I've Been There Before

Chapter 330: He Imprisons the Body, and She Imprisons the Heart

In the hospital, the door to the ward was quietly opened. This time, Ladd didn’t tell Caden.

When Humbert hurried over, he saw that woman.

Without saying anything, Humbert was pulled by Gloria into the corridor. The door opened and closed.

The man in the bed fell asleep on his side.

It was unknown what he was dreaming of, but his tight eyebrows implied he wasn’t sleeping peacefully.

His hand resting on the quilt was wearing a wedding ring.

The woman slowly approached and stopped in front of the man’s bed.

Her clear eyes stared at the ring on the man’s finger.

It was also unknown what she was thinking.

She stared at the ring for a long time until she was lost in thought.

After a long while, the man opened his eyes and saw the person in his dream.

He smiled at her with his pale face and said, “I’m dreaming again.”

He spoke to her in a gentle tone as if she was a friend whom he hadn’t met for years. “It’s good that you’re willing to come into my dream.”

The woman stood beside the bed in a trance. Her gaze slowly shifted to that person’s face. It had been only a month and he was already so thin.

Perhaps it was because of his words or because of the gentleness and attachment in his eyes that she had never seen before.

She didn’t want to think about how she could show that she hated him.

She just followed her heart, bent down, and kissed his forehead warmly. “Is it a dream?”

She asked.

The man’s eyes were filled with surprise and joy. He curled his lips and said, “Yes.”

She chuckled as if she had forgotten the love and hatred between them, and forgotten all the hardships she had experienced. Like a good friend, she reached out and twisted her fingers on his arm. “Is it a dream?”

The man woke up due to the sudden pain. He was pleasantly surprised. He dared not believe it or close his eyes. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes and opened them again, she would disappear.

“It hurts, but not very real. Try again,” he said.

She picked up an apple from the side and peeled it quietly. Not long after, the peeled apple was passed to the man.

The apple in front of him emitted its scent. In the man’s deep eyes, all these seemed so unreal. He didn’t dare to take it.

Who knew whether the apple would disappear if he took the apple?

“When is your surgery?” She did not pester him, holding the peeled apple in her hand.

The man was alert. A trace of nervousness flashed on his face. “Who told you that?”

“Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?” She asked, ignoring his words.

“The day after tomorrow.” He stared at her. She was more stubborn than him. She wouldn’t give up until she got an answer.

The woman nodded and pushed the apple to his front. “Don’t you want to eat it? I peeled it.”

She said.

The man’s heart was warmed up when he heard she peeled it. He had never been weak, but now his eyes felt sour. His eyelids were red. He blinked his eyes and took the apple.

Bite by bite, he seemed not eating an apple, but nectar.

Every bite was sweet.

His mind was in a daze and he couldn’t guess her purpose.

He ate the apple bite by bite, and she quietly peeled another one for him.

After he finished eating, the second apple was peeled and handed to him.

The man didn’t say anything, took it and began eating.

The second, the third … until the fifth. He looked at the apple in his hand and was embarrassed. Even if he liked apples, he couldn’t eat so many at once. Moreover, he didn’t like apples.

“Eat more, or you won’t have the strength,” the woman said.

His mind was full of questions. No strength? What strength?

He was still desperately using his wisdom to think about her words when the woman beside the bed said.

“Are you sure you don’t want more? Are you full?”

“I’m full.”

He didn’t understand what she meant. Why did he have to eat apples till he was full?

He was puzzled.

However, the woman turned around and walked toward the door.

A huge sense of loss filled his heart.

He wanted to stop her, but didn’t … God knows what would happen after the surgery the day after tomorrow.

He wanted to give her the whole world and happiness, and wanted to accompany her for the rest of his life … At this moment, they had become an empty wish.

Who knew if he would be dead or alive the day after tomorrow?

As for why she would appear by his bed late at night … Forget it, let her go.

There came the sound of locking the door in the cold ward.

He watched her return and said, “You …”

The woman stood in front of his bed, looking at him quietly for a while. It was rare that a grown man like him would blush like this. “I know you hate me. Even if you want me to die, I’ll do it as long as you’re happy.

“But I don’t want your hands dirty. Why don’t you wait until my surgery the day after tomorrow?

“Don’t worry, the success rate of the surgery is negligible. I’ll pay you back what I owe sooner or later.

“Just don’t get your hands dirty. Even if you don’t care, I do. “

He heard she bought a flight ticket, but she came back late at night, appeared in his ward, and locked the door … That’s right, he owed her too much and hurt her too much. It was natural for her to hate him and want him dead.

However, she didn’t have to do it herself.

The woman looked at the man chattering in the bed. In the next second, she reached out to him.

