Chapter 101 Bella, I Give Up
Anna asked, "Too tired? Bella's been home resting since she got out of the hospital. She hasn't been working much, just popping into the office now and then. How could she be tired?"
Sterling didn't bother answering Anna. He slumped in the chair and mumbled, "Thanks."
Anna was taken aback. She never expected a "thank you" from the usually arrogant Sterling.
Two hours later, the doctor emerged from the operating room. "Mr. Windsor, we've finished Mrs. Windsor's surgery, but there are some precautions. Please come to my office to discuss them."
Anna quickly said, "You go ahead, I'll stay here with Bella."
Sterling nodded and followed the doctor to his office.
In the office, the doctor said, "Mr. Windsor, Mrs. Windsor's health isn't great. She lost the previous baby, and although we saved her uterus this time, she had severe bleeding due to exhaustion. The chances of her getting pregnant again are pretty low."
Sterling's body shook at the doctor's words, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Anything else?"
The doctor replied, "The surgery was major. It's best to avoid sexual activity for a month. She needs someone to take care of her, so you should arrange for that."
Sterling had never listened so intently before, but he caught every word the doctor said, like each one was a needle pricking him. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
Sterling's hair was a mess from the rain, and he was still in his loungewear, looking pretty disheveled.
When he got back to the hospital room, Sterling saw Anna by the bedside, holding Bella's hand.
Anna saw Sterling return but didn't get up. They just quietly watched the still-unconscious Bella.
Bella's face was pale, as fragile as a butterfly that could fly away at any moment, with an expression of sorrow.
Finally, Anna broke the silence. "Ryan just came by and brought your phone and bank card." She pointed to the phone and bank card on the bedside table.
Sterling still didn't speak. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair messy, and his loungewear buttons were done up haphazardly, showing he had dressed in a hurry.
Anna continued, "Do you know? Bella's child is yours. Since James came back, they've barely seen each other. Even when they did, Bella mostly talked about how she was married and told James not to come looking for her."
"Bella was so happy when she found out she was pregnant with your child. She was always looking forward to the baby's arrival. Sterling, do you know what you've done? Do you have any regrets?" she added.
Anna looked at Sterling, wanting to vent all her anger on him, but seeing him like this tonight, she held back.
Finally, she said, "I thought you didn't care about Bella. You probably think so too. But Sterling, can you admit that you care about Bella more than you think?"
"Do you know why she didn't dare tell you about the pregnancy? She's scared you'd use the baby to trap her, not let her leave. Honestly, I think she might not even want to leave you. She just wants some freedom after being cooped up by you for so long." Anna looked at Sterling, seeing his distressed expression, and stopped talking. She glanced at Bella and then turned to leave.
As Anna left the hospital, she felt dizzy. Her whole body was soaked and cold. The tension she had been holding onto suddenly released, leaving her feeling weak and faint.
Anna collapsed, but a pair of strong hands caught her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Before Anna completely lost consciousness, she saw who had caught her.
When Ryan and Micah arrived at the hospital room, Sterling was slumped in a chair, quietly watching Bella. Micah didn't know what to say; Bella and Sterling often had conflicts.
Micah patted Sterling on the shoulder. "This is the result of your stubbornness. Bella is a good girl. If you want to treat her well, you need to be clear with her. By keeping her by your side and tormenting her, you're also tormenting yourself." Micah wasn't sure if Sterling heard him.
Micah shook his head and left with Ryan, feeling reassured that Bella and Sterling were okay.
It was unclear what Sterling was thinking. His eyes showed pain, guilt, and reluctance, but unfortunately, Bella couldn't see it. His hands were still trembling slightly.
In the morning, when the nurse opened the curtains, Bella finally moved. She reached out her hand, feeling someone beside her, and knew she must have been brought to the hospital last night.
Bella thought the person beside her was Anna. "Anna, call the office for me. I need to take a leave." Bella's voice was hoarse.
Sterling suddenly said, "I've already called for you."
Bella opened her eyes in surprise, seeing Sterling beside her. His face was unshaven, and he had dark circles under his eyes. She could hardly believe it.
Sterling, who was usually dignified and aloof, now appeared completely disheveled. Had he stayed at the hospital all night?
Sterling seemed to know what Bella wanted to say. Before she could speak, he said, "Bella, you're amazing. I give up. You put yourself in the hospital just to make me surrender, right? I give up, Bella."
Bella wanted to say something, but her throat was suddenly very dry. She watched as Sterling turned to leave.
Before she could speak, Sterling turned back, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her. Bella said nothing, drank a sip of water from his hand, and felt relief in her throat.
Bella finally asked, "Did you stay here all night?"
"Zoey will bring you something to eat later," Sterling said, not answering her question. Then he turned and left.
Bella watched him leave the room in a disheveled state, feeling a slight tremor in her heart. Why was he appearing before her like this now?
Lying in bed, Bella silently cried again, remembering how Sterling had coldly kicked her out last night, only to appear disheveled today, saying he gave up.
In an instant, Bella felt utterly defenseless, overwhelmed by confusion and a sense of being lost.
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