Back to Love: A New Beginning
Chapter 176

Chapter 176:.

Aaron talked about Derek’s past and how he used to hardly ever eat breakfast.

When he was still a child, his grandfather had diligently forced him to eat the first meal of the day. However, when Derek had outgrown the old man, he no longer listened to his grandfather. In addition, whenever he got angry about something, he would impose a hunger strike on himself.

Really, his way of venting his anger bordered on self-abuse. He had also taken to drinking away his sorrows during his teenage years. Derek never told anyone about his struggles.

He would simply hide somewhere where no one could replace him and drink until he passed out. Given his stubbornness, it goes without saying that he often drank alcohol without eating anything. Even a simpleton knew that such habits hurt the stomach.

“All right, can you stop revealing all my dark secrets to my wife now?” interjected Derek at one point, turning to me with a coy smile.

Honestly, I felt very sorry for him after hearing about this stage of his life. He had not received proper care at a time when he needed it most. Not only was he unable to take care of himself, but he even had to resort to self-harm just to cope with his circumstances.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to hide my grief. “Turns out you used to be quite childish.” Her smile became genuine, if only a little.

“I’m sure everyone has been childish at some time in their lives.” Soon Charlene and Derek’s assistant arrived to give a status report.

Derek sat on his hospital bed and listened to every word with rapt attention before poring over the documents they had brought and signing a few pages. He was very meticulous when it came to company matters.

At that moment, he seemed to have transformed into his cool, untouchable persona, a far cry from the sullen teenager she had just heard about.

Charlene stayed for a while, only getting up to leave when it was well past business hours.

“I didn’t drive here,” she said in a mocking tone, her eyes on Aaron. “Would you mind giving me a ride, Dr. Hudson?”

Aaron had been leaning against the window, but now he straightened up. He took off his white lab coat and draped it over his arm before flashing a smile of deportment.

“No problem, of course.”

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I walked over to the window as soon as they left and waited until they appeared downstairs. They were walking side by side, chatting and laughing freely all the way to the parking lot.

“What are you giving?” Derek’s voice was suddenly heard from above me. I turned, startled, to replace him standing right behind me. He was still looking so tempting, even in a simple hospital gown.

“Why did you get out of bed?” I asked him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned toward me.

“Your husband is just suffering from his stomach; he’s not completely incapacitated.”

We turned toward the window. “Don’t you think they make a perfect couple?” Derek twisted his neck just in time to see the two familiar figures disappear around a corner.

“Wait, what’s going on, are you trying to play matchmaker?” I pulled back to squint at him.

“Can’t I?” Derek pressed a kiss to my temple. When he spoke again, he sounded strangely sentimental.

“You can, of course. You won’t stop it. But you and I both know that feelings are very important in a couple. If those two fall in love in some way in the future, you won’t even have to try to bring them together. If the opposite happens, your efforts will be in vain. Even if they go out together, without sincere feelings, they will eventually break up.” All this I already knew.

However, I had something Derek didn’t: a woman’s intuition. And I could easily tell that Charlene had feelings for Aaron.

“Viewers often see things more clearly than the protagonists themselves,” I said flatly. “Sometimes the parties involved need a little nudge from the audience to point them in the right direction.”

I heard Derek chuckle softly. “Well, then. I wish you success.”

For dinner, I bought some light porridge. Derek made a quick meal and went to sleep. I was very bored with nothing to do, so I decided to take a walk outside for some fresh air. As I passed the small pantry at the end of the hallway, I saw a man getting hot water from the dispenser.

His back was to me, but I felt a vague sense of familiarity. He filled the kettle and headed across the hall. He was oblivious to my presence.

Before I knew it, I followed him down the hall and into a room. He left the door ajar as he entered, allowing me to peek inside.

A woman was lying on the hospital bed. He set the kettle down on the side table and helped her sit up. He then proceeded to open a lunch box and feed her small bites of food.

“Eveline?” The woman squeaked. It took her a while, but she finally became aware of my presence.

Her voice brought me back to my senses, and only then did I realize that she was frozen by the door, staring blankly into her room. The occupants of this room were none other than Shane’s parents.

I knew Shane’s mother had been ill. Now that she was admitted to Wonder Hospital, her health must have taken a serious turn for the worse.

I walked in cautiously. Shane’s father carefully set down the lunch box and sat to the side in silence. His wife’s gentle gaze would not leave my face.

“Eveline, come and have a seat.” I had no idea why I had come in. Maybe it was the attraction of our past relationship. After all, they were my in-laws.

I settled into the chair at the foot of the bed. “How are you?” I asked quietly.

Shane’s mother sighed. “Not too well, I’m afraid.” A dull ache rose in the pit of my stomach at the thought of all the pain and revenge between Shane and me. We may have slept in the same bed in the past, but now we were nothing more than bitter enemies. Apparently, it was his parents who suffered the most, even after our cursed marriage.

They were already getting old, but Shane’s mother was seriously ill, and only his father was taking care of her. It broke my heart to see them like that .

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