Free Web NovelChapter 48: Chapter 48 Do you think Dr. Hale need your advice?
When Rose arrived at the courthouse, she headed straight for the Matrimonial Division.
The waiting area was packed with couples, attorneys, and family members. Some sat side by side in silence, while others argued in hushed but bitter voices.
A strange sense of relief washed over her, as if she had finally paid off a debt that had weighed on her for years and was finally walking away from it.
Inside the hall, several couples were red-faced and arguing fiercely. Others sat side by side in silence, seething with resentment.
Some looked completely drained, their hearts long since dead, their faces carrying only the anticipation of freedom.
And what about her and Ryan?
What would happen to them?
Rose got the answer almost instantly.
They would be calm.
Not like a married couple ending a marriage, but like two business partners quietly terminating a contract.
Seven years of sharing a bed, stubbornly devoid of even a shred of love.
The thought made Rose suddenly laugh.
It was mostly self-deprecating.
The couples who had been arguing moments ago all turned to stare at her as though she were crazy.
Rose quickly composed herself. "Sorry. My husband cheated on me with his future sister-in-law. I’m so angry I had to laugh."
The women who had been arguing nonstop immediately looked at her sympathetically, clearly sharing her outrage.
"You’re young and beautiful. Is your husband blind?" one woman asked in disbelief.
Rose nodded seriously. "I think so too."
"Men are all the same. They think even trash on the side of the road smells like a gourmet meal."
Rose nodded again. "Once they get a taste, they can’t stop."
"Those ungrateful bastards will rot sooner or later!"
The women became increasingly animated.
The men, who had been keeping quiet, finally snapped.
They stood up with dark expressions and immediately fired back.
Soon, insults were flying across the hall once more.
Rose watched the scene silently.
After so many years of marriage, it had ended in such a miserable way.
For a moment, she couldn’t decide whether she felt sorrow or relief.
She checked the time.
It was almost ten o’clock.
Still no reply from Ryan.
Rose called him again.
He still didn’t answer.
She had gone through considerable trouble to arrange this meeting.
If Ryan didn’t show up, all her effort would be wasted.
Left with no choice, she walked over to the information desk.
"Excuse me," she asked. "If both parties sign today, how long will it take before the divorce is finalized?"
The court clerk looked up from her computer.
"That depends on the judge’s schedule and whether all the paperwork is complete. Once everything is filed, you’ll still need the court to review and approve it. It won’t be finalized today."
Rose felt a lump form in her throat.
For the first time, she wanted to curse the entire legal process.
So Ryan hadn’t come because he already knew nothing could be finalized today?
Rose suddenly felt drained.
She walked out of the courthouse with a long face.
She had foolishly imagined that if they signed the papers today, they could immediately sever all ties and walk away from each other for good.
Apparently, she had been far too optimistic.
Rose couldn’t help feeling a little resentful.
If Ryan knew it wouldn’t work today, why couldn’t he have told her?
Did he really have to leave her hanging like this?
A knot of frustration tightened in her chest.
After taking several deep breaths, she pulled out her phone and hailed a ride back to the hospital.
While waiting for the car, she absentmindedly scrolled through her Moments feed.
After only a few swipes, she came across a post from Oliver.
[Ryan’s hard times are almost over. Tonight, he’s treating us to some good wine. Let’s celebrate properly!]
The accompanying photo was taken inside a hospital room.
Rose felt her throat tighten.
Her breathing stalled for a moment.
Ryan had left her waiting alone here, yet he was spending time with his friends and Samantha, preparing to celebrate his impending divorce from her.
To celebrate it so openly in front of Samantha was like placing all her scars, humiliation, and pain on display for them to laugh at.
Rose squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the nausea rising in her stomach.
The cold wind cut straight through her.
Yet she found herself laughing bitterly.
Ryan was even more eager to cut ties with her than she had imagined.
The arrival of the car interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
Rose turned off her phone, wrapped her coat tightly around herself, and climbed into the vehicle.
No matter how eager she was to end the marriage, the divorce couldn’t be finalized overnight. There were still filings to complete, court approvals to obtain, and legal procedures to work through.
For now, there was nothing more she could do.
She could only return to the hospital.
*****
Ariel had already woken up.
She had just received an injection, and her big eyes were still watery.
The moment she saw Rose, she opened her arms.
"Mommy~ Where did you go?"
Rose walked over and gathered Ariel into her arms. "Mommy went to fight a battle."
"Did Mommy win?"
Rose hesitated for a moment before smiling. "Almost."
Ariel didn’t understand what that meant and happily returned to unwrapping another lollipop.
Diana immediately sensed that something was wrong.
She looked at Rose questioningly.
