CEO Ex-Husband, Don't Bother Me

Chapter 235 - 182: Happiness (Part 2)

Caleb Rhodes was a father himself, so he knew what it was like for parents to miss their children and for children to miss their parents. Seeing that he couldn’t convince them to stay, he saw them off as they left that very night.

Because it was so late, Naomi Shaw was given a hospital room to sleep in for the night. She woke up the next morning just as Jean Coleman was walking in with food. She quickly threw off the covers and got out of bed. "Dean Coleman, how is Julian?"

"I just went to check on him. He hasn’t woken up yet..."

Before Jean could finish, Naomi rushed for the door. Jean stopped her. "I brought you some breakfast. You should eat something first!"

"No, I’m going to see him first!"

How could she possibly be in the mood to eat? With those words, she left Jean behind and ran out.

Julian Donovan was still unconscious, with IVs in both hands and various monitors tracking his condition. Due to the craniotomy, his hair had been cut very short, and his entire head was wrapped in gauze. She sat down by his bed, staring at him without blinking, just waiting for him to wake up. She had completely forgotten that Leah Monroe said he wouldn’t wake for at least twenty-four hours.

Jean Coleman followed her in. Her heart ached seeing Naomi keeping such a dazed vigil, and she walked over to try and persuade her. "Didn’t they say he wouldn’t wake up for at least twenty-four hours? You should eat something. That way you’ll have the strength to take care of him when he does wake up."

Naomi finally snapped out of her daze and glanced at Jean. "Thank you, Dean Coleman, but I really can’t eat..."

After speaking, her gaze returned to him. Seeing how stubbornly she insisted on staying, Jean had no choice but to say, "Alright, I’ll leave it here for you. Eat something when you get hungry."

Her gaze never left Julian Donovan; she only nodded. Jean looked at her unconscious son in the hospital bed, then said, "I’ll wait outside at the nurses’ station. If you get tired, just call me and I’ll come take over for a while. Don’t forget, I used to be a nurse. I can take care of patients too!"

With that, Jean turned and walked out. She had originally intended to help Naomi take care of Julian, but seeing her like this, Jean felt there was nothing she could do, so she decided to leave them for the time being.

Naomi Shaw stayed by Julian Donovan’s side, never leaving except for trips to the restroom. No one could persuade her otherwise, so they had no choice but to let her keep her vigil without eating or drinking.

But who could possibly understand the complex, anxious state Naomi was in? ’I want to eat, but I just can’t stomach it.’ For her, every day that Julian remained unconscious was another day her heart would know no peace.

That evening, Jean Coleman brought Dylan and Joy to the hospital after school. Seeing Julian Donovan lying in the hospital bed, Joy’s big eyes filled with tears as she burrowed into her mother’s arms, asking nervously, "What’s wrong with Daddy?"

She comforted Joy. "Daddy’s sick, but he’ll wake up tomorrow."

Dylan furrowed his little brow. "Mom, Daddy’s really going to wake up, right?"

"Of course! He’ll definitely wake up!"

She said the words as much to comfort Dylan as to comfort herself.

’And he won’t have amnesia. Pfft.’

Julian Donovan woke up around three or four in the morning. He tried to move, only to find he was incredibly weak. He only remembered being on the boat and seeing Sean Donovan about to drag her into the sea. He had panicked, throwing all caution to the wind and lunging forward to grab her, prying her from Sean’s grasp. After that, he remembered nothing.

’How is she?’ That was his first thought. He quickly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. He was in a hospital room. His head was wrapped in bandages, and there were several tubes connected to his body. It seemed he was injured—a head injury, no less.

He tried to move his hand and realized someone was holding his right one. In the dim light from the hallway, he saw a figure slumped over beside him. He recognized her silhouette at once and let out a long, deep sigh of relief. ’She’s here taking care of me, so she must not have been hurt.’

’As long as she’s okay, it doesn’t matter how badly I’m hurt.’

He shifted his hand slightly, enveloping hers within his own. He felt a dampness on his fingers. A faint, helpless smile touched his lips. ’She must have been crying again. Was she worried about me? I must have really scared her, getting hurt like this.’

As he lay there quietly thinking, he felt he had truly let her down. ’Her nature is so gentle and quiet. The life she longs for must be a peaceful, tranquil one where she is cherished. But looking back at the path she’s walked with me, it’s been nothing but twists, turns, and hardships.’

’First, when we had just met, I didn’t love her and kept hurting her. Then, just as I was finally developing feelings for her, Juliet Jennings showed up. After that came the divorce and the shipwreck. I thought that after we were reunited, I could finally love her properly and make it up to her, but instead, I dragged her into the conflict between me and Sean Donovan.’

’And now, just when we could finally bring Sean to justice, I’m the one who ends up injured—and seriously, at that.’ He was a doctor. He already had a pretty good idea of the extent of his injuries.

’How did someone as gentle as her manage to endure all this suffering?’ Thinking about everything she had been through, his own heart began to ache. Regret, self-blame, and a flood of other complex emotions washed over him, making him feel that he owed her... so, so much.

He wanted to apologize to her but couldn’t bring himself to wake her. So he just held her hand tightly and lay there in silence, waiting for her to stir.

RING RING... A cell phone suddenly rang through the quiet night. Naomi Shaw woke with a jolt. She reached for her phone but found her hand was being held. Her heart trembled. She looked up in disbelief and saw him watching her, a weak smile on his lips.

Forgetting all about the phone, she threw her arms around him, overjoyed. "Julian, you’re awake?"

He nodded. She hugged him again, laughing with relief, but her laughter soon turned to tears. She held him, crying and laughing at the same time. "You’re finally awake..."

"I’m sorry..."

Julian Donovan wanted to apologize, but the syllables came out so slurred that even he couldn’t understand what he was saying. Naomi was even more alarmed. She looked at him anxiously and asked, "Julian, what did you just say?"

"I’m... sorry..."