Rift in the perfect picture

The surgery lasted for an entire day and night. Mom’s condition was temporarily stable, but whether she would wake up was still uncertain.

The doctors wore solemn expressions. When I asked them about her chances of regaining consciousness, they merely shook their heads.

My ankle was swollen to a dark purple color. Alex, who was unable to bear it any longer, said, “Ms. Jones, let me take you to orthopedics for an X–ray.”

I looked down at my feet. Feeling no pain at all, I shook my head and stayed by Mom’s bedside. “It doesn’t hurt.”

Alex gritted his teeth. “Sorry.”

The next moment, he picked me up in his arms and walked toward the exit of the ward. I didn’t want to leave Mom’s side, so I struggled. Tears fell uncontrollably down my face.

“Ms. Jones, if Ms. Thompson were here, she wouldn’t want to see you like this. She loved you so much. She’d be heartbroken.”

For a moment, I stopped struggling. A deep, dull ache spread from my heart and quickly enveloped my entire body. I was calm and cooperative during the X–ray procedure.

To my surprise, while waiting for the results, I ran into Pete, who was there with Gabriela for her X–rays.

Gabriela had twisted her ankle while running in a variety show. Her assistant was behind her, discussing compensation matters.

Pete halted for a moment, then averted his gaze. As if not recognizing me, he focused straight ahead and tried to pass by me.

Gabriela, however, spotted me and tugged at his sleeve. “Pete, isn’t that Mrs. Hawk?”

Pete snorted. “What a coincidence that she twisted her ankle at the same time as you. She always has to be the center of attention.”

Gabriela said weakly, “Pete, can we stop and let me talk to Mrs. Hawk for a moment?”

Pete’s eyes showed a brief moment of struggle before he impatiently agreed. “Women are really difficult!”

They stood in front of me, blocking the light above my head with their presence. Gabriela apologized to me, saying she had offended me.

I wasn’t in the mood for a conversation with her, so I waved my hand, Indicating for them to leave.

Pete, who was standing beside Gabriela, gave her some advice in a sarcastic tone. “Aren’t you going to ask Mrs. Hawk how she got injured and how serious her condition is?

“Since you two might end up as fellow patients, you should try to engage with her more. If you can’t even manage a bit of flattery properly, I’m beginning to question whether letting you enter showbiz was the Tight choice.”

Gabriela’s expression turned dark. She first calmed Pete down and then showed concern for me. I foundOriginal from NôvelDrama.Org.

the noise unbearable, so I signaled Alex to get rid of them.

Pete finally seemed to notice the person sitting beside me. ‘Gabby, aren’t you going to ask who’s the man that’s trying to get rid of you? If Mrs. Hawk is unfaithful in her marriage, you could use that evidence to get credit with Nick and secure better resources in the industry.”

Just as Alex was about to explain, I stopped him and looked up at Pete with a faint expression. “Pete, you don’t need to be sarcastic with me. I just want to ask you one thing…”

Before I could finish, the hospital’s intercom announced, “Ms. Gabriela Lambert, please proceed to Room One for an X–ray.”

Gabriela nervously tugged at Pete’s sleeve and said feebly, “Pete, it’s my turn.

“It’s your turn?” Frowning, Pete glanced at me, then at Gabriela in his arms. He squatted down slightly to place Gabriela on the ground. “If it’s your turn, then just go! Why are you telling me?”

Shaking his arm, he added, “You’re really heavy. Didn’t your manager tell you to control your weight?” Gabriela’s face darkened at being criticized about her weight by a man she admired.

“You only twisted one foot. The other is fine. Stop standing around and move!”

Pete adjusted his pants and sat down next to me. He spread his legs wide and deliberately nudged mine, all the while maintaining a nonchalant expression.