“Really, don’t get your hands dirty for me …”

Before the word “me” could fall, the quilt on him was lifted and a thin body came in.

Instantly, a warm and fragrant body was beside him.

He was stunned, not sure what to do.

“You, I …”

She unbuttoned his clothes, rolled over, and sat on his body in a bullying posture.

“You, you …”

The buttons snapped open. She bent over and kissed him on the lips.

If he could endure this, he wouldn’t be a man!

His mind was empty and he had no idea what she was doing.

However, his body had already responded honestly. He grasped her slender waist with his big palms, raised his head, and kissed her back passionately.

Outside the door, Ladd heard the door locked. He was extremely nervous and reached out to knock on the door.

He was stopped by Gloria.

“The door is locked. What if madam did something to our boss?”

“You said what if.” Gloria retorted.

Humbert looked solemn. “We should prepare for the worst. It’s strange for her to come back, isn’t it?”

“Mr. White said the same thing. Step aside and don’t stop me. The boss is in danger now!” Ladd’s face was filled with hostility. “I’ll go in and stop …”

Before he could finish speaking, they heard a blushing voice.

They all had sex experience. No matter how dumb they were, they understood what was going on with this voice.

Ladd’s face turned red.

“Kick the door. Go in and stop it. Your boss is in danger.” Gloria ridiculed.

Humbert put his hands into his pockets and walked to the end of the corridor.

Inside the door was a small world that seemed to be isolated from the outside world.

In the end, the woman stood up silently and put on her clothes quietly.

“Caden, we didn’t use protection just now.” The woman said unhurriedly in a coarse voice.

“Maybe a new life is started here.” She gently stroked her belly.

“You …”

“You know how much I hate you. You said you owed me too much and hurt me too deeply.

“Then you should know how much I hate you.”

The stars in the man’s eyes dimmed. “Grace …”

“You’re dying. Before you die, I should get some interest back.

“I’m afraid when you’re dead, I won’t be able to collect debts from a dead man.

“The success rate of the surgery the day after tomorrow is very low. If it fails, when you die, I’ll let your child call someone else father.”

The man’s eyes lit up and he hastily rejected. “No way!”

The woman smiled at him and said, “Of course I can. After all, I hate you and don’t want you to die in peace.”

She comforted him. “Don’t worry, your child won’t grow up without a father.”

“Of course! My child will have a father to grow up with.”

…

The day of the surgery.

It was cold and the sky was gloomy.

In the garden of the hospital, the cold wind was bone-chilling. She sat on a bench, wrapped in a thick scarf.

Holding a cup of warm juice, Gloria stamped her feet coldly on the side. “There’s heating in the hospital. Do you have to sit outside and feel the cold wind?”

She wrapped her scarf tighter and looked up at the gray sky.

“What are you thinking?” Gloria leaned over and looked up at the sky. She said, “There’s nothing to see. It’s foggy.”

“I was wondering if I was wrong to come back.”

Gloria sneered. “You slept with him that night. Why didn’t you think you were wrong at that time? Is it too late to think about it now?”

“I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Gloria sneered again and changed the topic. “To be honest, what did you think at the airport that day that finally changed your mind?”

“Nothing, I just thought that he hurt me too much. I hate him so much. I’ve been pestering him for half my life. I came back to participate in the last bit of his life. I’m sending him off for the last time.”

Gloria sneered in disbelief … Just to see if Caden was dead and how miserable he was, did she need to sleep with him?

She wanted Caden to have a concern and not dare to die easily.

“You know I hate him, and I’m afraid of him.

“Six years ago, he put me in jail with iron bars everywhere.

“Not long ago, when I woke up one morning, I was locked up in a house full of wire mesh windows.

“In my eyes, they were no different from the iron bars in jail six years ago.

He did everything he could to imprison me. He didn’t let go until he was sick to death.

“He said he was tired of this game and me. I bought it.

“But what is this now?

“He let go when he’s going to die of illness.

“Is this to show his affection?

“You were right. When I was at the airport, my mind was filled with your scolding. I was on the run all the time.

“I kept escaping.

“Not only from him but also from the James family.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to Erhai Lake to pay off the debt of Leona’s life, or to escape from my own misery?

“Caden imprisoned my body and I imprisoned my heart.”

The woman stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go back. It’s getting cold.”

Gloria was still immersed in the woman’s monologue. Hearing this, she stood up and said, “I thought you didn’t know it’s cold. Let’s go.”

She kept up with Grace and put the warm juice into Grace’s hand.

At the corner, they bumped into an acquaintance.

“Hasn’t his surgery ended yet?” Master Shaw spoke first.

