Chapter 73
Shepard crouched next to Briana, opened the bottle, and handed it to her. Briana grabbed it quickly, spilling a little as she
moved too fast,
She did not care and took several quick sips. The nausea cased just a bit. Briana closed her eyes.
What’s wrong?” Shepard asked, “Is your stomach bothering you
“Yeah,” she said.
“I never noticed before that you had stomach problems,” Shepard said. He had always had a weak stomach himself.
Years of drinking black coffee on an empty stomach in the mornings and skipping meals when work got busy had given him chronic gastritis.
Briana twisted her mouth in a half–smile. There are plenty of things you never noticed. When have you ever really cared about me! Even when you saw me having allergic reactions, you didn’t remember what I was allergic to.”
Not caring meant not being loved. “I remember, Shepard said, “You’re allergic to mango.”
Briana froze and turned her head to look at him, surprised.
“Do I remember that correctly?” he asked..
She nodded. It was strange. During their marriage, when things were going well, he had never paid attention to her. Now, after the divorce, he seemed to care.
“Then why did you put mango on the cake for our fifth anniversary!” Shepard asked, pursing his lips. “Because I like it?”
Briana nodded again.
Shepard said, “Briana, are you stupid?”
She frowned and glared at him.
“My stomach problems improved a lot under your care. They haven’t acted up in the past year or two, Shepard said, locking eyes with her. “So how come you ended up with stomach problems?”
A stomach needed care. Back then, Briana made oatmeal for Shepard every morning. At lunch, she sent him messages on
time to remind him to eat.
If he didn’t reply, she called James. In the evenings, she cooked tight, nourishing meals to help his stomach recover. Under her careful attention, his gastritis gradually healed.
Shepard had not expected that the healer could not heal herself Briana said nothing. She tried to stand, but the room spun slightly. She needed to steady herself.
Shepard reached out. “Let’s go.”
“Go?” she asked. “Where?”
“To the gastroenterology department,” Shepard said naturally. He thought that if someone was sick, they should see a doctor. Since they were already in the hospital, it was convenient. He had no idea that Briana’s problem was morning sickness, not a
stomach issue.
“I already lud it checked. I saw a doctor. Briana said. “Some medicine and I’ll be fine in a few days”
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Chapter 73
“Did you have an endoscopy?”
“No.”
Shepard’s tone was firm. “Get an endoscopy” He did not ask her opinion. It was a command.
Briana’s face changed. An endoscopy was no easy procedure. A conventional one was very uncomfortable because of the tube, and a painless one required anesthesia.
She was pregnant. It was not appropriate to get a needle for anesthesia without a reason. Besides, her stomach was could not force herself to have an endoscopy to satisfy Shepard
“I’m not going. I won’t do it, Briana said, holding the wall as she stood, her face full of resistance. I’m fine.”
“You vomited so badly, and you say you’re fine?” Shepard said,
1-
fine. She
He interrupted her. If I remember correctly, the first time you drank the herbal medicine Tiffany made, you threw up, too.” Today, she vomited again, and the symptoms were the same. It was all dry heaving. Shepard’s brow creased as he tried to figure out what was really wrong with Briana. He couldn’t tell if it was just a simple stomach issue.
Briana explained. It was the smell of the medicine. It made me nauseous
“What about today?” he asked
The smell of blood,” she said. “Didn’t you notice it when they red that person into the operating room?”
I noticed, Shepard replied. “So did everyone else, but only you drew up.”
Briana bit her lip without realizing it. She thought he was being ridiculously persistent. She felt she needed to get away.
“Yes” Briana said, “but this is my business, not yours. You’re my ex–husband. Isn’t it a little weird for you about your ex–wife?”
“Is it wrong to care about you?” Shepard asked.
to care this much
“Shepard, late feelings are worthless. When I needed you most, you weren’t there. Now that I don’t need you, you offer yourself, and I don’t even want to look at it,” Briana said.
She took another sip of water, finally feeling a little relief. “Alrigh. I’m going now,” she said, glancing at Shepard quickly. “Thanks for that
He hadn’t just stood by. He still had some conscience and some sense of decency. She wanted to acknowledge that..
“Go” Shepard grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. “Briana, are you hiding something from me?” His gaze seemed to look straight through her.
Briana got flustered. She didn’t dare hold his eyes for long. After few seconds, she looked away. This only confirmed his suspicion.
“You are hiding something from me,” he said firmly. “You don’t dare go with me for a checkup. You–The thought that flashed through his mind made his chest tighten. ‘Does she have something serious? Is she hiding an illness?
A gust of wind blew in, cold and cutting, and a dull ache pressed this chest. The pain was sharp enough that he wanted to
clutch his heart.
He hated her. He hated that she had insisted on marrying him. He hated that she had taken the place he had promised to
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Chapter 73
Vivian. He hated that she had made him the
e center of her world
¥45%
56 vouchers
But he had never imagined Briana could leave him forever, leave this world. If she had a terminal illness, he would call in the best medical experts across the globe to treat her. She could not die.
That little girl at her parents’ funeral, only ten years old, dressed in mourning clothes, deserved to survive and live well even
without him.
Let’s go.” Shepard said. He could not let himself think further. He held Briana’s hand firmly and walked toward the gastroenterology department.
Does she have stomach cancer? Or some other serious illness? How had is it? What chance does she have? His mind was chaotic, but his grip on her hand did not loosen,
Briana tried to pull away. Her wrist turned red and hurt, but she couldn’t free herself. “Shepard, what are you doing? I’m fine. I’m not sick. Briana shouted. I don’t want to go because I hate endoscopies. They are uncomfortable and painful. Stop imagining things!”
“It doesn’t matter what you say. Only a checkup counts, Shepard said without looking back as he walked in front of her. His presence was overwhelming. His dress shoes hit the floor with sharp, quick, and forceful sounds.
The sign for the gastroenterology department was right in front of them. Briana grew even more anxious. If the doctor realized she was pregnant and mentioned it, everything would be ruined.
AD
