Chapter 206 I Had Too Much in this Life, so God Wants to Punish Me This Way?

The servant said, "Mr. Semona said not to worry before he left. He's got something important to handle, and he'll be back once he's done."

Regina was taken aback for a bit and then asked, "Really?"

"Yes," the servant added, "Mr. Semona made it clear before he left. He said if you woke up and didn't see him, don't be scared. He'll definitely be back to have breakfast with you."

Regina nodded, looking pretty out of it. She turned and headed back to her room.

She checked the time; it was still early, but she just couldn't get back to sleep, tossing and turning in bed.

Morning came, and the Peace Club, towering in the city center, was still buzzing with luxury. The night's party vibes hadn't faded yet.

Charles glanced at Douglas, who was sitting there silently, having downed seven or eight bottles, looking pale and lost.

"So, you saw the doctor, right? Regina really has that illness?" Charles had never seen Douglas like this before.

Regina was the one who was sick, but Douglas looked like he was the one dying.

With the last gulp from his bottle, Douglas broke down.

He let out a bitter laugh and said, "Is it because I've had too much in this life that God wants to punish me like this? He can take everything from me, even my life, but can He... can He not torment her like this?"

Charles watched Douglas finish another bottle, thinking he was about to open another, and quickly tried to stop him, but Douglas tossed him the car keys. "Take me home."

Charles was shocked at how much Douglas had changed in just an hour.

When the car pulled up in front of Douglas's mansion, he had calmed down. Except for the lingering smell of booze, he looked just like his usual self.

Douglas unbuckled his seatbelt, glanced at Charles, and reminded him, "Don't let anyone know about Regina's illness."

"I got it," Charles said, but he was also curious. "So, what's your next move?"

Even though he asked, Charles knew there was only one way this could go.

Regina's surgery was a must. Douglas would get the best medical team for her and stay by her side, helping her through this.

But surgery had its risks, especially brain surgery. Charles didn't know what Douglas would do if Regina didn't make it.

Regina lay in bed for over an hour and couldn't stay there any longer, so she got up and left the bedroom again. She went downstairs to the dining room.

She thought the servant's words about him coming back to have breakfast with her were just to comfort her, but to her surprise, she saw him busy in the kitchen early in the morning.

He was actually making breakfast for her.

Regina was stunned. Maybe it was because his presence felt so out of place, or maybe her mind just went blank for a moment, but she stood there stiffly.

Douglas had his back to her. He knew she was there but didn't turn around. He didn't dare to.

"Douglas." Regina's soft, tired voice finally broke the silence.

Douglas turned around at that moment.

"You're up early," he said with a slight smile, holding a bowl of oatmeal he had recently taken a liking to. He walked into the dining room. "You haven't washed up yet, right? The oatmeal's still a bit hot. Why don't you go wash up first?"

As he passed by her, Regina caught a strong whiff of alcohol and instinctively frowned. "You've been drinking?"

"Yeah," he admitted without hesitation. "Just a little."

"But..."

But the servant said he had something important to do when he left early this morning. She had no idea what important matter would make him drink. And judging by the smell, he had probably drunk quite a bit.

Regina was filled with doubts but didn't ask further.

Watching Regina leave the dining room with a heavy heart to wash up, Douglas, who had been as tense as a tightly wound string, suddenly felt his body relax.

He sat in the dining room, waiting for Regina for half an hour, but she didn't return.

His face darkened, and he rushed to where she was washing up, only to find it empty, with no sign of her.

"Regina!" Douglas panicked, his shout tearing through the morning air. The busy servants were startled by the scene.

"Where is she? Have any of you seen Regina?" It was the first time they had seen Douglas so out of control.

Sensing something was wrong, Emily quickly instructed the others to search for her. The large mansion was in chaos early in the morning. In reality, Regina had just locked herself in the study. Her head hurt terribly.

While washing up, she had experienced a dizzy spell, accompanied by a drilling pain in her head. It was a pain she couldn't bear.

Instinctively, she sought a quiet place to endure the pain alone. She thought she could tough it out as usual, but half an hour had passed, and the pain only intensified.

She anxiously thought she had been away from the dining room for so long that Douglas would surely become suspicious. She didn't want him to see her like this.

Regina took a deep breath, forcing herself to pull it together. She walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out the notebook.

She had to record everything meticulously in this notebook. Today's headache was something she had to take seriously.

And she had another check-up tomorrow. She wondered what excuse she could use to leave without arousing his suspicion.

The more she thought about it, the more complicated her feelings became.

She opened the notebook and was about to write when she noticed something strange.

On the first page, among the densely packed, neat handwriting, some of the words appeared to have been smudged by water.

Regina stared blankly at the smudged words for a long time, wondering if she had cried while writing them.

"Yes, that must be it," she said to herself with a bitter smile. She then uncapped her pen, opened a new page, and began to write slowly.

But she had only written one line when the study door suddenly burst open.

