It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 35: He Chose Her

Chapter 35: He Chose Her

The man stood with his back against his car. As he took a reclining position, his hand reached into the pocket of his pants where he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter. With one hand holding the package, he leaned down to bite one out before lighting it up. Soon, a whiff of smoke escaped his lips.

The morning breeze carried the scent of tobacco into the air, assaulting the man’s nostrils. It had been a long time since James had smoked. He used to do it as soon as he had stepped into the business world. The constant mingling with clients and long hours of meetings resulted in this bad habit. It was his way to cope with the stress.

However, at one point, he had stopped and it was always obvious for whom. Whatever he did seemed to lead back to his girl. It had always been Kyra who brought good to his life.

And now that he no longer resisted the feelings coursing through his heart, it became even clearer what she meant to him. It became easier to breathe.

Yet, here he was, confined to merely watching from the outside. His gaze had been fixed on the hospital building across from where he stood since the hour he had arrived. Though his expression appeared calm, his heart was anything but.

Creighton’s warning continued to repeat in his head.

"Now, I’ll give you two choices. If you swear never to bring this up again, I’ll let it pass as if nothing happened. But if you insist on this madness, don’t blame me for taking drastic actions."

"I know that going after you would only drag myself down. So unfortunately, I’ll have to start with Kyra."

Without James realizing, his gaze had turned grim. His entire being was shrouded in a layer of oppressive aura. In that instance, he broke the cigarette in his hand. Crushing it between his fingers, James threw it on the ground before stomping it.

He stared at the scattered ashes as he suddenly recalled the way Kyra shed her tears. The way he had left last night without leaving any response, much less a mere hope. He regretted it. He should’ve made a U-turn right at the red lights. He should’ve succumbed to his desire much earlier.

Then, he wouldn’t have to make her wait for a moment longer.

James let out a bitter chuckle out of self-mockery. Would she even wait again?

He had originally planned to visit Kyra again in the morning. But, after his argument with Creighton, he had to be more careful before meeting her. He wanted so much to just rush to her room and pull her into his arms. And more than that, he wanted to apologize.

Unfortunately, he had no choice but to wait.

He didn’t want to deny it but he had to since he wasn’t sure how far his grandfather would go with his warnings. Hence, during the argument, he had faked compliance to buy time for himself. From there, he would watch the situation and prepare accordingly. He couldn’t risk Creighton laying his hand on Kyra.

"For now, I want you to keep your distance from Kyra. I’m not telling you to completely ignore her, as that would only arouse suspicion. And while you keep your distance, erase those disgusting feelings. Wipe them clean!"

James closed his eyes as he breathed heavily trying to swallow the brewing fury within him. When he opened his eyes again, his expression had returned to its calm state. James lifted his head to look at the hospital once again.

"Wait, Kyra..." he murmured.

"Please wait just a little bit more..."

****

And there Kyra was, lying weakly on the hospital bed. Her eyes reddened from lack of sleep. Last night, no matter how hard she tried to sleep, her mind had refused to cooperate. It remained hyper-aware of the surroundings, even with her eyes closed.

In the end, Kyra gave up and merely stared at the window from her bed. From this position, she watched as the sun gradually peek out from its hiding place before morning slowly greeted her with its radiant light. She closed her eyes, basking in the sunlight, feeling its hollow warmth.

Was she foolish to keep waiting?

Her night was consumed by negative thoughts, leaving her in a constant unease, which in turn affected her recovery. Her head felt worse this morning. A wave of dizziness hit her mercilessly and she felt as if the world was spinning on her.

Despite that, when the clock struck seven in the morning, Kyra’s eyes had been glued to the door of her hospital room. As though she was but a child, she waited anxiously, holding to a mere fragile hope that James would appear from behind the door.

After all the time he had failed her, yet here she was...still in wait like a foolish little girl.

What made her so certain that James would change his mind? Perhaps it was the glimmer of doubt she had caught in his eyes, or maybe it was simply because she had yet to hear his answer that she deemed as a final clarification.

Even if hatred should be his answer, she still wanted him to utter that word right in her face. She needed him to clearly despise her, throw her away so she could freely hate him, and bravely let go.

Besides, wasn’t it true that, in some situations, silence could be a positive sign? Kyra wanted to hold onto that belief. More than anything, she wanted to trust in the precious moments and memories she had shared with James.

But that hope was crushed when the door opened, revealing only three familiar faces—Oliver, Grandpa Creighton, and Grandma Jane.

"My dear! How are you feeling?" Grandma Jane asked in a loving, gentle tone. She briskly approached the bed and leaned in to kiss Kyra’s forehead.

