for air like a fish out of water. He felt like he was about to die. No, he couldn't just die like this. He was so close to breaking free from Reina and starting a new life. He couldn't die in such a pathetic way. With what little strength he had left, he fumbled for his phone in his pocket to call Sarah. But he was too weak to even press a button. His arm slipped to his side, and everything around him faded into an endless black.