Chapter 93: Heartache
"I have nothing to say to you," said Wendy. Her face was extremely pale, and she looked weak even though she was smiling. However, her eyes were still shining with determination and decisiveness.
Michael could not ignore that look. He knew that at this moment, Wendy hated him more than anything.
Noting Michael’s silence, Wendy gritted her teeth through the pain and continued speaking, "Michael, if you’re a real man, you’ll grant me a quick death."
"Ha ha..." Michael suddenly snorted. Then, he threw his head back and burst into hysterical laughter. He could see Wendy clutching her belly, the paleness on her face, and how much she was perspiring. He knew that her body was starting to feel the toll. He believed that she had tried her best to run away from him simply so that she could be with Christian. Right now, Michael felt like his heart was being stabbed repeatedly. It hurt so much that he could barely breathe.
"Why him?" said Michael as he pointed at Christian who was being restrained by his bodyguards. He was completely helpless and powerless. Michael continued, "Wendy Stewart, why did you have to fall in love with him of all people? You know that we were born rivals, yet you chose to run away with my brother. Do you think that you’re the only person who feels heartbroken right now? Take a good look at me!"
Eventually, he lost control of his emotions and started shouting in rage. This was the first time that Michael had such an outburst. Even though he had always been bad-tempered, he never once lost control of himself quite like this. It was obvious that he did not feel any better than Wendy.
Wendy continued staring at him with a mocking gaze and a smile on her lips. She had tried explaining many times that there was nothing between her and Christian and that he was definitely not the father of her child. However, Michael refused to believe her. This led her to believe that his misery was completely self-inflicted.
Since she understood Michael’s stubborn personality, she knew that it would be difficult to change his mind about the things that he had already decided was the truth. Since he believed that there was something inappropriate going on between her and Christian, he would not believe anything she said to the contrary so easily. This was similar to the past when he continued indulging Yvonne’s behavior and doting on her even though he knew that she was not as kind as she appeared on the surface.
Unable to bear with the pain any longer, Wendy lay down on the ground. When Michael saw that, he felt terrible. He turned around and yelled, "Someone calls the doctor!"
When Wendy heard those words, she instinctively screamed, "No, not the doctor!" She was still traumatized from what had just happened in the operating room. Right now, her mind was filled with terrifying images of doctors in white coats preparing to perform an unwanted abortion on her. Shaking her head desperately, she continued shouting, "I don’t want to see any doctors! Please! Michael, you either kill me or let me go right now. Don’t you dare force me to undergo an abortion!"
Michael watched as Wendy grew increasingly agitated. He clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin and drew blood. He remained standing where he was. His entire body felt cold, like his blood had suddenly stopped flowing.
Closing his eyes, he waved his hand and hollered, "Let her go!"
When Christian heard those words, he sighed in relief. He had been afraid that Michael and Wendy would somehow manage to resolve their misunderstanding and get back together.
Fortunately, the rift in their relationship was only deepening. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Christian said, "Michael, let me go with her. Someone has to take care of her right now."
Michael’s lack of answer indicated his approval.
The bodyguards released Christian. He immediately stepped forward and grabbed Wendy, helping her into the car.
"Hold on!" said Michael, with his back to Wendy.
Wendy was already in the car. Thinking that Michael was about to change his mind, she said, "Are you regretting your decision now?"
Michael’s smile grew deeper when he heard Wendy’s question. He realized that this was how lowly she thought of him. But what else could he do? He could not bring herself to be cruel toward Wendy anymore. After taking a deep breath, he said coldly, "You should leave this place with a doctor."
He could see just how pale Wendy looked, and he also knew that she was strongly against staying in the hospital for a physical examination. In that case, the only viable solution was for them to leave with a doctor in tow so that the doctor could assess her condition if needed.
"That’s alright, I’m fine," said Wendy through gritted teeth. She believed that Michael only wanted to spy on them through the doctor. If that happened, she would still be unable to fully escape from Michael.
"You’re not allowed to leave if you don’t bring a doctor with you!" said Michael firmly. There was clearly no room for negotiation.
Since Wendy had no other choice, she allowed one of the doctors to climb into the car.
Michael kept his promise. He instructed his bodyguards to back off so that they could leave. Wendy only calmed down when the car started moving. It was also at this moment that she finally passed out from the pain.
When she regained consciousness the following day, she instinctively touched her belly and asked nervously, "How is my baby? Is my baby okay?"
Christian immediately approached her when he heard she was awake. He helped her sit up in bed and answered, "Your baby is fine."
"Really?" Wendy asked again. When Christian nodded, she sighed in relief.
Christian muttered, "The doctor said that you were too agitated, and since you ran so much yesterday, you passed out from exhaustion. You should be fine after resting for a few days."
