Evening.
Ellie lay on her bed, taking out the New Year's gift from William, a necklace with a silver thin chain and a small butterfly pendant.
She recalled what William had said and put the necklace back into the box.
She also placed those books on the bookshelf.
She was just a little short.
She was almost able to pull him out of that state.
She was just a little short...
...
"William, these days we were desperate with Ellie and even went to the police station, but the police told us to go back and wait for news."
Upon hearing Ellie's name, William paused for a moment.
Before, just hearing her name would make him involuntarily feel a bit of joy.
Now, however, his heart felt a bit sour.
He said in a deep voice, "Don't mention her anymore."
"Ah? Why? Did you and Ellie have a disagreement?"
"No reason."
William didn't want to talk about it, and Daniel didn't ask further.
"Why don't you live there anymore, William?"
"Moved back home."
Although William still looked indifferent, Daniel felt that he was unhappy.
...
After going back, Daniel still couldn't help but send a message to Ellie.
[Daniel]: Ellie, what happened between you and William?
Ellie quickly replied to the message.
[Ellie]: It's nothing, don't ask.
Although he didn't know what it was about, Daniel felt that something must have happened between these two people.
The things Ellie bought for William were locked in the cabinet by him, and even so, he still wasn't reassured.
Because Philip could do anything.
He opened that cabinet and took out the red scarf again, rubbing it on his face.
And that watch, he put it on his wrist, as if saying to himself: "The little teacher has a good taste."
And the clothes she bought for Coco, red, very nice, very festive.
He put everything away again and locked it in the cabinet.
...
On the evening of January 4th.
"Hello, Jennifer, right? Your mom suddenly fainted while dancing this morning, and she has been taken to the hospital. We can't contact your brother, so we had to call you."
"I'm on my way, which hospital is it?"
The person reported the name of a hospital.
...
"Drive faster, drive faster." Jennifer sat in the passenger seat, constantly urging Edward to drive faster.
Ellie sat in the back, absentmindedly watching the front.
As soon as the three arrived at the ward, a man who looked to be in his fifties came out and said to Jennifer, "You must be Jennifer?"
Jennifer nodded, then said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Dr. Sebastian Blake finished speaking and left the room.
"What is your relationship to the patient?"
"Daughter."
The doctor glanced at Jennifer and said, "Lacunar stroke, surgery should be arranged as soon as possible, and the estimated cost of the surgery is at least hundreds of thousands. You should discuss it with your other siblings."
Jennifer dialed Grimshaw's number.
After a few minutes of silence, the call was answered.
"Mom is hospitalized."
There was a pause, then he said, "Is it serious?"
Jennifer said, "It's serious, surgery is needed, and it will cost at least hundreds of thousands." She wanted to say that he could come over and take turns taking care of her, and he didn't have to pay for the expenses.
"I have bad signal here, I'm hanging up."
Although it wasn't on speakerphone, Grimshaw's voice still clearly reached the ears of several people in the ward.
The doctor glanced at the old lady on the hospital bed, thinking that this matter was probably over.
Jennifer said, "I'll cover all the expenses, please use the best equipment."
The doctor looked at Jennifer and said, "Okay."
...
The surgery went very well, and she should still be hospitalized for observation for a few days.
The first sentence Lavinia woke up to was: "Where is Grimshaw? Why didn't Grimshaw come?"
Jennifer held her hand, not knowing what to say.
Ellie said, "He didn't come, as soon as he heard the surgery would cost at least hundreds of thousands, he hung up the phone."
Lavinia coughed a few times, grabbed the cup by the table, and threw it at Ellie, scolding: "What nonsense are you talking about, young girl? Grimshaw was raised under my watchful eye, Grimshaw is so filial, how could he not come to see me, you're lying to me, it must be you, this mean girl, lying to me."
Ellie got splashed with water, she took a few pieces of paper from the table, and silently dried the water on her body.
Lavinia was still making a fuss, demanding to see Grimshaw and her great-grandson.
...
At noon on January 5th.
Jennifer and Edward went out to get medicine.
Ellie was feeding Lavinia.
Lavinia couldn't stand the sight of Ellie, who was quiet and seemed like a mute every day.
Ellie fed her, but she wouldn't eat.
Ellie put the food aside and said, "If you want to eat, eat by yourself."
She just gently put the bowl down, but in Lavinia's eyes, it was that she was impatient.
Lavinia overturned the food.
Soup and water splashed all over Ellie.
Ellie stood up and was about to leave the ward.
Lavinia was still scolding her from behind: "Why are you throwing the bowl? I'm not dead yet, and you're acting like this. If I die, won't you ride on my head? Do you wish me dead?"
Ellie looked back at her: "I have manners."
Realizing that Ellie was being sarcastic, Lavinia cursed even worse, spewing all kinds of foul language.
It was the duty nurse who came over to remind her: "Please be quiet in the hospital."
Ellie ran into Jennifer who was returning to the ward. Jennifer looked at the dirt on her and said, "Ellie, did your grandmother do this?"
"Mm-hmm."
Jennifer didn't know what to say anymore, and said to Ellie, "Your grandmother has a bad temper, and you've been wronged. You go home and change your clothes. You don't need to come to the hospital anymore, we'll manage here."
"Okay."
Watching Ellie's retreating figure, Jennifer sighed.
Just as she entered the ward, Lavinia started complaining to Jennifer: "What attitude did she just have? I said I wouldn't eat, so why did she throw the bowl? I'm not dead yet, and she treats me like this. She even insulted me for having no manners just now, that's the kind of daughter you raised."
Jennifer has also been busy and frazzled these days, and said to her, "Mom, you should also say less."
As soon as she said this, Lavinia got even angrier: "Why are you also asking me to say less? I'm old, not as good as before, and now you think I talk too much. Let me see Grimshaw, I want to see Grimshaw."
Edward said, "If he were coming, he would have been here already. We're the ones paying for all the medical expenses, and you're still saying your son is good."
"Well, shouldn't the daughter I raised pay for my medical expenses? Otherwise, why did I raise you so big? Grimshaw must have something going on that he couldn't come, unlike you, thinking so badly of others."
Edward knew he couldn't reason with her, so he simply stopped talking.
...
Ellie returned home, and Susan looked at the dirt on her clothes and said, "Ellie, did your grandmother do this?"
Ellie made a sound of affirmation.
Susan's eyes turned red with anger, she rubbed her head, and said, "Good girl, you've been wronged."
Ellie said, "I'm not wronged."
Susan looked at her with heartache.
How could she not feel wronged?