After My Sister Crazed, I Got Close To Him

Chapter 3

The next day, Vivian returned to the manor with her father, Ryan Summers, who stormed in seething with anger.

Vivian, however, lit up at the sight of Marcus, shouldering me aside to cling firmly to his arm. "I know your head injury messed with your memory. The doctors said your confusion is only temporary."

Marcus studied her for a long moment, his tone unsure. "Have we met before, miss?"

Tears flooded Vivian's eyes, but she forced a smile and held him tighter.

They looked every bit the perfect couple from a distance, while I stepped back quietly, used to his recurring memory lapses.

One day, he remembered only me; the next, fragments of his old life with Vivian resurfaced.

I retreated to my room to read, letting them have their moment.

It was not long before panicked shouts echoed through the manor halls.

Marcus was having a violent migraine episode.

Agony contorted his face as he collapsed to the floor, rolling back and forth in unbearable pain, delirious nonsense spilling from his lips.

Rebecca rushed around frantically, ordering staff to fetch the family doctor at once.

Vivian froze beside him, helpless and unsure of what to do.

I stepped forward, and relief flashed across Marcus's tormented face the second he saw me.

"Sophia, I need you... please." He gasped hoarsely, sweat dripping down his pale face.

Vivian's head lifted slowly, her gaze sharp and resentful as it locked on me.

I ignored her bitter stare, kneeling directly beside Marcus.

Wrapping my arms around his trembling body, I pressed gently on the specific acupoints on his temples that eased his migraines. This was the routine I'd perfected over a month of constant care.

Our position was undeniably intimate, the tender gesture easily misinterpreted by onlookers.

Gradually, the tension left Marcus's body. His pain faded, and a faint flush of color returned to his ashen cheeks.

Vivian's teeth sank hard into her lower lip, jealousy and fury churning violently in her chest.

Without warning, she shoved me aside roughly and pulled Marcus into her arms. "You think this little trick is enough to charm him? If it's that easy, I can do it, too."

I kept my head down, remaining quiet and unresisting.

Rebecca's sharp scream cut through the room instantly. "What do you think you're doing? He's still in a bad condition! You have no idea how to care for him!"

She surged forward to push Vivian away.

Amid the chaotic struggle, Marcus's body slipped free and crashed heavily onto the hardwood floor.

A dull, pained groan escaped him.

Vivian snapped her head up to glare at Rebecca, her tone sharp with anger. "What are you doing?"

"You're not a doctor or a nurse. You know nothing about his condition!" Rebecca retorted fiercely.

I reached down to help Marcus sit upright, fingers brushing his cold wrist carefully.

His skin felt icy, cold and unyielding like a serpent's scales.

"Are you alright, Marcus?" I asked softly.

In an instant, his trembling fingers closed tightly around mine.

"Enough. Both of you, stop fighting," he muttered weakly.

The two arguing women paid him no mind, their clash escalating further.

"Stop it!" Marcus raised his voice, forcing himself to stand. "Mom, can you two just stop?"

His louder tone finally plunged the room into silence.

"I've barely been home two days, and you've fought twice already. Through all of this, Sophia's the only one who actually cared about how I feel," he said tiredly.

Vivian's breath caught sharply. Her eyes fixed on our tightly clasped hands, fresh waves of rage and jealousy crashing over her.

A broken, agonized scream tore from her throat. "I'm so done with this! If my father hadn't convinced me to come back, I would've never stepped foot in this house again! I want a divorce."

A faint, triumphant smile tugged at Rebecca's lips the second those words left Vivian's mouth.

She said bluntly, "I've been waiting for you to say that. Even farm animals can bear offspring, yet you've given my son nothing all these years. You have no idea how desperately your father begged me to let you stay in this marriage. Your family's business relies entirely on Sterling support. Fine—divorce. We'll all be better off."

Blind with rage, Vivian lunged forward to strike Rebecca.

In all their past conflicts, Marcus had always stepped in to mediate. But with his injured head throbbing relentlessly, he had no strength left to intervene.

He needed someone calm, steady, and attentive by his side—someone who truly understood him.

Marcus fell completely silent, his entire body trembling with suppressed pain and exhaustion.

I gently squeezed his hand in return, then let my features crumple into helpless, heartbroken tears.