"As long as my baby is fine," said Wendy as she took a deep breath. She shut her eyes as the scenes from yesterday started replaying in her head. Swallowing dryly, she then looked around her surroundings and found herself to be in an unfamiliar place. "Where am I? And did Michael follow us?" she asked.
"This is a motel, so the conditions aren’t great. But I didn’t have a choice, I’m sure that Michael is looking everywhere for us right now. We can’t afford to stay in a better hotel."
Wendy nodded understandingly. It appeared that Michael was still after her.
"Wendy, should I take you abroad?" Christian asked tentatively. "I don’t think that my brother will ever relent. He only let us go yesterday because he was worried that you would do something to harm yourself. He’s too powerful in Lake City, and it’s only a matter of time before he finds us. The only way to avoid him completely is if you go abroad."
"Go abroad?" Wendy had never thought about this.
She had spent most of her life leaving in Lake City. Previously, she had told Michael that she could leave this place after their divorce and never appear before him again. However, she had just planned on leaving this city.
"Right, you can go abroad," said Christian. "I’m sure that there will be plenty of opportunities for my brother to find you if you stay in this country."
"Let me think about it..." said Wendy. After all, going abroad was a major decision, and she needed to give it careful thought.
"You cannot travel abroad! At least not in the upcoming week," said a man rather anxiously as he walked into the room. "Miss Stewart, even though your baby is safe right now, your body went through too much yesterday. Your pregnancy is in a very unstable position right now, and you must remain on bed rest for at least a week, or the baby will be in danger."
This man was the doctor that Michael had instructed to follow them.
Wendy stared at him with a frown. She asked him doubtfully, "Do you work for Michael?"
Knowing that Wendy did not trust him, the doctor explained, "Miss Stewart, I do not work for Mr. Michael Lucas. I am a doctor who works in the hospital, and I happen to be the director of the gynecology department. Since you were in such a rough state last night, Mr. Lucas instructed me to follow you and take care of your health. He also told me that I wouldn’t be able to keep my life if anything were to happen to you. So, Miss Stewart, please take pity on me and listen to my instructions. You should rest in bed for at least a week." The doctor handed her some pills and said, "Please take your medicine."
Wendy did not take those pills. She was still not convinced by the doctor’s story. When the doctor saw the disbelief on her face, he grew anxious and tried to explain himself again, "Don’t worry, I really do not work for Mr. Michael Lucas. These pills are supposed to help calm you down, they don’t do anything else."
Christian took the pills from him and said, "Wendy, I took all his communication devices from him after he followed us into the car. Even if he works for Michael, there’s no way that they can get in touch."
"Yes, he’s absolutely right," said the doctor, feeling thankful that someone had spoken up on his behalf. Sighing in relief, he continued, "Miss Stewart, please believe me and take your medicine. These pills are good for you and your baby."
Wendy glanced at the pills, and then at the doctor. She believed that if the doctor had gotten in touch with Michael, he would be at their doorstep right now. Moreover, since Michael had agreed to let her go, it seemed unlikely that he would attempt to harm her baby through the doctor. Either way, she was stuck in this place for now. If the doctor was telling the truth, she had no choice but to comply.
There was no way for them to find another doctor with such short notice anyway. And if something really happened to her baby, she knew that she would regret it very much. After giving it some thought, Wendy took the pills.
She had to take this gamble. The pills tasted bitter, but she swallowed them with water.
The doctor immediately relaxed, and he said, "Miss Stewart, please rest assured that I will do my best to take care of both you and your child."
After all, if something bad were to happen to either of them, he was sure that Michael would hold him responsible and that was something he could not afford.
Christian did not mention the topic of going abroad again after the doctor interrupted them.
After all, the doctor had made it clear that Wendy was confined to bed rest for the next week. Christian knew that if he tried to convince Wendy to leave this country again, it would become obvious that he was up to something.
Right now, he could only retreat first and think about his next step. He intended to lay low for a while.
After watching Wendy leave with Christian, Michael went back to the apartment alone. This used to be a place that he refused to return. In the apartment, he found a familiar figure in every corner. He saw Wendy smiling, frowning, sulking, and laughing. Her various expressions were etched deeply in his mind.
There were empty bottles and cigarette butts strewn all over the floor. He had gotten terribly drunk the night before. Even now, he still had a splitting headache. But that was a good thing for him. The worse his headache felt, the more it would distract him from the pain he felt in his heart.
He picked up one of the bottles and tilted his head back. He wanted to drink himself numb and forget about everything. However, the bottle was empty and not a single drop came out. He tried his luck with the other bottles, but they were all empty. Frustrated, he started smashing them on the ground. A broken shard of glass rebounded off the ground and pierced the back of his hand.
He felt no pain even as blood began to drip down. Instead, he started smiling. Then, he squatted in the corner with his face buried in his hands. His smile faded. The only thing that could be heard next was his quiet sobbing.
