Chapter 444 William and Hayden (45)
If Michelle hadn't made that split-second decision, she might have been in real danger.
"It's... it's alright, I suppose!" Michelle said with a frown, glancing at her leg.
"Don't move. I'll call an ambulance, and we can have it checked at the hospital," Hayden said as he sat up on the floor and dialed the emergency number on his cell phone.
After Hayden made the call, the security guards and staff members returned and helped them to stand.
Soon enough, the unexpected main character arrived, much to their surprise—a young African American girl who was only eleven years old.
The girl explained that she dropped the crystal ball by accident, and she seemed quite shaken as she apologized sincerely to Hayden and Michelle.
Hayden couldn't be sure if the girl had really acted accidentally or if someone had influenced her. However, he didn't think it was right to suspect such a young child.
The girl's mother soon rushed over, apologizing desperately and insisting that her daughter meant no harm. Hayden decided to let it go.
The ambulance came quickly, and Hayden went with Michelle to the hospital with a mall worker.
After all, the incident happened in the mall, and it was the mall's responsibility to ensure the situation was handled properly.
At the hospital, they found out Michelle's almost healed bone had a new break. The doctor suggested putting a cast on it again and advised her not to walk for at least two weeks to avoid future problems.
"Why did you rush to save me like that?" Hayden couldn't help but ask Michelle after the doctor had applied a fresh cast and prescribed medication before they left the hospital.
As Michelle watched, she couldn't resist smiling, "I don't know why either, but when I saw the crystal ball falling, I didn't think about anything and just rushed over."
Looking at Michelle, whether her words were true or false, Hayden felt a surge of gratitude, so she nodded and smiled sincerely, "Thank you."
Hayden had always maintained a clear distinction between gratitude and grudges. Since there was no evidence to prove that Michelle was responsible for the incident with the rat, she decided to pretend it never happened.
But today, Michelle had saved her, and Hayden would never forget that. She would find a way to repay her in the future.
Michelle grinned, "There's no need to thank me as long as you're not angry at me anymore."
"Let's go. I'll walk you back to your dorm."
"Sure."
...
Hayden had just escorted Michelle back to the dorm when her cell phone in her pocket started vibrating.
After ensuring Michelle was sitting comfortably, she checked her phone and noticed William was calling.
Hayden glanced at the phone, decided not to answer in front of Michelle, and then smiled at her, "Would you like some water? I can get it for you."
Michelle kindly shook her head, "No need, I can manage on my own. If you have things to do, go ahead."
She let out a sigh and continued, "Michelle saved me, but I still can't bring myself to like her. She's not my type."
William's voice was filled with relief, "I'm glad you're okay. Do you need me to come over?"
"No, it's fine. I'll be okay," Hayden reassured him.
They chatted for a bit, discussing their plans for the weekend, before Hayden finally hung up and continued walking down the stairs.
As she reached the bottom, she felt uneasy. Michelle's sudden change in demeanor had caught her off guard, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was not quite right.
For the moment, Hayden set aside those thoughts and concentrated on getting home. She didn't want to think about the strange encounter anymore. After all, she had gotten away from danger, and she was thankful for that.
Little did she know, Michelle's cold sneer had been an omen of the difficult path she was about to face.
She realized that William must have found out about her accident at the shopping mall.
"Are you really alright?" William's urgent and worried voice came through once again.
"I'm really fine," Hayden confirmed earnestly, a smile slowly forming on her lips.
"Where are you right now? I'll come and find you." William hurriedly left his internship at Global Trust Bank on the other end of the phone. He dashed out of the elevator and sprinted toward the parking lot.
"I'm dropping Michelle off at the girls' dormitory."
"Why did you take her back?" William asked, pulling open the car door and sitting down before asking again.
"She saved my life; otherwise, I would either be gone by now or lying in the ICU," Hayden chuckled, teasing himself.
Hearing Hayden's self-mockery on the other end of the phone, William furrowed his brow with concern. He then apologized, "Hayden, I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you."
"Why did you come to my apartment?" William asked, his eyebrows knitting in confusion.
"I thought I would be the first one here," Hayden replied, scratching his head. "But it seems like you beat me to it."
William gestured for Hayden to come inside and asked, "What took you so long?"
Hayden chuckled and explained, "I got caught up in traffic. But I'm here now."
When she entered the apartment, Hayden couldn't ignore how tidy and orderly everything looked. It was quite different from her own untidy living area.
"Wow, you really keep a clean place," Hayden commented, impressed.
William smiled and replied, "I like to keep things tidy. It helps me stay focused."
Hayden nodded in understanding and walked toward the living room, taking in the comfortable furniture and tasteful decor.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Hayden asked, plopping down on the couch.
William took a seat next to him and suggested, "How about we order some takeout and watch a movie? I heard there's a new superhero film out."
Hayden grinned and replied, "Sounds perfect. Let's do it."
While they savored their meal and watched the movie, Hayden couldn't shake off her gratitude for their friendship. Despite not being inseparable twins, they consistently stood by each other, offering support and sharing laughter.
At that moment, Hayden realized that accidents may happen, but having someone like William by his side made everything a little bit easier to bear.
