Chapter 4
1949 Words
Anna was about to explain what had happened when a stream of people poured into the room.
Dr. Ratfield and the rest of the Larsons came in as well while Anna was forced to leave the room and wait quietly outside.
She stood quietly outside and could hear her heart pound, worried sick that Ethan would expose the fact that she was not the one who hurt him and she had married him on behalf of Amy.
What scared Anna even more was that the Larsons punish her for the deception which would then affect her job at the hospital.
After a short examination, Dr. Ratfield reported to Mr. Larson and Kate about Ethan’s condition. Although Ethan had come out of the coma, due to the prolonged time in a coma, he had suffered significant muscle loss. He would require a period of rehabilitation exercises before he could walk normally.
At dinner time, Anna brought him dinner on a tray and walked cautiously into the room.
Ethan was sitting on the bed and looked over coldly when he saw her walk in. Anna approached the bed and placed the tray of food on the table and carefully positioned it toward the bed.
“Ah!” Anna screamed when she felt a hand grabbing her hair and tilting her head to face him.
“You b***h! I was comatose and lying in bed for three years while you were living it up!” Ethan glared angrily at her as he tightened his grip. Kate had eagerly told him that Anna was the one who broke a bottle over his head that resulted in him falling into a coma for three years!
Anna’s eyes widen in surprise as that meant that Ethan did not know that it was Amy who had injured him!
In that case, Anna heaved a sigh of relief and said sincerely, “Sir, I know I’ve made a huge mistake and I will take good care of you for as long as you allow me to!”
“What makes you think that you’re worthy of me?” Ethan pushed Anna away and took a towel to wipe his hands as if he felt disgusted by her.
Anna stumbled several steps backward and her waist hit the sharp corner of a table. She winced and bent over instinctively in pain but then forced herself up and said, “Sir, try to eat something, you should be hungry.”
“Get the hell out of here!” Ethan could no longer control his emotions and flipped over the tray and tossed all the food onto Anna. She squatted down to clean up the mess but Ethan growled, “Didn’t I say, get out?”
Anna treaded on thin ice for several days.
“Take the chicken soup to Master Ethan. He is having physiotherapy in the rehabilitation room.”
Anna took the thermos from Daisy to the rehabilitation room. Before she pushed the door in, she heard a loud thud and crash. It was the sound of someone falling to the ground followed by the crashing of some metallic equipment.
Through the glass on the door, Anna saw Ethan’s face turning pale and winced as he endured the painful fall.
He was trying to stand up with his hands on the handrail, but then he fell heavily to the ground because of the weakness of his legs!
The therapist tried to help, but Ethan yelled, “Stay away! I don’t need anyone’s help!”
He had just regained his consciousness a few days ago and his muscles had not yet recovered. Once again, he collapsed to the floor with a dull thud.
“f**k!” Ethan sat on the floor and was drenched in sweat. He was both mentally and physically exhausted. The disappointing performance caused him to punch the ground with his fist as he cursed.
Anna’s grip on the thermos tightened. Although Ethan was so nasty toward her, her heart ached when she saw him suffering. She cursed softly at Amy. If Amy had not injured Ethan, then he would not have to suffer for years and she could have a life of her own. It was ridiculous that the one who started all this was having a life of luxury!
Anna pushed the door open, walked to Ethan’s side, and said softly, “Sir, take a break and have some chicken soup.”
“Satisfied?” Ethan yanked Anna over, grabbed the back of her neck with one hand, forced her to look at his ferocious eyes, and said through gritted teeth, “Are you happy to see me like that? That I can’t stand up?! Huh? Say something!”
“Sir, I...” Anna was about to explain herself when her neck was squeezed by a pair of large, strong hands. “I did not...”
As he choked Anna, she could only whimper softly like a mosquito.
Cough... cough... cough.
Anna was thrown aside and she gasped for air while rubbing her neck. She turned to Ethan and said, “Sir, I’m a doctor. I can help you!”
“Help me?” Ethan sneered and pinched Anna’s chin, “Fine. Firstly, help me lick the floor clean!”
After saying that, Ethan pressed Anna’s head downward and forced her to look at his sweat that dripped onto the floor.
Her head was next to the sole of Ethan’s shoe, she struggled to say, “Sir, please believe me. I really want to help you.”
“Lick the sweat off the floor and I’ll believe you.” Ethan’s heartless words broke the dam and tears of humiliation began to flow from her eyes.