Rose shook her head. "It’s not going to work. The court process takes time."
Diana grumbled. "They say a scourge lasts a thousand years. Looks like that’s true."
Why was it so easy to get married, yet so hard to get divorced?
How many people could have avoided jumping into a pit of fire if there’d been a waiting period before they said "I do"?
*****
The incident involving Ariel couldn’t be hidden from Dr. Nathan Hale forever.
No sooner had Ariel been discharged than Nathan rushed over.
The moment he saw the bandage on Ariel’s head, the old man nearly exploded with rage.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to scold Ariel for sneaking out.
Instead, he directed all his anger toward Rose.
"Look at the kind of man you brought into our lives!"
He had already learned the entire story.
Even as an outsider, his blood boiled with anger.
Rose didn’t dare say a word.
"Ariel is staying with me and my wife for the time being. Her constitution is weak. After the fright, the fever, and the injury, she needs proper rest."
Rose knew how much Nathan adored Ariel.
Every scrape and bruise on the little girl felt like a knife through his heart.
"Okay..."
Rose wouldn’t dare argue.
Nathan had essentially settled down in New York.
He lived in a highly secure residential district in a government-allocated villa, so Rose felt relatively reassured.
Besides, she still hadn’t purchased a home of her own.
There was no reason to drag Ariel through the instability of her current circumstances.
Diana scratched her head guiltily. "This was my fault. I wasn’t careful enough."
Nathan snorted. "Why are you blaming yourself? If you ask me, it’s because certain people have hearts of stone."
"Grandpa, who are you angry at?" Ariel asked curiously.
Nathan shot Rose a meaningful look. "A scumbag. When Ariel grows up, she’d better keep her eyes open and avoid ending up like her mother—who chose so carefully and still ended up suffering the consequences."
Rose: "..."
Please stop talking.
Ariel blinked. "My dad?"
Rose nearly choked.
The child was simply too smart.
She opened her mouth to deny it.
"No—"
Ariel looked at her seriously. "Mom, you don’t have to explain. My dad is dead. I know."
Rose: "...Right."
Honestly, being alive wasn’t much different.
He was completely useless and occasionally resurfaced just to make her life more miserable.
It was almost haunting.
*****
After completing the discharge procedures, Nathan personally carried Ariel to the car.
Everything involving Ariel was handled by him.
Rose didn’t dare provoke the old man, so she busied herself running around and taking care of miscellaneous tasks.
Nathan had intended to lecture Rose a little longer.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed someone exiting the hospital lobby.
A tall, slender figure walked out carrying a chubby child in one arm.
Behind him, Samantha smiled brightly.
"Ryan, you spoil Mike too much. You let him cling to you all the time."
Rose’s back stiffened.
She instinctively turned to look.
Human beings are slaves to their emotions.
She knew another glance would only hurt her.
Yet she still insisted on witnessing the painful reality.
Perhaps because the pain served as a reminder of why she needed to let go.
Ryan’s refined features carried the faintest trace of a smile.
Like ice beginning to thaw.
He looked exceptionally handsome when he smiled.
Yet throughout all their years of marriage, he had been stingy with such expressions around her.
Ryan walked ahead carrying Mike while Samantha chatted and laughed beside him with Oliver.
For a moment, Rose felt dazed.
She had never realized Ryan was so good with children.
The tenderness and affection in his eyes looked completely genuine.
He truly liked children.
Watching him care for Mike made her think he would probably make a good father.
Ryan looked up and spotted Rose and the others.
Samantha’s expression tightened briefly.
But when she noticed Nathan, she immediately composed herself and stepped forward.
"Dr. Hale, what brings you to the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Dr. Hale is a doctor himself. Do you really think he needs your insincere concern?" Diana sneered.
The smile on Samantha’s face instantly faded.
She couldn’t be bothered arguing with Rose’s friends.
Instead, she turned her attention back to Nathan.
But Nathan’s cold gaze remained fixed on Ryan.
"You good-for-nothing!"
Rose hadn’t expected the old man to be this angry.
He had cursed Ryan right to his face.
Given Ryan’s status, almost nobody had ever spoken to him that way.
Even Samantha’s expression darkened.
She couldn’t understand what Ryan had done to offend Nathan so thoroughly.
She immediately looked toward Ryan.
Ryan, however, showed no sign of displeasure.
He gently set Mike down.
Just as he was about to speak—
The rear window of Nathan’s car suddenly rolled down.
The little girl inside was bundled up tightly in a hat and mask.
Only a pair of beautiful dark eyes remained visible.
She stared intently in Rose’s direction.
Then she stretched out her tiny hand and called softly—
"Mommy?"
