Chapter 4 Throw Away What You Dont Want
Alexander left in a hurry, leaving both the car and driver behind for Elsa.
Elsa sent the driver away, hailed another cab, and followed Alexander all the way to the hospital.
She wanted to see what kind of woman could stay in his heart for so many years.
Elsa followed him to the elevators and watched him step inside.
By the time she came out of another elevator upstairs, Alexander had disappeared.
A bitter laugh escaped her.
Once, Elsa Winters had been a proud, confident heiress.
Now she was sneaking through a hospital like a jealous wife, following a cheating husband.
She hated what she'd become.
If she weren't afraid the shock might harm her mother's recovery, she would have stormed up to Alexander, demanded answers, and then given him exactly what he wanted—his freedom.
Instead, the pain of being torn between rage and restraint was driving her close to madness.
After calming herself, Elsa wiped away her tears, repaired her makeup, and went to her mother's ward.
Seeing her daughter appear so late at night, Margaret immediately became concerned. "Elsa, tell me the truth. Did you and Alexander fight?"
Elsa pulled a chair to the bedside and forced a small smile. "No, Mom. We didn't fight."
Once, she'd shamelessly told her parents that marrying Alexander would be the greatest happiness of her life.
What was she supposed to tell them now?
That their wonderful son-in-law was cheating on her?
That she wanted a divorce?
Harold handed Elsa some snacks relatives had brought. "You've been married to Alexander for three years. He's spent money and effort taking care of our whole family. If there's a problem, talk it through with him. Don't lose your temper like a spoiled heiress again."
Margaret looked at her daughter with worry. "You're twenty-five now. It's time to settle down. Alexander is the only son of the Horton family. You should have a child soon. It'll make your marriage stronger."
Elsa said nothing.
It wasn't that she had never wanted children.
Alexander was the one who didn't want one with her.
She still remembered a time when he had returned after a week-long business trip.
Before he came home, Elsa secretly hid every condom in the house.
That night Alexander had been unusually passionate. They spent the entire night together without protection.
Elsa had been so happy. She thought it meant he had finally agreed that they could start trying for a baby.
The next morning, Alexander handed her a box of emergency contraception.
He personally watched her take the pill.
After that, Elsa stopped trying to trick fate.
She never brought up having a child again.
Only now did she understand.
Alexander wasn't against having children.
He simply didn't want her to be the mother of his child.
Later that evening, Elsa's younger brother, Noah, came to the hospital after evening classes.
The moment he saw her, he happily wrapped an arm around her. "Elsa, I just saw Alexander."
The smile on her face slowly stiffened.
Margaret looked at her. "Did Alexander come with you?"
Elsa hurried to cover herself. "He's visiting a friend. I came along and stopped in to see you."
She turned to Noah. "Where did you see him?"
Noah scratched his head. "We got into the same elevator. I think he pressed thirteen."
Elsa made a few excuses to her parents and went to the thirteenth floor alone.
She didn't dare ask questions openly. Instead, she walked down the corridor, checking one room after another.
She was the one who had been betrayed, yet the farther she went, the more nervous she became.
This floor consisted entirely of private VIP suites. There were few people in the corridor, and everything was quiet.
Then Elsa stopped outside one room.
Through the partly open door, she saw her husband standing beside a hospital bed with a woman in his arms.
That had to be Serena—the woman Alexander had carried in his heart for years.
Elsa had heard the name countless times, but this was the first time she'd ever seen her.
Serena sat on the edge of the bed with her back to the door. Her arms circled Alexander's waist, her face buried against his chest, her long hair spilling over his arm.
Elsa could tell from the woman's silhouette alone that she was beautiful.
Serena stood and wrapped both arms around Alexander's neck. Her soft voice trembled with tears.
"Alexander, can you stay with me tonight?"
So this was how intimate they'd already become.
Alexander removed Serena's arms from around his neck.
That was when Elsa saw the bracelet on Serena's wrist.
The diamonds caught the light.
Pain shot through Elsa so sharply that she nearly stopped breathing.
Slowly, she raised her own left wrist.
The two bracelets were identical.
So when Alexander had said It looks beautiful, he hadn't been admiring it on her at all.
He had been admiring a bracelet chosen for the woman he loved.
A ringing filled Elsa's ears until she could no longer hear the conversation inside the room.
Rage overwhelmed her.
She tore the bracelet from her wrist and threw it away.
Then she stumbled from the corridor, found an empty corner, and broke down sobbing.
Elsa felt as though she were dying.
She had no idea how she made it home.
Eventually there were no tears left.
Her thoughts became clearer, but her body felt numb.
After showering, she tried to turn on the hair dryer. Her fingers were so stiff that she couldn't even press the switch properly.
She lay down in silence. Her eyes were red and dry. She turned every ounce of anger and pain inside herself to mute.
Even falling apart required the right place and the right time.
So this was adulthood.
Once her mother was discharged, Elsa would end all of this as quickly as possible.
The thought of divorcing Alexander in only a few days sent a tremor through her entire body.
Alone in the middle of the night, all the emotions she'd forced down came rushing back.
She curled into herself, covered her face with both hands, and began to sob again.
In the silent bedroom she looked lost and small, as though she were walking through hell in her sleep.
At the same time, back at the hospital, Alexander finally settled Serena and went to the nurses' station for a thermometer.
Several nurses were standing together talking.
The moment he saw a diamond bracelet in one nurse's hand, his pupils contracted.
He stepped forward, took it, and checked the engraving inside.
Once he confirmed that it was the bracelet he'd given Elsa, something dropped heavily in his chest.
He demanded, "Why do you have this bracelet?"
Elsa was extremely particular about her things.
Whenever Alexander bought her jewelry, he had the letter E engraved somewhere discreet as her personal mark.
There was no mistake.
The bracelet belonged to Elsa.
She had been here.
The nurses were frightened by his expression.
One of them quickly explained, "I'm sorry, Mr. Horton. A very beautiful woman threw it away a little while ago. She said she didn't want it."
Didn't want it?
Those words caught Alexander's attention.
A few minutes later, he returned to Serena's room and handed her the thermometer. "I've spoken to the nurses. A caregiver will come stay with you soon."
Serena weakly climbed out of bed. "Alexander, didn't you promise you'd stay with me tonight?"
He patiently helped her back onto the mattress. "Something came up. I need to go home and deal with it."
Serena obediently released him, then added, "Alexander, I've been careless. My son and I have taken up almost all your time these past few days. Your wife must be upset. You should go home and make things right with her."
Alexander adjusted Serena's pillow and helped her lie down.
"Don't worry. She's fine."