Chapter 4 The Betrayal Behind the Wall

Emily's POV

I turned my head to look at Elizabeth beside me, who was gazing at me with eyes full of concern. "Elizabeth, I need to use the restroom. Could you help me?"

Seeing this, Bruce immediately strode forward. His face wore that all-too-familiar tender expression, his eyes filled with their usual deep affection.

"Baby, let me carry you there. You just woke up, you're still very weak."

His fingertips were less than an inch away from my hospital gown.

The thought that these hands had just been touching that woman outside made my stomach churn uncontrollably, nausea rising up through my throat.

"Don't touch me!"

I suddenly raised my hand and pushed hard against Bruce's chest with all my strength, my tone ice-cold and devoid of any warmth.

Bruce staggered back half a step from my push, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air, his expression darkening. He clearly hadn't expected such a strong reaction from me, who had always been so docile.

Seeing this, Elizabeth immediately shoved her son aside, her face full of displeasure.

"Get out of the way! You're so careless, just making things worse here."

After scolding her son, she immediately switched to a warm and caring expression, gently supporting my arm with a soft tone: "Come on, Emily, I'll help you. Watch your step."

After entering the narrow bathroom, Elizabeth considerately closed the door for me and waited outside.

I leaned against the sink, turned on the faucet to cover any noise, pulled out my phone from my pocket, and sent Douglas an encrypted message:

[I want records of all of Bruce's affairs with other women over these eight years. The more detailed, the better.]

I didn't believe that under Bruce's eight years of pretending to be devoted, Zara was his only mistress. Once the seed of doubt sprouts, it grows into a towering tree.

Barely ten seconds after I sent my message, Douglas replied with just a simple: [OK.]

I had just put away my phone when Elizabeth's voice, unable to suppress her anger, came from outside the hospital room. The bathroom's soundproofing wasn't great, and standing behind the door, I could hear the conversation outside clearly.

"Tell me the truth!" Elizabeth lowered her voice, obviously afraid I might hear. "Are you having an affair?!"

Bruce began making excuses rapidly: "Mom! Don't you even trust your own son? How could I possibly do something like that? This is really just a misunderstanding..."

"Don't try to fool me with that! I'm not senile yet!" Elizabeth snorted coldly, her tone stern. "The way Zara looks at you is completely wrong! Emily has been with you for eight whole years. Don't forget that when your investment failed and you almost went bankrupt, when everyone abandoned you, only Emily emptied her savings to help you get through it! This is how you treat her?!"

The hallway fell into a brief, dead silence. I didn't hear any response.

After a moment, he finally spoke in a low voice, trying to sound ingratiating: "Mom, it's really not what you think. I could let anyone down but never Emily. Oh, by the way Mom, today is Emily's birthday. I specially ordered a cake."

"I also prepared a big gift for Emily. Emily has always been talking about wanting to see the Northern Lights, right? I specially commissioned a top international jewelry master to custom-make a necklace called 'Aurora' for her. Such a meaningful gift—I think only if you personally pick it up can it show how much our whole family values Emily. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Elizabeth's scolding outside the door indeed stopped.

"At least you bastard still have some conscience! But I'm warning you, make Zara get lost right now! Don't ever let her appear in front of Emily again! As for the rest, I'll settle accounts with you tomorrow!"

After Elizabeth finished speaking, she walked to the bathroom door, her tone becoming gentle again: "Emily dear, I have something urgent to take care of. I'll be right back to keep you company once I'm done."

Through the door, I bit my lower lip hard.

If there was anyone in this world who was truly good to me, the first person I could think of would definitely be Elizabeth. What a pity that her precious son was a complete and utter scumbag.

"Okay, Mom. Be careful on the road." I tried to make my voice sound calm.

Then I heard Elizabeth loudly berating Zara outside: "You shameless homewrecker, knowing my son has a fiancée and you still dare to seduce him! Get out of here right now, and if I see you again, I'll rip all your hair out!"

Accompanied by the chaotic sound of high heels and Elizabeth's fading curses, the area outside the hospital room became completely quiet.

I splashed cold water on my face in the bathroom and pushed the door open to walk out.

The hospital room was empty. Bruce had obviously gone after Zara.

I walked expressionlessly to the bedside, pulled out the tiny monitoring earpiece that had been on standby from my coat pocket, and inserted it into my right ear.

First came the sound of a lighter igniting a cigarette through the earpiece, followed immediately by Zara's sickeningly sweet whining, accompanied by faint echoes from deep in the corridor reaching my ears.

"I knew you'd follow me out. You wouldn't really abandon me for your mom, would you?"

Then came Bruce's low chuckle as he blew out smoke rings, dripping with arrogance and casual insolence.

"Bruce, Mrs. Howard was so fierce just now, I'm so scared. I need you to comfort me..." Zara's voice became even more cloying. I could even imagine, from the subtle rustle of fabric through the monitor, how she was coiling around Bruce like a snake.

"Really? How do you want me to comfort you?" Bruce's voice became husky, clearly already aroused. Completely different from the pretentious gentleman he played in front of me.

"Bruce..." Zara deliberately lowered her voice, her tone full of crazy provocation and excitement. "I checked earlier—right next to Emily's room, there's an empty hospital room with no one in it."

"What do you think... if we went there for some excitement, would Emily, just one wall away, find out?"

Listening to the revolting suggestion coming through the earpiece, I stood in the center of the empty hospital room, a bloodthirsty coldness rising in my eyes.