Chapter 159 The Hospital
In the hush of the afternoon, Ava found herself hoping to broach the subject of their impending divorce once the stench of Alexander's alcohol had dissipated. She reached for her phone once more, her fingers tracing the familiar digits of Alexander's number.
However, he remained unreachable, his phone persistently offline.
Ava's heart pounded in her chest, her anxiety mounting. Could it be that Ethan had failed to inform Alexander about the divorce? It seemed inconceivable that Alexander would choose to switch off his phone at such a critical juncture.
Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Ava sought out the butler to retrieve Ethan's number from the phone book. She dialed his number, her breath hitching as she waited for him to answer.
"Hello?" Ethan's voice echoed from the other end.
"It's Ava," she declared.
"Ava? What can I do for you?"
"Is Alexander still with you?"
"He's... He's not here anymore."
"His phone is off, and I can't reach him. If he's not with you, do you know where he might be?"
"He went to..."
"Ethan, I need you to be honest with me."
"He's..."
Ava's heart clenched as Ethan hesitated. "What happened to him? Tell me."
"He's in the hospital."
Ava's breath hitched, "What happened? Was he in another car accident?"
She couldn't help but wonder if Alexander had been driving under the influence again.
"No, no car accident. He hadn't left his room for quite some time. I went to check on him around noon and found him unresponsive. I had to break down the door. He had passed out, so I rushed him to the hospital. The doctors say it's a gastrointestinal hemorrhage."
"Which hospital is he at? Tell me quickly!"
---
Ava hurried to the hospital, her heart pounding in her chest. Ethan was pacing anxiously in front of Alexander's hospital room.
"Ethan," Ava approached, her voice laced with worry. "How is he?"
"He's undergone emergency treatment. He's still unconscious," Ethan replied.
"How did he get a GI bleed? Was it the alcohol?"
"Drinking was a part of it, but..." Ethan nervously ran his fingers through his hair.
"But what? Tell me."
"Weren't you aware that he's been on medication for his stomach this whole time?"
---
Ava's mind flashed back to the time she had seen Ethan at the pharmacy, purchasing medicine he had claimed was for Alexander.
Ethan had made it seem as though Alexander needed the medication.
However, Alexander had later assured her that it wasn't something he took regularly.
"Are you saying he has a chronic stomach condition and he's been on medication?"
"Yes, he has gastritis and often needs his meds. He's supposed to be careful about what he eats and avoid anything too spicy. But he just loves his drink."
Ava's grip tightened on her purse strap, "He never mentioned any of this to me. I even asked him, and he said he wasn't on long-term medication."
"He probably didn't want to worry you. Would you like to see him?" Ethan asked.
Ava nodded and cautiously pushed open the door.
Alexander lay on the hospital bed, still unconscious. She retreated, gently closing the door behind her.
"When do the doctors expect him to wake up?" Ava inquired.
"The anesthesia should wear off soon, but..." Ethan paused before continuing, "Are you really going through with the divorce?"
"Yes, I am."
"There's no turning back?"
Ava shook her head, "No."
Ethan sighed, "It's a shame how things turned out like this."
"Since when did you care about me and Alexander's marriage?"
He looked genuinely regretful. "It's not that I care, per se. It just feels uncomfortable, you know? Alexander is a good friend of mine, and I can't imagine him being too happy about the divorce."
Ava managed a weak smile. "I doubt that. He'll probably be quite relieved actually, since after our divorce, he'll be free to be with the one he loves."
"You mean that Isabella?" Ethan crossed his arms. "If she winds up marrying Alex, I'd rather not speak to her at all."
"Why not?"
"No reason." Ethan certainly wouldn't admit that he preferred Ava to Isabella.
