Chapter 166- Painful
After Shaun and Angela left, Charles didn’t immediately reenter the room.
Instead, his proud figure leaned silently against the wall outside the door.
Inside, Janet sat quietly on the hospital bed, knees hugged to her chest, her delicate chin resting against them. Her wide eyes looked calm, even clear—but the spark that used to dwell in them was gone.
Neither of them spoke, separated only by a thin door. But they both knew—
He was still there.
"Janet, please live... just live, I’m begging you."
From the moment Janet was wheeled into surgery, Charles never once let go of her hands. Their fingers intertwined tightly, like the silk threads of a cocoon—delicate but impossible to break. That invisible string between their hearts... it pulled taut, unbreakable.
"Boss, I’m sorry. You can’t accompany her into the operating room. You’ll have to let go now."
Janet’s doctor stood by the gurney, his voice laced with unease. Charles’s eyes were bloodshot—he hadn’t slept a single second all night. He’d waited outside her room until she drifted off before stepping in, afraid that if she saw him, she’d sense his worry, feel pressured, and carry guilt with her into surgery.
So for one last night... he chose silence.
Janet knew he was there. Of course she did. But she respected his choice, and kept her eyes shut—preserving the illusion that might give him the strength to hold on.
Just like he asked... a little hope. A reason to survive.