Regina's heart skipped a beat. Reflexively, she slammed the notebook shut, tossed it into the drawer, and closed it in one swift motion.

Then, she looked up at the person standing at the door. It was Douglas, his shirt soaked with sweat.

Douglas tryied to keep his emotions in check as he walked towards her. He had always been someone with a high pain tolerance, but now, every moment hurt. "Did you forget that I made oatmeal and was waiting for you in the dining room? The oatmeal is already cold."

"I'm sorry," Regina lowered her eyes. Despite her efforts to hide it, a trace of sadness and disappointment was still evident. "I came to the study to do something important and got so busy that I forgot."

Douglas knew the reason behind all of this. He had thought about playing along with her act, but he couldn't keep it up for more than a few minutes.

He looked at her and said honestly, "I know."

"What?" Regina didn't immediately understand what he meant by that sudden statement and reflexively asked.

"I saw the diary you hid in the drawer."

A loud noise echoed in Regina's mind. She was completely stunned, feeling a chill from head to toe, her entire body frozen.

He shook his head weakly, each word difficult to utter, "You can't do this to me."

In the long, silent standoff, Regina slowly realized what had happened. She avoided his gaze out of guilt, and in that moment, she cried.

Douglas stood in front of her, watching her tear-streaked face, feeling utterly wretched.

She had shown signs of something wrong long ago. But he only noticed last night.

Memories flooded his mind. He recalled the panic and gloom in her eyes when she heard about the wedding next summer, and how she had sincerely wished that she would never forget him.

Douglas's warm fingers brushed the corners of her eyes. Upon learning of her illness, his thoughts had raced through countless scenarios. But now, he had nothing more to say.

He said, "I've already spoken to your primary doctor about your condition. He is indeed the best specialist in the country for this. Additionally, he recommended a renowned brain surgeon from abroad. I'm in contact with him and will bring him here."

She sat by the desk, and he stood beside her. He lowered his hand and gently touched her head. "Don't be afraid. We'll treat this properly. There's hope."

Regina looked up, staring blankly at him.

Another long silence ensued. It felt like the oppressive calm before a storm.

Douglas's heart ached under her gaze, feeling utterly helpless.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, her voice breaking. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have hidden this from you."

"I've always had headaches. I thought it was just a lingering effect from when I fell into the water. At first, I didn't take it seriously. But later... later, I noticed that along with the headaches, my memory seemed to be getting worse... so I went to the hospital for a check-up." She had prepared herself mentally, but when she got the results, as she described in her diary, she felt utterly devastated.

"I caught it early enough. The doctor said it's still benign for now, and there's a chance of a cure through surgery." Regina tried her best to explain, to comfort Douglas.

Douglas understood her good intentions. She was trying to tell a white lie to make him feel better.

In her eyes, he had suffered a lot over the years she loved him. She couldn't bear to let him carry more pressure and pain.

Douglas said, "The happiest thing for me is to be honest with you, to trust each other, and to share our burdens."

Hearing his words, Regina realized how terribly wrong she had been. "I'm sorry." She stood up and hugged him tightly, repeating the words over and over.

Douglas couldn't bear to listen anymore. The more he heard, the more it hurt.

He gently lifted her chin and kissed her hard, silencing her.

That morning, they were indeed honest with each other. But Douglas noticed that gradually, Regina began to forget about it.

A week later, she often went to the study.

At first, she remembered the diary, but eventually, even the diary was forgotten.

Douglas realized that her forgetting had become almost natural. But this time, he didn't even have time to feel sad.

"It's time for your hospital check-up today." One morning, Douglas woke her with a gentle kiss. 

Regina, with sleepy eyes, looked at his handsome face up close, dazed for a few seconds.

He chuckled softly, looking at her with affection. "I'm Douglas, your most beloved husband, the one you never want to forget."

Regina hadn't expected this day to come so soon. Her memory was gradually fading, bit by bit.

Douglas had temporarily stopped going to work, staying by her side all day. He was like her personal reminder, constantly telling her what to do and making every effort to help her remember him.

Douglas had once dreamed of growing old with Regina and hoped she would love him forever.

But now, he only wished for her to live safely and healthily. If she could remember him for one more day, love him for one more day, he would be content.

Regina struggled to recall. Finally, in Douglas's loving and indulgent gaze, she remembered.

"Good morning, honey." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek lightly.

Douglas finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was great that she still remembered him today and still loved him.

They lingered in bed for a while. Douglas checked the time and reluctantly got up. "We need to go to the hospital for your check-up. The doctor said you need to fast. After the check-up, I'll make your favorite food, okay?"

He coaxed her like a child.

Regina softly responded. Then she touched her swollen belly with a gentle smile. "The baby is moving a lot right now."

Hearing this, Douglas was stunned for a few seconds.

Regina took his hand and placed it on her belly, where the little ones were moving.

Douglas remembered the first time he felt the babies move. It was once when he was helping Regina relieve her desires.