"Go. I don't want to see you." Crystal choked back her tears, her voice pleading.

Then she turned and entered her room with her head down, closing the door behind her.Chandler stayed put with a key in his hand and stared after her noiselessly. Disappointment coloredhis face when the door was closed.

The 200-square-meter villa was very quiet. He could distinctly hear the clock ticking.

Chandler had never been at a loss as he was now. He stood stiffly and felt too tired to think aboutanything.

He didn't want to leave.

He dipped his head and darted a woeful glance at the key in his hand.

Chandler walked quietly to the counter by the door and gently put it down

Then he left the house and closed the gate.

Crystal tossed and turned on the bed. Her thin brows were furrowed tightly as if she was unsettledby a nightmare.

Perhaps it was because she'd fallen asleep in a bad mood that she couldn't have a sound sleep.After a while, her cheeks flushed and sweat beaded on her forehead. Her breath turned unsteadytoo.

Suddenly, a cool hand covered her forehead to check her temperature.

She was having a fever.

"Why... Why are you still here?"

Crystal opened her eyes and felt groggy. She saw a familiar face above her and was confused.Chandler had intended to leave but stayed at last.

Without answering her, Chandler rummaged through the wardrobe and said with a serious face,"Put your clothes on. I'll send you to the hospital.”

Crystal felt her head so heavy and tried to push his hands away subconsciously, but the fever hadmade her body limp.

"Why hospital... I don't know. I don't want to go..."

"Crystal, be a good girl."

Chandler's voice turned stern. He bent down, pulled the quilt off, and helped her put on a coat. Hestruggled to get Crystal off the bed but she threw tantrums like a kid and wouldn't cooperate."Why should I be a good girl? Why do I have to be a good girl?" Crystal shouted willfully.

"Don't you take me as a soft touch? The worm will turn.”

She lay on her stomach and clutched a pillow to her chest, looking really angry.

Chandler had the fever to thank for showing him the childish side of Crystal.

Chandler found her both annoying and amusing. When he touched her, he could clearly feel theheat coming off her body.

Chandler was very worried and picked her up directly.

The body in his arms was so hot. She flailed her arms in the air and scratched his neck.

Chandler winced. He'd never expected this docile woman to have so sharp nails.

After protesting futilely for a while, Crystal got exhausted and fell asleep quietly.

Chandler carefully carried her into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.

He whispered in a mild voice, "We'll be in the hospital soon.”

Crystal looked so weak with flushes on her cheeks and colorless lips. Chandler took a deep breath tocalm himself down and then started the car, heading towards the hospital.

He felt very nervous along the way and kept glancing at the woman beside him.

She took good care of others but didn't know how to take care of herself.

"Silly Crystal.”

In the hospital, Chandler called a doctor friend and got Crystal a VIP ward. Holding the woman's hotbody in his arms, he was worried sick and said to the doctor, "She's pregnant...”

The doctor took on a grave look and asked, "Then we need to run more tests. How long has shebeen pregnant?”

Chandler was tongue-tied.

He didn't know.

He hadn't cared about it.

Seeing his embarrassed expression, the doctor patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry.She'd be fine. Even if she’s in an early stage of pregnancy, the odds of having a miscarriage are low.Don't think too much.”

Chandler nodded. "Thank you."

He sat by the bed with his eyes on Crystal. She looked very fragile with her eyes tightly closed. Shewas not as strong as Christina and became lethargic once she got ill.

"Crystal..." He murmured her name.

Chandler looked at her pale face and suddenly realized that he was not a good husband, not tomention a good father.

"Crystal, you didn't marry up. I'm too selfish..." Chandler mused with his head lowered. His eyesgradually became vacant as he got immersed in the memory.

"You're a good woman. You make people feel comfortable around you. You're always considerateand caring. I'm an asshole who failed you again and again.”

"I was the reason my brother died, but I've been too afraid to tell my parents the truth.”

