The next day, at Autumn Garden Hospital.
"Abigail... Abigail... wake up, Abigail..."
Abigail's heavy eyes slowly opened as she heard someone calling her name repeatedly. She slowly lifted her head, feeling her whole body stiff from sleeping on her arms while sitting on the chair by her grandmother's bed.
She saw Nurse Rosa beside her—looking concerned at her. She immediately sat up straight and rubbed her eyes before tidying her messy hair.
"Good morning, Nurse..." Abigail greeted her hoarsely.
"Why are you sleeping here, Abigail? Why don't you sleep on the sofa over there?" Nurse Rosa asked, worried as she looked at Abigail's tired face.
A half-smile slowly appeared on Abigail's lips as she responded, "I fell asleep, Nurse—"
"Oh dear Abigail, I'm not on duty. You call me like usual," Nurse Rosa smiled while offering her a small box of tuna sandwiches and a bottle of mineral water. "Have breakfast first before you leave the hospital."
"Thank you, Aunty Rosa," Abigail said as she took the box.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noticed it was already 7 a.m. She didn't eat her breakfast right away. Instead, she excused herself to the bathroom.
Looking at her own appearance in the mirror stunned her. She hardly recognized herself. Her hair was messy, her face looked like she hadn't seen a sunrise in days, and dark circles were under her eyes. If she is overweight and chubby, people would mistake her for the national animal of China.
Looking at her clothes, which were still the same ones she had worn yesterday, reminded her that she was now homeless. She had nowhere to go and no place to sleep tonight, and her suitcase was still in someone else's café.
Last night, she had already spoken with Aunty Rosa about her miserable situation. She needed to find a home and a job to earn money to pay for her grandmother's medical fees.
Even though she wanted to stay in the hospital, waiting for her Grandma to wake up, she couldn't. She had to return to the capital today, or Sister Lana would throw her suitcase out of the café and hire someone else as the new barista.
She couldn't let that opportunity slip by. She needed the job as soon as possible.
Sighing tiredly, Abigail turned on the tap and rinsed her face with cold water; instantly, she felt cold but refreshed.
After she brushed her teeth with a set of clean brushes she found in the bathroom, Abigail felt much fresher. Then, she covered her flawless face with sunscreen and combed her long hair before leaving the bathroom, only to find Nurse Rosa beside the bed, talking to her motionless Grandmother.
...
"What time are you leaving today?" Nurse Rosa asked, joining Abigail on the couch.
"After I finish my breakfast..." said Abigail, swallowing the last piece of her sandwich and sipping her cup of water.
"Oh, so soon?"
"I want to stop by my mother's grave before catching my train to Solhaven."
Nurse Rosa nodded at her plan.
"Don't worry about your grandmother here, Abigail. I'll care for her even in my free time and keep you updated on her condition."
"Thanks, Aunty Rosa." Abigail sincerely said. She never stopped feeling grateful to Aunty Rosa, whom she considered family.
Aunt Rosa was her mother's best friend and worked at the nursing home next to the hospital. Since her grandmother could no longer live alone, she moved her grandma into the Autumn Garden Nursing House, where Aunty Rosa worked as a senior nurse.
From then on, Aunty Rosa constantly updated her on her grandmother's condition.
For Abigail, Aunty Rosa wasn't just a nurse; she was like family to her.
"Stop thanking me, Abigail. I'm just keeping my promise to Amelia to take care of her mother and look after you," Rosa said, holding back tears as she remembered her late best friend, Amelia Lewis—Abigail's mother.
Abigail smiled and nodded at her.
"And you don't have to push yourself too hard, dear. If you need help, just ask me," Nurse Rosa added.
"Yes, Aunty," Abigail softly answered, but inwardly, she vowed not to ask for help again. Aunty Rosa had done too much already, and she didn't want to burden her more. She knew Aunty Rosa had her own family to support.
"Alright, I'll leave you now. But the nurse here at the hospital will keep looking after your Grandma," Nurse Rosa said, rising from her seat to leave. She needed to return to the nursing house for her duties.
Before long,
Abigail leaves the hospital. She walked towards her mother's grave, only a ten-minute walk from the hospital.
Walking under the morning sun, Abigail arrived at the foot of a hill where her mother's grave overlooked Orange Town.
It took her a few moments before she began pouring out her sorrows, kneeling on the green Zoysia grass.
She told her mother about the end of her relationship with Ryland. Her greatest regret was spending her youth helping a man who had nothing until he finally had a successful construction company. She had devoted herself to being an architect, helping him win contracts for houses and buildings. But after so many years, he betrayed her.
"But Mom, don't worry. Ryland won't be able to succeed without me. He knows nothing about running his own company..." A slight vengeful smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
Abigail sighed deeply after a few moments of talking about her failed relationship with Ryland. She tried to calm her angry heart, remembering what happened last night.
She began telling her mother about her Grandma's injury and her desperate need for money. Her tears began to wet her cheeks as she recounted how her father cruelly refused to help her.
"Mom, I'm so sorry. This time, I have no choice but to break my promise to you not to hate my father..." Abigail said helplessly, clenching her hands tightly.
"I will never contact Adam Snow again or call that man 'father.' Never! I won't invite him to my future wedding, and I won't go to his funeral. I've decided to cut ties with him. If I have money, I will ask the court to erase his name from mine and use yours instead."
Abigail sobbed harder as she remembered the promise she had made to her mother—always to respect and not forget her father, no matter how harshly he treated her.
But this time, she couldn't follow her mother's wishes.
"I'm sorry, Mom... I'm sorry..."