“The surgery is complicated. Let’s wait.” She answered, not willing to talk a bit more to the old man.

Saying one more word would make her uncomfortable.

“I heard you were divorced?”

“You are well-informed.”

“It’s good to be divorced.”

The old man snorted in disdain. He went past her and walked away with his cane.

“Wait a moment,” she went toward him and said, “Don’t ever involve me in the matter between you and my grandfather again. I don’t owe you anything. If you still want to collect your debts, you can go to my late grandfather.

“Well, my position is clear. Excuse me for not seeing you off.”

“You!” The old man behind her was furious, but Grace had walked far away.

“What’s going on? The Shaws still have a grudge against the James family?” Gloria kept up with her.

“Nothing.”

“Then you …”

“I don’t like that old man.”

Gloria gave her a thumbs up and said, “Awesome.”

The enmity between the Shaws and the James family and between Master Shaw and Master James should be buried together with the two old men.

She was unwilling to think of it again.

The third day after the surgery.

In the intensive care unit, the man in the bed reacted.

The slightest reaction was enough to make everyone who was waiting and worrying relieved.

Morning of the tenth day. NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.

The man in the bed opened his eyes. “Where’s she? Did she leave again?”

The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to roll his eyes, the only body part he could move, and search around. But he didn’t see the person he was looking forward to.

Humbert took his temperature and said angrily.

“You’re lucky to live twice. Are you still thinking about the woman who doesn’t care about you?”

“So she did leave.” The loneliness in the man’s eyes makes people feel sorry.

Humbert rolled his eyes in contempt.

“You can chase after her if she has left.”

“She hates me. I’ve lived twice. I don’t want to force her anymore.”

Humbert seemed to have seen a ghost. “Holy shit! Tell me, did some ghost from the hell get into your body?”

The nineteenth day after the surgery.

He could get out of bed and walk slowly with the help of another person.

The twentieth day after the surgery.

He saw the person he had been thinking of.

“The day I woke up, Humbert said you were at the wedding.” He was excited then silent. It was like his heart was pierced by a thorn. He wanted to pull it out, but a single touch on the thorn was so painful that it almost tore his heart.

“Kern … is he good to you?”

“Yes, quite good.”

The man’s eyes ached. He lowered his eyelids, pretending he didn’t care.

“Congratulations. You won’t be hurt by an asshole like me anymore.”

“You’re indeed an asshole.”

“Grace … I’m sorry.” He said word by word.

“Do you think saying sorry would help?”

He couldn’t refute.

“Caden, do you know how afraid I was of you?

“You imprisoned me twice.

“You built me one cage after another.

“Six years ago I was put in jail. That was your cage.

“Not long ago, you barricaded your house. In my eyes, the wire mesh windows were no different from the iron bars in the jail.

“Do you know how scared I was at that moment?

“Caden, in my life, you’ve built two cages for me. Tell me, how should I forgive you?”

He was dumbfounded again. Only after hearing her accusation did he regret it. He was eager to keep her but unknowingly did things that hurt her.

Now, she was someone else’s wife … He slowly clenched his fists. It was so painful that he could barely control himself.

“I’m sorry.” He hated himself for saying sorry, but at this moment, he looked through the vocabulary and couldn’t find a more appropriate word.

The woman stared quietly for a long time and said, “I wasn’t Kern’s bride.”

Suddenly, the man raised his head in surprise. “You weren’t?”

She shook her head and said, “Your grandfather picked the bride by himself. I went there as a representative of the James Group …”

“Then you …” He suddenly realized something. He held the woman’s slender palm tightly with his large palm, not caring if she was willing or not. After great sorrow, he was overjoyed.

“Grace.” He looked at her. He knew that his request was shameless, but she wasn’t married, and he didn’t want the despair of knowing she married someone else again.

“Grace, I’ll tell you a story.”

He said, “Once upon a time, there was a fool named Caden. In the past, he was very happy because a girl named Grace was always beside him and loved him.

“But afterward, he was unhappy. This fool severely hurt the girl who loved him.

“One day, he realized he had fallen in love with this girl a long time ago.

“But at this time, the girl was hurt so much that she dared not to love him anymore. He lived in regret every day ever since.”

He slowly narrated, raising his eyes to look deeply at the woman in front of him.

He was serious and cautious as if in front of a god. He said his sincere request and lifetime’s oath.

“Grace, the fool in the story is standing in front of you.”

For the first time, he was incomparably calm and sincere.

“I’m standing in front of you, ready to spend my life with you. I’m also prepared that you may leave at any time.”

This time, he didn’t force her.

He just stared at her. His pitch-black eyes were sincere and pure. As a man, he swore an oath to his lifelong lover.