Chapter 6

Those three words caused Edmund's heart to clench. Just then, Selena's stomach churned violently. A bitter, metallic taste rose in her throat. Yet, Claire still blocked her way and refused to let her leave. "Ms. Crawford, I'm so sorry. If you're angry, you can hit me. It's my fault…" Before she could finish, Selena slapped her hard across the face and forced out two words. "Get lost!" Then, she gritted her teeth and rushed into the restroom. Claire hadn't expected that Selena would lash out at her. She held her face while suppressing the fury in her heart. She waited expectantly for Edmund to speak up for her and hold Selena accountable. But this time, Edmund didn't immediately comfort her as he usually did. Instead, he pushed her toward Michael and instructed, "Take Claire home first. I'm going to check on Selena." Selena crouched by the toilet, her face deathly pale. She vomited until nothing but bile and traces of blood remained. Edmund removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. His voice, which came from somewhere above her sounded unusually anxious. "Selena, how are you feeling? I'll take you to the hospital—" Before he could finish, his phone rang and interrupted him. He declined the call twice, but the person on the other end persisted. Finally, he had no choice but to answer. "Edmund! Claire just cried herself unconscious. Forget about Selena and come out quickly!" The moment Edmund heard those words, his expression faltered. Without thinking, he bolted toward the door, saying, "Selena, wait here for me. I'll be back soon to get you." As soon as his words fell, he strode out without hesitation. Selena was too weak from vomiting to even respond. But she knew one thing for sure—Edmund was never coming back. She tightened the coat around herself and forced herself to stand. But before she could reach the door, darkness engulfed her. When she regained consciousness, she was in the hospital. Two passing women stumbled upon her and brought her in. They only left after confirming that she was alright. Three hours later, Edmund finally arrived. His face was dark with anger as he roared, "Why didn't you call me when you got to the hospital? Do you know how long I searched for you at the club? I thought you…" Thought what? Did he think she had been taken advantage of? Selena's downcast eyes flashed with a mocking look. Edmund knew what could happen to a woman left alone in a club restroom wearing only her undergarments. Still, he'd left her behind anyway. Seeing her pale face, Edmund sighed and suppressed his anger. He then said, "Our wedding anniversary is a week from now. I'll take you to Mount Versuval then and make good on the proposal I owe you." Hearing this, Selena suddenly remembered that the day their divorce cooling-off period ended was their wedding anniversary. They had been married for five years, yet they had never celebrated it. But now that they were getting divorced, he suddenly remembered. What did he mean by doing this? Was it compensation for drinking and stripping in Claire's place? Selena lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes. "Don't bother. I don't want a proposal anymore." But this time, Edmund was unusually insistent. "I've already decided on it. Just focus on recovering while you're in the hospital." Selena didn't want to argue with him, so she pulled the blanket over herself and said, in a muffled voice, "I'm tired. I want to rest." Edmund was visibly displeased with her attitude. However, seeing her tightly shut eyes, he said nothing and silently exited the hospital room.