The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1212 Afraid of Being Forgotten

Sheryl caught Nick's eyes. She was dressed in a casual outfit that made her look younger than she really was. In his eyes, she was attractive and beautiful. In fact, it was natural for men to be attracted by her appearance. Nick wasn't any different.

Nick's stare lingered on Sheryl as if his eyes were locked on her bound by some magic spell. Sheryl still didn't notice the obvious affection in Nick's eyes, but a nurse did. Moments ago, she was walking towards them with a bright smile on her face and excited to see Nick again. However, as she was approaching them, she saw how Nick looked at Sheryl. She stopped as disappointment and pain flooded her. She immediately changed her direction and hid in a corner where they couldn't see her. She stood frozen like a tree as she watched how Nick affectionately looked at Sheryl. She felt her heart start to break inside of her. Her fists clenched as she bit her lower lip in attempt to keep herself from crying. Still, her tears betrayed her, and she couldn't keep watching anymore. The nurse turned and walked away with warm tears flowing down her cheeks and her heart torn into pieces.

Sheryl was still oblivious of Nick's stare; all she felt at that moment was guilt. After Nick told her as to why he was in the hospital, she couldn't help but feel the impulse to lecture him.

Even though it was undeniable how important work was, health was still the foundation of working effectively and should be given utmost priority. Thinking about this made Sheryl's eyebrows furrow into a frown. She turned to Nick and blamed him for ignoring his health. "How many times do we have to remind you to take more rest and keep yourself from stress? Nick, you work too hard. The doctor warned you already, and I believe that Isla and I have done our jobs of reminding you as well, but where did it all go? It just went in one ear and out the other. When will you listen? If you keep working so crazily and rashly, let me tell you, we won't be there to take care of you when you fall ill again." Sheryl crossed her arms. Her voice implied that she was angry. Although she appreciated Nick's dedication and hard work, work still couldn't be finished or done well once health was being neglected. Health was still necessary for long cooperation. Her pretending to be angry was also to show him her attitude when it came to situations like this.

No matter how Sheryl nagged at Nick, it didn't annoy him even the tiniest bit. Instead, he could only feel concern coming from Sheryl, making a thread of warmth flow into his heart.

At that moment, he remembered what his partner did the last time he was hospitalized. His partner ran away with all their money without even leaving him some behind not even a tiny bit of concern. That was why after that, he had sworn to himself that he would not trust anyone again. He had worked hard and made great contributions to their investments, but what did he get in return?

He got nothing but deception and betrayal, and the feeling of being stupid enough to trust deceivers.

From then on, he had made up his mind that it was much better to deceive and to betray than be the one deceived and betrayed.

It wasn't the first time he had felt being left behind with nothing. He became an orphan at a young age, and never did he enjoyed his childhood. It was full of pain and neglect. If only he had parents, then he would have experienced the feeling of being happy. Then, like a light by the end of a long, dark tunnel, he met Sheryl and Isla. It was the first time he had felt the affection and care that existed only between family members. They were like elder sisters to him, who showed him kindness and compassion. For the first time, he felt he wasn't alone in this cruel world. He looked at Sheryl with a warm feeling inside of him and knew that she was only angry at him because she was concerned about his well-being.

At that moment, he decided to change his mindset. He promised to himself that he would prove himself by making achievements and showing off his talent without stepping on anyone else. He would work hard and live well for the two sisters who treated him as if he was their younger brother-as if he was their family.

'I will stop living my life as if it was trash, as if I was useless. I will make great achievements and dream big dreams.

I will be successful like the others, and most importantly, I will start to learn how to be happy,' he thought to himself.

With a bright smile on his face, Nick turned to Sheryl and said in a solemn voice, "Sher, thank you so much. I really mean it."

This reaction surprised Sheryl. Even though they had known each other for quite a time now, and his behavior and actions hinted that he was difficult to get along with, she just shrugged it off and never minded it. They still got along quite well, but it was rare to see Nick as serious as this.

Sheryl just nodded and once more never minded Nick's sudden seriousness. She then replied shortly, "Don't mention it. Anyway, how is the project going?"

Nick's face immediately lit up in excitement at Sheryl's question. He had been dedicating himself on this project for a long while now, and it wasn't until recently that he finally figured something out. It was something that was worth celebrating about.

'As soon as I recover and leave the hospital, I will treat Isla and Sheryl to a dinner, because thanks to them, I have gotten myself out from rock bottom and through the difficult times. Moreover, although I still won't be able to return the huge fees right away, I will surely pay them back soon. As long as my project is finished, investors will soon be lining up and be eager to pay for it, and I will have enough money by then, he thought in delight.

Nick opened his mouth to tell Sheryl his plans, but decided against it-it was better to keep it as a secret and surprise them soon after he was released from the hospital.

