18
When I wake up again, I am in the hospital. The air smells of disinfectant, and I am lying in white bedding, feeling pain in every inch of my muscles, skin, and bones.
Especially my right hand. I used to it shield Lincoln's eyes, and then the tree branch pierced my palm. it is wrapped in white gauze now.
This is a suite, and the bedroom door is ajar. Someone is talking softly in the living room.
"Doctor, will her finger dexterity be affected? She's a design student," says Lincoln's voice.
"It depends on fate. If the patient actively cooperates with treatment and rehabilitation, a miracle might happen."
"Do you know the best rehabilitation therapists in the industry? I have plenty of money; as long as they are willing to come, I can pay any amount."
"I'll try to contact them for you."
"Thank you."
After the doctor leaves, the door opens, and I instinctively close my eyes.
Lincoln comes over and sits beside my bed. My forehead feels a bit warm; it's Lincoln's breath on it.
Just before he gets closer and kisses me, I suddenly open my eyes.
"You're awake?" He smiles in surprise. "How do you feel? The doctor said if you are really uncomfortable, he can prescribe painkillers for you."
I stay silent, not speaking. I can't remember when I last saw Lincoln. Seeing him beside me now, I feel a sense of dreamlike confusion.
"Where have you been?" I ask after a long time, my voice choked with emotion.
"I thought—" I thought he didn't want me anymore.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lincoln apologizes repeatedly. "I didn't protect you well."
The shattered glass lamp, the bloodstains on the carpet, and the cold gun pressed against my forehead all rush back into my mind.
I didn't feel scared at the time, but after Lincoln appeared, I became terrified.
Lincoln gently kisses away my tears, his forehead against mine.
"I'm sorry, Ali. I'm sorry. I left briefly to arrange a kidney donation for your mother.
I've been doing this all along but didn't tell you.
I didn't want to give you hope only to disappoint you.
But when I came back, that bastard Mateo—"
"Wait." I open my eyes wide, swallowing and catching the key point in his long speech. "Are you saying my mother has a chance for a kidney transplant?"
Instinctively, I reach out to grab Lincoln's sleeve, the pain making me gasp. I forget that my right hand is still wrapped in gauze.
Lincoln quickly stands up and presses the emergency call button.
Medical staff rush in, followed by Lincoln's doctor friend, who treated me when I had a fever.
While the medical staff reapply medicine and bandages, Lincoln's doctor friend scolds him, "You injured all the soft tissues in your body from saving her.
Can't you go for therapy instead of wandering around?
Besides, you being here only hinders your sister-in-law's recovery. You really can't help with anything."
The medical staff exchange gossiping looks between me and Lincoln.
Lincoln turns and mutters a curse at his friend, then says, "She's not my sister-in-law. She's my wife."
Then he turns to me and says, "Ali, I love you."
Later, as I am browsing my phone in the ward, I see the Daniels family name on a gossip site.
I click on it, and the article mainly describes the Daniels' old mansion, using words like "eerie" and "ominous." The reasons are solid: not only did the founder of the Daniels Group die this year, but neighbors also saw three ambulances coming and going within a week.
There are no secrets in the world; soon, someone anonymously contacts the paparazzi, saying that the current head of the Daniels Group, Mateo Daniels, had his mistress confront his wife, causing her to attempt suicide.
The CEO's brother saved brother's wife, and both were sent to the hospital in separate ambulances.
The third ambulance was for the CEO himself, who was beaten by his furious wife after the affair was exposed.
The story is half true, half false, but the logic is consistent. After reading it, I almost laugh and can't resist taking a screenshot.
The nurse comes to change my bandages. After that, I reopen the news website, and the news has disappeared.
Lincoln pushes the door open and comes in.
"What did the doctor say?" I ask.
I fell from a height, and when he caught me, the force was mainly on his shoulders, so the bruises are mostly on his arms. Now, besides applying medicine every day, he is also undergoing physical therapy.
