It's been 3 hours since her mother is inside the emergency ward. For 3 hours, she cannot stop shaking and sobbing. All she can do is pray.
Every time the nurse gets out, she goes to her, half crying and breathing to ask about her mother's condition but the answer she gets does not calm her nerves.
Evelyn has no one by her side, no one that can hold her or soothe her. She doesn't being alone but the feeling makes deep scars in her heart.
The door opens and the doctor comes out. Evelyn cranes her head towards his direction and then looks up to see that the light has turned green. Is her safe now?
Evelyn gets up and hastily walks to the doctor, tears, and sweat making her look worse. "Doctor, how is she? Is she alright? Is she out of danger now?" she asks, faster than she ever said.
The doctor removes his mask and tells her, "She is fine now."
But Evelyn isn't quite relieved by his answer. "What happened to her?"
The doctor sighs, "Come to my office. " He walks and Evelyn follows him to his office which is located in the lower chamber down the floor.
Getting inside, he gestures her to sit and he goes to the other side to sit as well. "Did it happened before?"
"Not that I know of. No. Is her health really bad?" she tells him.
The doctor's face is covered with wrinkles and his eyes are barely visible. "As you know about her heart's condition, she has two holes inside, and if given tension, it starts to get bigger, resulting in death." Evelyn's eyes widen. Her mother never told her anything and knowing her mother's personality, she never tells about her problems.
He continues, "Her health is fragile. If pushed too far, it may be critical for her. With her age and her poor heart, she is advised to not take much pressure and work, draining herself."
Her mother always appears to be tough and proud. Who knew that beneath that perfect persona lies another face that is trying her best to be another self.
She never thought her mother will also be having such a hard time. The guilt is slowly choking her and she feels there is no way she can ever be free from it.
Her eyes are tired yet they won't stop the tears pooling inside. "Oh my God. I didn't know that."
"I understand. I advise you, strongly to take care of her and please do not let her work or give her any stress. If another breakdown, her life will be at stake.
Evelyn nods continuously, "Yes. I will doctor."
"And remind her to take medicine daily. I am afraid she doesn't take them regularly" the doctor adds.
Judging by the way the doctor is saying, her mother must have come here several times. Maybe for a check-up.
"Yes yes. I will" she says sincerely. Now her only goal is to take care of her mother.
Getting out of the doctor's office, Evelyn is in dilemma. Whatever she got to know about her mother is truly shocking for her. She starts to figure that her mother wants her to take over the company not because it's her dream to see her but because in the future she won't be well enough to take care of such a big empire.
The doctor said she can go meet her mother so she straight away goes to the room. Her mother lies peacefully on the hospital bed in blue and white. For the first time, her mother looks vulnerable. With her eyes closed, her sharp features appear mellow.
Her face is half covered in an oxygen mask, the needles sucking inside her soft skin and the marks.
She does not want to wake her up. She cautiously takes a seat on a chair places beside her mother's bed.
"Why don't you ever tell me anything?" she asks, her voice almost a whisper. "Why do you always have to go through shits alone?"
Her heart feels heavy and the more she tries to speak, she can't.
For a while, she stays embracing the peaceful silence but her chaotic head is planning something big.
**
Shi Lian jas slept well. She wakes up with a smile remembering last night. She reaches for the new pendant that is hung on her neck. A gift from Zichen. The wishbone is now her favorite. It suits her very well and she loves it because it's from Zichen.
She feels stupid grinning, so she tells herself to stop and goes to freshen up because she doesn't want to be late for work.
Reaching her office, she smiles at everyone who passes by her. She usually ignores them but today she feels happy from inside.
"Good morning, Xiaoxiao" she chirps. Fang Xiao, surprised greets her back, leaving the paperwork she was doing.
"You seem to be in a good mood," she says with a chuckle.
"I am, certainly" Shi Lian grins. With that, she enters inside her office.
When Fang Xiao steps in making coffee in her hand, she finds Shi Lian's mood different. Her eyebrows are knit together and she is glaring at the document in her hand.
Placing the coffee on the desk, she goes to stand by her side. "Is anything wrong, Miss Shi Lian?"
Shi Lian looks up as if she does not know Fang Xiao is here. "The resources. 35% of it deteriorates" she told her.
"How? "
"I got the file this morning only to find this. This is insane" she fumes. Shi Lian is one of those bosses that do not get angry often at their staff or scold them for no specific reason but thinking now, she gets the feeling that she has been lenient to them.
"Prepare a meeting. Now," she orders er secretary.
Fang Xiao nods. "Yes, I will do it right away"
"Inform the shareholders, directors, and other the authorities as well. I need to talk things out."
Maybe being the cool boss is not working. She needs to show them that they cannot take her lightly.