The Woman He Didn't Value

Chapter 7 A Shattering Revelation

With options dwindling, Chloe reluctantly moved her ailing mother into a shared hospital room. As Mary settled in, Chloe's emotions surged uncontrollably, prompting her to envelop her mother in a desperate embrace.

"Mom, I feel so completely powerless," Chloe admitted, her voice cracking under the weight of her fears.

Mary, ever the nurturing figure, gently patted Chloe's back with eyes brimming with concern.

"Has something happened with Simon? Are you two in trouble?" Mary quietly inquired, sensing the storm beneath Chloe's facade.

Eager to shield her mother, who faced looming surgery, Chloe hastily brushed away her tears and forced an unconvincing smile onto her face.

"Oh, it's really nothing, just a little spat like all couples have. Don't fret, Mom," Chloe assured her, though her eyes betrayed her.

Mary remained skeptical. "But I saw him with another woman..."

Chloe pulled the blanket up around her mother, tucking it snugly. "Let's not dwell on that now, Mom. Just have a rest. I'll bring you some chicken soup tomorrow."

Although Mary chose not to press further, the worry lingered in her frail features, unsure of how much she could truly trust Chloe's reassurance.

The next day, while allowing her father to rest, Chloe ventured to deliver food to her mother alone. As she neared the private room, she recalled the forgotten test results and decided to fetch them.

With Mia absent, she slipped inside. Her hand barely touched the documents when voices filtered through the doorway, Mia and Simon.

"Seeing you in that patient gown is truly enticing," Simon murmured, barely able to restrain his desire.

Mia's laugh rang out, as she placed Simon's hand provocatively on her chest. "Dr. Gray, you're late, so you better give me an in-depth examination," she teased.

Simon, eager, closed the door with finality, leaving Chloe no choice but to cower behind a cupboard, stunned to her core.

How could they dare such impropriety in broad daylight, in a hospital?

Simon assumed the role of a doctor with wandering hands. Chloe's heart ached witnessing the betrayal, and she closed her eyes against the scene.

Mia's laughter mingled with Simon's ragged breaths, each word they exchanged more suggestive than the last, piercing Chloe's resolve.

Her fists clenched, nails biting into her palms.

Suddenly, the cupboard she hid behind shuddered, a loud thump from Simon pinning Mia against it. Chloe pressed closer to the wall, hoping to become invisible.

Mia cast a wary glance toward the cupboard.

"Simon, do you hear something behind us?" she queried, suspicion threading her voice.

Chloe's pulse quickened, fear gripping her heart.

Simon paused before laughing dismissively. "You're imagining things! No one's here. Ridiculous!"

Yet Mia's gaze darted once more, spotting the hem of Chloe's skirt.

Feigning innocence, she asked Simon, "Aren't you visiting your mother-in-law next door?"

Simon, oblivious and pouring sweat, waved her off. "Why bother? Chloe's family is dirt poor, if her mother were truly sick, they'd be begging me by now. Yesterday, she was absurd enough to ask for my private room. The old woman's not even that ill!"

"If she kicks the bucket, I'd throw an elaborate funeral," Simon sneered, indifferent.

Mia giggled, probing Simon, "Aren't you afraid Chloe will leave you?"

Simon chuckled as if hearing the world's greatest jest. "Her? Leave me? Impossible!"

"She's depended on me for everything. What skills does she have besides extending her hand? Without my support, she'd be finished!"

Chloe bit down on her lip, regret and anger coiling within her, fueling a reckless determination. Just as she prepared to confront them, a knock rattled the door.

Mia and Simon hurriedly scrambled to dress.

A nurse entered, ready to change Mia's dressing, informing her it was her final day for medication and tomorrow she'd be discharged. But upon examining Mia, her brow furrowed with confusion.

"Why is there fresh bleeding? Did you have i*********e?" she asked bluntly.

Simon turned crimson, flustered and at a loss.

Taking advantage of the nurse's presence, Chloe seized the chance to slip out.

Only upon reaching the safety of the hallway did she notice her palms marked by crescents of blood, remnants of a grim resolve.