Reborn, I Stopped Begging for Love, Then They Cried With Regret Chapter 05

Reborn, I Stopped Begging for Love, Then They Cried With Regret Chapter 05

When I opened my eyes again, everything around me was harsh, sterile white.

Grant sat on the couch beside my hospital bed with a stack of test reports in his hands. He read through them carefully, his brow slightly furrowed.

The door opened, and my attending physician walked in.

Grant closed the report and handed it to his assistant behind him.

“Whatever pain management she needs, give it to her. Don’t worry about the cost.”

The doctor nodded.

“Of course, Mr. Mercer. We’ll do everything we can to keep her comfortable.”

Grant turned his attention to me.

“If you’re awake, drink some water.”

He picked up the thermos on the table, poured warm water into a cup, added a straw, and held it to

my lips.

I took a small sip. The water eased some of the dryness in

“Thank you, Mr. Mercer.”

Grant set the cup back on the table and handed me a tissue.

my throat.

“The doctor says you need to rest, so I arranged for you to take medical leave from school.”

I took the tissue and wiped the corner of my mouth.

“Thank you for handling that.”

He didn’t ask why I had hidden my condition.

He had once survived an illness everyone thought would kill him. Maybe he understood better than anyone what it was like to wait for death.

Grant stood and straightened his cuff.

“Get some rest. Use the call button if you need anything.”

He walked out and quietly closed the door behind him.

I looked at the closed door and felt a little more at ease.

I heard soft footsteps in the hall.

The door cracked open, and Tessa peeked inside, holding a carefully wrapped fruit basket.

She dragged her feet all the way to my bedside, then set the basket down harder than necessary on

the nightstand.

“Um… the doctor said you shouldn’t eat anything too hard, so I picked the softer fruit.”

Her ears were bright red.

I looked at her calmly.

“Thank you.”

Tessa pulled over a chair and sat down, twisting the hem of her skirt between her fingers.

“I didn’t know you were this sick. And I kept bumping into you on purpose before. I’m sorry.”

I turned my gaze toward the window.

“It’s okay. I didn’t take it personally.”

I really hadn’t.

When you’re dying, you don’t have the energy to care about things like that.

I looked back up at the ceiling.

“Getting mad takes too much energy.”

Tessa froze for a second, her eyes turning red.

“I won’t pick on you anymore. If there’s anything you want to eat, tell me. I’ll get it for you.”

I gave a small nod.

“Okay.”

Tessa stood up and awkwardly smoothed down her skirt.

“I’ll head home, then. Get some rest.”

She hurried out of the room, almost as if she were escaping.

High heels clicked down the hallway.

Mom stopped outside my room and looked in through the window.

She was clutching a stack of hospital bills in one hand.

Evan approached from the other end of the hall carrying an insulated food jar.

“Aren’t you going in to see her?”

Mom hurriedly stuffed the bills into her purse.

“She just woke up. She needs rest. I don’t want to bother her.”

Evan watched her avoid his eyes.

“She’s awake in there.”

Mom took a step back, her gaze darting away.

“I… I’ll go home and make her some more soup.”

She turned and hurried off, her steps uneven.

Evan opened the door and came inside, setting the food jar on the table.

“Your mom made you some oatmeal. Have some while it’s warm.”

I looked at the container without speaking.

Evan pulled over a chair and sat down.

“She was standing out there for a long time.”

I lowered my eyes.

“I know.”

A few days later, I returned to the house to recover.

Mom came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of freshly made chicken soup and flinched when her

fingers brushed the hot handle.

Tessa happened to be coming downstairs and saw her.