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.

you’re a woman too, so I just assumed,” the nurse apologized awkwardly, blushing as she

voice the question she’d been harboring in her mind since she heard of Travis‘ accident. What kind of injury

supposed there was a problem with his spine. And problems related to the spine–they sounded serious enough

and glanced in the direction of Travis‘ room. When she was certain that no one was coming out anytime soon, she lowered 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 a few times. Sometimes, the commotion would be

there as we don’t have

to what the nurse said next. Her attention was

why Mrs. Hardy had been so adamant about

life was pretty much over.

reaction to Amber, Larissa guessed that Amber was either the reason why Travis had been in an accident, or she’d completely ignored Travis after the

Hardy had come looking for her because she had hoped that Larissa would be responsible for

sneered coldly. It looked like

Mr. Hardy finished smoking and returned to the ward,

gone.

Hardy was still unconscious, and the ice pack on her forehead

“Where’s Larissa? Where did

hurriedly.

bed, motionless, his lifeless eyes

ceiling.