The door to the ward was still open. Chances were Lydia heard every word loud and clear.
None of the employees had realized it until that moment. One of the three spoke up, looking contrite. “Forgive us, Mrs. Larson. Our behavior was unacceptable. We let our emotions get the better of us and spoke without thought. Should we go in and apologize?”
“It’s fine. Just go back. I’ll go in and talk to her.” Natalie had a feeling that things would only get worse if these people went back in. Lydia wouldn’t show them mercy.
Visibly relieved, the three thanked Natalie and hurriedly left.
Outside the door, Natalie took a moment to compose herself. She tried her best to wear a friendly smile as she walked inside the ward.
All her mental preparation seemed to have been in vain. She was still seized with shock the moment she saw Lydia.
The woman looked much more haggard than Natalie remembered from yesterday. Her messy hair was sticking to her scalp, and her face was red and swollen, with telltale streaks of tears drying on her cheeks. She must have cried her eyes out.
Even in this state, Lydia didn’t forget to hold her daughter in her arms to feed her. The baby kept crying though.
Noticing another person’s presence, Lydia turned her head and glared at her visitor. The ferocity in her gaze turned to hesitation when she saw who it was. Lydia said nothing, the vicious words that had been ready to pierce the next person lodging heavily in her throat. “May I come in?” Natalie stood by the door, her feet barely inside the ward. Her eyes took in the mess. She didn’t know where to stand.
Lydia offered no response. She lowered her head, pouring her attention on trying to soothe the crying baby in her arms. Natalie took her silence as acquiescence and walked further in, placing the fruit basket on the table. She looked around next for a vase to hold the bouquet but her eyes found several pieces of broken porcelain littering the floor.
“Do you need me to clean up?” Natalie stood in the middle of the disarray, at a loss for what to do next.
The baby’s crying had not ceased for a moment. Embarrassment started to creep into Natalie, and she decided to break the ice herself. “I’m just here to see you and your baby. You didn’t look well yesterday in the Larson Group. Luckily the doctors came in time, and I’m glad to see that you and the baby and both safe and sound.”
With these words, Natalie was subtly reminding Lydia of the help from the Larson Group. She was hoping that it would change Lydia’s opinion of them. They were far from the cruel people the media presented them to be.
“As you said, my daughter and I are both fine. I already thanked you for letting me stay inside the Larson Group’s building yesterday.” Even as Lydia was devoid of any expression, she could feel Natalie’s respect from her words and demeanor.
But the thought of her husband’s death brought anger rising to the surface once again. Her voice turned cold as she asked, “There’s something I want to know. Last night, a worker from my husband’s factory came to see me. He told me that your husband is the cause of my husband’s death. The police just killed Jethro from an unconfirmed accusation. Is this true?”
Natalie had thought she was prepared to answer all Lydia’s questions, but she still found herself stunned.
Was it because the outside world was too prejudiced against Brandon, or was it from the influence of public opinion? What led Lydia to misconstrue Brandon this much?
“Brandon didn’t need to go through such danger.” Natalie kept her voice soft but there was no hint of falseness on her face. She was being sincere. “The truth is… it was Jethro himself—”
“Shut up!” Lydia’s scream cut in angrily before Natalie could finish. She covered her ears and screamed, “I won’t listen to you slander and condemn my husband here!”
The more irritated Lydia got, the calmer Natalie became. “Okay, I won’t say anything more about it,” Natalie said in a soft voice. “Can you tell me first who told you about your husband’s death?”
A worker who suddenly appeared and told Lydia the twisted version of Jethro’s death was clearly intended to sow discord between them.
“You want me to tell you who he is? So, you and Brandon can kill another good man?” Lydia sneered. “Well, I won’t tell you, Natalie. My husband is dead. I won’t let another innocent person die in vain.” i
Natalie shook her head and sighed. She knew Lydia could be really stubborn when it came to her husband. “Look, there’s no use of me explaining things to you since you don’t want to listen. But I’m curious that you can still trust Jethro after what he did to you. He was lucky to be married to you because he didn’t deserve a woman like you.”
Lydia closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. Her mood seemed to waver because of what Natalie had just said. Her eyes were still filled with resentment when she opened them again, “My husband was not all that bad. He was actually good to me at home. He did what he did because he knew you wouldn’t hurt me since I am pregnant. Because of my condition, he wouldn’t be able to take me far away. I might die if he took me with him. So I can totally understand him.”
Natalie was speechless. Jethro obviously mistreated Lydia, but she still spoke for him. Natalie hadn’t expected Lydia to be so stupid.
If Jethro were still alive, Natalie would like him to hear this sentimental speech about him.
“As long as you believe in that. I am also the wife of a man, so I understand that you may implicitly believe that Jethro would not have escaped from prison, but even if you were his wife, you cannot lose your own judgment. And now you are a mother. You have to think of your baby. Jethro is dead and even your survival will be a problem after leaving the hospital. You may be okay live on the streets and starve, but don’t let your baby suffer with you.”
Natalie couldn’t help but feel softhearted as she gazed at the baby girl in Lydia’s arms. Babies had a way of making people forget about their problems.
Lydia fell silent after hearing what Natalie said. In the quiet room, only the cries of the baby could be heard.
Natalie touched the girl’s soft cheek. Putting her hand in her mouth, the baby stopped crying and started babbling, curiously looking at the flowers in Natalie’s hands.
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“Now, look at that! She likes me,” Natalie said, seemingly pleased with the baby. The look in Natalie’s eyes was soft. As soon as the baby stopped crying, Lydia started to relax. “I won’t accept the sympathy of the Larson Group, and I won’t attend the press conference to clarify it. You have seen me and my daughter. Can you leave here now?” she said, holding the baby firmly and turning her back to Natalie.
Since Lydia had asked Natalie to leave, it wasn’t appropriate for Natalie to stay long.
Before leaving, she asked, “Can I have your phone number? I really like this baby. When you get out of the hospital, I’ll send her some baby stuff.”
Lydia frowned and gave Natalie a confused look.
Natalie shrugged and said, “It’s for the baby, not for you. And it’s not sympathy, not even flattery. Don’t think much of it. I simply like the baby.”
Lydia looked at her daughter and spoke quietly to Natalie, giving her phone number.
“I’ll call you. You can save my number.” Natalie put the flowers on the table and said, “Even if you don’t attend the press conference, I’m still willing to help you. Being a single mother won’t be easy. If you need anything, please call me at any time.”
Seeing that her words wouldn’t get through to Lydia in her current state, Natalie walked out of the ward. When the door clicked shut, Lydia covered her face and broke into sobs.
In truth, Lydia knew that there was truth behind Natalie’s words. The memory of Jethro picking up the money like crazy and running away was still vivid.
Her husband was not a good man. Before Lydia had gotten pregnant, there were more days than not that Jethro’s heavy hand made her b*ody its target. The abuse only stopped when she found out that she was carrying a baby. Jethro restrained himself then.