In an instant, Kyra’s heart sank as a wave of sadness engulfed her. She knew she should feel grateful and touched by her family’s concern, but her heart betrayed her. The disappointment swelled within her, no matter how hard she tried to suppress it.

Gripping the bed sheet beneath her blanket, she fought to mask her emotions. In their presence, Kyra forced a sweet smile, even though her face was as pale as a ghost.

Meanwhile, Jane frowned as she noticed Kyra’s high temperature when her lips touched her forehead. She quickly placed her hand to check. "Oh my goodness! Why is your temperature so high? Your body is burning up—no wonder you look so pale. Did you have trouble sleeping last night, my dear?"

Hearing this, Creighton’s brow furrowed. He couldn’t help but wonder if James and Kyra had talked the previous night. If they had, what had they discussed?

It didn’t seem plausible for Kyra to suddenly develop a fever after taking her medication. He could also clearly see that the girl was sleep-deprived. The dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale face. Something was undoubtedly troubling her.

Creighton’s heart ached. Even though James had called him cruel earlier that morning, there was no denying how much he cared for Kyra. He had come to think of her as his own granddaughter. So seeing Kyra in such a fragile state was deeply distressing for him.

As he turned around, he ordered Oliver in an irritated tone, "Call the doctor or a nurse immediately!"

"Yes, Grandpa!" Oliver hurried out of the room. Kyra watched in disbelief, unable to stop him in time. She was utterly speechless. Why go to such trouble? She could call a nurse herself.

"What were the night shift nurses doing? How could they overlook my granddaughter’s condition?" Creighton grumbled as he walked closer to Kyra’s bed. He gently stroked Kyra’s head, careful not to touch her bandages.

Jane sighed, her gaze filled with sadness as she looked at Kyra’s condition. "It must be because my darling isn’t used to sleeping on a hospital bed. It must be uncomfortable!"

Creighton nodded in agreement. "But what can we do? Kyra has to stay in the hospital, and this is already the best room."

He held Kyra’s limp hand and encouraged her warmly, "Hang in there, my dear. Don’t overthink things so you can recover quickly and go home. Once you’re allowed to leave, let’s go on an outing together."

"Great idea!" Jane chimed in cheerfully. At that moment, the door opened, and Oliver entered with a doctor and nurse following behind.

After a brief greeting to Creighton and Jane, the medical staff immediately examined Kyra. As expected, her blood pressure was very low, and her fever had reached 38.5 degrees Celsius. While not critical, given Kyra’s weakened state, the fever was concerning.

Based on the doctor’s assessment, in the end, the primary cause was determined to be extreme fatigue. The prescribed medications and IV fluids induced drowsiness as a side effect, so fighting against it only worsened her condition faster.

"You need rest, Miss Kyra. Whatever it is that’s worrying you must be set aside for now. You need to relax and focus on your recovery first," the doctor explained, his tone slightly scolding. However, he refrained from being too stern as he noted Creighton’s displeased expression.

He added, "We’ll focus on bringing the fever down first, so I recommend cutting the visiting hours short. After breakfast and taking your medication, you should rest immediately."

"Understood, Doctor. Thank you," Creighton replied with a nod. Afterward, the doctor left, leaving the nurse to monitor Kyra’s condition. The nurse would stay to ensure Kyra finished her meal and later replace her IV and administer her fever medication.

Jane felt a tinge of sadness as she had only just arrived and barely had time to chat with Kyra before needing to leave. But there was no other choice since Kyra needed to rest.

"Alright then, let’s eat first. Grandma made you porridge with your favorite side dishes!" Grandma Jane exclaimed enthusiastically. She tried to maintain a cheerful attitude so Kyra would feel encouraged.

Unfortunately, Kyra’s heart remained unmoved. She smiled on the surface but utterly and completely crushed inside.

Even so, she accepted Jane’s cooking and ate obediently, while responding to Jane and Creighton’s conversations every now and then. Oliver joined in occasionally. Before long, Kyra had polished all the dishes, bringing a smile to the old lady’s face.

"Good girl!" Jane stroked Kyra’s head, causing her to pout at being treated like a child. Creighton, who was watching from the side, chuckled softly.

"Make sure you rest properly this time so you can recover quickly." Creighton patted Kyra’s head again, and she nodded in response. "Grandma and I will visit you again this evening. We’ll be staying at the Wisteria Mansion temporarily until you’re fully recovered."

Kyra pressed her lips together and replied flatly, "See you later, Grandpa and Grandma."

Creighton and Jane said their goodbyes and left. Meanwhile, Oliver remained for another ten minutes as he had requested. The nurse also exited the room alongside Creighton and Jane to prepare Kyra’s medication. Now, only Kyra and Oliver remained in the room.