Chapter 377: One Good News, One Bad News
Daniel clutched his phone, his eyes cold as ice, and let out a few mocking laughs before abruptly hanging up. He returned to the hallway outside the operating room.
The light in the operating room was still on, and the door remained shut.
Daniel stayed put, not budging an inch. Even though Cade had just issued an ultimatum over the phone, Daniel couldn't care less. Margaret had once helped him, and he had never found the opportunity to repay her.
Or maybe, he had never had the chance to openly care for her because she was married. They had always missed each other. This time, he had a legitimate reason to stay by her side and care for her.
Margaret's surgery lasted a grueling six hours, and to Daniel, those six hours felt like an eternity.
When the surgery finally ended, the light in the operating room went out, and the door swung open. Margaret was wheeled out, surrounded by doctors and nurses, including Rufus, David, and other assisting physicians.
Raymond was also wheeled out.
But they were taken to two very different rooms.
David removed his mask and walked over to Daniel and Alvin, glancing at them. "I've got one good news and one bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"Hit me with the bad news," Alvin said.
David's expression was complicated as he looked at Alvin. "Mr. Howard is in critical condition and has been moved to the ICU."
"When will he wake up?" Alvin's face changed slightly.
David sighed. "It's uncertain. He might wake up tomorrow, or he might never wake up."
"Ms. Hughes' surgery was successful?" Daniel guessed the good news was about Margaret.
David turned to Daniel. "Very successful. She should wake up in the next couple of days."
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief.
David glanced at Alvin and Daniel. "You two should discuss how to explain Raymond's situation to Ms. Hughes when she wakes up."
"Can I see Mr. Howard?"
"The ICU is off-limits to everyone except medical staff. If Raymond doesn't wake up within a week, you should start preparing for the worst." David shook his head and walked towards his temporary office in the hospital.
Alvin's eyes reddened instantly upon hearing this.
Daniel walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "He's done so many bad things; God won't let him die so easily. He'll wake up."
Margaret was moved to a regular room, hooked up to various machines and a ventilator, but her heart monitor showed a normal rhythm.
During the days she slept, Daniel stayed by her side, sitting in a chair next to her bed, silently keeping her company.
David entered the room and noticed the dark circles under Daniel's eyes. "She's out of danger now. Aren't you relieved? Go back to the hotel and rest. Alvin can keep watch."
"Yeah, Mr. Taylor, you've been watching over our lady for so many days. On behalf of Mrs. Howard, thank you. I'll take over here; you should get some rest." Alvin's tone was sincere and respectful, having gained a new perspective on Daniel.
He genuinely wanted Daniel to go back and get some sleep.
Daniel frowned, his gaze fixed on Margaret in the bed. "I was entrusted with this task, and I intend to see it through. I want to hand Margaret back to Mr. Howard, safe and sound."
David and Alvin were both surprised by his words. Alvin was silent for a moment before saying, "Mr. Taylor, on behalf of Mr. Howard, thank you."
"Let's leave. Ms. Hughes needs peace and quiet to recover."
David and Alvin exchanged a glance and then left Margaret's room.
Daniel's eyes burned as he looked at Margaret. He had his own reasons for staying; this was his only chance to openly watch over her and care for her.
Once she woke up, he would lose that chance.
Because Margaret had lost her memory, when she woke up, she would want Raymond.
Daniel looked at Margaret lying in bed, her face pale. Her long hair spread across the pillow. His eyes showed a hint of pain. They had been elementary school classmates. His mother had sent him to a prestigious elementary school, but his background was soon discovered.
A bastard child, born from an affair, he was bullied, mocked, and isolated.
Margaret had helped him, declaring him her friend and saying that anyone who bullied him was against her. At that time, Daniel saw Margaret, dressed in a princess dress and looking adorable, as a noble heroine.
Margaret had asked him his name.
He said, "My name is Daniel."
But she never remembered his name, quickly forgetting him. Even when they passed by each other, she didn't recognize him. He thought it was because Margaret had helped so many people that he was just one of many.
Later, his mother forcibly transferred him to another school, but he continued to follow her, enrolling in the same university. He watched her pursue Raymond and witnessed their love story.
He knew he was just a bastard child, with self-loathing ingrained in his bones. He wasn't worthy of her, not even as a friend. So he watched her from a distance.
After graduating from college, he heard that she and Raymond were getting married.
He thought Margaret had found her prince charming and didn't need his protection anymore. His mother always encouraged him, saying that being a bastard was just a label, and not all bastards were bad people. Bastards could also contribute to society and become admired.
At that time, Daniel desperately needed respect and recognition. He wanted to shed the label of a bastard. So he became a police officer.
He took on tasks others feared, quickly earning accolades and becoming a hero. During an evacuation mission, he coincidentally met Margaret.
He saw her kneeling in the snow outside The Hughes Group building, evacuating the crowd. He offered to take her home, but she refused. He bought her some ointment from a pharmacy.
But she looked at him with unfamiliar eyes, repeatedly thanking him.
He wanted to introduce himself with his new identity, as a police officer, not a bastard.
But Margaret continued to be entangled with Raymond, even after losing her memory, falling in love with him again.
He felt like a supporting character in a movie, watching the leads break up and reconcile, only able to observe from afar. But he didn't mind. Watching the girl he loved from a distance, seeing her happy with a family, was enough.
Margaret was the light of his childhood, the only one who called him a friend and helped him. He remembered her for a long time. Later, Margaret showed him a photo of a mute boy, hoping he could help find him.
He realized Margaret didn't forget all the boys she helped. The mute boy was an exception.
He envied the deceased mute boy, wishing he could be him. But he wasn't.
Margaret woke up on the third morning. Her curled eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly's wings, and her eyes opened to see a man sleeping by her bed, resembling Raymond.
Her eyes lit up with joy. Despite the ventilator, she reached out with her hand, which had an IV needle, to touch the man's hair.
He had returned. He hadn't lied to her. She woke up and saw Raymond first!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
