Chapter 313 Help Me Take a Bath
Jerry's eyes locked onto the coffee can next to the kettle. Cecil saw where he was looking and tried to get up, but the pain was too much, and he flopped back down.
Jerry grabbed a handful of coffee beans and spilled them on Cecil. Inside the can, something was just starting to peek out.
He grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Guess I hit the jackpot."
Cecil used every ounce of strength to get up, trying to grab the black vial from Jerry.
Inside was the only antidote.
But he was gasping for air, barely able to move, let alone snatch anything.
Jerry just lifted the jar a bit, keeping it out of reach.
"You think you've won?" Cecil's words came out in painful gasps, but he forced them out, "This time, you can't win. Hope will definitely be mine."
Jerry snapped his fingers, and Steven stepped up to hold Cecil down. Jerry grabbed a fruit knife from the table, knelt in front of Cecil, and tapped his face with the back of the knife.
Then he flipped the blade.
In the next second, the knife plunged into Cecil's calf, tearing through flesh.
Cecil gritted his teeth, not making a sound. Jerry stood up, unfazed, and sneered, "She's got good taste; she wouldn't go for trash like you."
Over at Tranquil Haven, Elissa was buzzing with excitement over some news on her phone.
I was already used to her antics.
Claire seemed in high spirits. "What's got you so hyped? Spill it!"
I nudged Elissa, "Quit being all secretive, just tell us."
Elissa smirked and handed me her phone. "I thought seeing Sarah get roasted online was fun, but this is way better."
Before she could finish, I saw the news.
Sarah's background had been exposed.
A journalist had released an interview clip where Madison personally denied Sarah's identity.
I quickly called Madison, confused. "Mom, I saw the news. You denied Sarah's identity? Weren't you and Jerry trying to lure out the mastermind?"
Madison explained, "The mastermind's already out in the open, no need to lure anymore."
I was stunned. "Who is it?"
As soon as I asked, my heart tightened, and I had a hunch. Then Madison said, "It's Cecil. We had our suspicions, but Neil and Jerry just found out they were in contact. As soon as I denied her identity, she reached out to Cecil."
I was floored.
If poisoning Claire was to use the antidote to threaten me, then what was the point of planting a fake daughter with Madison?
Then it hit me.
No wonder the necklace I lost in a car accident two years ago ended up with Sarah, making her Madison's daughter.
No wonder the paternity test between Sarah and Madison came back as a match.
It wasn't that the test was faked, but from the start, the hair Sarah gave Madison was mine.
I used to trust Cecil so much, and he had free access to my place in Eternia. It wasn't hard for him to snag a few strands of my hair.
So, when Sarah first pretended to be me in the Harris family, it was probably Cecil's plan.
The more I thought about it, the more chills ran down my spine.
"Hope? Something wrong?" Madison asked, noticing my sudden silence.
I snapped back to reality, pushed down my shock, and shook my head. "I'm fine, Mom. How about you?"
"Don't worry, I'm good," Madison assured me, "But be careful, okay? Even though we got the bad guy, things are gonna be wild for a bit. Just lay low and stay safe. By the way, I'm going to announce your identity in three months."
I didn't want to worry her, so I agreed, "Okay, I know."
Madison said softly, "Alright, get some rest. Pregnant women shouldn't stay up late."
"You too." I hung up the phone, and just as I set it down, I heard the door creak open.
I headed toward the door, and Elissa and Claire exchanged a knowing look.
Claire said, "Come check out the flowers I'm growing."
Elissa nodded. "Sure thing."
Of course, it was Jerry who walked in.
I opened my arms to hug him, but he stopped me by holding my shoulders. "I'm filthy; let me shower first."
I stared at him, puzzled. Even if Jerry was worried about germs affecting me and the baby, he didn't need to be so cautious. He was just running errands, not digging ditches! Before I could voice my confusion, he held up a small, dark bottle.
"The antidote?" I asked, my eyes lighting up with hope.
"Yep." Jerry raised his eyebrows, looking all smug. "Aren't I amazing?"
My heart tightened instantly, despite my casual look.
I didn't bother with the antidote and started checking him for injuries, lifting his shirt.
When I saw the blood on his arm, he suddenly grabbed my wrist.
He looked down and warned, "Don't seduce me when you're pregnant."
My eyes welled up.
Seeing I was about to cry, Jerry instinctively reached out to stroke my hair to comfort me.
But then he suddenly remembered something and pulled his hand back.
I immediately noticed something was off and grabbed his hand to look. There were several bloodstains on his palm. Although the blood had dried, it still looked shocking.
"You promised me you wouldn't get hurt!" I said.
Jerry shrugged, then touched his nose and said helplessly, "Alright, I did break my promise. As long as you don't cry, whatever you say goes."
I didn't say anything and turned to walk to the living room.
Jerry followed behind me. "Hey, didn't we say we were gonna communicate? What's with the silent treatment all of a sudden?"
I found the first aid kit and glared at him. "Sit down."
Jerry obediently sat down.
I held out my hand. "Give me your hand."
Jerry placed his injured hand in mine.
The entryway light wasn't very bright, but in the living room, I could see that not only were there scabs, but there were also many wooden splinters embedded in his hand.
I wanted to kick him, but just seeing the injuries on his hand made my heart ache, so I held back.
Jerry laughed, "Don't hold back. If kicking me makes you feel better, go ahead. It's okay."
"I'm not gonna kick you. My foot will hurt."
Jerry teased, "Is it your foot that will hurt or your heart?"
I pretended not to hear, first washing away the dried blood, then carefully removing the splinters with tweezers.
I checked repeatedly before disinfecting and applying medicine.
When I took out the bandage, Jerry stopped me. "No need, it'll be fine in a couple of days."
I held the bandage and said nothing, just looked at him.
Jerry gave in. "Alright, you win."
He handed me his hand, letting me bandage it.
I tied a bow at the end. Although he frowned, he didn't say anything, only saying, "Go give Claire the antidote, I'll go shower."
"No."
"Can't shower?" Jerry said, "Is this your way of punishing me?"
I couldn't help but laugh, "Your hand can't get wet."
Jerry seemed to hear the funniest joke in the world.
I understood that he didn't take such minor injuries seriously. If I hadn't noticed, he probably wouldn't have even bothered to disinfect them.
Jerry started to refuse, but then a thought struck him. "My hand really shouldn't get wet," he said, drawing out the last word. "How about you do me a little favor and… give me a bath?"
My ears turned red, but I didn't want to lose, so I extended my finger, hooked his belt through his shirt, pulled him toward me, and smiled. "I can help you bathe, but can you sleep well tonight?"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
