Chapter 19: The Paper in the Stomach

The person David was referring to was naturally Victoria.
"Eleanor is my wife. What right do you have to interfere with our affairs?" Sebastian asked.
"Wife?" David laughed at these two words. If it weren't for the fact that they were in a hospital,he would have beaten this damn scum to the ground! "Sebastian,ask yourself if you treat Eleanor as your wife. Where were you when she had stomach bleeding? Where were you when she went to the hospital alone for treatment and medication?"
David pointed at Sebastian's chest and listed his crimes one by one: "You were outside with your lover,drinking and having fun,plotting against the Stone family,and sending Eleanor's father to prison!"
After speaking,tears welled up in David's eyes. He hated Sebastian but also hated himself. If he had shown more care towards Eleanor earlier on,her stomach problem wouldn't have developed into cancer.
David's breathing began to tremble as he held back his emotions for a long time before finally choking up. "I regret not stopping Eleanor from marrying you back then. If she hadn't married you,her health wouldn't be like this."
Thinking of Eleanor lying in intensive care with her stomach full of cancer cells four years later made David feel even worse. He remembered how excitedly she came to him four years ago with news of her impending marriage; little did she know what would happen next.
"Sebastian,you're nothing but an animal!" David exclaimed.
Sebastian stood silently beside him unable to refute anything that was said because deep down inside he knew it was true. His heart felt like it had been hit hard by some force; he couldn't come back from it for quite some time.
He looked at David briefly before turning his gaze toward the operating room door behind him where Eleanor lay fighting for her life. He had never wanted to see someone so badly in his life.
"Sebastian,do you love Eleanor?" David asked.
Love? The word was heavy and if he loved her,he would have cherished her instead of locking her up in a room for four days without food. He wouldn't have left her alone to face the press or forced her to kneel in the rain for half an hour washing away all of her pride.
It was ridiculous to say that he loved Eleanor; she was just something he possessed like any other object.
David sneered with tears still lingering at the corners of his eyes. He had promised Eleanor that he would keep her illness a secret but some things needed to be seen by Sebastian himself.
"Come with me,I'll show you something." David turned around and walked into the operating room.
Sebastian hesitated for a moment before following him inside where nurses were cleaning and disinfecting everything. As soon as they entered,Sebastian smelled strong disinfectant mixed with blood which made him feel uneasy.
He didn't know where to look as if he had accidentally stumbled upon an unfamiliar space that didn't belong to him and felt out of place within it. Sebastian prided himself on being calm even when faced with unexpected situations but this time fear crept up on him like never before because it was unknown territory for him.
David scanned the room before finally finding an uncleaned plastic basin on a shelf containing remnants washed from Eleanor's stomach - bloody pulp filled with bits of undigested toilet paper!
He held it up in front of Sebastian's face forcing him to look closely: "This is what came out from Eleanor's stomach recently - everything she ate! Do you know what this is? Toilet paper! All undigested toilet paper!"