Love You Enough to Leave You Chapter 177
After Amelia’s accident, Oscar and Tiffany kept vigil the entire night. Weak from having given blood and utter exhaustion, Tiffany collapsed outside the intensive care unit. She, too, was admitted into a private hospital room to rest.
Oscar was thus the only forlorn figure left outside Amelia’s room.
He was already in a terrible mood. Elizabeth, however, called him incessantly, as if she was hellbent on driving him mad. Oscar had to turn off his phone to get a moment’s peace.
At around eight in the morning, Amelia began gasping for air. Her entire body convulsed with the effort to breathe. The various apparatuses in the room began beeping urgently, summoning doctors and nurses from all over. They dashed into the hospital room and Amelia was once again transported to the operating room.
Oscar leaned against the wall outside, staring intently at the door of the operating room. His emotions blazed through him like an inferno, devouring him from the inside. His heart never seemed to stop hurting. It was a torment that he knew he would never get used to.
The door of the operating room that separated him from Amelia felt solid, impassable. It was as if Amelia had already crossed over to the other side while Oscar was left behind, waiting. There was no way of knowing if she would return. There was nothing he could do to bring her back.
As Oscar waited, Gary appeared with Riley in tow.
As Gary stood before Oscar, the latter merely glanced at him before lowering his head, clutching it within his hands. Oscar looked absolutely desolate.
“Are you Amelia’s husband?” Gary asked formally. Perhaps it was because he was encountering his rival face-to-face for the first time, but the man’s tone was unusually grim.
Oscar raised his head and looked carefully at Gary, affirming that the man standing before him was not someone he knew.
“I am. Who are you?” Oscar asked.
Gary extended his hand, saying evenly, “How do you do? I’m Amelia’s friend. I heard she got into an accident and so came to visit her.”
Oscar looked at Gary warily. Ignoring the man’s outstretched hand, he replied, “We didn’t tell anyone Amelia was in an accident. How did you find out about it?”
Gary smoothly answered, “Amelia and I are friends who share a business relationship. My subordinate was supposed to discuss a contract with Amelia yesterday, and they’d agreed to meet at a café. The accident happened nearby, and my subordinate witnessed the entire incident on her way to the meeting. After some investigation, we found out that Amelia was sent to this hospital. That’s why we came to visit. We hope you won’t object to us being here.”
Oscar furrowed his brows. Wearied from the entire proceedings, however, he had neither the time nor the energy to consider the suddenness of Gary’s appearance nor respond in a suitably skeptical manner.
Gary pointed to the seat beside Oscar. “You don’t mind if I sit here, do you?”
“Go ahead,” the latter said curtly.
So, Gary sat down. Politely, he once again held out his hand towards Oscar. “I’m Gary. How should I address you? I don’t want to be rude.”
Oscar shot him a sideways glance, stiffening slightly. He was clearly unaccustomed to Gary’s forthcoming manner. However, he knew he had to be courteous to a friend of Amelia’s.
“I’m Oscar Clinton.”
Gary was momentarily astounded. “You’re a Clinton? You couldn’t possibly be the sole inheritor of Clinton Corporations, could you?”
Oscar gave Gary a frosty look.
However, the other man continued nonchalantly, “It’s no wonder Amelia was so in love. I can understand her infatuation now that I’ve seen who her husband is. The heir to Clinton Corporation is a legend amongst business circles. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to get to know you. Who would’ve thought it would be under such unsavory circumstances? My father knows yours, and he’s always telling us about you. I’ve always seen you as a rival, in a way. You’re far more impressive in real life, though.”
Oscar merely glanced at him but remained silent.
Gary, however, was not prone to awkwardness. He tilted his head towards the operating room.
All his previous chatter had been merely to alleviate the tension that hung over the room.
“How’s Amelia?” he suddenly asked with a look of concern.
As if he had finally stumbled upon a handhold, Oscar instantly opened up, “She’s not doing great. The doctor said she might go into a vegetative state. Even worse, there’s still the possibility that she may lose her life.”
Gary clenched his hand into a fist, his throat suddenly feeling dry and hollow. He felt as if his voice had suddenly deserted him.
Just like that, the room descended into an abrupt hush.
Two hours passed without the two men realizing it, but the door to the operating room remained resolutely shut. Suddenly, Tiffany emerged from around a corner. She was dragging her feet a little and looked evidently unwell.
At the sight of Gary and Oscar sitting side by side with Riley standing a little way off like a child who had just been sentenced to the corner, Tiffany frowned.
“Gary, why are you and Riley here?” Tiffany asked.
Gary sprang up and helped her over to a seat, asking concernedly, “You don’t look too good. Are you feeling unwell?”
Tiffany shook her head, then explained, “I donated blood to Amelia yesterday and felt a little weak just now. I’ll be fine once I’ve gotten some rest. Why are you and Riley here?”
“Riley told me about Amelia’s accident,” Gary replied honestly. “She failed to take care of Amelia, so I brought her here to apologize.”
Tiffany shook her head again.
“Don’t say that, Gary. No one could have predicted this accident. No matter how superb Riley’s skills are, she wouldn’t have been able to outrun a car. Things happen. Don’t blame Riley for it. If Amelia was awake, she wouldn’t blame Riley either,” Tiffany soothed.
At that, Riley finally met Tiffany’s gaze. She’d always imagined the woman as her nemesis in her bid for Gary’s affections. Riley was incredibly moved by Tiffany’s speech defending her.