As the force of the large hands gradually increased, Anna closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue in resignation to lick the salty sweat off the floor.
When he saw her submitting to his demands, Ethan let go of his hand and scoffed, “Do you think that I’ll believe you so easily just because you did what I forced you to do?”
Anna then realized that Ethan was just toying with her. She quickly struggled to her feet and ran out of the room.
Ethan was left alone in the room with his therapist.
Anna had just returned to her tiny storage room when she suddenly received a call from the nursing home who informed her that Alice had died in a fall!
Anna was shocked and immediately took a taxi to the nursing home to identify the body.
Her adoptive parents did not honor their promise to give her 200 thousand dollars. Fortunately, because she had been working at the hospital for the past three years, her salary allowed her to take Alice for regular treatments. Additionally, she was able to put Alice in a nursing home and she would go to visit her whenever she could. Unfortunately, Alice did not live long enough to enjoy her remaining days.
Anna had no time to grieve as she had to make arrangements for Alice’s funeral. The next morning, Alice was cremated and then laid to rest at the Everest Columbarium. Just as she was about to leave, a familiar voice called her from behind.
“Anna?” asked Susan who came with Tom to pay their respects.
Anna turned her face away and was upset to see them. Susan looked around and saw Alice’s tombstone.
Tom asked bluntly, “Anna, I was trying to reach you. I heard that Ethan had woken up from the coma. You must remember to keep this a secret or the Larsons will lash out at us for the deception.”
Rumors of Ethan emerging from his 3-year coma had been making their rounds in the industry.
Tom was anxiously trying to contact Anna. He was afraid that Ethan would wake up and expose the deception. If they found out that the Lanes had deceived them by swapping their daughters, there was no telling what the consequences would be.
Anna maintained a straight face and remained silent. Since they did not keep their word three years ago, Anna had not contacted them since. None of them asked her how was she treated at the Larson residence and if she was alright. Now, when they met by chance, they did not even pretend to show concern for her and were more worried about their own interests.
“Are you done?” Anna was both physically and mentally exhausted. She did not want to have to deal with them.
When Tom did not get the reaction he expected, he said menacingly, “Just remember one thing, but if you ever dare to mention a word about this, you’ll...”
“I’ll what?”
“So what if the Larsons know about it? At the most, they expel me from the family. I have nothing to worry about,” Anna said nonchalantly as she looked back at Tom.
Since Alice’s death, she no longer had a family and there was nothing left for her to worry about.
Tom was stumped by her response. Susan, who knew Anna very well said softly, “Anna, don’t be so stubborn. Your father is just worried that the Larsons will find out what we did. Mom had been sick for the past two years and you didn’t even come back to see us. Must you be so confrontational when you see us? I heard that you are working at the Hopkins Hospital. Can I go to see you for medical consultation?”
Anna pursed her lips.
“How wonderful that you’re working at Hopkins Hospital. There are countless people who could only dream of getting into this hospital.”
Susan’s hint was clear to Anna.
Susan had always been good at twisting the situation to her benefit. Hopkins Hospital was indeed the hospital she had longed to work at since she studied medicine. If not for her parent’s insistence that she married Ethan, she would not have been able to work at the hospital so easily.
The only way for her to continue working at the hospital was to continue with the lies.
If their lies were exposed, knowing Tom’s temper, he would ensure that she was dragged down together with them. In that situation, it was almost certain that she would be fired by the hospital.
Since she had no one to turn to, no money, and not enough professional knowledge, the hospital was a very good means for her to enrich her medical experience. The longer she worked there, the more sought after she would be by other hospitals.
Anna said emotionlessly, “Since things have come to this extent, I naturally know what to do. Just don’t disgust me with your pretense.”
After saying that, Anna quickly left and took a taxi back to the Larson residence.
Just as she reached her room, she opened the door and saw Ethan sitting in his wheelchair. He asked coldly, “Where have you been? Where did you spend the night?”
Anna was up from yesterday till this morning. She was so tired that she could sleep immediately if she closed her eyes. She had switched shifts with a colleague and planned to return to work after a few hours of rest.
“My room is dirty, come in and clean it.” He demanded.
Ethan frowned when he noticed how tired she was. He suspected that she was exhausted after a night’s partying and fooling around.
After saying that, he steered his electric wheelchair back into his room. Just as he entered the room, he heard a dull thud coming from the hallway.
- Writer
