CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69: THE BOOMERANG STRUCK TIMOTHY XAVIER HIMSELF

The Xavier Manor.

Timothy Xavier sat quietly at the desk, his fingers repeatedly rubbing the three words ’Zoe Ellison’ on the divorce agreement.

The inked handwriting was elegant, yet carried a decisive sharpness.

The date was the same day his scandal with Serena Sawyer was exposed.

But she had clearly been jealous for so long, causing all these troubles, even leading to Naomi’s death.

Didn’t she do all this just to keep her position as Mrs. Xavier?

The sycamore leaves outside the window rustled in the wind, and a wave of frustration surged in his heart.

He suddenly remembered what Zoe said to him just as he was leaving the hospital, "Timothy Xavier, I haven’t wanted you for a long time."

That night, one cigarette butt after another filled the ashtray on the desk.

Clearly, she had invaded his sanctuary and caused the death of the person he cherished the most.

Yet it was only tonight that he felt something that had always been part of his life suddenly vanish.

It wasn’t exactly painful, but the emptiness was unbearable.

Why is it like this?

The person he loved was Naomi!

...

A month later.

I’m finally able to leave the hospital.

The winter sunlight bathed me in a long-lost warmth.

But I still hadn’t received any word from Timothy Xavier about finalizing the divorce paperwork.

After hesitating for a long while, clutching my phone, I called him.

However, it was Sophia Kendall who picked up the phone.

"Zoe Ellison, you little wench, how dare you call here!"

Her voice on the other end was as sharp and harsh as ever, "What’s wrong? Your lover put Timothy in the hospital, and now he’s going to prison, and you’re scared?"

I was stunned for a moment and pressed for details, "Explain yourself!"

"Dare you deny that Ethan Xavier wasn’t someone you brought in?"

Sophia Kendall fumed, "He lay in wait for Timothy in the Xavier Group’s garage and attacked him as soon as he saw him! If you have guts, don’t resort to sneak attacks, you scoundrel!"

Her incoherent curses left my mind spinning.

How did this suddenly involve Ethan Xavier?

Just then, the doorbell rang urgently.

Seeing Katherine Sheldon appear at my door looking anxious, I quickly ended the call and opened the door for her.

"Auntie Katherine, what happened?"

"Zoe, you... please find a way to help Ethan!"

Katherine Sheldon was crying, speaking between sobs, "Recently Ethan wasn’t able to contact you, so he went to Jenna. Jenna told him what happened to you, and he went to settle the score with Timothy immediately. I couldn’t stop him!"

I let out a deep sigh, feeling both angry and bitter.

Ethan Xavier is always so impulsive!

"So what’s the situation now?"

I poured her a glass of water, and her voice calmed slightly.

"Timothy Xavier called the police, and Ethan was detained. The police said he waited in the garage with a baseball bat for Timothy. Timothy’s ribs were broken, and he’s hospitalized. Zoe, the Xavier Family won’t let him off! But he’s my only son, can’t you help Auntie Katherine think of something?"

"Auntie Katherine, don’t worry. Have you consulted a lawyer yet?"

Suddenly, I thought of the Sinclair Family and said quickly, "Right, isn’t Ethan Xavier close with Julian Sinclair? Did you reach out to Attorney Sinclair?"

Katherine Sheldon said, "I did. Julian said in this situation, unless the victim forgives him, it’s difficult for Ethan to be released with both witnesses and evidence against him. Normally you might settle these things with money, but Timothy Xavier isn’t short of money!"

I sighed deeply.

This was troublesome!

Katherine Sheldon was sobbing uncontrollably, "When it happened, Ethan’s father went to see Sophia Kendall, but she threw him out. She threatened to hire the toughest lawyer to make Ethan rot in jail."

"Auntie Katherine, please don’t worry. Do you know which hospital Timothy Xavier is staying in?"

After all, Ethan Xavier was acting for me, I couldn’t just ignore it.

After noting down the address, I saw Katherine Sheldon off.

As I looked out at the still bright blue sky, a cloud suddenly shadowed my heart.

...

Outside the VIP ward of Veridia Orthopedic Hospital.

I listened to Sophia Kendall’s warm murmurs and Doris’s childish voice inside, knowing they were both there.

Not wanting to humiliate myself, I waited in the corridor.

Until sunset, when Sophia Kendall and Serena Sawyer finally left with Doris.

Entering the room, Timothy Xavier was lost in thought, leaning against the headboard, idly rotating the Buddha Beads in his hand, his thoughts unknown.

Bandages wrapped thickly around his chest, and bruises were faintly visible at the corner of his mouth.

