Chapter 302 Delayed Menstrual Cycle
Jerry was like, "I asked Sawyer—well, Desmond—to figure out how to get the antidote."
I was taken aback. "He said yes?"
"Yeah, but it's a long shot. We need a backup plan." Jerry raised his hand and gently smoothed my brow with his thumb. "Plus, Neil's already got Mr. Griffin working on delaying the poison's effects. And your mom and I have arranged for Claire's blood sample to be sent to top research labs abroad. If we buy enough time, they'll definitely come up with an antidote. Hope, trust me, Claire's gonna be okay."
I looked into his eyes, feeling a wave of calm wash over me. Just like when I was a kid, I ruffled his hair. "Jerry, thanks."
The next day, I was up and ready before the doctor came for rounds.
I had told Jerry to go home and get some sleep last night, but he refused and crashed on the couch with me.
After the doctor finished his rounds, he pulled Jerry aside to talk about Claire's condition.
As I was about to follow them out, Elissa showed up with breakfast. She handed it to me and asked, "Did you and Jerry stay here all night?"
"Yeah." I nodded, put the breakfast down, and looked at her. "Why are you here so early?"
"I wanted to come yesterday, but I figured you'd be swamped, and I wouldn't be much help. Better to let you focus on finding a solution."
Elissa placed a cup of coffee and some meds in front of me. "Your period's due in a couple of days, so I brought you ibuprofen. How's Claire? Did you get the antidote?"
"No." I took a sip of the coffee and gave her a quick rundown. "We still don't know who's behind this."
"Does the Harris family have any enemies?" Elissa frowned. "Otherwise, who'd get involved in someone else's family drama?"
I shook my head. "Yeah, we can't figure out their motive. We can only take it one step at a time."
"Their a motive will come out sooner or later." Elissa poked my forehead and opened the breakfast. "Eat first."
"I'll eat later."
Elissa was puzzled. "Why?"
"I'll wait for Jerry."
"You two are so sweet! Good thing I bought enough." Elissa sighed. "But seriously, we owe him and Cecil big time."
I nodded. "Yeah, when we get a chance, let's take Cecil out for a meal."
Elissa glanced toward the door. "What about Jerry? Isn't he coming?"
"Of course, he is."
If I didn't let Jerry come, he'd get all jealous and upset. That's why I needed Elissa there to lighten the mood. Jerry and Cecil never really got along.
Elissa raised an eyebrow, suddenly remembering something, her expression turning a bit sour. "You haven't seen what's online, have you?"
I was curious. "What is it?"
I had been so worried about Claire's health yesterday that I hadn't checked my phone and didn't know what was happening online.
Elissa's tone turned harsh. "It started with Jerry's dad. He apparently fainted and was hospitalized. Someone online claimed it was because of you. A lot of people who don't know the truth are cursing both of you, especially you."
I was shocked. "Fainted?"
"Don't worry, his dad's probably fine. If it were serious, it would've been all over the news. Someone's using public opinion to trash Jerry's reputation."
I frowned and picked up my phone. "Let me see what they're saying online."
"You won't see much." Elissa didn't stop me, just said, "Your family and Jerry must've taken action. The situation started to blow up last night but was quickly shut down by several forces. The account that leaked the recording was even shut down."
[Who has the power to shut down so many accounts?]
[It must be Jerry. The Hammer family is powerful. Shutting down a few accounts is no big deal.]
[He's a real man, protecting his girlfriend by himself.]
[Relying on a man, you can imagine what kind of person she is. Jerry has seen all kinds of women. She's just a divorced woman; he'll sleep with her for a few days and then dump her. Wait and see.]
[Don't be jealous. According to a friend in the know, several forces stepped in this time, pressuring the platform to remove the news. I heard even her ex-husband got involved. She must come from a notable family, at least a socialite.]
[Don't be ridiculous. Being associated with Jerry is already very lucky. How powerful could her ex-husband and family be?]
I glanced at the online comments, feeling surprisingly chill.
After dealing with the whole Evelyn mess, I stopped taking public opinion too seriously.
Seeing that I wasn't upset, Elissa relaxed. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you. Since you don't care, I'm relieved."
"Don't worry." I smiled. "I've developed a thick skin."
Gossip and rumors? No biggie. I couldn't control what people said, so why stress over it?
Just then, Jerry walked in and saw me smiling. He raised an eyebrow. "Looks like Elissa is the only one who can cheer you up."
Elissa raised an eyebrow and boasted, "Of course, the power of a bestie is unmatched by a boyfriend."
Jerry seriously corrected, "I'm her Fiancé."
Elissa shrugged. "You haven't proposed yet."
Watching them bicker, I couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. I pulled him down to eat breakfast and asked, "Austin fainted? How is he?"
Jerry focused on his breakfast, not even looking up. "He won't die."
"That's good." I knew his relationship with Austin was strained. Knowing it wasn't serious, I felt relieved.
Elissa was dumbfounded, looking between him and me. "Shouldn't you at least pretend to visit him in the hospital to avoid giving people more to talk about?"
Jerry took a piece of bread, looking indifferent. "It's none of my business."
Elissa was at a loss for words, but before she could respond, Jerry glanced at her. "How are things going with Francis?"
Elissa choked again. "Don't talk about him with me. If gossip were a sport, you'd definitely be an Olympic champion!"
"This isn't gossip." Jerry put his arm around my shoulder. "Francis and I made a bet."
Elissa asked, "About what?"
"Who gets married first."
Elissa and I shared a glance, both rolling our eyes.
Men and their competitive spirit, it was everywhere you looked. It was like they were allergic to losing.
For several days, I stayed at the hospital without leaving. Madison would come to keep me company whenever she had time.
During this time, Declan, accompanied by Neil, came to treat Claire a few times, which helped stabilize her condition and delay the poison's effects.
That day, after the treatment, I saw Neil and Declan off and was about to head to the branch office with Elissa.
The HR department at the main office had already hired people in advance, so the setup of the branch office went smoothly. The first high-level meeting of the branch office was scheduled for the afternoon, and as the boss, I needed to be there.
As Elissa and I walked out of the hospital, she noticed me rubbing my lower abdomen. "What's wrong?"
I frowned. "Yeah, it's been hurting for the past couple of days. I might be getting my period soon."
"That can't be right." Elissa glanced at my lower abdomen. "Your period is usually regular. It's already a few days late this time. Besides the stomach pain, are you feeling any other discomfort?"
I thought for a moment. "No, maybe I've been a bit anxious these past few days, causing a hormonal imbalance. I might be on my period in a couple of days."
Before I could finish, a large hand patted my shoulder from behind. "Hope, Elissa."
I turned around and smiled. "Cecil, what are you doing at the hospital?"
"Getting my dressing changed." Cecil smiled and pointed to his arm, then asked with concern, "I overheard you talking. Are you not feeling well?"
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