Chapter 11

"Madam, Sir Chadwick is in the hospital. He got into a car accident." When Adira heard this news about her husband, a swirling panic went like a wave inside her body. Cold sweat formed on her forehead, and her limbs, although they were intact, felt like they were about to give in to the shock she had received. The inside of her chest seemed to narrow its size, squeezing her heart which was beating frantically, with her losing her breath with every pound. All her thoughts clouded as she picked up her car keys and dashed out of their house. She turned the engine with trembling hands and got the car out of their garage swiftly, one backward and one forward. While driving on the road, she passed car by car, never forgetting to press the horn, showing how urgent she was at this moment. Beep! Beep! Beep! Cars move sideward at the loud warning. Beep! Beep! Beep! The loud sounds made her more agitated and impatient. She glanced now and then at the clock on the car and back on the road. As it added another minute, Adira felt so shaken. Her hands fell in tremor, and her acidity made her stomach churn hot. It's been so long since the last time she experienced these feelings of hopelessness, and she was so heartbroken. The feeling of losing someone who you just saw a moment ago, thinking he'll always be there. Is she this affection for her husband for her to feel like this? Does she love him enough to be in scorching pain? No. He has never been a good husband or a friend to Adira. And even if six months have passed since they have been living together under one roof, the two treat each other as strangers or business partners from whom they'll benefit. Then why does Adira react like this? "Madam!" the secretary gasped as soon as he saw the Crimson Meadow's CEO running towards his side. Secretary Neil is standing in front of the VIP hospital room, where he waits for his boss' wife. An hour hadn't passed since he called Adira. Thus, Neil was so shocked he saw the madam rushing towards him with a pale face. "Where is my husband?" Adira asked, catching her breath. Her red hair is disheveled, and she does not have to put makeup on her face. Still, she's gorgeous from head to toe, even if she's only wearing her thin silky sleepwear and indoor slippers. 'Indoor slippers?' Neil gasped inside his head. Since Adira had dropped their call in haste before, Neil could guess that she would hurry to go to the hospital. But seriously, not in this way. 'Not in this way when Madam will run outside while only wearing these,' Neil added in his thought, eyes widened. "So, what happened to him?! What did the doctor say?!" Adira shouted. Not only did she come here so quickly while wearing those, but she was also even screaming so loud. Where is the calm madam that Neil met before? They rarely met, but during those rare times, Adira never forgot to wear her nonchalant face. However, is calming down necessary in this situation? No wife could calm down when she heard that her husband was in the hospital due to a car accident. Still, Chadwick and Adira's relationship isn't normal. There is no love between them, and Neil could feel they don't even care about each other. So why does Adira look like someone who will about break down while waiting for Neil's answer? Although confused, Chadwick's secretary opened his lips to answer the agitated madam. "He's okay now and resting. It was just a minor accident, but the doctor said not to worry anymore." When Adira heard that, she fetched a sigh while still wearing her perturbed reaction. "Is he inside?" she asked, now in a lower tone. "Y-Yes, madam. And..." Neil couldn't finish what he was about to say because Adira entered the room without hesitation. Neil stared at the closed door for a long time. He blinked his eyes. Then blinked again until he remembered how to breathe. 'That was intense.' He means seeing Adira in that state. Neil got more nervous while dealing with Adira, rather than when he saw his boss with a bloody arm and heavy eyelids. Not that he does not care for Chadwick. He does care for him, even if Chadwick is sometimes hard to deal with. But Adira surpassed the shocked Neil. Whatever the reason is, Neil wished it to be a good sign. Meanwhile, when Adira arrived inside the spacious VIP room, she saw her husband lying down on the hospital bed. She approached him, little by little, until she reached the side of the bed. Along with the sound of the dripping fluid in the IV, Adira could hear the loud pounding of her heart. She shut her eyes and tried to calm down. But when Chadwick's sleeping image in her mind overlapped with her mom's dying figure, Adira trembled even more. It's been years. It's been long years since she saw her dead mom covered with blood while lying down on the hospital bed. Her eyes were closed, and her hand was lying low. Everyone around her was wailing and sobbing, but she, as the little child, stared at her mom with no emotions. She couldn't understand what was going on. Just early in the morning, her mom promised Adira that she would buy her favorite cookies, which they had brought somewhere far. Adira waited for her mom until midnight. However, some news came that her mom got into a car accident. Therefore, she and her dad came rushing to the hospital. Her mom's death did not come to Adira so easily. She was so in denial, even on the last day of the funeral. She shed no tears or told someone how sad she was for losing her mom at a young age. Adira... just shut her world from everyone. And as the days passed by, the truth sunk in. Her mom died while buying her favorite cookies. 