"I'm almost recovered, don't worry, I can still hold you in my arms," Lincoln replies.
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?"
I find that sometimes it's really impossible to reason with men. I sigh lightly and beckon him over, "Come here, I have something important to ask you."
Lincoln obediently sits down by my bed. He seems to think he's not close enough, so he shifts a bit closer. "What's up?"
I raise my phone and show him the news screenshot.
Lincoln takes the phone and reads the news carefully. "Great, finally someone exposed my brother's true face."
I am puzzled. "you didn't take down the news? It was trending five minutes ago, and now it's gone."
"Not me." Lincoln shakes his head slightly and then, after a quiet two seconds, he starts to smile. "I know. It's that bastard who paid to take it down. He's embarrassed."
"Is he—still in the hospital?" I haven't heard anything about Mateo for a long time.
"No." Lincoln pats my head. "Good job, Ali."
I suddenly remember another person mentioned in the news. "How is Luna now?"
"She's been detained, suspected of illegal possession of a firearm and intentional assault. The case is under trial."
We have lunch together. After lunch, I want to take a nap and ask him to go back to his room, but Lincoln insists on staying here.
"I won't make a sound and wake you up, don't worry."
"Is that what I'm worried about?!" I roll my eyes. "Tell me, how many times have you secretly kissed me while I was sleeping?"
And every time I caught him, he would put on an innocent face and righteously claim that he couldn't help himself because I was too pretty.
This is a public place, a hospital.
Sensing that I'm really a bit angry, Lincoln stops smiling. "No jokes, Ali, I'm really worried about you. You know, my brother is here too."
"If he comes to me, we can have a fight. When I was a kid, I always lost to him, but after I turned sixteen, I won every fight."
"You're a woman, I need to stay here to protect you."
Out of guilt and regret for leaving me at the old mansion, Lincoln remains polite and gentle, but he won't budge an inch when it comes to my safety. Even if he has to return to his own room at night, he arranges for someone to guard my door.
"Alright, alright." I pull up the blanket. "But you have to go to the sofa in the living room, not by the bed. We both compromise."
"Okay."
Actually, I don't mind Lincoln kissing me.
It's just that people are more relaxed when they fall asleep, and if they are too relaxed, they will drool.
Which woman would like to let the man she likes see her ugly appearance when she is asleep? Perhaps only Snow White can remain beautiful even when she is asleep.
I fall asleep with random thoughts in my head, not sleeping deeply, and then some sounds faintly reach my ears.
Footsteps enter the living room, followed by voices. The voices grow louder, the bedroom door closes tightly, and the voices become quieter again.
I slowly open my eyes, my brain not fully awake, but I'm sure someone is arguing in the living room.
I lift the blanket and walk to the bedroom door. The voices come through the crack.
"I want to see her."
"What right do you have to see her?"
"She's my wife."
"When you brought your mistress back to the old mansion in front of her, did you consider her your wife? And you almost raped her."
"It's because of you messing around! My brother and my wife got together, ask any man in the world, who can stand that?!"
"You ignored her first! She married you for a year, and you not only spoke coldly to her but also hit her! In the end, you even let your mistress point a gun at her! She must have been cursed to meet a man like you!"
"Luna is a lunatic! I had no idea she was so bold!
But Ali is my wife!" Mateo's voice finally becomes uncontrollably hoarse, sounding as if it has been scorched by fire.
"You haven't changed at all over the years.
you've always liked to steal my things since you were born, you always like to steal my things! "
"Do you think I wanted to be born, to have the last name Daniels, to be your damn brother?" Lincoln pants heavily, then suddenly chuckles. "My mom was raped by your dad, she was raped, damn it."
I grip the door handle, my heartbeat suddenly stopping.
The living room falls into silence. After a long time, a series of footsteps sound and gradually fade away.
The bedroom door opens.
"You're awake?" Lincoln sees me and, pretending nothing happened, gives me a smile, smoothing out the stray hair on my forehead. "Did I disturb you?"
I force a smile. "It's okay."