NovelEnglish
Joyce fell silent.
Stanley waved her away. “Leave me alone. I'm feeling a little dizzy.”
“Dizzy?” Joyce frowned anxiously. “Are you feeling okay? Is the dizziness very bad? Is it
because you're still concussed? I'll call for the doctor.”
Joyce immediately reached over to press the nurse call button.
Stanley grabbed her wrist, stopping her in mid-air. “No need! It's nothing. Just let me sleep
for a bit.”
Joyce had not expected him to grab her hand. His touch startled her. She looked at his
fingers curled around her wrist, and all words were lost on her.
Stanley, too, realized that he had crossed a line. Slowly, he released his grip and hid his
hand under the blanket. He clenched his fist tightly as if he could trap the warmth from
her hand that still lingered on his palm.
He lowered his eyes to hide his expression from her. His voice sounded a little hoarse
when he said, “Go on out. Let me sleep.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Okay...” Joyce replied in a small voice, looking down. She dared not meet Stanley's eyes.
What happened to me just now? Why did my heartbeat suddenly start racing? The
moment Stanley's hand touched mine, my heart started beating wildly! Could it be
because the old me used to love him, so his touch would always trigger me? If so, I must
be more careful in the future and avoid any skin contact with him. Otherwise, who knows
what will become of my state of mind!
Joyce was afraid that Stanley's touch would diminish the effects of the hypnosis. It would
be terrible if he were to enter her thoughts again.
“Rest well, Mr. Quinn. I'll leave you alone now.” Joyce turned away from him and headed
for the door. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and tried to calm herself down.
Stanley suddenly called out, “I'd like to have pumpkin soup for dinner tonight!”
“Huh?” Joyce paused in her steps. “Pumpkin soup?”
Stanley grunted in affirmation.
Pumpkin soup was Joyce's favorite.
She had made it for him on many occasions in the past, but he never had once accepted
it. He had even thrown her thermal food jar into the trash can several times in front of her.
He could still recall the way all the color had drained from her face.
Back then, he would not bring himself to taste her soup, but now, he wanted to give it a
try.
Joyce was oblivious to the memories flashing through Stanley's mind.
She did not remember ever having made pumpkin soup for him. After all, she had no
memory of their past at all. His dinner request had caught her off guard.
She recovered quickly and nodded. “Pumpkin soup, is it? I know how to make that. I'll
make it for you tonight.”
Since she was taking care of him during his recovery, it was natural that she would make
him his dinner.
Stanley's expression softened after Joyce had voiced her agreement. He relaxed into his
pillow and closed his eyes without another word.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmJoyce threw one last glance at him before closing the door quietly behind her. Out in the
corridor, she called Natalie on her phone.
At that moment, Natalie was engrossed in a fashion magazine. She answered the call
without looking at the caller's name. “Hello?”
“Nat,” Joyce greeted her.
Recognizing Joyce's voice, Natalie immediately pulled her attention away from the
magazine and answered with a smile, “Hi Joyce! What's going on?”
“Nat, Stanley is awake,” Joyce said as she lowered herself into one of the hard plastic
chairs lining the corridor.
Natalie was surprised to hear Joyce's news. Her expression grew serious. “What? Stanley is
awake?”
“Yes.” Joyce nodded.
“How is he doing now? Did he say whether he would make a police report?” Natalie
quickly asked.
Joyce shook her head with a small smile. “He's doing well. He didn't say that he would
report to the police. He's even agreed to let me keep the baby.”
“What?” Natalie exclaimed in disbelief. She jumped to her feet. “Really? Is that true?”
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