Chapter 4

Of all things, we'd ended up at the same hospital. I was just in the room next door.

I could even hear the nurse arguing on the other side. “Ms. Fox, the wound has already started to scab over. There's no reason to bandage it again.”

Edwin was frantic. “What do you mean, no reason? Can't you see she's in so much pain she's crying? Just because you can't see the wound doesn't mean it doesn't hurt her. You have to bandage it.”

The nurse gave up and wrapped it.

Then she left, muttering under her breath.

Marian tugged at Edwin's sleeve, her voice going soft and coaxing. “Do you think Maud just won't want to come see me? I saw her go down on the floor too. What if she got hurt as well?...”

“So what if she went down? She's not some old woman. What could she possibly hurt?” Edwin frowned, irritated. “If you ask me, she just doesn't want to make you the healing soup.”

“She dropped down there on purpose. It's all an act.”

“Don't worry. She'll show up right on time at the wedding tomorrow. We're the only family she has in this world. If she doesn't marry me, where else does she have to go?”

The two most important people in Maud's life were both right here.

Her friend and the man she loved.

Without them, I had nothing.

So even if she threw a little tantrum, in the end she'd come back, meek as ever.

I stood in the room on the other side, listening to all of it, and it was like being cut apart piece by piece.

So that was it. That was exactly why they could treat me however they pleased.

Because no matter what they did, I would always come crawling back.

Because I had no other family left.

As I listened to those words, every last scrap of feeling still lingering in my heart slowly drained away.

I watched that familiar figure trailing after him, and this time I left without a second's hesitation.

On his way to pick up the medicine.

Edwin looked over the crowd bustling past and suddenly caught sight of a figure that seemed strangely familiar.

“Maud?”

Marian grabbed hold of Edwin at once. “Maud who? She's probably home enjoying herself by now, or off working. You know how she is. She's the dullest person alive.”

Right. It was precisely because she was so dull that they'd let Marian handle so much of the wedding, for the good of their business too.

Maud would understand, anyway.

Even if she sulked, after a while she'd be the one to come making peace.

It was like that every time.

So nothing would go wrong.

She was probably handing things over at the company, ready to show up at the wedding tomorrow.

After all, what she wanted most was a family.

It had to be that.