When Theodore arrived at Cynthia’s place, she was lying in bed. Concerned, he immediately sat by her bedside.
“How are you feeling?”
Cynthia looked pale and was clearly very ill, even trembling when she breathed.
“Theo, you’re here. I told them not to call you. I know you’re busy. What’s wrong with them?”
A furious Cynthia tried to get out of bed.
“Don’t move.” Theodore immediately pressed Cynthia back onto the bed. “They were right to call me. How did you get this sick?”
Cynthia coughed a few times as she shook her head. “It’s all my fault. My body is too weak. I really hate myself. I might as well just die and end this suffering.”
“Stop that nonsense.”
Theodore frowned, his eyes filled with worry. He took a towel that a servant had brought and placed it on Cynthia’s forehead, patting it gently.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get better soon.”
”
“What’s the point of getting better? I’ll just keep getting sick. Theo, I don’t know how much longer I can endure this,” Cynthia said as she tightly held his hand. “Maybe it’s better to let me go.”
“Don’t say such things, or I’ll get angry,” said Theodore. He sounded stern, but his tone still carried indulgence and tenderness.
Seeing that Theodore seemed genuinely upset, Cynthia dared not say
more. He stayed with her all day. Only when it was dark outside did her fever gradually subside, returning her to a more lucid state.
Theodore glanced at the thermometer in relief. “Cindy, you’re fine now. The fever’s gone.”
“Theo, have you been here with me all day?” Cynthia asked.
“Yeah.” Theodore nodded. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“With you here, I’ll definitely persevere,” Cynthia said with adoration in her eyes. “You’re my reason to live. As long as I have you, I can endure any hardship.”
As Theodore gazed at Cynthia’s sincere expression, he suddenly recalled what Rosalie had said about the crystal bracelet and how he had been abroad with Cynthia for two months under the pretext of a business trip.
Had Cynthia told Rosalie all that?
Seeing that she was much better now, Theodore said, “Cindy, I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.”
“What is it?” Cynthia asked, feeling uneasy.
“That day in the office, what did you tell Rose?”
Was Theodore questioning her?
“Theo, I… I did tell her some things.”
“Including that I sent you abroad and spent two months with you, right?”
During those two months, Cynthia’s health had deteriorated again. At one point, it seemed like she might not make it, so Theodore had stayed by her side, wanting to be there for her at the end of her life. However, Cindy had managed to pull through in the end.
“Yes, I told her that.”
“Cindy, why did you tell her those things?” Theodore’s expression turned cold. “She didn’t need to know.”
“What if I told you she did need to know?” Cynthia said with tears streaming down her face. “Are you angry with me? You think I shouldn’t have told her those things, but I had my reasons.”
“What reasons?”
“I wanted her to completely give up on you. It’s settled that you’ll divorce her, but I don’t want to see her heartbroken. So, I said those harsh things to make sure she would forget about you and have a better life.
“Even though it may seem selfish of me, that wasn’t my intention. I really just hoped she could move on from you and embrace a new life. Sometimes, being a good person is not easy. It often leads to misunderstandings.”
Cynthia turned away uncomfortably. “It’s okay if you blame me. I shouldn’t have said those things. I’m sorry. I can apologize to her.”
Theodore sighed. “Stop crying. I understand.”
Upon reflection, it wasn’t so bad that Rosalie knew those things. He also felt guilty for keeping them from her. Rosalie had the right to know.
What Cynthia said also made sense. Rosalie had to be thoroughly disappointed in him before she could embrace a new life. But the thought of her moving on made his heart ache. There would be no place for him in Rose’s new life.
Having thought of something else Theodore added “Dind..
“What is it?”
Why was he asking her all these questions today? Was he becoming suspicious of her? Or had Rosalie said something to him that made him doubt her?
“Why did Rose think you chose the crystal bracelet I gave her? Did you tell her that?”