“Aren’t you going to thank Tiffany, Riley?” Gary demanded.
Riley almost prostrated herself in gratitude. “Thank you, Ms. Winters!” she cried.
Startled, Tiffany waved her off. “No need for that, Riley. You did nothing wrong. There’s no need to be so polite; you’re making me feel embarrassed.”
Riley straightened herself, her face rigid with a solemn expression.
Amused, Tiffany chuckled. “Don’t look so stiff, Riley. Women should try to smile more. I know Amelia, and she definitely won’t blame you at all. Besides, who could have anticipated this accident? That’s the nature of accidents. Nobody can see them coming. There’s no need for you to beat yourself up over it.”
Despite her reassurance, Riley remained firm. “I’m very sorry nonetheless. I won’t rest until Ms. Winters has recovered. When she has, I’ll apologize to her in person.”
Tiffany sighed. She knew how obstinate Riley, a few years younger than herself, could be.
Tiffany then turned towards Oscar and inquired, “How’s Amelia?”
Oscar shook his head silently.
Tiffany said nothing but gripped the edge of her seat so hard that her knuckles turned white.
Four hours later, the door of the operating room finally opened. A swarm of doctors flitted out.
At once, Oscar bolted towards them. “Dr. Kane, how’s Amelia?” he asked urgently.
Dr. Kane looked serious as he answered, “Mr. Clinton, Mrs. Clinton’s condition isn’t too good. We’ve done our best, but don’t be too optimistic. It would be best for you to prepare yourself for the worst. If Mrs. Clinton can regain consciousness within forty-eight hours, there may be a chance for things to take a turn for the better.”
Oscar’s right hand twitched, and he felt the life utterly drain from his body.
Tiffany likewise reeled from the shock of Dr. Kane’s prognosis. She seized Dr. Kane’s arm and cried out wretchedly, “Dr. Kane, what do you mean? If Amelia doesn’t wake up within forty-eight hours, what will happen to her?”
“In that case, her best outcome will be a permanent vegetative state. If things go badly, she may even stop breathing. No matter what, it’s best if you prepare yourselves for the worst,” Dr. Kane repeated.
After the doctors had dispersed and left, Oscar rushed into the room and gazed sadly at Amelia. She was lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over her pallid face. Tenderly, almost inaudibly, he whispered in a voice full of sorrow, “Amelia.”
“Mr. Clinton, please move aside. We have to send the patient to the intensive care unit,” a nurse gently reminded him.
Tiffany crossed over to him. She tugged at Oscar in an attempt to get him to move aside, but he had planted his feet stubbornly beside the bed and could not be shaken.
“Oscar, stop causing a scene. Amelia’s condition is unstable now. Don’t make it worse,” Tiffany warned.
Upon hearing her warning, the man took one last gaze at Amelia’s wan face, then reluctantly let go of her hand.
Oscar followed the hospital bed with his eyes, straining after it until it vanished around the corner. Tears glimmered in his eyes as if they were mutely delivering his final farewell.
There was a dull, empty look in them. It was as if the man’s spirit had fled down the corridor chasing after Amelia, leaving his body standing behind uncertainly.
Tiffany watched Oscar anxiously. She waved her hand in front of his eyes, demanding, “Oscar, are you all right?”
The absent look remained in Oscar’s eyes. After a moment, they suddenly rolled back into his head, and his sturdy frame collapsed in a heap onto the floor.
Thoroughly frightened by the sudden change, Tiffany screamed, “Doctor! Doctor!”
Even after Oscar had been settled down into a room and placed on an IV drip, Tiffany remained visibly rattled. “Doctor, Oscar’s fine, isn’t he?” she asked in perturbation.
“He should be fine. It was just the lack of sleep on top of his emotional agitation. He’ll be all right after a good sleep.” the doctor replied.
Nodding, Tiffany said thankfully, “Sorry for troubling you, doctor.”
After the doctor left, the woman leaned against the wall, spent. The multiple events that had happened one after another at breakneck pace had taken their toll on everyone involved.
Gary looked at Tiffany apprehensively, saying, “Tiffany, are you OK? You don’t look too good yourself.”
She shook her head in reply, saying, “I’m fine. It’s just that everything’s happening all at once. I wish… I wish I had a few more heads and hands to take care of everyone.”
“I’ll stay here with you,” Gary suggested. “Riley, you head back to the office first.”
The female bodyguard stuck her chin out and made as if to speak. However, Gary said with an air of finality, “Go back to the office. If there’s anything, the three of you will deal with it. If there isn’t anything urgent, don’t call me.”
Unable to rebut Gary, Riley left.
Tiffany felt slightly awkward in the face of the man’s magnanimity. “Gary, there’s no need for this. You’re too kind to someone you’ve barely met a few times. I’d be ashamed to accept your help.”
Gary shrugged Tiffany off. “How can I stand by idly when my friend needs my help? Besides, what’s there to be ashamed about between friends?”
Tiffany was at a loss for words. “Gary, you know that’s not what I meant.”
“If that’s all, don’t worry. My firm is partially responsible for the danger that Amelia is in right now. If anything bad happens to her, we’ll blame ourselves for the rest of our lives,” Gary assured her.
The woman thus kept quiet. Words wouldn’t salvage the situation. All she could do now was to embrace the facts and hope that Amelia would pull through.