'It's my fault. She died because of me.' When Adira felt her mom's absence, the emotions finally set in. She blamed herself, crying without sounds because she thought she had no right to show her pain to everyone. For her, it wasn't the car accident that killed her mom but her. After that incident, her father did not talk to her and became busier at work. It was his way to move on from the tragic death of his wife. At that time, Adira, who was going far from her father, felt like she had become an orphan. She felt so alone and decided to be alone. Probably, that is what made Adira's heart close from any affection. She hates receiving love or giving love. And if there's one thing that can heal this, maybe it is her dream of becoming a loving mom just like her mom. "Huh..." Adira sobbed. While standing beside the bed and looking at her sleeping husband, she could not stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. The car incident with Chadwick reminded her of the past, and so, all emotions she had suppressed for a long time came out. She cried like a kid, sobbing and wiping her tears from time to time. It isn't that loud, but enough to wake up the sleeping patient. Slowly, Chadwick opened his eyes from a deep sleep. It took him seconds to realize where he was brought in and who was standing beside the bed. 'Adira?' Chadwick doubted his eyes for a second. He saw the image of his wife, but the sight made him doubt. 'It can't be. It can't be my wife,' he added while watching the crying woman. As long as he can remember, Adira does not shed a single emotion, even if she sees Chadwick hugging another woman. So why would she hysterically cry like this? 'Ahhh. I got into a car accident,' Chadwick remembered, sighing. He did remember calling Neil to pick him up because he had gotten injured. But it wasn't life-threatening at all. And maybe, before coming inside, Adira might have already heard that he is now fine and just having time to rest. 'So why cry?' Chadwick stared at Adira until she met his gaze. "..." "..." As soon as she saw him catch her crying, Adira turned around. Embarrassed? Awkward? Prideful? She did not know what made her hide her tears, but... she knew she must. Adira quickly wiped her tears and kept standing against Chadwick until she recollected her poise. While standing still, Chadwick began to sit up with a groan. "Ahhhh." When Adira heard his groan, she flinched hard. But that's not enough to make her face him. Successfully sitting up with painful shoulder and arm, Chadwick looked at his wife's back. He noticed her disheveled red hair, her thick sleepwear, which she used to seduce him before, and those purple indoor slippers. Not only he saw her crying, but it seemed she also rushed here so quickly, given her current appearance. Not sure which part, but Chadwick admitted his heart was moved. This morning, when he saw her sad gaze towards the orphans, he saw her in a new light, that Adira can harbor emotions too. And tonight, he has shaken again. Just how many times she'll make him feel so weird? "Adi..." he called her, incomplete. It was because someone barged inside the room and gave him no chance to call his wife. "Chadwick!" shouted Isa. With wet eyes, Adira looked at the girl who barged inside as if a zombie was following her from behind. "Oh my god!" Isa gasped and then ran towards Chadwick. She even shoved Adira, whether unintentionally or not, then sat beside Chadwick. "W-What happened? Are you okay?! We were just talking over the phone when I heard the crash! Omg! I was so scared!" Isa held Chadwick's hands and caressed them while staring at his pale face. As Isa did, she saw Chadwick's eyes following something. Therefore, Isa turned around and saw Adira standing behind her. "Oh! Adira!" Isa gasped. At her words, Adira finally turned around to see them two together. "I'm sorry!" Isa said, then quickly removed her hands away from Chadwick's hands. "I was so surprised that I... I mean, Chadwick is... Well." "Since Isa is here," Adira murmured before her eyes met Chadwick's. "I don't think I am needed in this place anymore." She smiled faintly as if her crying face before was just an illusion. Chadwick clenched his fists on the bed sheets. He hates it when she makes it seem she does not care when her actions tonight did not match her words. "I'll be going now," Adira murmured. She brought her feet off the ground and casually walked away. However... "Stay here." Two words made her stop. She looked back again to make sure she did not hear him wrong. "Stay here and let's talk," said Chadwick. Adira fluttered her eyes, while Isa had her rounded eyes widened. Did the sunset in the East? "Isa, thank you for coming," Chadwick said to Isa. "But can you go out for a moment? I need to talk to my wife." Isa was at a loss for words. Not only did Chadwick take Adira's side this morning when they were giving opinions for the orphanage, but he was kicking Isa out. He wanted to be with his wife rather than Isa! 'But Chadwick said that... he hates his wife,' Isa wondered internally. She is also aware of Chadwick's feelings for her, so... why? Why is this happening? Why must he push her away too? "Sorry," Adira answered. "But this time, it will be me who will decline. See you when you recover." Then she stepped forward and left the room. Just like before, Adira left them as if she had no time to spare meddling with the two. Isa slowly looked at Chadwick. She noticed him staring at the closed door with a sad gaze. With that, Isa saw the danger. She could feel that Chadwick was starting to light the fire for his wife. And that's not good for Isa. If this continues, she might lose Chadwick's affection! So, she needs to do something to stop it. Isa can't let Chadwick abandon her. She can't. Her stepbrother, whom she loves so much, abandoned her many times. And so, the other person shouldn't do it. 'Never.'