[130] a
Chloe was still in Leonel’s hospital room at that time. She felt touched by what her ex-husband said. It was clear that Leonel deeply regretted his past treatment of Chloe. Not only that, it was also evident that Leonel wanted to avoid repeating all the events and mistakes he had made if he returned to Chloe. The woman didn’t say much about it. She could only stay silent while holding Leonel’s hand.
Leonel still refused to let go of Chloe’s hand. He thought that he needed his mother to accompany him now. Leonel didn’t care how much pain his whole body was in. All he wanted was Chloe’s presence. Unbeknownst to him, Chloe had been by his side all along.
The effect of medication or the result of the accident made him unfocused. Who knows.
“I’ll call the doctor,” Chloe said as she tried to release the grip of their hands, which had not loosened even a bit.
“Not now, Mom,” Leonel mumbled softly. The man closed his eyes again with a grimacing face, trying to endure the pain. “I still want to talk. I’m afraid. I don’t have much time.”
Chloe was taken aback by what she had just heard. “Don’t play around with your words, Leonel.”
He seemed indifferent. There were still many obstacles in his heart, especially concerning Chloe.
Meanwhile, Darren observed from outside and could see what they were doing. Although he couldn’t hear all the words they exchanged, Darren knew it was more than just an ordinary conversation. Darren also realized that Chloe still loved her ex-husband. He watched it all with a mix of disappointment and sadness, but he tried to remain neutral to avoid being too obvious when Chloe came out of Leonel’s room later.
“If only you hadn’t made that mistake before, maybe I would still be standing by your side right now,” Chloe softly replied. Leonel, who had closed his eyes, now had a steady breath, making Chloe reluctant to disturb him. But she still had to call the doctor, right? Chloe performed all her movements slowly here. She didn’t want Leonel to know she was there. She didn’t wish for Leonel to see that he wasn’t talking to Agatha but directly to Chloe.
Slowly, Leonel’s eyelids opened again. “Mom,” he softly called out. There was a problematic breath for Leonel to take this time. He tightened his grip on her hand as if these were his last words to his mother. “I know my mistake isn’t easily forgivable, especially for a woman. I’m sure you would hate me if you were in my position right now. Hate me in exchange for Dad. Dad was faithful, loved, and genuinely cared for you. Unlike me, who couldn’t follow in Dad’s footsteps.” A feeling of tightness overwhelmed Leonel again. “I’m truly sorry for being so foolish as a husband who couldn’t take care of his wife and couldn’t make Chloe happy,” Leonel said to her once more.
Leonel didn’t care if tears were falling from his eyes again. The regret in his heart was immense. If only he knew how much he wanted to change for Chloe, to atone for all his mistakes and fix his broken past.
Those words also brought tears to Chloe’s eyes. Her heart was filled with questions: Does that regret indeed exist? Or is it just because of this accident that Leonel is now rational? Indeed, Chloe feared nothing more than falling into the same abyss. No matter how much she loved Leonel, if she had to repeat the same hell, Chloe chose not to be with anyone.
Meanwhile, Darren continued to watch their interaction from behind the window. Despite the increasing pain gnawing at him, he couldn’t leave. Apart from waiting for Chloe to finish her business with Leonel, he also needed certainty from his girlfriend.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Leonel whispered with his eyes closed once again.
Chloe sighed slowly, not responding to Leonel’s previous statement. She let Leonel pour his heart out to his mother, thinking he believed she was Agatha Theodore.
Chloe found it difficult to let go of Leonel’s hand. However, she believed that her current strength would help Leonel recover. There was nothing Chloe could do except offer encouragement and support for Leonel to recover from the post-accident pain quickly. However, she felt conflicted and uncertain about her future, especially now that she had Darren.
She was honestly torn.
On the one hand, she saw the sincerity and regret expressed by Leonel. On the other hand, she couldn’t deny that someone else accompanied her at a point where others might not feel ‘recovery’ so soon.
“I want Chloe to know, Mom, that I truly regret hurting her. I also feel lost after seeing her with another man and much happier with me. I want to start everything over with her. Share love, love each other, and return to the home we once lived in with joy. I also want to treat her the way that man treated Chloe. I truly hate myself right now,” Leonel spoke with his eyes still closed. Tears continued to flow from his eyes.
Chloe remained silent, observing how Leonel openly expressed his regrets and deepest desires. How could she find her voice when she saw how fragile her ex-husband was now? She didn’t want to worsen the atmosphere and situation by speaking up and revealing that Leonel wasn’t talking to his mother but directly to her.
“I apologize, Mom. If Chloe were here, I would kneel and apologize to her. If necessary, I would prostrate myself to assure her that I truly regret doing this,” Leonel said again.
There was a considerable pause before Leonel closed his eyes again. His breathing became regular. The monitor by his side appeared normal, and there was nothing to worry about. Somehow, Leonel regained consciousness to express all his feelings directly aimed at Chloe. As a result, Chloe looked at her ex-husband with an uncertain gaze.
She let Leonel rest again. She would inform the attending doctor about Leonel’s condition soon. She made sure that everything in the room was in good condition. After that, Chloe could leave Leonel’s hospital room. She hurriedly approached Darren, who was waiting outside. Chloe felt uneasy about keeping Darren waiting for so long and wanted to ensure he was okay. There was a slight worry that Darren had been observing her while she was inside Leonel’s room.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long,” Chloe said as soon as she stood before Darren.
“It’s okay, Chloe.” Darren smiled genuinely. His eyes focused on Chloe, whose eyes appeared reddened. “Are… you crying?”
Chloe was taken aback. “Ah… that.”
“A woman like you is gentle-hearted.” Darren approached. He didn’t care if the hospital staff reprimanded or kicked him out for acting up in the patient ward. But honestly, Darren couldn’t contain the turmoil in his heart. He was afraid that Chloe would leave him. Darren chose the man who was now helpless in that room. He pulled Chloe into his embrace. “I know you’re crying not because you love him, right? But because of Leonel’s condition, which is quite severe? It’s just empathy?”
Chloe was speechless. The heartbeat she heard this time was incredibly disturbing. Whose was it? It was from her embrace, Darren. Who was restraining himself from saying anything that could hurt him and Chloe? They shared a long hug. Eventually, they let go of each other and sat on the chairs around Leonel’s room.
They didn’t speak to each other. Chloe used the pause to contemplate her feelings. Meanwhile, Darren tried to calm the growing turmoil within him. Both of them were startled by Chris’ arrival. The middle-aged man hurried towards Leonel’s room. As known, Chris was Leonel’s lawyer. Their relationship went beyond that of a client and his legal representative. For Chris, Leonel was like a younger brother. He wanted to help Leonel reunite with Chloe. Unfortunately, he received the news of Leonel’s accident instead.Exclusive © material by Nô(/v)elDrama.Org.
Chris had only just managed to visit the hospital due to numerous commitments outside the city, considering Leonel was in Beverly Hills. Although Leonel’s plan to return to Chloe didn’t succeed, Chris remained by his side.
Upon seeing Chris, Chloe was surprised. She didn’t expect to meet him at the hospital.