CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 85: GIVING UP

Ruby Sullivan was taking a shower, while Mama Bennett answered the phone while watching TV.

The sound of the TV drowned out the noise of the door opening. Ruby Sullivan, wrapped in a towel and stepping out of the bathroom, was startled to see Ethan Sterling sitting on the living room sofa. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan Sterling stood up, "Let’s go to your room. Mama Bennett and Honey just went to sleep," he said and turned off the TV.

Ruby Sullivan’s room was separated from Honey’s by a living room; heading to her room was indeed the best choice to avoid waking them.

She furrowed her brows and hesitated for a moment, "You can come over in ten minutes. I’ll... put on some clothes."

Ruby Sullivan hurriedly returned to her room and put on a loose-fitting pajama. Then she moved the chair from in front of the vanity to the farthest corner against the wall before opening the door for Ethan Sterling.

"You can sit there." She pointed at the chair, then sat on the bed, folded her arms in front, and crossed her legs as if she were sitting in a very comfortable office swivel chair.

Ethan Sterling didn’t seem to notice her bossy demeanor and obediently sat on the chair, which surprised Ruby Sullivan a bit; she wasn’t quite used to it.

Still wearing the white bathrobe from the cruise ship, Ethan Sterling, despite his proper sitting posture, somewhat resembled a boss at the bathhouse. But the expression on his face was solemn; in fact, at that moment, his head ached terribly, and he wasn’t quite sure why he was seeking her.

But he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Ruby Sullivan was also in a mess internally, not noticing any difference in his expression. She waited for a long time without hearing him speak and felt inexplicably anxious.

"I..." Ethan Sterling placed his hands on his knees, squeezing them, as his eyelids grew heavier. Suddenly, he slumped to one side and fell with a loud thump.

"Ethan Sterling!" Ruby Sullivan jumped off the bed and rushed over, only to find him with a furrowed brow and his entire body burning.

After Ruby Sullivan had pushed him away the previous night, Ethan Sterling had fallen asleep on a bench in the neighborhood in a daze, waking up only in the morning before returning home. He had no idea how he ended up in Ruby Sullivan’s neighborhood. Although he was in a stupor and slept the whole day at home, he still felt groggy when he went out in the afternoon. Later that night, after wandering in the seawater again, he finally succumbed.

Hearing Ruby Sullivan’s voice, Ethan Sterling barely opened his eyes. "I-I’m sorry."

Ruby Sullivan had no mind to listen to his apology, calling his name multiple times without a response. She could only stand up to lift him from behind, struggling to drag him to the bed. Fortunately, she had some muscle on her arms, otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to manage such a ginormous person.

She sat on the bed, breathing heavily. Sweat instantly covered her body as she turned and saw Ethan Sterling’s face twisted in pain. Without a thought for rest, she touched his damp bathrobe and reluctantly took it off.

Ruby Sullivan looked at Ethan Sterling, feeling somewhat burdened inside.

The first time, he was drunk, and she didn’t understand a thing, just got straight to it. The second time, her mind blanked out, not quite grasping the situation, falling asleep before she could realize anything.

Now, with her hand on his bathrobe’s belt, she hesitated to move.

Ruby Sullivan felt disdain for herself; in TV shows, those classy queens never dwelled on such trivial matters.

She grit her teeth and quickly untied the belt, forcefully pulling down his clothing, hurriedly covering him with a blanket.

Ruby Sullivan let out a long breath, complex emotions filling her expression. She finally got up, fetched a towel and alcohol, and began cleansing him to cool him down physically.

The whole night, she kept placing towels on his forehead and offering water, only going to bed when she noticed his fever had lessened and dawn was approaching.

Ethan Sterling woke up from thirst, finding a warm water bottle and cup on the bedside table. After gulping down two large cups, he felt much better. Glancing at the snuggled Ruby Sullivan and the towel and alcohol on the bedside, along with the pervasive smell of alcohol in the room, he vaguely remembered some events from the previous night.

The bad mood clogged in his heart instantly dissipated, though his head was fuzzy and he lacked energy, he felt incredibly happy.

He laid back down, intending to sleep again, but his movement awakened Ruby Sullivan beside him.

She struggled to open her eyes to glance at him, didn’t speak, and first yawned. "Are you still feverish?"

"I should be fine now, the headache’s gone."

"That’s good," she said and closed her eyes.

Ethan Sterling watched her, unable to resist smiling. "Thank you."

Ruby Sullivan mumbled with closed eyes, "If you’re better, then just leave and return my pillow. My neck’s about to break."

Upon hearing, Ethan Sterling stretched his arm, poking her shoulder, "Use this as your pillow."

Ruby Sullivan stared at it impatiently, disdainful, before turning away from him to continue sleeping.

By the time she awoke, it was already afternoon. According to Mama Bennett, Ethan Sterling had left at noon, asking her to call him once she was awake.

Reflecting on everything from the previous day, Ruby Sullivan felt reluctant to make the call, deliberately tossing her phone aside, then took a soothing bath and watched some shows to clear her mind before calling Honey’s attending physician abroad.

"I hope to perform another genetic database search. Yes, money is not a concern."

"Honey’s case is very peculiar; the chance of finding a matching gene is extremely low."

"That’s alright. Okay, I’ll fill out the application form online as soon as possible." She hung up the phone, promptly opened her computer, and submitted the application, completing the corresponding payment.

Actually, she had undergone such genetic matching searches countless times, yet the matching genes remained elusive, rendering the money spent wasted. If not for encountering her mentor, she wouldn’t even have the means to afford Honey’s treatment.

But now, she felt despondent towards Ethan Sterling, her last straw of hope, having overestimated herself and decided to give up.

If she couldn’t save her daughter, she’d rather go with her to the afterlife.

Ruby Sullivan bitterly smiled, feeling an unexpected tranquility in her heart. She had truly been exhausted lately.

After staring blankly at her computer for a few minutes, she began writing a resignation letter, sending it to Ethan Sterling’s email.

Closing her notebook, Ruby Sullivan felt as if she had accomplished a major life task. Stretching, she felt relaxed, even considering calling her mentor to inquire about possibly returning to The Lawson Group.

Since it was still early, she left her room to find Mama Bennett, asking her to inform that they could return to The Sterling Family tonight.

Mama Bennett was quite surprised, "What about Honey?"

"It’s alright, I’ll manage." Ruby Sullivan responded with a smile.

Though she was reluctant for them to leave, Mama Bennett was merely a helper, knowing Ruby Sullivan must have a valid reason for her decision. She remained silent for a moment before saying, "Then I’ll prepare dinner for you first before leaving."

Ruby Sullivan felt a pang of sorrow as she looked at her, hesitated, then said, "Then... tomorrow, I’ll drive you home."

"Alright." Mama Bennett agreed and went to the kitchen to continue sorting vegetables.

Honey overheard their conversation and ran out of her room, looking up at Ruby Sullivan. "Mom, why does Mama have to leave? Honey really likes Mama."

Ruby Sullivan led Honey to sit on the sofa, just about to talk about returning to Bellaza when her phone suddenly rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she realized there was no avoiding this call, so she answered it.

"What do you mean?" Ethan Sterling’s eerily calm voice questioned on the other end, making one’s scalp tingle even over the phone.

This man, the calmer his voice, the more alarming the situation seemed.