Chapter446 Is There Some Hidden Illness
Nia didn't hold back, "What's the point of making promises to me? It's not like you're trying to win me over."
Willard's breath hitched for a moment, too frustrated to respond. He was afraid he'd explode.
But Nia wasn't done, "Willard, a broken mirror can't be fixed. Even if you manage to piece it back together, the cracks will always be there."
"Some things can't be fixed."
"When a heart is broken, it's broken."
Willard's lips tightened, "Mom, you used to say that you wouldn't accept anyone but Ann as your daughter-in-law."
Nia had indeed said that. She had watched Anne grow up. She never had a daughter of her own, so she treated Anne like one. When she saw that Anne had feelings for Willard, she was overjoyed. That way, Anne would always be part of the family. But unfortunately, Willard had let her down.
"No one thought the age difference between you two was too much, and no one dared to criticize it."
"But why did you have to make it an issue?"
Looking back, Willard still didn't understand his actions.
"I was presumptuous."
"I thought she had limited experience with men, maybe because she grew up in our house and spent a lot of time with me. Plus, I took care of her because of Grandpa's instructions."
"I thought Anne, being so young, didn't know what love was."
Nia countered, "How could she not know? When I met your father, I was a teenager too. The moment I saw him, I knew I wanted to marry him."
"Besides, Anne's feelings for you were different from her feelings for others. She wasn't like other girls, confusing gratitude or care for love. She genuinely liked you, which is why you broke her heart and made her lose all hope in you."
Willard's head throbbed. Pain radiated through his body, but it was worst in his chest. It felt as if there were a gaping wound there, and every breath was a gust of wind tearing it open, filling him with unbearable agony.
"But I can't give up on her. Without her, I don't know what I'd become."
Nia had said all she could. She knew Willard was hard to persuade. Even before he was born, the responsibilities of the Larson family had weighed on him. For years, he had held a high position, managing the Larson family. No one could sway his decisions. Just like before, when he insisted on keeping Anne at a distance for three years. Even though Anne was the one he cared about the most, he never showed a moment of softness.
"Willard, let go. Maybe it's just an obsession, not deep love."
"It is love." Willard's voice was firm, "I was foolish before, always suppressing my feelings for her, thinking I was too old to have feelings for a young girl..."
"Now, I'm very clear about my feelings for her."
Nia sighed, "Take care of yourself. Your father and I need to go to the company. Some people are taking advantage of the situation."
Willard stood up, "I'm fine. I'll go check on things."
Nia held him down, "Don't push yourself. If you don't recover, how will you catch up to Ann? Ann takes photos of celebrities. You might look good, but those celebrities are handsome too. The key is, they're young, fit, and healthy."
Willard quickly had Hayes escort Nia out. If he listened to her any longer, his wounds might actually reopen.
Anne landed in Maple Valley, and Simon came to pick her up.
She thought it was Elissa being considerate, but Simon's warning made it clear that Francis had sent him to give her a heads-up.
"Mrs. Larson, Mrs. Peterson is pregnant and it's a delicate situation. The doctor advised her to avoid stress, so it's best not to trouble her with certain matters."
"Mr. Francis Peterson said as long as you don't mention your situation with Mr. Larson to Mrs. Elissa Peterson, he can help expedite your divorce."
Anne was stunned for a few seconds before she responded. She hadn't planned on discussing her situation with Willard anyway. They were already filing for divorce; there was nothing more to say. She was here because of Ernest...
But she still replied, "Please assure Mr. Peterson."
As long as she understood.
Simon didn't say more. Elissa was already waiting at the door. She kept checking her watch.
She asked Francis, "Why is Simon taking so long? Next time, I'll have someone else pick her up."
Francis peeled grapes and fed them to her one by one. He responded softly, "You decide."
Just then, the elevator dinged. Elissa quickly ran over. Francis hurried to protect her, "Be careful."
When the elevator doors opened and Elissa saw Anne, she immediately hugged her.
"I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," Anne hugged her back.
Elissa noticed something off about her temperature, "Do you have a fever?" She touched her forehead to Anne's. Before she could gauge the temperature, a force pulled her back a step. She fell into Francis's broad chest.
Francis called out, "She's got a cold. Stay away from her."
Anne quickly stepped back. "I almost forgot, Elissa, you shouldn't come near me. I shouldn't have come today. I'll leave now and come back when I'm better."
Elissa pulled her back. "Stop fussing. Let's get you treated first."
She told Francis, "What are you standing there for? Get a doctor."
Francis instructed someone to find a doctor. Anne felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Especially since Francis, though not looking at her, exuded a cold hostility towards her. She couldn't sit still.
"Elissa, I might infect you." She covered her mouth and nose, "Stay away from me. You're pregnant, and a cold would be tough on you. You can't take medicine."
Elissa wouldn't risk her child's health and kept a safe distance. She scolded Anne, "Why are you running around when you're sick?"
Anne almost forgot why she was there. "I don't have any shoots recently, so I thought I'd come take some photos of you."
Elissa crossed her arms, scrutinizing her. Anne felt uncomfortable. And for some reason, she didn't want to lie to Elissa. So she told the truth.
Elissa's face lit up with curiosity, "You really don't have any feelings for him?"
Anne shook her head. In those past years, her heart and mind were full of Willard. Even during the years he ignored her, she kept a special place for him in her heart. But without any response, she eventually gave up. She didn't want to love anyone else after that. One Willard had already drained her capacity to love.
Ernest was good, she knew that. But it couldn't turn into love.
"I only see him as family. He reminds me of my grandfather."
Elissa was momentarily stunned, as if someone had hit the pause button.
