Chapter 5

On the fifth day of her hospital stay, Cathleen's fever finally subsided, but the dull ache persisted without relief.

The sunlight streaming through the window warmed the room, yet it couldn't thaw her frozen heart.

Jerald visited the hospital daily to keep her company, sometimes in the morning, other times in the afternoon.

But Evelina was always there by his side.

They would sit together on the sofa in the hospital room, heads close as they looked at a phone, occasionally sharing a quiet laugh.

While Cathleen received her IV drip, they would share a piece of cake without a care for their surroundings, with Jerald casually wiping cream off Evelina's lips.

Sometimes, when Cathleen turned to gaze out the window, they would steal a kiss, unrestrained.

Each of these intimate moments pierced Cathleen's heart like a needle, leaving her restless and uneasy.

She tried to ignore them, to pretend she saw nothing, but the sounds and images haunted her sleepless nights.

That afternoon, Jerald was peeling an apple, cutting it into small pieces and feeding them to Evelina with a toothpick.

Evelina parted her lips-taking a bite of the apple while deliberately swiping her tongue over Jerald's fingertips, her gaze dripping with unmistakable suggestion.

Cathleen couldn't hold back any longer.

She abruptly sat up in bed, causing the IV line to jolt, the needle pricking her vein painfully.

"Could you not be so brazenly shameless in front of me?" Her voice trembled with anger, her eyes red with fury.

The laughter in the room came to an abrupt halt.

Evelina's smile vanished, and she looked at Cathleen in shock before her eyes welled up immediately, tears rolling down like broken pearls.

"Cathleen, how could you-at your age-say something so vile?" Evelina choked, covering her mouth, "Has someone at school been a bad influence on you? You used to be so well-mannered..."

Jerald's face darkened. He set the fruit plate on the table and walked to the bedside, looking at Cathleen with a stern expression. "Cathleen, how could you be so rude? It's so ill-mannered!"

"Manner?" Cathleen laughed, but tears fell with her laughter. "My family is gone long ago! Who was there to teach me manners?"

The fire destroyed not only the Kirby Estate, but also her parents, her childhood, and the home that should have been filled with warmth.

Over the years, she had tried hard to be a considerate, obedient girl by Jerald's side.

But now, Jerald exposed her deepest scars, right in front of Evelina, and said, "It's so ill-mannered!"

Jerald was taken aback by her words, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

He knew he had misspoken, but looking at Evelina, who was sobbing uncontrollably, and then at the undisguised hostility in Cathleen's eyes, he steeled himself.

"Even if you've gone through family misfortune, it's no excuse for being rude," he said, taking a deep breath. "Apologize to Evelina."

Cathleen looked at him in disbelief.

She saw the seriousness in his eyes, his protectiveness over Evelina, and her heart sank further.

So, in his heart, her grievances and pain were worth less than Evelina's tears.

She slowly lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

Evelina continued to sob, saying nothing, just nestling into Jerald's protective embrace.

Jerald patted her back to comfort her, then told her, "You should head back. I'll stay with Cathleen a little longer."

Evelina nodded, picked up her bag, and before leaving, gave Cathleen a look full of smug defiance.

As the door to the hospital room closed, Cathleen collapsed back onto the bed, closing her eyes, unwilling to look at Jerald again.

"Cathleen," Jerald's voice was weary, "don't do this next time."

Cathleen abruptly opened her eyes, staring directly into his.

"Don't do what?" she asked, knowing she was on the brink of madness. "Don't argue with her, or don't kiss you?"