Ashton stepped into the ward slowly, like he already knew what he would find.
His presence filled the room the moment he entered. The air shifted, heavier, more controlled. Even the quiet machines seemed to settle under him.
His eyes moved first to Rebecca.
"Why are you still awake?" he asked, voice calm but distant.
Rebecca's face softened instantly, like a mask slipping into place. She pouted slightly and reached for him, pulling him closer until he sat at the edge of her bed. Then she wrapped her arms around him, holding on like she belonged there.
"I slept too much during the day," she said softly. "I couldn't fall asleep. Why are you here?"
"To see you," he replied.
Simple. Detached.
Then his gaze moved.
It landed on me.
The shift was immediate.
"Handle that," he said coldly, eyes narrowing slightly as if I were just another problem in the room.
Rebecca leaned into him, her voice turning regretful. "I was careless… I accidentally hurt Scarlett."
Ashton didn't react the way I thought he would. He only lifted a hand and brushed through Rebecca's hair slowly, almost gently, like her words didn't require correction.
No anger. No concern.
Just acceptance.
Something inside my chest tightened painfully, like a thread snapping one by one.
I turned away before I could say anything.
My feet moved on their own, dragging me out of the ward. Each step felt heavier than the last, like I was leaving something behind that I had already lost but refused to admit.
I knew I had lost whatever silent bet had formed between us.
But still… I had hoped.
Even just a glance. Even just a question.
Are you hurt?
That would have been enough.
But he didn't look at me again.
Not once.
Not even when I walked away.
The hallway outside was colder. The hospital lights stretched long shadows across the floor, and the silence felt sharper than before.
I stopped for a moment, trying to steady myself.
That was when someone stepped into my path.
I looked up.
Jared Crest stood there.
His expression was serious, unreadable, but there was something steady in his eyes that didn't match the coldness of the corridor.
"Dr. Crest…" I greeted quietly.
He didn't respond right away. His gaze moved over me, taking in everything I was trying to hide.
Then he asked, simply, "Does it hurt?"
That question broke something I had been holding together.
My breath shook. My vision blurred before I could stop it.
Tears slipped down my face without permission, falling onto the floor one after another. I tried to steady myself, but my body betrayed me. Even the cold air in the hallway felt heavier, pressing against my chest.
Even a stranger could ask if I was hurt.
But the person bound to me… didn't even look back.
Jared stepped closer and took my hand.
I flinched at first, instinct pulling me back, but his grip tightened—not harsh, just certain.
"I'm a doctor," he said firmly, like it was the only explanation needed. "Let me see it."
There was no room in his voice for refusal.
And for the first time that night, someone actually stayed where I was hurting instead of walking away from it.
I knew Jared wasn't the type to interfere in other people's lives. He only stepped in because I was Ashton's wife, nothing more.
I followed him quietly into a treatment room. He spoke briefly to the nurse, his tone calm and controlled, then turned to me.
"She will take care of your wound," he said.
I nodded slightly. "Thank you."
After he left, the nurse guided me to sit. She cleaned my hand carefully, her movements gentle but precise. When she saw the burn properly, her brows tightened.
"This is quite serious," she murmured. "It might leave a scar."
"It's fine," I said softly.
A scar didn't matter.
This was something I could carry. A reminder I could understand.
She prepared the medicine and began treating the blisters. The pain came sharp when she pricked them, but I didn't move. I kept my hand still.
"Try to bear it," she warned gently. "It will sting."
"Mm," I replied.
It was nothing.
The ache in my chest… that was worse than anything on my skin.
When she finished, she wrapped my hand and gave me a few simple instructions. I thanked her again and stepped out into the corridor.
I was supposed to return to Rebecca's ward.
But as I passed the stairwell, voices stopped me.
I slowed.
Then I stopped completely.
"…George is already gone. When are you going to divorce her?"
Jared's voice.
I didn't mean to listen, but my feet stayed rooted.
A second voice answered, colder.
"Her? You mean Scarlett?"
Ashton.
My chest tightened instantly.
I moved closer without thinking, staying just outside the stairwell where they wouldn't see me. From there, I could see them clearly.
Ashton leaned against the railing, hands in his pockets, calm and distant like nothing in the world could touch him. Jared stood opposite him, one shoulder against the wall, a cigarette between his fingers, the faint smoke curling upward.
Jared spoke again, quieter this time. "You know she's innocent. She loves you."
Ashton let out a short, cold laugh.
"I didn't realize you were so concerned about her."
Jared frowned slightly. "Don't twist it. I'm only reminding you so you don't regret it later. Love like hers doesn't stay forever. Even the deepest bond can break if it's ignored long enough."
A brief silence fell between them.
Then Ashton's voice cut through it.
"I've always looked down on her love."
The words hit harder than I expected.
My breath stopped.
I didn't wait to hear anything else.
Some things didn't need to be heard twice.
I turned away from the stairwell before either of them could notice me there.
My steps felt unsteady as I walked back down the corridor. The hospital lights blurred slightly, like everything was too bright or maybe I was just too tired to see clearly. My wrapped hand throbbed faintly, but it was nothing compared to the hollow feeling spreading inside me.
Each step away from that conversation felt like stepping out of something I had been holding onto for too long.
Behind me, their voices continued, but I couldn't hear them anymore.
And maybe I didn't want to.
Because once words are heard, they don't disappear.
They stay.
Even when you wish they wouldn't.