Morwenna had always had a soft spot for those who showed her kindness, keeping a mental tally of every good deed directed her way. So, when Stuart lent a hand, she also made a mental note of his kindness.
Unbeknownst to her, the catastrophe that had unfolded was Stuart's doing.
As they chatted, the distant wail of an ambulance sliced through their conversation.
Morwenna's face lit up. "Oh, the ambulance is here! Let's pull over."
Stuart stopped the car.
Without waiting for Stuart, Morwenna swiftly helped Mrs. White out of the car and dashed toward the ambulance.
She wasted no time getting Mrs. White onboard and climbed in after her.
Inside, the paramedics stabilized Mrs. White, and Morwenna breathed a sigh of relief.
Once at the hospital, Morwenna hurried to handle the admission formalities.
Soon after, Mr. White arrived, dripping with sweat.
In the hospital room, the usually quiet Mr. White was abnormally vocal.
"How could you be so careless as not restocking your medication on time? Forget the grocery store for now. Nothing's more important than your health. If something happened to you, I don't know what to do." Morwenna was looking on from the doorway, hit by a sudden wave of jealousy.
She chose not to interrupt, quietly slipping away.
Everyone had someone, a comfort, a hug in times of need. It seemed everyone had it except her.
Feeling lonely, Morwenna headed out, accidentally running into someone at the hospital entrance.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, her eyes brimming with involuntary tears as she clutched her nose, continuing to apologize.
When looking up, she saw Stuart.
Staring back at her, Stuart sensed a familiar loneliness enveloping her, the solitary existence he knew well.
But upon seeing Stuart, Morwenna's face broke into a big smile, her tear-filled eyes sparkling like a sunflower blooming in solitude.
"Hey there, Stuart! What are you doing here? Waiting for me?" she asked brightly.
Even though Stuart was only her husband by name, seeing him at that lonely moment brought her joy.
"Morwenna." Stuart's voice was deep and soothing. Just saying her name seemed to weave a spell around her.
Blushing, Morwenna didn't understand why her face heated up.
Stuart hadn't forgotten his purpose, though. Pretending to be kind was easy for him.
Suddenly, he reached out and pinched Morwenna's cheek. "You're such a fool, always taking care of others. You didn't even realize your arm was hurting."
Startled by his intimate gesture, Morwenna's blush deepened, spreading to her ears and neck. Was that a concern?
She didn't resist but explained, "I was in such a rush coming out and scratched my arm. It's just a small cut, nothing serious."
Stuart released her, saying coldly, "Get in the car."
Obediently, Morwenna climbed into the car, unaware of the icy look in Stuart's eyes when she turned her back, a look devoid of any warmth like a wolf enticing a naive rabbit.
Once in the car, Stuart pulled out a first aid kit and cleaned her wound. The sting of the antiseptic was sharp, but Morwenna didn't flinch. Pain was an old friend. She'd suffered worse injuries growing up. "You don't have to hold back the pain."
"I'm not." Morwenna wanted to say she wasn't in pain but stopped herself. How could she not be in pain?
Having lived alone from a young age, cries of pain had gone unnoticed, and gradually, she stopped voicing them.
But at the time, Stuart told her she didn't have to endure in silence.
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