Bringing the Nation's Husband Home II

XXVIII | Living Proof

No matter how much she wanted to ask him what actually happened, in the end, she didn't have the courage to wake him up and ask.

Even if the truth was laid out unavoidably in front of her, she still wasn't willing to face it. Or, perhaps, she was unwilling to accept it.

~*~

Isabelle didn't sleep all night. The next day, when it was light out, she climbed out of bed. Alexander was still fast asleep. She didn't wake him but stared at this sleeping face for a while, before quietly going into the bathroom. She cleaned herself up and got changed into a simple yet classy light yellow dress. She carried her bag and walked out of the bedroom.

Madam Mary wasn't awake yet. The enormous living room was particularly quiet. The wall lamps were on, emitting a faint yellow light. Against the gradually increasing light from outside the window, they were a little dim.

Isabelle grabbed her phone and called for a ride. Then she put on her shoes and walked out.

The morning air was extremely crisp. The flowers in the courtyard had bloomed quite a lot overnight. There was a single rose tilted and crushed by a wooden stick. Isabelle walked over, picked up the stick, and supported the flower upright. Then she walked out of the courtyard. The taxi she had called was already waiting at the door. She got into the car, and told the driver to go to the hospital.

Before the morning rush hour, the streets were empty and quiet. The neon lights from the stores on both sides of the street were out, and after a certain distance, she saw cleaners in orange clothing.

The car stopped at the entrance of the City's Hospital. Isabelle paid the driver, and got out of the car. She walked straight into the department of gynecology and obstetrics. She got a number and waited in line for about half an hour before she saw a doctor. She immediately requested for a B-scan, and then she waited for another half an hour until she could enter the operation room.

After the check up, Isabelle fixed her clothes and sat on a chair in the hall, as she waited for her results. That's when her phone rang.

Isabelle thought it'd be Madam Mary asking where she was. Because she didn't want them to know that she was at the hospital, she wasn't in a rush to pick it up. Instead, she walked to a quiet restroom at the end of the hospital before pulling out her phone. In the end, the name of the phone screen turned out to be Aunt.

Isabelle let out a deep breath, tapped to take the call, brought the phone to her ear, and said in polite and soft voice, "Auntie."

"Izzy, you're awake?" Mrs. Williams's voice was extremely energetic.

She paused for a moment, and asked, "Have you been busy recently?"

"It's been all right..." Isabelle paused for a moment, and asked, "How is James recently?"

"James is great. He can now get out of bed and walk, and his speaking is more coherent. It won't be long before he can come home to rest." When she mentioned her son's recovery, Mrs. Williams sounded incredibly happy.

Isabelle wanted to be happy for James, but in that precise moment, she couldn't be happy no matter what. All she could do was force herself to summon her enthusiasm, and say, "I'm really happy that James is awake."

"Izzy.." Mrs. Williams called out Isabelle's name, as though she had suddenly thought of something. She paused for a moment, and said in a very serious tone, "Izzy, thank you so much during for being here. If it weren't for your help in upholding the Williams family and Davis family's marriage, the family's assets, who knows what would have been left of the Williams family."