Sweet Subterfuge

Chapter 42

As soon as Larissa left Travis‘ room and went by the nurses‘ station, she was stopped by the nurse who’d given her the ice packs earlier.

“Oh, perfect timing.”

The nurse beckoned. Confused, Larissa walked over to her.

“Here!” The nurse handed her a bill. “You can pay downstairs.”

Larissa looked at the bill in her hands. It was yet another five–thousand–dollar bill.

“I think you’ve made a mistake.” She smiled at the nurse. “I’m not related to Travis. I think it’s better if you have his parents pay for this.”

“What?” The nurse was evidently surprised. “Aren’t you his wife? I heard his parents say he’s married, but his wife-” She hesitated, looking embarrassed.

Even though the nurse did not say anything else after that, Larissa was well aware that whatever the Hardys had said about her, it couldn’t have been flattering.

visit him in the hospital, and you’re a woman too, so I just

prepared herself to voice the question she’d been harboring in

was in the spinal surgery ward, Larissa supposed there was a problem with his spine. And problems related to the spine–they sounded serious

her voice and continued, “Poor Travis. They say he’s married, but ever since he’s been admitted, his wife has not been here once. It was always just his parents. They took care of him, and, speaking of his parents, they look like good, honest people–they really do, but their tempers are simply unbelievable! They would start fighting in the ward, almost never for good reason, and they even got physical

don’t have any other available beds.”

to what the nurse said next. Her attention was entirely focused on the phrase “paralyzed for

so adamant about

life was pretty much over.

from Mrs. Hardy’s reaction to Amber, Larissa guessed that Amber was either the reason why Travis had been

she had hoped that Larissa would be responsible for Travis for the rest

coldly. It looked like they’d really thought

and returned to the ward,

gone.

ice pack on her forehead had slipped down to the side of her

Hardy was shocked. “Where’s Larissa? Where did she

hurriedly.

motionless, his lifeless eyes staring blankly

ceiling.