As Roy continued to speak, his anger grew, and eventually, he couldn't control himself anymore, shouting at her. This time he was genuinely frightened by her prolonged slumber. Laila had always been seen as a superwoman in his eyes, capable of anything. But now, he realized that she wasn't a genius or a superwoman. She was a fool, a workaholic who couldn't even take care of her own body.
During her sleep, Roy made a vow to himself that he wouldn't allow her to mistreat her body any longer. He wanted a happy and peaceful life with her, just like in a fairytale. How could he allow her to continue exhausting herself?
"Sorry..." Laila cowered as she was shouted at. Just waking up, her head was still foggy, and she didn't understand why he was so angry. She figured she should start with an apology given the way he was yelling.
Roy saw her confused expression and realized his outburst had been in vain. She had no idea why he was so angry with her.
"You slept for so long, the doctor said you were suffering from extreme fatigue. Both your body and mind accumulate too much stress, leading to you falling asleep suddenly. If you continue with your unhealthy lifestyle and heavy work, I'll inform Janet, and you know what she will decide!"
"Why do you learn the 'report to mom' trick from Claire?" Laila facepalmed. Claire used to threaten her to rest properly by mentioning Janet, and now that Janet wasn't around, Roy had become the successor, using the same trick.
What was even more infuriating was that it actually worked on her. Every time she thought of the sugary-sweet mother's love wrapped in the guise of care, it would bring tears to her eyes. Or else the one crying would be Janet. She couldn't understand why she was so sensitive to her mom's tears.
"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll take it easy," Laila surrendered.
Roy wasn't entirely satisfied with her "confession," but he knew that Rome wasn't built in a day. If he wanted her to genuinely take care of her health, he would need to constantly remind her.
"Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
Laila patted her growling stomach. "I didn't notice until you mentioned it, but now that you have, I'm actually starving."
Roy patted her hand. "Wait here; I'll prepare something for you."
As he was about to leave, Laila grabbed his shirt.
"What's wrong?" He turned to look at her.
Laila had grabbed him subconsciously, intending to inquire about the news of the disaster. However, once she'd held him, she was too afraid to ask. She feared hearing about how many lives had been lost and how much damage had been done. It would only make the burden on her heart even heavier. She wondered if this burden would ever be lifted in her lifetime.
"I wanted to ask you if my maternal family in New York is okay," she suddenly remembered. The Twin Towers were located in the financial district of New York, and she had forgotten to find an excuse to bring her family to Hollywood. Luckily, her family had no connection with the Twin Towers, and their business was not located there, so they should not have been greatly affected.
Roy smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry, I've already called them to confirm. Everyone is safe."
"That's a relief," Laila finally felt at ease, thanking him with a smile.
After a bowl of porridge, Laila's grumbling stomach finally calmed down. She wiped her mouth and asked Roy to bring her the newspapers from the past few days.
"Why are you still reading the newspaper?" Roy instantly vetoed the idea. "Right now, you need to rest, not expend your energy on something else."
"But I want to know what's happening outside..."
"It's chaotic out there, but it doesn't concern you. Your only task right now is to rest!" Roy was particularly resolute this time. He used one hand to gently push her back into bed and took the bowl and plate with the other. "If I come back and find you with your eyes open, don't blame me for getting angry with you!"
"... " Laila watched him leave and found herself at a loss for words. She had just woken up after sleeping for more than 20 hours, and he acted as if she could fall asleep again.
That's what she thought. However, after she closed her eyes, it didn't take long before she actually fell asleep again. This time, it was different, though. She slept soundly as if she didn't dream at all.
Roy, who had left the door slightly ajar, heard her even and gentle breathing. He knew that she had indeed heeded his words and gone back to sleep. How tired must she have been to sleep like this? He gazed at her, his heart aching, before closing the door again.
By the time she had regained her vitality, it was the morning of September 13th. During this time, Roy had played the role of the perfect boyfriend and caregiver, pampering her as if she were a real princess.
However, Laila no longer wanted to sleep. She wanted to know what was happening outside. When Roy didn't find her in her bedroom one morning, he discovered her downstairs in the living room watching the news.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"I'm all good now. I feel strong enough to lift a cow," Laila said with a pleased smile, fearing he might put her back to bed.
Roy restrained his smile and knew that she was worried he might inform Janet of her terrible condition. Who would have thought that the seemingly fearless superwoman was afraid of her mom?
He sat down beside her on the staircase. "You shouldn't be watching this," he remembered how pale she had turned when she saw the news on 9/11.
"It's okay. I'm just watching casually," Laila said, looking at the TV screen. She knew very well what would happen in history after today. The leader of that terrorist organization would become the prime suspect, and he would continue to exert his influence as a terror mastermind for the next ten years. Until he was finally killed in his hideout a decade later.
Tomorrow night, the U.S. House of Representatives would authorize President Bush to use force against the terrorist organization. The following date, October 7th, would be the day the war on terror would begin.
"Ah," she sighed softly. History was history, and how could a mere individual like her change the course of history?
Her sigh, when heard by Roy, sounded like her concern about the tragedy. He held her in his arms. "Everything will be fine."
"Yeah, I know," Laila said, hoping that time would pass a bit faster.