CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: THE DUTIFUL HUSBAND

I was fretting over finding an excuse to make him leave, when suddenly the door to the ward was knocked.

It was Serena who came.

I couldn’t help but admire her; not only is she busy with concerts, filming commercials, and acting, but also tirelessly keeps an eye on Timothy.

Such high-energy, high-effort individuals succeed in everything they do!

With her eyes swollen and red, she gently said, "Timothy, I came to see Miss Ellison. Doris was here this morning, I couldn’t discuss Miss Ellison’s situation with her. I heard she was seriously injured. How is she now?"

Timothy said, "The surgery went well. The doctor said no aftereffects will be left."

"That’s good."

Serena said, "If anything really happened to Miss Ellison, I wouldn’t be at peace for the rest of my life."

Seeing her swollen eyes, Timothy asked, "What’s wrong with your eyes?"

"Nothing much?"

Serena wiped the corner of her eyes, tears glimmering, "It’s just me being overly sensitive and caring too much about those online comments."

She didn’t mention the news I released in the morning, but it felt like every word blamed me for tarnishing her image.

Timothy frowned at me, his gaze holding a trace of displeasure.

This morning, Sophia mentioned that Xavier Group’s stock price was affected by my news release, but he didn’t express any blame towards me.

But now, because Serena cried until her eyes were swollen, his gaze towards me changed.

Serena’s voice carried a layer of sobbing yet seemed like she was holding back grievances, she choked, "It’s my fault and Doris’s fault, always making Miss Ellison unhappy. Now, seeing she’s okay, I’m relieved. Timothy, please take good care of Miss Ellison, I... I’ll leave now."

After saying that, she covered her mouth and left, as if she was the woman whose relationship was sabotaged.

I watched her flawless performance from start to finish with disdain, and said to Timothy, "Aren’t you going to comfort her? If she cries until her eyes are blind, don’t ask me to donate corneas then!"

Timothy’s icy gaze fell upon my face, dissatisfied, "Why are you always so harsh? I thought the morning’s news would have let you vent. Zoe Ellison, don’t overdo things!"

With that, he stood up and hurriedly chased after her.

That night, Timothy did not return again.

...

The next day, I received a call from Jenna.

She told me with relief, "Timothy asked for leave for that little girl! Our kindergarten teachers finally don’t have to serve this little princess worryingly anymore."

"Leave?"

I asked puzzled, "Why? Is she ill?"

Jenna said, "Not really, she just dislikes kindergarten. Timothy indulges her. A week’s leave was taken, and I heard the little girl saying she wants to go to Port Matheson Disney."

And on social media circles, Serena has started posting their photos at Disney.

But, Serena still hasn’t shown her face, surprisingly my mother-in-law Sophia appeared in the pictures.

Thinking about it, Timothy and I have been married for four years, and we’ve never gone out to play as a neat little family.

I always thought someone like Sophia, difficult to deal with, would judge whoever Timothy married with her scrutinizing gaze.

But now I realize, I was wrong.

Sophia and Serena are getting along extraordinarily well.

I don’t understand, with things being this way, why hasn’t Timothy divorced me yet?

Wouldn’t it be better to give Serena and Doris a proper status?

I said to Jenna, "I got Timothy’s nail sample. If I can get Doris’s and Serena’s, we can do a DNA test."

Jenna sounded excited, "I already got that little girl’s nails and hair a while ago. But getting Serena’s would be tricky."

"Hmm, I’ll figure it out. For now, at least we can first get Timothy and Doris’s paternity test done."

After talking with Jenna, Mrs. Ellison’s call came right after.

"Confirmed, confirmed!" Mrs. Ellison said excitedly, "Your brother said he’ll bring Serena home next Wednesday noon."

My heart leapt with excitement, "Really? Confirmed?"

"Of course!"

Mrs. Ellison reminded me, "Remember to bring Timothy next Wednesday; it’s a family meal."

I felt a bit uneasy, asking, "Mom, did you not tell Serena that I’ll be there too?"

Mrs. Ellison laughed and said, "You told me not to mention it, so I didn’t."

"That’s good."

I heaved a sigh of relief, "Then Timothy and I will definitely come next Wednesday."

After talking to Mrs. Ellison, a call came from my mother’s hospital.

It was prompting for the treatment fee payment.

My mother’s annual treatment fee while hospitalized is a huge sum, previously covered by The Ellison Family.

Later, after I married Timothy, he offered to bear the cost for my mother-in-law’s treatment.

Back then, he always put me first, everything he did was for my sake.

But now, accompanying Serena to play, he forgot all the promises he made to me.

I held my phone, staring at the screen for a long time, before deciding to dial his number.

Serena answered the call.

"Miss Ellison, do you need something? Timothy is playing with Doris now, it’s not convenient."

She was polite yet aloof, as if I was the one harassing them.

I said coldly, "Let him answer the phone."

Serena repeated again, "Sorry, Timothy is really inconvenient now, on the roller coaster with Doris. If you have anything, you can tell me, I’ll relay it to him."

I couldn’t bring myself to discuss asking Timothy for money with a mistress.

Later, through the phone I heard Serena say, "Mom, it’s Zoe."

I was quite surprised.

I didn’t expect Serena’s relationship with my mother-in-law to advance to such a level.

That ’Mom’ call sounded so intimate.

"I’ll take it, this little bitch, still clinging to Timothy, not letting go."

Sophia scolded as she took the phone, said to me, "Zoe Ellison, let me tell you, Serena is the only daughter-in-law I acknowledge. You clinging to Timothy is useless! Don’t call to humiliate yourself, Timothy doesn’t want to answer your calls at all."

I gripped the phone tightly, and said in a low voice, "He forgot to pay the rehabilitation hospital’s treatment fee; please tell him. Once he pays the fee, I won’t bother him again."

Sophia sneered, mocking, "Treatment fee? Your half-dead mother? Is there any need to save her? The money Timothy spent all these years was wasted, isn’t it better to spend it on clothes and jewelry for Serena and Doris?"

Then she hung up the phone.

I thought of Serena’s ’Mom’ from earlier, feeling ’birds of a feather flock together’ was indeed a true reflection.

Just then, Jenna arrived.

I took out the nail clippings I helped Timothy cut yesterday from the drawer on the bedside.

Now that I’m not able to move conveniently, the DNA testing matter can only be entrusted to Jenna.

Then, I said to her, "By the way, can you go to my place to get something for me?"

I told her the location of my jewelry box, asking her to help me sell the jewelry Timothy gave me during holidays at the second-hand luxury store.

Jenna, hearing this, was surprised and asked, "Sell jewelry? Why?"

I said calmly, "If the person can’t stay, what’s the point of keeping the jewelry? You help me sell them, and use the money to pay for my mom’s treatment fees. This money can at least hold on until I divorce Timothy and collect what’s rightfully mine."

Jenna wasn’t very agreeable, she said, "You can always ask me for money if you’re lacking, selling jewelry seems unnecessary."

"Helping during a crisis but not poverty, I mustn’t always seek your help for money, right?"

I smiled at her, saying, "I don’t feel fallen; besides, I rarely have opportunities to wear those jewelry, Timothy never takes me to public gatherings, parties, or banquets, and I haven’t attended many. So, sell them, I really don’t need them."

Because of my insistence, Jenna had no choice but to nod and help retrieve the jewelry from the Xavier home.

Among them was a violet ice jade necklace, a token given by Timothy during his proposal, Jenna took a photo and asked, "This one... sell it too?"