When Shane saw her reaction, his heart ached. He said, “S-She… passed away!”
Natalie’s eyes widened before they rolled to the back of her head. Unable to bear this devastating blow, she toppled backward.
Noticing that, Shane’s expression changed drastically. After calling out Natalie’s name anxiously, he reached out his arms, grabbed her, and summoned the doctor over.
After a long while, Natalie was jolted awake by a nightmare.
Sitting up on the bed, she panted heavily as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. There was still a lingering trace of shock in her expression.
Shane pushed the door open and entered. When he saw that she was awake, he strode over briskly. “You’re awake?”
“Shane?” Natalie turned her head around and glanced at him. Then, she grabbed his arm and exclaimed, “Shane, I just had a nightmare that my Mom passed away…”
“It’s not a nightmare…” interrupted Shane, staring straight into her eyes.
Natalie’s expression froze on her face. A long time passed before she spoke, her lips deathly pale. “Shane, do you know what you’re saying?”
Shane hugged her head and pressed it into his embrace. “I do, but you know too, don’t you?”
Natalie’s body froze.
Stroking her hair, Shane continued, “Nat, stop lying to yourself. It’s not a nightmare. Your Mom’s really gone.”
His honest words immediately shattered Natalie’s delusion that everything was a mere nightmare.
She was biting down on her lips so tightly that they turned extremely pale.
Eventually, her lips started to bleed.
Yeah, like what Shane said, it’s not a nightmare. Mom’s really gone!
At that moment, Natalie could not deceive herself anymore. She hugged Shane and started crying. Her wails were even louder and more despairing than when she was waiting outside the emergency room.
Her cries filled the entire hospital ward. It was a heart wrenching sight for Shane.
He did not stop Natalie from crying. Instead, he just let her be.
He knew that she needed to vent her inner despair and sorrow. Otherwise, it would be bad for her health.
“Why? Why?” Natalie punched the blanket as she sobbed, wallowing in self-blame. “Why didn’t I stop my Mom from going to the Smith Residence? Why didn’t I hold her back?”
If I had stopped her from going to the Smith Residence, perhaps she would still be alive!
Shane pursed his lips and remained silent. Life can be so unpredictable!
In the morning, Yulia was still eating breakfast with them happily. No one expected that she would be gone by afternoon, just like what happened to his grandfather.
Before his grandfather committed suicide, no one could tell that he had an inclination to do so. It was too late when Shane found out afterward.
“It’s all my fault… It’s all my fault!” Grabbing the blanket in anguish, Natalie blamed herself.
When Shane heard that, he frowned. Cupping her face, he gazed at her sorrowful expression and said in a deep voice, “It’s not your fault! None of us expected that to happen, so you’re not to be blamed!”
Natalie’s lips trembled when she heard that. “B-But I had a chance to save Mom. I just let it slip and let her go to the Smith Residence alone just like that. I…”
Unable to continue her sentence, she lowered her head and covered her face.
Shane sighed inconspicuously and pulled her into his embrace again as a form of silent consolation.
After a long while, her sobs became much softer.
Shane lowered his head and gazed at her. With her head hung low and her eyes closed, she looked like a wilted flower. The look in her eyes was dull. Even her hair had lost its shine.
Natalie no longer looked as energetic and lively as she was usually. Instead, she seemed like a zombie.
Shane’s heart ached. He wanted Natalie to pull herself together, but he knew that it was impossible at that moment.
