CHAPTER 24: YOUR WIFE IS GREAT, ISN’T SHE?

Not only must he not die, he must live forever!

Hilla discreetly examined Orlenna’s face and found that she was gradually calming down. She bit her lip and started to behave like an obedient little wife and said sadly, "Doctor Horton said he needed some form of stimulus.

"The unpleasant words you usually hear won’t be effective to him, so I have to stimulate his mind and body, and that’s the only way he will wake up sooner.

"I was just trying to scare him. I was never going to harm him! Mother, you’ve really misunderstood what I was doing."

When Hilla finished talking, tears started to flow down her cheeks. The aggrieved and sad look made her look like she had been bullied ruthlessly.

As if she were worried that this was not enough for Orlenna, Hilla cried hard and spoke while choking on her tears, "I’m living comfortably in the mansion. I eat good food. I wear good clothes. I have servants. No one is bullying me. Mother, you treat me well. Grandfather pampers me. I... I... I never felt wronged here! I... I only wanted Bruce to wake up earlier! I... I was wrong! I’m sorry!"

The moment she stopped talking, she started crying badly, because she could no longer control herself.

The look of despair and sadness truck Orlenna’s heart.

The little lady in front of her was just a young girl who was twenty years old. She was still a happy-go-lucky girl, like a child. She should not have jumped that fast to conclusions.

Orlenna started to feel guilty when she saw Hilla crying so badly.

"No, I... I didn’t mean like that... I was just... I saw what you did when I came in, and I thought..."

"I understand. I know Bruce is sick. I know everyone feels that I was forced to marry into the family. It’s not like that..."

Hilla’s long eyelashes were damp with tears. Her red cheeks gave her a pitiful look. Forget about men, even a woman like Orlenna would feel her heart ache for her when they saw how Hilla was behaving.

Hilla shook her head hard and said coarsely, "If it weren’t for the Andersons, I might have been bullied by the rascals outside. If I didn’t marry Bruce, I might not have been able to go to university. I’d be working the toughest jobs and be bullied as other people pleased. This family has been treating me so well. Even though Bruce can’t talk to me, I could still talk to myself, talk to you, I can... Sob..."

Hilla could not talk as she was choking on her tears. The fire from the outburst Orlenna had earlier had strangely vanished. Instead, she became nervous and worried as she tried to soothe the crying young lady.

"Alright, I understand. It’s my fault, alright? I have misunderstood the situation. Stop

crying. I won’t do that again. Hilla, you’re a nice girl, and Bruce is lucky to have you as his wife! I shouldn’t have treated you like that."

"Mother, I don’t blame you. You... You were only worried for Bruce! Y-You l-love him!"

"Yes, yes, I do. Please stop crying, my dear."

Hilla Holt’s sobs made her look like she had learned her lesson but was still feeling sad, and that made Orlenna blame herself harder while feeling her heart ache for her. The two consoled each for quite some time before Orlenna let her off to clean up while Orlenna went downstairs to prepare something nice to eat.

Right when the room to the bedroom was closed, the door to the bathroom opened.

A little dark head poked out from the bathroom and started to look around.

Hilla took a towel and started to wipe her swollen red eyes. She turned to the unmoving Bruce Anderson and smiled a cunning smile.

The forlorn look she had was gone, replaced by a calm look. She spun around happily, and with a "puff," she threw herself on the bed. She looked at the man in front of her and said smugly, "That was close! It’s so lucky that I managed to respond to that quickly and smartly! When I saw your mother, I immediately cracked my head to put on a show to make myself look pitiful so that your mother will pity me! It’s your fault, you know! I was almost kicked out of the mansion!"

When the man on the bed did not react, she balled up her fist and shook them around, and she even threatened him fiercely, "You’ll pay for this later, tonight—"

"Hilla! Come and have a taste. I’ve just made some panna cotta! They’re delicious when they’re cold!"

Orlenna came upstairs with a tray and cups of panna cotta on it. They were cold, and the sweet scent of milk and jam quickly spread everywhere, enticing those that could smell it.

Hilla quickly pulled her fist back, and with great consideration, she tucked Bruce under the blanket. She pretended to be sad as she rubbed at the corner of her eyes. She stood beside the bed and very obediently addressed Orlenna when she came in, "Mother."

"Have a taste. I’ve heard that you used to like these. I’ve specially ordered the kitchen to prepare them."

She did not know how Orlenna knew about it, but she was telling the truth. Hilla Holt really loved panna cotta.

"Thank you, Mother."

Hilla picked up one of the cold glasses and scooped a spoonful of sweet, milky panna cotta into her mouth. She licked the spoon clean and said, "It’s amazing."

"There’s more in the fridge if you want more. You can eat it slowly."

Orlenna saw that the corner of Hilla’s eyes were still red, and the guilt she felt

spurred her into action. She picked up one more glass and placed them in Hilla’s hands.

