Chapter 42 The Truth
Charles' POV:
I was becoming more and more impressed with my own eloquence. I could always find some reason or excuse that Scarlett couldn't refute.
I was so happy to see that she was rendered speechless.
"Okay, I will just think of it as your concern for me because of the elders. Now that I'm fine, shouldn't you go and see Rita? Even if it's just a headache or a cold, the doctor would forbid the patient from drinking. She has advanced liver cancer, and she secretly went to drink yesterday. Did she do it because you did not give her much care lately? Was she drinking to relieve her sorrows, perhaps?" Scarlett said after a moment of silence.
My expression darkened all of a sudden, and I could not believe what I had just heard.
"Are you sure?"
"Abner saw it with his own eyes yesterday. How could it not be true?"
"Do you have any evidence?" I couldn't believe her because Rita's condition did not allow her to consume alcohol. Moreover, I believed that she would not risk her own life for a drink.
"Do you want me to show you photos as evidence? I'm not that jobless, and I am not like Rita to spy on people. Abner just happened to see her there and he called me out of concern. But if you really want the truth, then you can ask your sweetheart or run an investigation yourself. I believe that it will be a cakewalk for you to find out the truth."
I did not talk about it anymore, but I had already made up my mind to look into it.
Rita's POV:
At around three in the afternoon at the hospital, I woke up and saw Charles walking into the room as he pushed the door open.
I had been looking forward to seeing him so much that when he came, my joy knew no bounds.
'Charles still loves me!'
"Charles!"
I realized that something was wrong the moment I called out his name. He was approaching me with a deep look in his eyes, which indicated that he had only come there to question me. Subconsciously, I tightly grasped the blanket, began to panic, and felt like something bad was about to happen.
'Did he find out something?
No! No, that can't be possible. I was very discreet, and he could not have found out about it so soon!
"Did you secretly go out to drink?" Charles got straight to the point as he stood next to my bed.
"What?" Startled, I understood that he must have found out that I had been drinking.
Just when I was about to explain to him, my mom walked in with a bowl of fruit and stood before me.
"Charles, did you hear something from others? Rita is in poor health. Why would she drink secretly in her condition?"
"I want to listen to her explanation!" Charles suddenly yelled as he looked at me coldly.
Startled by his reaction, I had no choice but to use the oldest trick in the book, which was to cry. "Charles, I did it all because of you. Don't you know that?"
"You did it because of me?"
"Yeah, I did it because you made me lose hope. You're the one that makes me feel like I will never have a wedding before I am dead. Charles, I'm tired. I'm really tired of seeing you shuttling between two women. I am so exhausted that I don't even want to go on like this... I just don't..." Looking at him, I cried like a damsel in distress.
"You'd better pray that I don't find out that you lied."
Though Charles seemed to be slightly moved now, it was clear that he still did not believe me.
"Do you really think that I am lying to you? At the cost of my own life? Since when do you not believe my words? You won't trust me till I die, right?" I cried out, pretending to be aggrieved.
Charles was making me feel very desperate. Back then, he was different. He used to be so gentle and caring, but now, he would not even believe my words.
Though he was standing right in front of me, I felt like his heart had drifted farther away from mine. It almost felt like he was going to leave me at any time now.
Charles stood still and glanced at me like an emotionless cold-blooded animal. He then turned around and left without saying anything.
"Charles, are you going to marry me or not?" When I saw that, I moved the blanket away and ran up to him, hugging him from behind.
However, he did not answer me at all.
"Charles, what's happening to us? Didn't you promise that you will marry me? Why is everything changed all of a sudden? I'm really scared, because I may not be able to wait for too long. Charles, tell me, wha can I do to make you change your mind? Please... Just tell me..." With teary eyes, I looked up at him and asked. I prayed that he would look at me too, even if it was just a glance. It was the only way in which I would not end up feeling like a fool.
"Rita... Don't be that way! The doctor says that you can't have any more stress now. If anything happens to you, then what am I to do?" Noticing Charles' indifference, my mom walked up to me to help me. She knelt on the ground, held onto his legs and pleaded, "Charles, show mercy to Rita, okay? The doctor said that she should not be sad, so please just promise her. I am begging you! She can't keep holding on like this... Please have mercy on apoormotherandfulfillherdaughter'slastwish..." My mother burst into tears.
I held Charles' arm tighter and tighter as though I was afraid that I was going to lose him for good. That was when I realized that my pitiful act was not helping at all.
Charles' heart had been drifting towards Scarlett for a while now, and I could not even feel his love anymore.
Everything was going out of control, which was too bad for me.
"We'll talk after you decide whether you're really going to marry me or now." As expected, Charles shook off my hand and left the ward without looking back.
I was in a daze.
Looking at his receding back, my mother shouted at me angrily, "Rita, why did you go to the bar? If anyone finds out that..."
Her fear did not let her finish what she wanted to say. If Charles knew that I had recovered, he would not feel guilty and would feel more determined to leave me. And if that happened, I would lose completely.
"Are you crazy? How can you go out to drink now? What if he finds out the truth?" Mom made sure that no one was around before she hissed at me and slapped me.
"If he never marries me, then do I have to keep eating this shitty health food for the rest of my life? Mom, I can't stand it. I can't do this anymore. I'm going crazy..." Unwilling to give up, I burst into tears, but there was nothing that I could do now.
The helplessness was so maddening.
I didn't understand. Scarlett had just come back for a few months, and she had managed to shake Charles' love for me. He had been promising to marry me, but ever since she came, he had changed his mind How could I even call it love if that was all it took to destroy it?
Seeing that I was crying bitterly, my mom wailed louder. She held me in her arms, gently patted my back, and comforted me, "Don't worry. Things won't go that way. We have done so much. We will get what we want. Just promise me that what happened today won't happen again."
"I won't be reckless anymore. I promise," I said to her firmly.