CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72: WU WEIWEI’S SUICIDE ATTEMPT

The hospital room quieted down, with Kai’s emotions gradually stabilizing. He obediently lay beside Victoria Sinclair’s leg, looking at her anxiously, afraid she might leave the moment he blinked.

Victoria Sinclair gently asked, "Kai, would you like some water?"

"No, thank you."

"Are you hungry?"

"Not hungry."

"Do you want to sleep?"

"Not sleepy."

"Then shall I tell you a story, okay?"

"Sure!" Kai’s face instantly lit up with a smile.

"Then I’ll tell you the story of ’Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats.’"

"What is ’Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats’?"

"You’ll know after listening to the story." Victoria smiled, her tone gentle and light, using simple yet vivid language to introduce animals in the way children like best, "Once upon a time, there was a little tiger named Zhou Yu. This little tiger Zhou Yu had a little companion, a clever and beautiful little rabbit named Zhuge Liang. One day, the little tiger Zhou Yu wanted a hundred thousand arrows and assigned this task to the little rabbit Zhuge Liang, giving him only three days to complete it. If he couldn’t, he would eat the little rabbit. Do you think the little rabbit could make a hundred thousand arrows in three days?"

Kai curiously asked, "How much is a hundred thousand arrows?"

"It would fill up your room, your parents’ room, your grandparents’ room, your living room, bathroom, kitchen, balcony, all of that space." Victoria gestured exaggeratedly with her hands.

Kai’s eyes sparkled with amazement, "Wow, that’s a lot! How could one little rabbit possibly make so many arrows?"

"Indeed, it’s very difficult. But this little rabbit Zhuge Liang is very smart. He knew that the Lion King General Valerius had a hundred thousand arrows. The Lion King and the little tiger were enemies, so what could he do? The Lion King certainly wouldn’t give them arrows directly. The little rabbit Zhuge Liang came up with a very good plan..."

After Victoria vividly finished telling the story, she thought Kai might fall asleep, but to her surprise, he became more excited, his energy invigorated, and he pleaded, "Little Aunt, I want to hear more, please tell another one!"

Victoria smiled, pursing her lips, thinking for a moment, "Then I’ll tell you a story about the Nian beast, which is also part of our traditional culture."

"Great! I want to listen!"

"Do you know why we set off firecrackers and fireworks during the Spring Festival?"

"I don’t know."

"In ancient times, there was a terrifying beast called Nian that would appear during the Spring Festival. People called it the Nian beast. It had sharp fangs, looked scary and ugly, and was very strong. It would bite people and eat small animals..."

In the warm hospital room, there was only Victoria Sinclair and Kai. Other beds were empty.

Victoria’s gentle voice shared stories that children love to hear.

The door wasn’t closed, and it surprisingly attracted children from the neighboring room.

Victoria was very patient, telling one story after another.

Midday.

Timothy Sinclair brought food over and noticed Kai’s condition was excellent. His mood seemed bright, as if troubles and fears were cast aside.

Timothy fed Kai while he ate and used his somewhat awkward language, limited sentences, and his uninjured hand to excitedly explain what the Nian beast was and how to borrow arrows with straw boats.

Timothy listened with tears in his eyes, believing that if his sister raised Kai, he would certainly be an excellent child.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t provide a good family environment for Kai.

After finishing the lunch brought by her brother, Victoria went to the repair shop outside the hospital to have her phone fixed.

As she returned, she saw Mrs. Miller carrying a lunch box out along the main path to the inpatient department.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Miller also saw her, but she had no welcoming expression, walking over with a cold face.

"Hello, Mrs. Miller," Victoria greeted politely.

Mrs. Miller paused, keeping her eyes cold and looking elsewhere with disdain in her eyes, her attitude very icy, "You have good intentions. But my daughter will only feel worse seeing you, so don’t go upstairs."

So Vivian Miller is hospitalized? Coincidentally, she’s also in this hospital.

Victoria did not explain the misunderstanding regarding the visit and politely inquired, "Is Vivian’s health alright?"

"Not good," Mrs. Miller glared at her angrily, her voice growing heavier, "My daughter has had ’smiling depression’ and has been on medication for years. She slowly improved and stopped the medication two years ago. She’s not like others; she’s sensitive and fragile, easily hurt, easily distressed. You and your friend spread rumors about her relationship with Eugene Vaughn. Even though she likes Eugene, you can’t stir up trouble between them! She and Eugene have been friends for over twenty years. How could she handle Eugene suddenly cutting ties with her? He even dismissed her from her secretary position, blocked her calls and messages on all platforms—Eugene was too harsh. Her depression relapsed, she lost appetite, stayed in her room crying every day, feeling life was meaningless. Last night she swallowed a whole bottle of sleeping pills, but luckily we discovered it in time and rushed her to the hospital for a stomach pump, saving her life."

As she spoke, Mrs. Miller began to wipe away tears, her voice filled with grief and anger, "Her depression has now become physical, and you’re the cause. If anything happens to my daughter, you won’t be allowed to live either."

Victoria clenched her fist, her heart heavy.

’Smiling depression,’ taking medication for years, now physical symptoms, and swallowing a bottle of sleeping pills.

This doesn’t seem like a facade.

Perhaps it’s truly because of loving Eugene Vaughn too much, unable to bear even a bit of his aloofness and neglect, let alone his complete breakup with her.

Victoria always respected life, and she nodded with guilt, "I’m sorry, Auntie. I hope Vivian gets better soon, I won’t disturb you."

With those words, she continued towards the pediatric inpatient department.

Victoria entered the elevator, and her phone rang.

It was Angela Austin calling.

She connected the call and gently asked, "Angela, is something wrong?"

Angela spoke nervously, "Do you know that Vivian attempted suicide with pills?"

The door opened, and Victoria walked out of the elevator, "I already know, but how did you find out?"

"My brother suddenly came back from overseas last night, and went straight to the hospital to see Vivian."

"Does your brother know Vivian?" Victoria was surprised.

"Yes, and I’m still in shock. It took me all morning to persuade and coax my brother to reveal the truth."

Victoria quietly listened.

Angela spoke with slight dissatisfaction, "Turns out this woman is deceptive, seeming cheerful, carefree, liking to laugh, mingling easily with men, yet full of little schemes and cunning. But she developed ’smiling depression’ in her teens, and my brother treated her as his first patient when he started practicing psychology. He helped her recover after many years, and only then went abroad for further studies. My brother said psychologists have the duty to keep patient confidentiality, so I never knew about this until now."

Victoria sat quietly on the bench beside her, feeling somewhat helpless.

Thinking seriously, Vivian Miller is indeed very calculating, full of schemes.

But Vivian’s intention was mostly due to loving Eugene Vaughn excessively, wanting to break up his marriage and take Eugene away from Victoria.

Besides this, she wasn’t a completely evil woman.

Thinking from Vivian’s perspective, childhood friends overshadowed by sudden outsiders would make anyone feel wronged and hurt.

Even the most hateful people have pitiable aspects.

"Victoria, are you listening?" Angela asked.

Victoria snapped back to the moment, asking, "Did Vivian’s parents invite your brother back?"