Two seconds later, Elissa burst into sharp laughter, collapsing onto the couch.
Francis watched with his heart in his throat. "Don't get so worked up, be careful with your health."
His eyes never left Elissa, his brows slightly furrowed. His concern for her was evident, his voice trembling with worry. Even though he didn't look at Anne, not even a glance, she could feel the coldness directed at her. He blamed her for getting Elissa so excited.
"Elissa, I just remembered I have something to do. I should go."
Anne stood up abruptly, but the sudden movement made her dizzy, and she sat back down. She had felt better at Ernest's place, but now she felt lightheaded.
"Stay put." Elissa pulled a blanket over her and urged Francis, "Get the doctor here quickly."
Francis had no choice but to get up and make a call. Just as he picked up his phone, the doorbell rang. He opened the door and let the doctor in.
The doctor asked, "Mr. Peterson, is Mrs. Peterson feeling unwell?"
"It's not her." Francis's voice was cold, "Go inside and take a look."
The doctor walked in and saw another unfamiliar woman. He recognized Elissa, so it must be this other woman.
"Where do you feel unwell?"
Elissa answered for her, "She has a fever. Look at her face, it's all red."
The doctor took out a thermometer and checked her temperature. He asked a few more questions. Then he said, "It's an acute cold from getting caught in the rain. It's not serious. Just avoid drafts and rest for a couple of days. Your body is already weak."
Anne thanked him.
The doctor prescribed some medicine. "I see needle marks on your hand, so you've had an IV. Your hand is bruised, so I'll just give you some medicine. Take it and get some good sleep, and you'll recover soon."
Anne's veins were naturally thin and hard to find. She was often sick. Her grandfather had worried about her a lot. But as she grew older, he couldn't carry her anymore. Willard had taken over.
"You're welcome, it's my duty."
The doctor was about to leave when Francis suddenly spoke, "Check my wife too, just to be safe."
Elissa refused, "Don't worry so much. I just had a check-up, and everything is fine."
She the teased, "You're going to age quickly if you keep worrying like this."
Francis wasn't afraid of aging; it was inevitable and not worth overthinking. But hearing it from Elissa was different. After all, she had mentioned his age before.
"What, do you think I'm too old to take care of you?"
With Anne still there, Elissa didn't joke around. "Go get my camera. I want to take some photos."
Francis never liked Elissa taking photos. The outfits were complicated, and changing in and out of them was tiring and stressful. But if he didn't let her, she'd start crying, saying he didn't love her anymore. He felt wronged. But pregnancy hormones were unpredictable, and it wasn't something she could control.
"Can we negotiate?"
Elissa shook her head. "I have to take them all."
Anne chimed in, "Elissa, I won't run away. You can take the photos later."
"By then, my belly will be bigger, and these clothes won't look good."
Anne said, "Why wouldn't they look good? I knew a girl who worked at a studio that specialized in maternity photos. When your belly gets bigger, you can still take photos as a keepsake. I can take them for you if you want, Elissa."
Elissa was tempted. "Promise you won't be too busy with work then."
"I won't be."
"Alright, let's talk about Ernest then."
Hadn't this topic been replaced by a new one? Why bring it up again?
Anne felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, cautiously saying, "There's nothing more to say. I really don't have any feelings for Ernest."
"So you don't like him." Elissa patted her head. "It's okay. You'll find your soulmate someday. Don't worry."
Anne wasn't worried about that. She was more concerned about the upcoming photo shoot, with Elissa changing outfits repeatedly, and Francis glaring at her with icy eyes.
"How about this time, you just wear one outfit, and I'll take more photos. When your belly gets bigger, we'll do a maternity shoot."
Elissa agreed, and Anne breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'll go change."
Anne nodded, about to follow her, but Francis stopped her.
"My wife, I'll help her. No need to trouble you."
'We're both girls—what's the big deal? Guess he acted like that because he thought I was affecting Elissa.' Anne silently complained in her mind but kept a straight face and went to adjust the equipment.
Before changing, Elissa called Hope, telling her that Anne was here and to come over for some gossip.
Hope told Jerry and drove over alone.
When Elissa opened the door, she was surprised to see Hope alone.
"Your husband didn't come?" she asked.
Hope, who Jerry always wanted to be with, wasn't here today, which Elissa found unusual. Elissa figured Jerry was getting some perks from Hope, which was probably why he agreed to let Hope come over alone.
Hope smiled. "He knew I was coming here for a shoot, so he sent someone to protect me. He has work to do and can't always be with me."
Elissa nodded, seemingly believing her. But she took advantage of Hope's distraction to peek inside her collar.
Hope pushed her hand away, amused, "What are you doing?"
Elissa touched her chin, "Did you wear the lingerie I gave you?"
Hope nodded, not wanting to discuss such an embarrassing topic.
She quickly changed the subject, "I'll help you change. By the way, what's the gossip you mentioned?"
Elissa put her arm around her shoulder. "Why be shy with me?"
Hope gave her a playful glare. "Enough, Anne is still here."
"She should learn more, so she won't be clueless when she meets someone she likes."
"Come on, you'll scare her off, and she'll reject all this."
Elissa glanced at the busy Anne, her eyes mischievous, "With Anne's figure and personality, how did Willard manage not to touch her for three years?"
She continued, "I can't understand it. Do you think Willard has some hidden issue? Could he be..."
Hope quickly covered her mouth. Hope noticed Francis's gaze had shifted towards them, clearly hearing Elissa discussing another man's private matters. Who knew what Francis might do if the conversation continued.
She then decided to change the subject, "I have something to tell you."
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