When he heard the sound, he lifted his gaze to me, his eyes glinting slightly as he sneered, "Here to plead for Ethan Xavier?"

I didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, "I know you won’t let him off easily. So, what will it take for you to relent?"

"Are you that worried about him?"

His dark gaze wandered repeatedly over me, eerily saying, "No wonder you prepared the divorce agreement so early. Turns out you already had someone else lined up."

I clenched my fingers tightly and said, "Timothy Xavier, why you married me, I don’t know, but I believe you clearly understand it yourself. At this point, you’re actually trying to dump all the blame on me. That beating you took was entirely deserved!"

Timothy Xavier’s gaze darkened a bit, "From the moment you walked in until now, you haven’t asked about my injuries once. The whole time, all you’ve talked about is pleading for Ethan Xavier."

I suddenly laughed.

"Timothy Xavier, have you forgotten? When I was sick before, how did you handle it? You’ve always treated me like this."

Looking at his increasingly gloomy face, I suddenly felt that many things in this world were quite fair. Sometimes, without even realizing it, the boomerang comes back to strike you.

Timothy Xavier was silent for a long time, with nothing to say.

The room was so silent you could hear the drip of the IV in the background, and after a while, Timothy Xavier spoke lowly, "If you want me to let him go, fine. Stay and take care of me until I recover."

I thought I had misheard.

"I don’t have the time."

I coldly refused.

Timothy Xavier chuckled, "Didn’t you lose your job? What are you busy with? Don’t worry, I’ll pay you a salary; I won’t use you for free."

I suppressed my anger and said, "You have caregivers, Serena Sawyer, and your mom; it’s not my place to take care of you. Besides, we’re about to divorce, and it’s inappropriate for me to look after you."

His eyes slightly lowered, "They don’t know my living habits, and I don’t like others being close to me."

I almost laughed out loud, "You don’t like others being close to you? Then how did Doris come about?"

Timothy Xavier’s grip on the Buddha Beads tightened sharply, his knuckles turning white, and he said coldly, "Since you don’t want to, we’ll handle Ethan Xavier’s case through regular legal procedures."

His tone was resolute, with no room for negotiation.

After all, he and Ethan Xavier had always been thorns in each other’s sides.

Now that Timothy Xavier had the opportunity, it was highly unlikely he would let Ethan Xavier off!

"I agree to your terms."

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, they were calm, "But you must guarantee that you’ll let Ethan Xavier go."

He emitted a low "hmm" from his throat, leaving his emotion concealed.

But his grip on the Buddha Beads became even tighter.

The stone in my heart slightly settles, but another more important matter surfaces.

"By the way, when are we going to finalize our divorce?"

Timothy Xavier glances up at me with cold eyes: "What’s the rush? Even if we did it now, Ethan Xavier wouldn’t be released, and you wouldn’t be able to proceed to the next step."

I insist: "Divorce is an issue between you and me. The sooner we handle it, the sooner everyone can be freed!"

Timothy Xavier looks down at his wound lazily: "Do you think I can go to the civil affairs bureau like this?"

Even when I had a miscarriage, I was still kneeling in the rain at Westcliff Monastery to atone for his White Moonlight; what is this little wound of his?

But in the end, I swallowed back the words that were about to spill out of my mouth.

Before Ethan is released, I don’t want to provoke him further to avoid unnecessary troubles.

Just then, a caregiver came in with warm water.

I thought I was taking turns with the caregiver to look after him and was about to leave when Timothy’s voice came quietly from behind me: "Have you already forgotten what you promised me just now?"

Before I could react, he already told the caregiver: "You can leave now, no need to come in the future."

"Timothy, don’t push it!"

I turned around abruptly, unable to suppress my anger, "Even if it’s just work, there’s no reason to make someone work around the clock without a break!"

Timothy frowned in displeasure: "Get it straight, we’re not divorced yet, you’re still my wife. You’re not working, you’re taking care of your husband!"

Husband?

These two words are so unfamiliar to me.

I’m not interested in arguing with him, and just then, the doctor on night duty came in for rounds.

"President Xavier just had an operation, his wound can’t be exposed to water. If he wants to bathe, his family needs to take care of that. You can wipe him down."

"Also, President Xavier showed signs of fever after the surgery today, so temperature needs to be taken every hour tonight and the wound should be checked for any bleeding."

The doctor gave more post-operative care instructions before leaving.

I never thought Timothy would be so delicate; he didn’t injure his hands or feet, he can do everything himself.

I went to the bathroom with a blank face, got a basin of water, and tossed the towel in front of him, saying, "Wipe yourself! I’ll be in the living room outside, call me if you need anything."