His voice was very low. He had too much in mind and never confided to anyone. "I'm a coward," hesaid. He didn't lift his head for a long time as if he'd been paralyzed by time.

On the bed, Crystal slowly opened her eyes. Her gloomy expression was saying she'd been awakefor a while. She stole a glance at Chandler and saw the wistful expression on his heavenly face.

It was the first time she'd seen Chandler so downhearted.

He'd always been confident. He liked to play pranks on her and mess with her, but maybe this wasthe real him.

She had this feeling that he'd been exerted himself to put on a disguise and fake smiles even infront of his family so the untenable harmony wouldn't collapse. He sacrificed himself for others’happiness.

At this time, a nurse knocked on the door and walked in. Crystal hurriedly closed her eyes shut."Mr. Stephenson, don't worry too much. Your wife's fever has subsided and the baby is veryhealthy," the nurse smiled, handing Chandler a stack of test reports.

Chandler took it with an expressionless face and nodded.

The room fell silent again. Chandler sat in a chair by the bed and carefully read the papers in hishand.

Crystal furtively opened her eyes again to look at him

He was looking at a sonogram picture of the baby in a daze, apparently lost in his thoughts.

Was Chandler looking forward to the coming of their baby too?

Crystal really wanted to tell him that she was not an able woman, neither was she clever, but shewould shoulder whatever happened in life with him.

She was heartbroken to see him so worn out.

She'd fallen in love with him and whether he loved her back was not her concern. She was willing towait for him and keep his company.

At three in the afternoon, Christina rushed to see Crystal but she was nowhere to be found.

"Did you ask Crystal to leave?"

Christina punched Patrick in the chest angrily.

Crystal was not in the house and her phone had been off. Patrick was the most likely culprit. He'dbeen implicitly complaining about it for days.

Patrick did not defend himself.

The process didn't matter to him. He just wanted the result.

"No one's cooking you dinner now so you don't need to drop by again,” Patrick said in a deep voicewith no palpable emotion.

Charles had come all the way for the dinner. He searched every corner of the spacious house andsaid, "Crystal might just leave for an emergency. She prepared all the ingredients in the kitchen.”"Did Lucy take her out?” Christina asked.

LUCY had been taking this house as her home recently. She'd been coming by for at least one mealevery day.

Patrick turned to look at her and suddenly asked, "Are you close to Lucy?"

"I... Why do you ask me about your employee working in your company?" Christina hedged in afluster.

"God, Crystal is in the hospital.”

Charles suddenly shouted in surprise.

Both Christina and Patrick swung their eyes at him. Christina dashed to him and asked, "Whathappened? Why is she in the hospital?"

She immediately imagined how Crystal had been forced to take an abortion in the hospital.Charles looked at ease. He handed his phone to her and showed her a group chat on WhatsApp. Adoctor friend of Charles said Chandler had taken his wife to the hospital.

"She had a mild fever. It's been brought down after the doctor gave her a drip.”

Christina was relieved. "Just a fever. Thank god.” She'd thought something much worse hadhappened.

Charles sat leisurely on the sofa and asked, "How come she suddenly had a fever?"

Christina glared at him and hissed, "You should ask why Chandler happened to be the one sendingher to the hospital. He was despicable to lay his hands on her when we were away."

"Forget it. I don't think you should meddle in their marriage.”

"Do you mean I should stand by and let them perform an abortion on her?"

"Chandler definitely has his reasons.” Charles didn't think it was proper for him to talk about hisgood friend's private affairs.

"Anyway, you can't persuade them to have a divorce. That'll be sinister.”

Patrick shot a cold glance at Charles at this moment.

"I don't intend to do that," Christina replied in an aggrieved tone. Maybe she should really back off.Patrick frowned and reached out to grab her wrist forcefully. “Let's go home. The cook will makeyou whatever you want to eat." He seemed a little angry and dragged Christina away.

Christina followed behind him amenably, which was quite rare.

The door was slammed shut.

Charles came to the realization that he'd said something wrong. How could he have forgotten howprotective Patrick was?

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