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.

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

and-” She prepared herself to voice the question she’d been harboring in her mind since

problem with

nurse paused 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 so great that the other patients in the ward who aren’t bed- bound would

have

what the nurse said next. Her attention

why Mrs. Hardy had been so adamant about getting her

life was

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

that Larissa would be responsible for Travis for the rest of his

looked like they’d really thought this through.

returned

gone.

pack on her forehead had slipped down to the

was shocked. “Where’s Larissa? Where did she go?” he

hurriedly.

lay supine on the bed, motionless, his lifeless eyes

ceiling.