Chapter 72
The righteous indignation that had filled the room came to a sudden halt, all eyes turning toward Xavier.
A faint, careless curve played at the corner of Xavier’s lips.
“Is that how it works?” he said. “You believe anything someone says? If I told you this young lady here has made a habit of
wrecking other people’s relationships, that she’s not sick at all and only playing the sympathy card-would you believe that too?
”
People looked at one another, suddenly unsure, silence creeping into the space where their outrage had been.
Xavier continued, unhurried, “If you don’t know the full story, maybe don’t echo what everyone else is saying. Just because someone looks weak, doesn’t mean they’re right. And the ones you see as weak… might not be so weak after all.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips, ambiguous and unreadable. “Funny, isn’t it? I’ve never seen someone so ‘helpless’ stir up a crowd with just a few tearful sentences.”
The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Expressions changed. Doubt flickered.
Kelly, flustered, stepped forward. “Mr. Cooper, you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t trying to manipulate anyone—”
Xavier cut her off with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “No rush, Kelly. I was only giving an example. Just a joke, really.”
He looked at her with a teasing glance, half-smiling. “Now that the dishes are here, why not sit down and talk? If I recall correctly, Sharon never said she had the medicine, just that she didn’t. And besides, the one who needs the medicine is her mother-in-law. If she had it, do you really think she wouldn’t give it?”
“Maybe it’s out of stock. Maybe there’s some other reason. All this crying…” He raised his brows slightly. “If someone heard without context, they’d think you were pleading for your family. Not for someone else’s.”
The tension broke slightly. Whispers turned directions.
“So she just didn’t have it? I thought she was refusing to give it out of spite.”
“Exactly. She didn’t even explain, and that girl started crying like she was dying. Is she overly anxious-or just overly dramatic?
“Wait… the patient isn’t even her. It’s that woman’s mother-in-law. Why’s she so worked up? What’s their relationship, anyway?”
Carter’s brows furrowed slightly. His dark, unreadable gaze slowly shifted toward Kelly.
She froze, her expression faltering.
Her eyes reddened suddenly. “Carter, I didn’t mean anything bad. I just wanted to help you. I know I’m stupid, I say the wrong things… people don’t like me. Maybe my existence itself is a mistake.”
A brittle smile tugged at her lips. “You should talk to Sharon. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
She stood slowly and turned toward the door, her slender frame moving away with quiet resolve. There was something about her back-small, lonely-that tugged at onlookers’ emotions.
But no one had noticed when the rain outside had turned into a downpour.
Heavy drops beat against the restaurant’s glass windows, dull and relentless.
In a flash, Carter caught her wrist, his expression strained and sharp.
“Where are you going? It’s raining. In your condition, you can’t get wet.”
Kelly’s composure cracked. Her voice shot up. “Where I go, whether I get wet, whether I live or die-it has nothing to do with you!”
She shook off his hand and burst out the door.
Carter froze for a second, then followed her out.
The rain had grown even heavier, sheets of it falling like a curtain. It only took seconds outside for clothes to cling, soaked to the
bone.
Kelly had barely reached the pavement when Carter caught her again.
He gripped her hand, trying to pull her back toward the restaurant.
But Kelly fought him, struggling wildly, refusing to return.