Instead, Nick smiled and said, "The project is going well. My blood, sweat, and tears will pay off soon."

Sheryl nodded, feeling happy for Nick. "That's great. No pain, no gain. There are times wherein gains will be a little late, and that's when our patience will be tested."

Sheryl and Nick stayed there and conversed about work and other random things and insights. As the sun started to set, Sheryl bid goodbye to Nick and asked him to go back to his room so that he could rest. Nick agreed even though he still wanted to talk to Sheryl. Besides, it was indeed growing late, and he didn't want to keep Sheryl long. After bidding goodbye and thanking her once more, Nick walked back towards his ward. As he was on his way back, he happened to see the nurse, Cassie.

It was nearly noon, and there were only a few people in the hospital, and fewer people walking by the very hallway. Nick caught sight of her and remembered how she had taken care of him for a whole night. Although he had her phone number, he never called her or sent a message to her once. If he hadn't seen her in the hallway, he would have forgotten about her completely.

As he looked at the nurse, he was trying to come up with words to start a conversation. However, Nick was not good at talking with other people, especially with strangers. It was difficult for him to start a conversation, let alone greet her.

He was lost in his thoughts that he didn't immediately notice how Cassie hastily walked towards him.

Nick's thoughts were interrupted as soon as the nurse stopped in front of him, making him freeze on the spot. Her eyes were quite swollen and red, overflowing with tenderness and concern. In a sweet and low voice, she asked, "Hello, Nick. I heard from my colleague that you are in the hospital. What's wrong? What happened?"

As she stared at her, uneasiness crept inside of him. Nick started to feel uncomfortable to the point that he would have run away already if not for his control. He remembered about the jest Isla and Sheryl had said before, making him nervous. The last thing he would like to do was to develop any relationship with this nurse.

In a polite manner, Nick replied, "I am okay, but thank you for your concern."

Cassie's eyes darkened, but she quickly hid it, making it look like it hadn't happened at all. She felt dejected inside, but she kept her calm and composed outside. At that moment, she knew that this handsome man in front of her had no feelings for her. His nervousness was obvious, and he even said nothing but a perfunctory reply. 'I'm afraid that he has forgotten about me.

Besides, I only looked after him for one night. We are not relatives, nor are we friends or acquaintances. We don't even know each other before that day. I'm just a nurse, and plus, I am not that beautiful. It's understandable that he doesn't like me,' she thought.

Even though she knew that she had to accept that painful truth, it was still easier said than done. Her broken heart still couldn't accept it.

She was certain that she had developed feelings for this man. After he left the hospital, all she could think about was the night they spent together. It was not a special night, but for her, it meant more than just work. She looked after him the way that any nurse would treat her patient but a little bit more. Besides, they didn't talk anything quite personal. They only conversed about common topics such as the work, the weather, and other random small things. However, for no reason at all, she fell in love with him.

She thought about him and even called after him in her thoughts several times and wished that she would get a call from him. She thought about him as soon as she woke up and before she slept. Several days had passed, and her phone still didn't receive anything from him.

There were also times when she would feel overwhelmed by sadness and disappointment for not seeing him. Maybe they would meet in the hospital. Maybe he would feel ill and go see a doctor, and she would see him again. Whatever the reason was, anything was better than waiting in vain and not getting to see him again.

The nurse even checked his profile from the medical files for his phone number. She had saved the number and tried to dial his number several times to call him, but she couldn't make herself click the call button. Her trembling hands betrayed her, and none of the calls she attempted were ever made. Even though she memorized the number by heart, she still didn't have any guts to call him.

'Why?' She kept asking herself why she couldn't, or why he didn't call her. Her mind was filled with whys and question marks.

However, she knew deep in her heart that the reason she wasn't able to do it was that she wasn't brave enough and confident enough to make the first move.

She was a woman, and she believed that men should be the one who made the first move and who should be the one confessing first. She had a few past relationships with men, and all of them made the first move, so she felt like that begging for a man's love was shameless as a woman.

Moreover, she thought that Nick didn't have any feelings for her and wouldn't love her, because as they spent that night together, there was not even a slightest indication of his affection for her.

He never called her even though she didn't as well. She did not dare to call him, because she felt like it was an absolute disgrace and a loss of dignity as a woman. She would rather drown herself in sadness than be shameless to beg for a man's love.

She thought about how God always made people suffer. However, before she was about to give up entirely after waiting for days in vain, to her surprise, Nick appeared once more in the hospital she was working in. She felt like it was a miracle, and another chance for her to redeem herself.

As soon as she learned from her colleague that Nick was back in the hospital, she was filled with joy and excitement. She started searching for him in every ward and hallway, but as she caught sight of him, her smile dropped. Her heart couldn't help but break into pieces as she watched the man she loved look at someone else the way she looked at him.