Chapter 264
"Cassie carried a heavy weight of guilt when it came to David.
Clutching a bouquet of flowers and a basket of fruit, Cassie paused at the threshold of his hospital room. She was just about to tap on the door when the sound of a woman's stifled weeping reached her ears.
""Mom, please don't cry,"" David consoled.
""How should I not worry? You are our sole heir. The dreams and aspirations we held for you are now shadowed by this twist of fate. And now, there’s this unfortunate turn of events. The rumors of your kidney condition have spread like wildfire. All those young women, once so keen, like Madison, now seem to keep their distance. It's as if you've become an island, isolated by circumstances.""
""Mom, it's fine. I'm not even thinking about marriage right now.""
""You're my own flesh and blood. I believe you. But deep down, you're still hung up on that Cassie, aren't you? For her, you'd risk your own life.""
Silence followed.
Cassie gripped the fruit basket tighter as she heard Mrs. Foster speaking. Her voice was laced with resentment. ""That heartless girl didn't even come to visit you once, despite you being in the hospital for days.""
""Mom, please stop. It was my choice, my feelings. You don't have to be with someone to love them. Just knowing she's happy and safe is enough for me."" Cassie choked. Her throat was dry, as if something was lodged in it. She never realized David's feelings for her ran so deep.
""What are you doing standing there?""
Behind her, Mr. Foster's gruff voice broke the silence, clearly displeased.
Startled, Cassie jumped a little. She steeled herself and walked in.
David, seemingly recalling his earlier words that she might have overheard, felt a bit embarrassed. ""Cassie, what brings you here today? Joseph's not going to be upset, is he?""
""I just got here. We've broken up,"" said Cassie, looking up at him. In just a few days, he seemed to have lost weight. His hospital gown hung loosely on his frame, and his normally charming face looked worryingly gaunt.
""Why did you suddenly break up?"" David was astonished. ""Is it because of me?""
""No, we just had too many issues."" Cassie quickly steered the conversation away. ""How are you feeling now?""
""How can he be okay?!"" Mrs. Foster snapped, rising to her feet indignantly. ""He's lost a kidney, not just a piece of meat. His metabolism is shot, and his arm's nerves are damaged. It'll take months of treatment, and that's not even the worst of it. From now on, he can't afford the slightest fatigue or carelessness with his diet, or it could be life-threatening. And running that huge company, he won't last long at this rate.""
""Enough with that nonsense! Watch your words,"" Mr. Foster scolded sharply.
""Am I wrong? We're in our sixties now. We had him late in our lives. How will he manage when we're no longer able to support him?"" Mrs. Foster wiped away tears from her face, her voice trembling. ""What decent girl would now want to marry my poor boy? What will become of him?""
Cassie felt a wave of guilt wash over her, leaving her complexion pale and her mind in a turmoil.
""Mom, please..."" David implored.
""Am I wrong? You got hurt for her sake. Has she even taken care of you for a single day? Even strangers are more considerate than her,"" Mrs. Foster spoke angrily. ""If you ask me, she should spend her life making it up to you, especially now that you might not find a wife. She should just dedicate herself to you.""
""Mom..."" Anger flared in David, and a sudden pallor took over his face as he broke out in cold sweat. The monitors beeped loudly as his blood pressure spiked."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
