Massive Demolition Fees and a Family Emergency

Just as Emma left, Nathan returned from his check-up, holding the results in his hand.

I took the report from him and said, "Emma just stopped by, but she left in a hurry."

Nathan handed me the report and gently guided me toward the bed. "What did she say?"

I glanced at the report, and the words "medical examination passed" instantly lifted a weight off my shoulders. I smiled brightly, "Oh, she didn't say much—just rushed out. Seeing that you're healthy makes me so relieved!"

I muttered, "But seriously, why are you so thin?"

Since Emma's last visit, she had been coming almost every day.

Each time Nathan saw her, his expression darkened, and Emma would look at him with red-rimmed eyes.

Even I, usually oblivious, couldn't ignore the tension brewing between them.

Unable to hold back any longer, I asked Nathan, "What's going on between you and Emma? Why is it so weird?"

Nathan hesitated, searching for the right words. "Julia, let's just keep our distance from her, okay?"

"What do you mean by that, Nathan? We've been friends for ten years."

He looked increasingly uneasy. "Julia, please, just listen to me. If she comes by again, I want you to send her away."

"Fine," I replied, but I was determined to get to the bottom of this the next time Emma showed up.

However, before I could confront Emma again, Nathan suddenly changed.

He was hardly ever in the hospital room anymore, only stopping by once a day, and when he did, he would just sit there in silence.

I could hardly receive any response from him when I asked.

I felt a knot of fear tightening in my stomach. "Nathan, what's wrong? Please talk to me!" I cried, but he simply wiped away my tears without a word.

In the days that followed, Nathan didn't come at all. I couldn't take it anymore and called him, but Emma answered.

After that, I tried calling again, and again, it was Emma who picked up.

Eventually, I gave up, my heart heavy with despair.

When Emma came by that day, I was practicing walking.

She stood at the door for a long moment before finally speaking up.

"On the day you woke up, Nathan and I were getting engaged. He's been stopping me from coming to see you. He promised me that once you were better, he would tell you the truth."

My nails dug into my palms, but I forced a smile.

"I know it's harsh to tell you this right now, Julia, but I can't be without Nathan. He's waited for you for six years, and I've waited for him for six years. Do you have any idea what those six years were like for us? Do you know Nathan tried to kill himself three years ago because of you? Nathan took a handful of sleeping pills by your bedside, and I'm the one who found him and saved him. His life is mine now. I don't care why he suddenly agreed to get engaged to me—whether it was out of gratitude or something else—but I don't care. All I care about is being with him...

"We could have had a life together, but why did you have to wake up? Why did you have to wake up that day? He had already accepted me. I know Nathan regrets it now, the moment you woke up he started regretting it..."

Emma's voice grew more frantic, her emotions getting the best of her as she nearly broke down. "Julia, I've given you everything. Please don't take Nathan away from me, okay?"

I leaned against the wall, making my way slowly back to the bed, feeling numb. I looked at Emma and managed a wry smile. "Can you give my dad back to me?"

Emma was taken aback. "But he... he's been..."

Suddenly, a furious shout came from outside the door.

"Shut up. Why did you even come here?"

I looked out the door.

Nathan stood there, his face a mix of anger and distress, eyes fixed on me.