Where Love Lingered, Hatred Burnt

Louisa snapped out of her daze. Ignoring the pain in her injured feet, she grabbed her coat and ran out the door. She stumbled her way to the hospital and rushed straight to the emergency room. Nurses hurried in and out, but there was no sign of a doctor.

“Where’s the doctor?” Louisa asked urgently.

The nurse looked away, stammering nervously. Louisa’s heart sank. This hospital was run by the Griswolds Family. Everyone there followed Simon’s orders. That meant Simon had to be involved.

She spun around and dashed for the top floor with her panic growing with every step. As she neared the elevator, she overheard two nurses whispering as they stepped out.

“Miss Harrison is upstairs. I heard she got hurt badly last night and has been dizzy all day. They couldn’t find anything wrong, so Mr. Grisworth called in all the top specialists for her.”

“Shh! Mr. Grisworth said no one can talk about this, or you’ll get fired!”

Louisa’s blood froze. Her heart pounded wildly as she raced up to the top floor, only to be stopped by several bodyguards.

“Let me through! I need to see Simon. My brother is in critical condition and he needs a doctor!” Louisa shouting with her voice breaking, while pushing at them desperately.

The bodyguards didn’t move. One of them spoke in a flat voice, “Miss Jacobson, Mr. Grisworth ordered that no one enters today. Don’t pretend your brother is seriously ill to get in. Mr. Grisworth won’t fall for it.”

“He’s dying! Get out of my way!”

But no matter how she begged or fought, they wouldn’t let her pass. Instead, the bodyguards lifted her off the ground and half-dragged her back to the elevator. Louisa stumbled away and ran to the emergency room door. The moment she pushed it open, a long and flat beep rang out.

The room fell silent except for the sharp, piercing tone. Louisa walked forward slowly with her body trembling. On the bed, Micah was lying still. His young face looked pale. The corners of his lips were slightly curved as if he had simply fallen asleep.

She held his tiny hand gently and whispered, “Don’t be scared, Micah. I’m here to take you home.”

A nurse’s eyes filled with tears. She stepped forward and held Louisa’s shaking shoulders.

“Miss Jacobson, I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Louisa’s whole body trembled. A wave of suffocating pain crashed over her, making it hard to breathe. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She tried to call the funeral home, but her fingers wouldn’t work. The nurse helped by calling and giving them the details.

Before long, the funeral staff arrived and quietly took Micah away. The hallways stayed silent. No one came to comfort Louisa because every doctor and nurse had been ordered to the top floor to care for Rebecca.

Louisa followed the staff to the funeral home in silence. That night, Micah was cremated. She didn’t cry, didn’t speak, just moved like a lifeless shell.

At dawn, she returned home carrying his ashes. She placed the urn gently into a suitcase, then went to Micah’s room and began to fold his clothes one by one, carefully packing them away.

After a long while, Simon came back. When he saw Louisa’s pale, empty eyes, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. He couldn’t explain why he spent the night with Rebecca. His mind had been a mess. Not to mention, the person before him was Lousa.

Simon then took out a delicate blue diamond necklace, the Heart of the Ocean and held it out like a precious gift. Gently rubbing Louisa’s hair, he asked softly, “Louisa, are your feet still hurting?”

Louisa didn’t look up or speak. She just kept folding Micah’s things. Simon hesitated.

“Micah’s surgery has been pushed to the day after tomorrow. When he gets better, how about we take him skiing?”

Louisa’s hands froze. Her back trembled as memories of Micah clinging to Simon flashed before her eyes. The pain in her chest was so strong that she could hardly stay upright.

After a long pause, she finally spoke in a hoarse voice, “I’m going on a trip.”

Simon blinked in surprise. He’d been thinking of ways to send her away for a while, but she had made the decision herself. For some reason, his chest tightened with unease.

Without another word, Louisa walked toward the greenhouse where she kept her beloved orchids. She wanted to take one with her. Just as she picked the flower, Rebecca appeared with a bright smile on her lips.

“Louisa, you heard Simon and me together last night, didn’t you? It must hurt. Tomorrow, Simon and I will be married. You’ll be swallowed whole by the Jacobson Family, sold off by your Uncle Jonathan and despised by the Griswolds Family,” she cruelly said.