The Woman From Hell

The car headed straight for the emergency department of the hospital. Soon enough, Tyler was wheeled into the operating room. My tense muscles instantly gave way and I felt like a deflated ball as I lay limply on one of the benches lining the side of the corridor.

Catching something awry, a nurse standing aside approached me and asked with concern, "Miss, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just need some rest." I waved my hand dismissively, gesturing for her to leave me alone.

"Alright, then. I'll get you some water. They're still trying to save the patient inside. This will take time. If you need anything else, just let me know." Perhaps it was my bulging stomach that compelled her to kindly pour me a cup of warm water.

"Thank you." I retrieved the paper cup with gratitude and took a sip of the warm water. Only then did I feel a little better.

In the blink of an eye, I had already been sitting on the bench for a little over half an hour. The adrenaline had long since gone from my body, only to be replaced by worry. I wondered why it was taking so long for Tyler to come out of the operating room.

While I was busy getting consumed by distress, the doors to the emergency room swung open and Tyler was pushed out in a hospital bed. He was still unconscious. The wounds on his face had been treated, but he still looked rather battered.

"Doctor, how is he? He’s still out cold... Is it bad?" I fired a series of questions at the doctor.

"Don’t worry, it's nothing serious. The wounds on his face may seem severe but they're merely superficial. His coma is due to the anesthesia. He’ll wake up once i t wears off. One thing to note is

the chronic injury in his leg. It seems to have come back. He’ll have to get a n X-ray before we can know for sure, though." Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

The doctor upheld his professional ethics, holding himself back from expressing curiosity about the events that led to Tyler's injuries. He only told me about Tyler's current condition dutifully.

After thanking the doctor, I wandered off to the administration department to deal with admission paperwork.

When I returned to the ward, Tyler stirred awake. I promptly darted over to his bedside and asked, "How are you feeling? Does your leg hurt?"

His leg injury was due to a mishap when we were both kids. Some naughty children left him with a fracture, which was not treated up to today's standard of care. Despite having spent the longest time bedridden for recovery, recurrence was pretty much inevitable in his case.

"Don’t worry, it's nothing much." He showed a gentle smile. "Take a seat, let's chat."

He appeared to be in quite a good mood, but I could not say the same about myself. I was not dumb. I knew he had never been someone to suffer quietly. His submission to Theo’s beating today was clearly just a trick to win my sympathy.

I placed a pot of freshly boiled water on his bedside table and said calmly, "I've hired a caregiver who will b e here soon. Make sure you rest well. I'll take my leave now."

My actions from today must have scarred Theo. Standing here, I had to admit that I had no idea how to face him when I got home.

Tyler's smile froze, and his face immediately darkened. He said coldly, "Are you so unwilling to see me? Even if I were to die here today, you’d still leave without a second glance, wouldn't you?"

"Tyler, please stop acting up, okay? The doctor said everything is alright."

There was no denying that people were creatures driven by their emotions. Although I held fear and hatred for him, seeing him lying defenselessly on the bed did indeed spark some reluctance and concern in me. Due to that, my voice subconsciously reduced into a benevolent whisper.

"But I'm in pain all over! I just wish to have someone t o talk to. Wandy, I'm sure you know that no one in this world cares about me. All these years, I've been living i n solitude. On sleepless nights, you are what clouds m y mind. There have been innumerous occasions when I had to fight my urge to look for you.

"However, my promise to leave you guys alone is what stopped me. I've always buried my desires deep within me. Just as I was about to give in, God finally heard my prayers and let us meet again. You're the northern star on the darkest of nights. You light up m y gloomy world."

A melancholic smile stretched across his face as he looked into my eyes. "Wandy, I know you’re not aware of how badly I want to spend my life with you. You don't know how badly I wish to hear your voice.

You’ve never batted an eyelash at me. Heck, you even hate me, don’t you? I had no choice. I was forced to install a bug on your phone. I had no ill intentions, I swear. I only wanted to hear your voice!"

Watching him break down, I uttered, "Stop talking. You need to rest."

"Can we still go back to the past? Can you stay by my side and spend your life with me?" Tyler’s gaze on me was filled with intense longing and pleading.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words. A miserable life and a broken childhood must be the things propelling his search for peace of mind, and it would continue for the rest of his life.