Bitter 4

Chapter 4 Signing It Myself
Leonard still did not come back home that night. He was accompanying Lily. The company group chat was buzzing with gossip and discussions about the two of them. “Mr. Harmon is being way too cautious, isn’t he? It’s just a small wound, but he just had to take her to the hospital.” “It’s his precious darling, alright? Mr. Harmon was worried sick.” “Did Eva come to the office today just to catch the mistress?” “I heard that Mrs. Harmon was only asking for 100 thousand dollars. That’s so pitiful of her. I checked and found out that Lily’s necklace costs 190 thousand dollars.” I quietly closed the app. A mocking smile appeared on my face. How laughable it was for people to pity the president’s wife. After being woken up by the noise, I could not fall back asleep. I then started packing my things. This was not my first time being hospitalized for surgery, so I gathered my personal items with ease. Everything that was used at home was top quality. Leonard was particular about his lifestyle. The bed sheets, pillowcases, and even the tissues were the most expensive brands. I did not hold back as I stuffed all of them into my suitcase. Hospital items were ridiculously expensive, and I could not afford to waste a single cent. Although I now had 100 thousand dollars, what if something unexpected happened during surgery? I might have to use the money for any potential or urgent situations at the hospitals, so I thought it was better to be prepared. There were only a few pieces of jewelry that I could wear anytime. Standing in front of the jewelry cabinet, I gave up when I saw the electronic lock. If I smashed the cabinet now, I might even lose my chance to have the surgery. In the end, I only found a pair of gold earrings and a pitifully small diamond ring in my little box. Leonard said that this was the engagement ring he had prepared back then. He did not have much money at that time. It must have taken him a long while to save up to buy the ring. As I carefully put the ring on my finger, I felt a little sentimental. The value of this diamond ring would depreciate as soon as it was purchased. It probably would not be worth much if sold, especially given how crudely it was made. But it was better than having nothing at all. It might save my life during critical moments. After preparing everything, I was just planning where to hire an affordable but good caregiver when daylight broke. Patrick called me excitedly. “I’ve already spoken with the inpatient department. You should come right now to do the paperwork. “You can pay 3,000 dollars as a deposit first. I’ve reserved a double room for you, so you can hire a caregiver together with the patient next to you.” Patrick knew about my situation, so he had thought of every way to help me save some money. I thanked him while dragging my suitcase out the door. As if sensing I was leaving, I heard Buddy whimpering from the neighbor’s house. The moment the neighbor opened her door, Buddy ran over immediately. He whined as he circled me. I crouched down. Holding back tears, I hugged his head. “Be good and listen to Ms. Agatha. Mommy will be back soon, okay? You have to stay well.” He had to stay well even if I could not make it back here. Agatha looked at me hesitantly as if she wanted to say something. “Wait.” Then, she went back into her house and returned with a lucky charm. “I went to the church the other day and got this for you. Stay safe and well, okay?” Looking at the cheap lucky charm with a misspelled character, I nodded with a smile. Agatha was a kind person, so Buddy would be fine living with her. Clutching the lucky charm, I turned and entered the elevator. If I asked for a little less luck, could I perhaps have a longer life even just for a bit? With Patrick’s earlier instructions, I managed to settle the hospital admission procedures quickly. Thinking about tomorrow’s surgery, I felt more at ease as I lay on the hospital bed. I seemed to have had another dream. I dreamed of waiting for Leonard at the school gate after he finished work every day. He would buy me the little egg tarts that I “loved” so much. The truth was that those egg tarts tasted horrible and were full of artificial flavoring. But they were really cheap at just one dollar each. Every time he saw me eating the egg tarts with satisfaction, Leonard would smile so happily. He looked truly handsome. Upon hearing the familiar ringtone, I answered the phone instinctively. “Leonard, I want the blueberry-flavored egg tarts today. Make sure you get in line early, alright?” The person on the other end was stunned for a moment. He then said gently, “Okay. Wait for me.” I rolled over and fell back asleep. I actually had a sweet dream today. When I woke up the next day, I felt refreshed. Even the young nurse joked that I looked energized and that it was surely a sign the surgery would be successful. However, Patrick looked at me with a serious expression. “It’s one thing for you to be here alone for the check-ups, but you’re having surgery today. Aren’t any family members coming? We still need someone to sign the papers.” Lowering my head, I felt a little frustrated. I did not have any family left apart from Leonard. When Patrick saw my expression, he sighed and told me to think it over because the surgery would be happening soon. Anxious, I looked at my phone and felt inexplicably uneasy. Would something go wrong this time? The phone rang again. It was a call from Leonard. I answered almost instinctively, and my tone was somewhat excited. “Leonard!” “Eva, are you messing with me? Didn’t you say you wanted egg tarts? Where the hell did you go?” As his impatient voice came through, I was at a loss for words. So it was not a dream yesterday. Leonard really did call me and even bought me egg tarts. Tears instantly filled my eyes. Remembering Patrick’s words, I choked up as I said, “Leonard, I’m now…” “Leonard, these egg tarts are so delicious. No wonder you insisted on bringing me there to line up for them!” When I heard Lily’s voice on the other end of the line, I instinctively hung up. He had finally brought her home. I put on my shoes and walked into Patrick’s office. “Dr. Price, I’ll sign the papers myself.”