Chapter 2

Noticing Nadine's presence, Jean deliberately nestled closer to Brad's arm, her complexion paling even further. Jean clutched onto Brad's arms and said, "Brad, I'm feeling a bit unwell. Could you slow down a bit?" Her voice was clear enough for everyone present to hear. As the striking couple approached her, Nadine would have recognized them anywhere, even if they had turned to ash. The strikingly handsome man walking beside Jean was none other than her husband of five years. And the delicate beauty clinging to his arm was none other than his first love—Jean! Witnessing their intimate closeness, Nadine felt an ache deep in her heart. She bit her lip until the metallic taste of blood flooded her mouth, a mere echo of the pain within. Upon hearing Jean's discomfort, Brad immediately slowed his pace and effortlessly lifted her into his arms. "What's the point of pushing yourself when you're unwell?" His words sounded cold, yet they carried a hint of gentleness and concern. It was something Nadine had never experienced. She stood there dumbfounded as she watched the scene in silence, feeling a chill creeping over her. As Jean passed by Nadine, she turned slightly from Brad's shoulder and offered Nadine a bright smile. "Brad, isn't that Mrs. Hamilton over there?" Jean's voice dripped with faux innocence as she spoke to him. "I'd like to greet her." Brad stopped in his tracks. His exquisitely handsome features were now full of disdain, his gaze dark and unreadable as he looked at Nadine standing by the information terminal. Stopping in front of Nadine, he still had Jean in his arms. He remained vigilant and eyed Nadine warily. Ignoring Nadine's presence, Brad said, "Why greet her? She's nothing but a nuisance." The disdain in his tone pierced Nadine like a knife. Brad was dismissing Nadine as if she were an inconvenience. Looking at Brad, whom she had been married to for five years, Nadine felt like her heart was plunged into an icy abyss as the pain tightened her chest. She knew he hated her, but she never imagined it was to this extent. Every breath she took seemed wrong to him, let alone appearing in front of Jean. Nadine clutched her chest in agony, too shocked to even breathe. Jean seemed extremely pleased with Brad's reaction. She leaned in closer to hook her arms around his neck while smiling. "It's not troublesome! I just wanted to see how Mrs. Hamilton would react when she used her son's illness as an excuse. "She's using even her sick child as an excuse just to separate us. Is she truly Sean's biological mother? Brad, you should look into it thoroughly!" After she finished her words, Jean turned her gaze towards Nadine, and her smile turned predatory. She winked innocently and asked, "Mrs. Hamiton, surely you wouldn't resort to using your son's illness as an excuse, right?" Her words were undoubtedly a slap in Nadine's face, and she didn't know how to respond. If she admitted at this moment that Sean was sick, it would be seen as a ploy in front of Brad. Jean's seemingly straightforward words probably already condemned her in Brad's mind. Her only sin was that she loved him. Brad's gaze, devoid of warmth, bore into Nadine and it sent shivers down her spine. Nadine met his icy stare, feeling her whole body turn to ice under his scrutiny. Nadine frantically tried to explain, "No! That's not true! I didn't—it's not like what she said!" However, Brad was not interested in listening to her explanation at all. With Jean in his arms, he strode past her. His face was grim, and Nadine could clearly see the disdain in his eyes. As he walked away, followed closely by the Hamilton family's bodyguards, Nadine's explanation and the gaze she directed at him were cut off. The disdain in Brad's eyes pierced Nadine deeply. She struggled to hold herself up against the wall and barely kept herself upright. Watching their retreating figures, her heart numbed with pain. Tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably. Nadine felt like she couldn't hold on any longer... "Is the family member of the patient in Room 30 here? Is the family member of the patient in Room 30 here?" The voice of the nurse on duty came through. Struggling to compose herself, Nadine quickly wiped away her tears and plastered on a forced smile as she approached the nurse. Nadine asked, "I'm here. Is there something wrong?" The nurse glanced at her with a serious expression. "How could you be so irresponsible? Your child's fever has spiked to 105 degrees, and you're still wandering around outside! Can't you see that he's having a seizure?" Nadine had intended to explain that she was checking the bill, but upon hearing that Sean's fever had spiked so dangerously, she had no mood left for explanations. She rushed back to the ward in a panic. "Miss, please call Dr. Young over for me. I'll go back to the ward to check on my child first." Her heart shattered hearing that Sean's fever had spiked to 105°F. When Nadine returned to the ward, she saw Sean lying on the bed with his eyes tightly shut, and his body was jerking uncontrollably. A nurse was already helping Sean with physical cooling measures. "Are you his guardian? Go to the nurse's station and get some ice cubes to place on his forehead. Then bring some rubbing alcohol and wipe his armpits and groin!" Seeing Sean jerking uncontrollably, Nadine's heart ached, tears streaming down her face. "I'll go right away!" She sprinted to the nurse's station as fast as she could. Nadine was heartbroken and anxious as she saw Sean suffering. Her hands trembled so much as she tried to wipe his body with alcohol that she could barely hold the cotton swab. The bottle of alcohol wobbled in her hands, spilling more than half of it. A nurse, seeing Nadine's frantic state, sighed and gently took the cotton swab from her. "Let me handle it. You need to calm down and sit for a moment. Panicking won't help." Nadine's tears flowed uncontrollably, wishing she could be the one who was sick instead. She bit her lower lip hard while watching Sean still jerking. Her heartache was overwhelming. Just then, another nurse rushed over from the station, looking flustered. "Dr. Young isn't here! It's so frustrating!" "All the doctors have been called to the 18th floor to check on Mr. Hamilton's sweetheart. Now we don't have a single doctor on this floor!" "If his fever doesn't go down in half an hour, it could be life-threatening! No matter how important someone is, they can't hog all the medical resources!" "It's out of our hands. I heard that Mr. Hamilton booked the entire 18th floor for his sweetheart, with guards everywhere. Even the nurses can't get in, and the director is personally attending to her." Nadine overheard their conversation and pieced it together. All the doctors were attending to Jean, leaving none for Sean. She could almost picture Jean's smug face now. Jean had stirred up a commotion on purpose, making sure Sean couldn't see a doctor. And Brad? He'd just let her have her way without a single question. Just because Jean was his first love, did he have to cater to her every whim, regardless of how unreasonable it was? There were so many other patients in the hospital! What about the other patients in critical condition? How could they be so heartless?