The poor child... Orlenna was really rash this time. How could she be so petty with a child? Besides, she knew that Hilla was kind and should not have worried too much since she did pick Hilla herself.

"Mother, I can’t possibly eat that much. Please have some yourself."

"It’s panna cotta. It’s cold, and my teeth are a little sensitive to cold. It’s fine. Have more if you like it."

Like a growing little piglet, Orlenna fed her all the panna cotta she carried. When it was over, she sat on the bed, unable to move.

She turned to the man who did not have the fortune to eat the food. She said feebly, "Bruce, did you know that it’s hard to be a daughter-in-law of the Anderson family? To please your mother, I had to eat twenty glasses of panna cotta! My stomach is so bloated I feel like my shirt is about to rip. If this keeps going on, I think I will be as fat as a pig!"

Hilla pinched her cheeks as an imitation of fat people. She pursed her lips, which were still glossy with moisture, and grumbled, "If I eat anymore, I’ll probably puke on your face!"

After that, she reached out with malicious intent and pinched his face. Once he pinched his face until his cheeks were red, she started to rub his arm, poked his stomach, and punched his chest, because she was worried that she would leave behind clear evidence.

Perhaps her movements were too intrusive and the man on the bed was thoroughly annoyed, but the ever-so-quiet Bruce Anderson had finally made a sound. It was an inaudible grunt.

His voice was deep, hoarse, and so weak that it was barely audible.

However, Hilla was literally right next to him. She was so close that she could hear it as clear as day.

Bruce Anderson made a sound! Bruce Anderson could speak!

"Bruce? Are you trying to talk? Am I hearing things?"

Fearing that there was something wrong with his ears, Hilla dug her ears and brought her face very close to his.

"Say something again. Even if it’s faint, it’s fine as long as I can hear it! Come on, say something! I’m listening!"

The way she talked was much like how she was tempting a dog to do something. The man underneath her could not be bothered to react. He remained his usual "aloof" and holy self.

Hilla frowned. She focused on Bruce for a while, and after she was certain that the man was breathing normally and stably, she got up and reached out to wave her hands in front of his eyes in puzzlement.

"Bruce, your wife is going to run away with another man."

Bruce was quiet. He did not respond. It felt like the sound she heard was nothing but a false alarm.

Hilla bit her lip. As if she made a difficult choice, a long time later, she raised her fist and punched the man’s stomach viciously.

"Ugh!"

A pained grunt was heard! The man on the bed finally said something!

...

Hilla Holt immediately informed Doctor Horton Hutt that Bruce Anderson was able to make some form of noise. Meanwhile, Hilla sat on the bed, feeling anxious and restless as she waited for the moment for Bruce Anderson to finally wake up.

If he did, what would be the first thing she would say to him?

’Hello, Bruce Anderson! I am the wife who got married to you because your mother asked me to!’

If she said that, it was likely he would have her kicked out of the house that instant.

Hilla paced about anxiously and restlessly as she waited for Horton Hutt to arrive.

"How is he? Will he wake up soon?" Hilla asked as soon as Horton put down the stethoscope. She also looked at the man on the bed with pursed lips and a complicated expression on her face.

Horton noticed the bruises on Bruce’s body and said with an arched eyebrow, "I said to give him some form of stimuli. I never said anything about abuse and violence."

"Huh?" Hilla blinked, and she wore an innocent look on her face.

Horton pointed at the bruises on Bruce’s body and said in a speechless manner, "He’s alive. If I hit you with so much force, you’d make a sound too.

He was asserting the blame on her.

Hilla huffed and mumbled, "That also depends on whether you can win against me."

She was once a youth martial artist champion. She might be young, but she had gained her achievements in martial arts for more than ten years. She could easily target a person’s weak points even with her eyes closed. Breaking an arm or leg was something as easy as lifting an arm for her.

Even though she did put some weight behind when she struck Bruce, she exerted a lot of control when she hit Bruce. She also avoided vital organs. At most, the victim would only suffer slight pain.

Horton found it weird. When Orlenna was looking for a suitable candidate for marriage on Bruce’s behalf, did she miss the fact that Hilla knew martial arts? Was she not worried that she would abuse him domestically or target his life for his money?

"Take good care of him. Remember to give him daily massages on the acupressure points I told you. As for giving him stimulus..." Horton turned to the man on the bed, waved his hands nonchalantly and continued, "Do what you want with him."

Hilla was taken aback. Did he mean he was not going to interfere with her actions?

She was in a position where she could easily commit domestic violence on Bruce Anderson, and yet when Horton was so passive about it, she suddenly felt she no longer had the heart to touch him anymore.

At the end of it all, Bruce was a patient, and it was not good for her to bully a patient like this.

"Then... When will he wake up?"

Hilla asked the question that Orlenna would definitely ask on a daily basis. Horton frowned and gave her a standard answer. "Soon."

