The last day before the surgery.
Ryan Ford, Josiah Sutton, and Ethan Ford visited Julian Ford one after another, and Ezra Ford also ca by in the evening.
Upon seeing Scarlett Shaw, perhaps because he was mindful of his son, Ezra Ford didn’t put on his usual superior deanor, but that was the extent of it. Any further gesture of goodwill was out of the question.
Scarlett only politely and distantly called him President Ford.
Ezra Ford didn’t talk about anything else, only showed concern for his son’s health, and finally asked, "Do you still not wish to see your mom?"
The implication was that Freya Pierce wanted to co by tomorrow.
Julian Ford’s expression was very calm, "I need so peace right now."
He didn’t want anyone who could affect his emotions and physical state to be around.
His sole belief in leading a life he once thought dispensable was to live well and provide Scarlett with shelter and happiness.
He would definitely achieve that.
Ezra Ford, hearing this, didn’t say much more, just gave a few more words of care before leaving the ward.
Everything was as usual.
After the final pre-surgery check and preparation during the day, coupled with occasional headaches, weariness quickly swept over Julian Ford, and he slept early.
But in the middle of the night, he was awakened by a sudden downpour.
The rain in June in Capitoline is always like this—endlessly continuous and erratic, like a child with a bad temper.
His first reaction was still to check on Scarlett, but there was nothing in his arms.
Sleepiness vanished almost imdiately.
Julian Ford sat up from the bed—Scarlett wasn’t on the bed nor in the ward.
Stepping out of the ward, as he turned his head, he saw Ryan Ford sitting on a chair by the corridor, not asleep either. Hearing the noise, Ryan looked over in surprise, "Bro, you’re having surgery tomorrow. Why aren’t you asleep?"
"Did you see Scarlett?"
Julian Ford’s voice was very cold, and his heart felt weightless.
Ryan: "Scarlett said she was thirsty and went to the convenience store to buy so ice water."
There was a water dispenser in the ward; thirst was obviously an excuse.
The hospital’s convenience store was across from the inpatient building. When Julian Ford walked out, he imdiately saw Scarlett squatting under the eaves, clutching a box of cigarettes in her hand, a ring-adorned finger holding a cigarette awkwardly, choking and coughing incessantly, then angrily tossing the barely-smoked cigarette onto the rain-soaked ground.
Her face buried in her knees, her body trembling.
The rain was heavy, and through the misty water vapor, her figure beca indistinct.
Scarlett had co out in short sleeves.
In the middle of the night, caught in a downpour, she felt both damp and stiflingly hot.
Completely fed up.
"I’m right here with you, and yet you sneak out alone to be upset?"
Julian Ford’s voice rang out above her head, and Scarlett’s body shuddered violently. She lifted her face from her knees and looked up at him with longing eyes.
So pitiful, and so endearing.
Yet Julian Ford’s expression remained troubled, his tone tinged with anger, "When will you finally truly believe in ?"
Disappearing in the middle of the night—didn’t she know he’d worry about her, be terrified of not finding her?
Scarlett blinked, holding back the welling tears, and said with a grievance, "You’re having surgery tomorrow; I didn’t want to disturb your rest."
Julian Ford’s gaze deepened, his expression softened sowhat, "To , your matters are never a disturbance."
"But I’m really not a qualified family mber."
The tears couldn’t be held back and fell together with the rain.
She had been crying too often recently.
So often that even she found herself annoying, weak, unable to do anything but avoid.
"I can’t help but think of the worst possibilities, feeling more distressed with each thought, unable to hold on. Julian, I really, every day is so hard..."
"You’re the one going into surgery, you’re the one enduring pain, you’re the one facing lengthy treatnt. I don’t even have to do anything, yet I can’t even manage my emotions well!"
Squatting on the ground, her tears flowed fiercely.
Julian Ford looked down at Scarlett for a long while before squatting down to et her at eye level, sighing, "Did my dad say sothing to you?"
Panic flickered in Scarlett’s eyes for a brief mont.
Even a second didn’t escape Julian Ford’s eyes.
"Did you really think you could hide it from by not letting Aaron Carson tell ?"
The tears paused in shock montarily, and Scarlett bewilderedly spoke, "How did you know..."
She had been trying so hard to conceal it.
"Your act was too clumsy, Scarlett."
In her urgency to express love, in her haste to put the ring on him, everything was so rushed; how could he not be suspicious?
Although Aaron didn’t voluntarily ntion it to Julian Ford, when asked, he didn’t dare conceal it.
"What could it be, if not to make leave you..."
Her thoughts exposed, Scarlett blurted out in grievance:
"But I can’t do that."
"He said so many harsh words, so many truths, yet I just want to stay by your side and never leave!"
She’s just that willful, that selfish.
Knowing that at tis like these, she should be optimistic and strong, not let him worry, yet she sneakily ran out on the night before his surgery just because she felt down, causing her boyfriend who was to undergo surgery in the morning to fearfully run out to find her.
"Scarlett."
He called her Scarlett, gently stroking her head, like soothing an irritable little cat, with patience and kindness.
"Just that one last sentence of yours is enough."
"When you feel like crying, don’t hide away alone anymore. I will always be here. The doctor also said, even if it’s malignant, since it’s early stage, as long as post-operative treatnt goes well, there’s a good chance of living a long ti."
The ti spent together with her was just barely a year, so short and precious, how could he bear to leave early?
The physical pain from the treatnt would never be as painful as losing her.
Scarlett sobbed, nestling into his arms and hugging him tightly, "You’re becoming increasingly tender towards , I’m not quite used to it."
"Only to you."
The man’s voice was calm, even when mingled with the sound of rain, still strikingly profound.
Because she accepted him for all he was, on a birthday that was never celebrated, sincerely wishing him health and happiness, even knowing he once only gave a little affection, willing to regard their relationship with the most precious love, even during quarrels when things weren’t pleasant, her eyes would tell him she liked him the most.
He saw in her the best way to love soone, and he was the one being loved; what an honor and pride that is.
She always deserved a deeper, better love.
And the one to make that happen, was him, not anyone else.
The sobs didn’t cease with gentle comfort, but grew increasingly torrential, falling unstoppably like the rain.
The difference was, the rain hit the ground, while Scarlett’s tears fell, one by one, onto Julian Ford’s heart.
Reviews
All reviews (0)