Chapter 112
Chapter 112
Chapter 112 The Decision Is Yours
Josephine stared at Lewis’ stormy eyes and grimaced as weariness overwhelmed her. With a resigned gesture, Josephine let her arms fall to her sides, surrendering to her fate. Powerlessly, she closed her eyes, as if accepting her impending slaughter.
The way she looked made Lewis feel frustrated and helpless, and for a moment, he really had the impulse to choke her to death. Even the master would panic if his docile and well-behaved pet suddenly learned to rebel. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, his knuckles whitened, and his grip on her neck trembled. However, in the end, he gradually loosened his grip on Josephine’s neck.
Air rushed into Josephine’s lungs, and she abruptly opened her eyes, coughing as she lay on the ground.
Lewis crouched down in front of her. He grabbed her shoulders and said in a deep voice, Josephine, did I not tell you that we can be like how we used to be if you’re obedient? Be obedient and listen to me, okay?”
Josephine stopped coughing and turned to look at him with her bloodshot eyes. She suddenly smiled, looking uglier than when she was crying. She did not know how obedient she must be. Josephine had no idea what he meant by “listening.” Was it to refuse communication with anyone else and devote her entire being to him? He never once looked her way when he completely consumed her heart and mind. He neglected her, kept her at arm’s length, and abandoned her like a worn-out shoe. It was hilarious that he expected her to listen to him obediently.
Josephine had to admit that, despite the course of twenty years, she had never truly understood him.
Lewis averted his gaze, refusing to look at her expression. He simply held her in his arms, like he wanted to pull her into himself.
Josephine felt suffocated by his grip, and like a rag doll, she was flaccid in his arms.
The doctor was at the door, hesitant as to whether he should enter the room. Josephine looked at the doctor and shook her head. She knew what he wanted to say, but she did not want his help. Over the years, she had received countless peculiar looks. Among them were scornful ones and sympathetic ones. It was limitless.
Josephine did not want the doctor to speak on her behalf. She feared that any love she might receive would be out of sympathy. She would prefer not to have it at all if that were the case. To her, sympathy was the shallowest and most insincere emotion one could offer.
The doctor seemed to understand her gaze. He sighed and quietly walked away from the room.
Lewis hugged her for a while before releasing her. He lowered his head and Idssed the corner
of Josephine’s teary eyes. He then looked deep into her eyes and said, “I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Josephine was slightly stunned. She abruptly looked up at the man. There was finally some color on her pale face. She tightened her fist. Her nails sank deep into her palm, eliciting a sharp sensation of pain that felt all too real. It served as a stark reminder of his uncanny ability to exploit her vulnerabilities. Whenever she found herself teetering on the edge of giving up, he would swoop in, rescuing her from the bottomless abyss and offering a glimmer of hope in the midst of the enveloping darkness.
Lewis looked at her intensely and continued, “Okay?”
Josephine’s eyes flickered, and she couldn’t respond, her tears running violently at the corners of her eyes. Lewis wiped her tears as gently as he could.
The abrupt sound of Josephine’s hiccups broke the ice, and Lewis found himself amused by that. He leaned toward her, kissed her lips, and whispered coaxingly, “Stop crying, okay?”
Josephine tried to turn her head away, but he held her face and turned her back. Things heated up as they continued to kiss. When Josephine heard the familiar sound of his rapid breathing, she raised her hand to push him, but he clutched her wrist.
Tears hung on her eyelashes, and her eyes were red. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and the way she weakly resisted exhibited a mix of reluctance and submission. This appearance drove Lewis crazy.
Initially, he only wanted to coax her, but he ended up pressing her to the ground.
Josephine had no strength, so she shut her eyes and let him have his way with her.
Lewis grabbed her chin and said hoarsely, “Josie.”
Josephine opened her eyes only to see the lust in his, and her gaze flickered. To reserve the energy to go to the hospital, she pursed her lips and remained silent for a few seconds before she reached out her arms to unbutton his shirt. This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.
The man leaned in and kissed her. Feeling the chill of the cold floor, he hastily yanked the bedsheet from the bed and carelessly spread it on the floor.
The doctor sat downstairs for about an hour, feeling uneasy. Finally, he saw Josephine and Lewis coming down. But when he noticed Josephine’s shaky steps and heated cheeks, the doctor’s expression cracked slightly. The two of them ignored him, and Lewis led Josephine out. The doctor stood there, perplexed, unsure of why he was even there.
Josephine got into the car.
Lewis kept his promise and drove Josephine to the hospital.
Josephine hurriedly made her way to the corner where Mrs. Jinkins had been, only to find that another patient had occupied the bed. Panic surged within her as she frantically scanned the
surroundings, desperately searching for Mrs. Jinkins. She checked the corridors repeatedly, but she failed to locate her.
Lewis stood nearby with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. He watched as Josephine weaved her way through the crowd, and his gaze flickered.
Josephine searched everywhere, but in the end, she came back to Lewis’ side and looked up at
him.
Lewis looked at her for a few seconds before he said, “She’s in the VIP ward upstairs.”
Josephine was slightly taken aback. Without waiting for her to react, Lewis took her upstairs. It was quieter upstairs, and the corridor was not as chaotic as downstairs.
He led her into a ward and gently pushed the door open, revealing Mrs. Jinkins lying on the bed. Josephine hurried inside and knelt beside Mrs. Jinkins’ bedside. Mrs. Jinkins had her eyes tightly shut, and the monitor beside her emitted a steady beeping sound. The anxiety in Josephine’s heart slowly dissolved as she focused on the rhythmic beeping, finding solace in its reassuring cadence.
She turned around and gave Lewis a conflicting look. Lewis, who was standing at the door, tilted his head, signaling her to leave the room. She was not as worried now that Mrs. Jinkins’ condition had stabilized, so she obediently stood up and left the ward.
Lewis closed the door and asked, “Are you relieved now?”
Josephine pressed her lips and gestured, “What is her current condition?”
Lewis replied, “Her condition has stabilized, but further treatment would be costly.”
Josephine was startled.
Lewis continued, “You can ask the doctor.”
As he said that, a doctor happened to come over to examine Mrs. Jinkins. He heard Lewis’ words and stopped to greet him, “Mr. Alvarez.”
“Tell her about the old lady’s condition truthfully.”
The doctor gave a nod. He flipped open the case file in his hand and said to Josephine, “Mrs. Jinkins is old, and her fall has induced many diseases. It is almost impossible to cure her fully. The only way is to spend money to maintain her condition and try to prolong her life for as long as possible.”
Josephine gestured something. The doctor stared at her fingers with a confused expression and hesitantly glanced at Lewis.
Lewis translated, “She asked how much it would cost and how long the old lady could live.”
The doctor replied, “That would depend on what medication we use. Better medicine would naturally be expensive, costing at least five figures per day. As for how long she could live,
that would be hard to determine as it ultimately depends on her willpower. The patient may live for two to three months, or it could be two to three years. In any case, it falls within this range.”
When Josephine learned how much the prescription would cost, she was shocked. She was dizzy and held the wall for support.
Lewis said, “You can go ahead.”
The doctor nodded and went into the room.
Lewis stared at Josephine and asked her a heartfelt question. “So, what do you think? To treat
or not to treat? The decision is yours to make this time.”