Chapter 7

I dial the number on the note, but the automated voice informs me that the number is currently unreachable. A wave of disappointment washes over me. With a heavy sigh, I put the phone down and turn my attention back to the old man.

The scene before me is disheartening—he sits silently, his eyes fixed on me with a depth of unspoken words. I approach him, my mind battling between reluctance and an unexpected sense of duty. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up," I murmur, more to myself than to him.

I find some clean clothes in a nearby drawer and help him change. The process is slow and awkward, and I fumble through it, feeling out of place. The old man remains silent, his eyes never leaving mine. They are filled with a mixture of gratitude and sadness, as if he has a million words to say but cannot utter a single one.

After changing him, I grab some food left by the neighbors. "Let's try to get you something to eat," I say gently, bringing a spoonful to his lips. He opens his mouth slowly, and I help him take a few bites. The simple act of feeding him feels overwhelming, the weight of their misery pressing down on me.

Finally, I finish up and head back to my place to get ready for work. As I glance at the clock, I realize I am already running late. "Just great," I mutter under my breath. I quickly change into my office clothes, my mind still reeling from the morning's events.

At the office, I struggle to focus on my tasks. Booking appointments and clicking pictures for property listings feel utterly meaningless now. My mind keeps drifting back to the old man and Mrs. Lee in the hospital. I can't shake off the image of their suffering.

I dial the number for Lily again and again, but no one answers. The phone rings and rings, each unanswered call heightening my frustration. "Come on, pick up," I whisper desperately into the phone. I receive several warnings from my colleagues to focus on my work, but I can't bring myself to care. What does it matter, anyway? This job is nothing compared to what I went through in law school.

Around noon, Mrs. Laura walks over to my desk, her expression stern. "Alex, you've been slacking off. We need the documents for the acquisition by evening."

I nod absently, still clutching the phone. "Yeah, I got it. Just give me a minute."

"What's going on with you?" she asks. "First, you are late to work and then you don't even work properly. Is that how you are going to repay the firm?"

"It's a personal problem, which I know shouldn't affect my work," I reply curtly, not wanting to delve into the whole story. "I'll get back to work soon."

She gives me a skeptical look but walks away, leaving me to my thoughts. I try concentrating back on my work and start preparing the legal documents for the acquisition. While typing thoughtlessly on my computer, my eyes keep veering towards my phone screen, hoping for a call back from Lily.

I keep speculating about the connection they share. Along with the photograph I saw on the nightstand, which was evidently a really old one, I wonder if the girl in the photo is actually Lily, who seems to be their granddaughter.

I finish my work around 5:20 pm and head straight to the hospital.

Upon entering the same ER room, I am informed that she has been shifted to a ward. I climb two floors to get to the ward where she is admitted. I see her from the entrance, occupying the bed in the row beside the window wall, now completely conscious and sitting up on the bed, looking outside the window into the distance.

I approach her, my feet silently walking.

"How are you feeling now?" I ask.

She doesn't react, continuing to look outside the window, as if she couldn't hear or knew that it is me.

"I still hear you knocking at the door, as I was groaning with this strange pain in my chest, but there was no one to even call the ambulance," she speaks. These are the first words I am hearing from her mouth.

I take a seat on a stool beside her. "I was worried seeing that you didn't take in the newspaper and milk cartons. My imagination tends to be more negative, and I just can't ignore something like this."

"I am thankful to you, Mr. Alex. You indeed saved me."

"There's no need actually; anyone would have done the same," I say, feeling a little great. To add to her thankfulness, I try to boast more. "By the way, you don't need to worry about your husband too. The neighbors are taking care of him. I also checked on him this morning; he is completely fine."

Mrs. Lee contorts her face in an unexpected way.

"I don't worry about him anymore. I know he will be alright no matter what."

I am quite taken aback by her reply. From what I had noticed, Mrs. Lee was a devoted wife taking care of her disabled husband. "I don't quite get what you are saying."

"I'm saying that, for the first time in my life, I am worrying about myself, not about someone who should have been dead by now if I hadn't sacrificed my life."

Her words leave me speechless and thinking back on my words. "I see. I get it. One should always prioritize their health first. Seems like you, as a devoted wife, have been neglecting your own health."

"Mr. Alex," she looks me in the eye, her gaze stern, "I have heard you are a family lawyer."

"Indeed, Mrs. Lee, I work at Daniyan Consultancy firm."

"Can you help me get a divorce from my husband... and also his whole fortune as my alimony?"

"What?" I stand up involuntarily, almost making a fool of myself in front of all the people. The image I had developed of a devoted wife is now replaced with an overly ambitious woman. I see a fire in her eyes now.

At that moment, my phone rings. When I look at it, I see the mysterious Lily's number.