That very same answer was the same reply she had heard since the day she first walked through the gates of the Anderson mansion. She was almost sick of hearing the same reply for so long, but she could only acknowledge the answer with just a nod and an "I see".

Horton Hutt packed his medical equipment, and when he was about to leave, he confronted Hilla. Disappointed in how she behaved, he said, "You’re just too direct. I asked you to give him some form of stimuli, and you went ahead and gave him bruises all over his body. That’s something anyone could easily spot."

That being said, when Bruce woke up, he would know that it was Horton’s idea to inflict so many bruises over his body. At that time, Bruce would not let him off the hook so easily.

Hence, before Bruce Anderson woke up, Horton had already begun making preparations to protect his own life.

"Well, I can always say that you are the one who suggested me to do it."

Hilla’s hard, cold honesty startled Horton for a bit. He then waved his hand at her and said this because he was impressed with her, "I’ll take my leave now."

After Horton left the mansion without slowing down his pace, Hilla laughed happily before she went to lay on the bed. She held his face together and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Is your wife great or what?"

Hilla shamelessly smiled as she glanced at the man’s cheek where her lipstick stain was. This time, the man no longer remained still. Instead, he slowly frowned.

"Bruce... You’re reacting!"

Hilla was caught by surprise. She had actually rescued a comatose patient! She was basically Asclepius in mortal flesh, and she could not help but feel impressed at her own "medical" skill.

The man only made a faint frown before his face returned to its usual self.

Hilla stared at him for a long time, and she felt as if her heart had begun racing as she stared. Yet the man on the bed did not open his eyes.

She sighed and placed her head on Bruce’s chest. She hugged him close, and the two were intertwined together.

"Bruce, when you wake up, am I not allowed to hug you freely like this? Am I not allowed to talk to you again?

"Your mother said that you’re a strict person. Then, you’re definitely someone who doesn’t like to talk. You won’t stay in bed so obediently like this either.

"You’ve been in bed for so long, I’m sure you’ll want to go out and see the sights. I’m sure you’ll be very busy, and you won’t have any time for me.

"When you recover, will you be like my father? He’s always in the office, dealing with endless work. He’s never at home to be with my mother and his family. He always goes abroad, and he travels high in the sky in airplanes...

"Bruce, when you get better, could you please not take the plane? My father went away in an airplane and never came back...

"Bruce, I miss him. I miss my mother. I miss my home!"

Hilla wrapped herself in a fetal position and tucked herself tightly under the blanket. Even though it was only the start of Autumn and the weather was still warm, yet she felt everything around her was cold. The air that came out from the air-conditioner was painful on her body.

It felt like she was going to be alone again with no one to save her.

When classes started, the Faculty of Arts was going to redesign the university’s banner to welcome newly enrolled students. Hence, after the induction program, most clubs and societies had started a new wave of recruitment drives.

Hilla was dragged along by Lily Hart to stand with the recruitment members. She just stood there as Lily Hart diligently passed out flyers for their recruitment drive.

But soon, she suddenly stopped handing out flyers.

Feeling weird, Hilla turned to her and asked, "What’s the matter? Giving up?"

"How could I want to give up? That being said, I still need to pass these out!"

Lily flapped a single thinly printed sheet of recruitment flyer about and sighed heavily, "I have no idea whether it was a good or bad idea to bring you here."

She had only stood there for half an hour, and she had not even managed to observe all the juniors. While other societies and clubs’ members were busy recruiting members, only they had... finished their work of the day.

Hilla was mildly surprised. She said, "You finished handing them out? Can we go home now?"

Lily immediately rolled her eyes at her. "Please, you could please stop thinking about that man for the whole day? Open your eyes! Look at just how many new freshmen there are! Just now, there were a lot of handsome juniors who came to talk to you, couldn’t you reply to them at the very least?"

Did she not see the hurt in the freshmen’s eyes? Though Lily herself had personally experienced the pain of being ignored by the university beauty for days.

Hilla replied innocently, "I did, though."

"Oh yea, you sure did.

’All you said was the standard "Welcome to the Art Society." And you were just repeating yourself. Those who did not know you would think that you’re a machine.’

"I told you I didn’t want to come! And you insisted on dragging me here!"

She felt wronged since she wanted to return to the Anderson mansion earlier that day. Alas, she was dragged by Lily to participate in the recruitment drive. How could she not feel wronged?

"Oh please. You’re needed here. Without you being here attracting all the attention, I’d be here until nighttime, handing out these flyers. Look at how many flyers there are!"

Hilla’s was also the living brand of the Art Society. Just take a look at such beauty! How could anyone not have the urge to join the club?

Hilla did not mind being advertisement material for the society since she could never truly hide her face on campus. Being able to contribute something to society was considered a merit for her. Just when she was thinking about having to apply a different kind of massage technique on Bruce tonight, Hilla heard the charming voice of a man ringing in her ears.

"Excuse me, you dropped something."