I hadn’t walked a few steps when he stopped me: "Wait. Come here and help me wipe."

Turning back, I spoke wearily: "Timothy, do you think all the suffering I’ve endured over the years isn’t enough? Even though we’re about to divorce, you still want to torment me further?"

Timothy’s Adam’s apple moved slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he turned away, looking out at the oppressive dusk outside, "You used to never say that our marriage was torture for you."

"That’s because I was being stupid!"

I mercilessly scolded my former self, speaking each word deliberately: "For the sake of our agreement, I’ll honor my commitments. But Timothy, don’t expect me to wag my tail and beg for mercy like before!"

With that, I walked over, soaked the towel in water, and rudely wiped his face.

Yes, I wiped his face like I would scrub a stove!

Realizing I was taking revenge on him, Timothy suddenly lost interest and yanked the towel from my hand, saying: "Get out!"

Gladly!

So, he tended to himself in the room while I updated my novel on my phone from the sofa in the small living room outside.

Occasionally, I would hear muffled grunts from inside, perhaps him pulling on his surgical wound while wiping his back.

Not too long after, Nanny Lowell arrived.

"Madam, Mr. Xavier asked me to bring your change of clothes and toiletries."

She glanced at the sofa where I planned to sleep and asked, "Are you sleeping here at night? Wouldn’t sleeping on the sofa be uncomfortable?"

I forced a smile, "It’s fine this way, really."

After all, anywhere with Timothy would be uncomfortable.

Once he is discharged from the hospital, everything will finally end.

After Nanny Lowell left, I took my toiletries, showered, and changed into pajamas, never exchanging another word with Timothy.

At one o’clock in the morning, he was still awake, half-reclining in bed reviewing documents.

As I needed to take his temperature every hour tonight, sleep was out of the question for me as well.

Might as well pull an all-nighter to write my novel, even though my eyelids were already fighting to close.

The novel I updated today happens to be about a husband who hurt me a thousand times, falling sick and being hospitalized.

But the male lead in the novel was far worse off than Timothy.

In the hospital, separated from his wife, lover, and children, none of whom wanted to visit him.

The comments section was filled with cheers:

"Serves him right! Scumbag! This is karma at last!"

"Vera, why not write some terminal illness and just kill him off?"

"Haha, lucky I didn’t abandon this story. Author, keep on torturing the male lead to death! The harsher, the more satisfying for us!"

"..."

I couldn’t help but chuckle at these comments.

But before I knew it, Timothy suddenly came out of the inner room, standing beside me.

I was startled, quickly switching off my phone.

The smile on my face faded away.

He looked at me inquisitively, asking, "Who are you messaging?"

"Jenna Sutton."

I replied perfunctorily, asking, "What do you need?"

With the light behind him, his expression was unclear. He said in a flat voice: "It’s time to take my temperature."

I took a deep breath, even though the thermometer was right there on his bedside table, he still wanted me to do it.

Fortunately, tonight, I was prepared for an all-night battle.

Thinking about my next plot on how to torture a scumbag in the story, I made my way back into the room.

After taking his temperature, I noted it down in the notebook.

Timothy continued burning the midnight oil, reviewing documents, without sleep.

In the past, I’d have been too worried to fall asleep, ignoring his indifference, and repeatedly urging him to rest.

But now, those days are gone.

And Timothy gazed heavily at me, as if unless I told him to sleep, he could stay awake until dawn.

"Call me if you need anything."

I left him with these words, letting him burn the midnight oil, not caring.

Eventually, I couldn’t endure and at some point, fell asleep on the small sofa outside.

When I awoke, it was already daylight, and a nurse came in to administer an IV to Timothy.

Suddenly I remembered I hadn’t taken his temperature during those early hours.

I hurried into the inner room to explain to the nurse.

To my surprise, the temperature records in the notebook were all perfectly logged for every hour.

The handwriting seemed to be Timothy’s own.

I cast an awkward glance at him but said nothing.

After the IV was done, he closed his slightly bruised eyes and told me: "I want to sleep for a while, don’t call me unless something comes up in the morning."

However, before he slept for long, his mother and his lover arrived.

Seeing me there, the two of them were immediately shocked.

Sophia Kendall angrily said: "Zoe Ellison! Right after an incident with Timothy, you rush to him! You want to kill him with anger and then elope with his money, don’t you!"

Serena Sawyer said: "Miss Ellison, if you want to save Ethan Xavier, you should find another way! Since my sister died, Timothy doesn’t even want to look at you. Your presence here only angers him more.