The Spare Wife by Nadia Gordon

Chapter 237 That’s It For Us

As soon as Abigail rushed to the hospital and found Analise unconscious in bed, she burst into

uncontrollable tears.

Josh’s heart ached at her cries, and he extended á comforting hand to pat her gently. “Don’t worry,

Abigail. Your grandma is just sleeping. The doctors have checked on her and assured us she hasn’t

been injured or harmed in any way.”

She clutched her grandmother’s hand tightly, fearing that she might lose her again. “It’s all my fault.

None of this would have happened if I had been more decisive and divorced Sean earlier.”

He handed her a tissue to wipe away her tears and softly said, “It’s not your fault. You mustn’t blame

yourself. The responsibility lies with the kidnapper, not you.”

With teary red eyes, she looked at him gratefully. “Thank you, Mr. Pearson.”

“I didn’t act alone. Once my men received the news, we immediately called the police and rushed to the

scene. We discovered that only Joan and your grandmother were at home. But, considering how much

Kingston cares for Joan, it’s strange that he left her alone.” Josh patiently explained the situation to

Abigail in a calm tone. He was never one to take credit for others‘ efforts, and he had no intention of

deceiving her.

After contemplating his words, she bit her red lips and said, “I got it. Well, I’d still like to thank you for all

the effort and hard work you’ve put in. If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

He responded with a faint smile. “It’s fine. You don’t have to say that. Like I mentioned, we’re a family,

and whatever’s your problem is also my problem.”

Abigail understood that she might come off as annoying if she continued the conversation, so she

decided to remain silent.

“I’ve made some arrangements with the office so that there’s an additional bed for you to rest in. You’ve

been out and about for the whole day, so you should get some rest. I’ll tell someone to come pay a visit

tomorrow.” Josh’s gaze turned gentle as he spoke.

“Okay,” Abigail replied. She was indeed tired. The news about her grandmother and the long car ride

had left her tense and exhausted. She only managed to relax a little then.

“By the way… Sean is in the emergency room upstairs. Xavien was in a severe car crash, and the

doctors are still trying to save them.” He made sure to inform her before leaving.

“That’s his concern, not mine,” she replied flatly. Her sanity seemed to have returned after seeing

Analise. She no longer wanted to waste her strength on feeling hateful and resentful toward others–all

she wanted was for her grandmother to stay healthy and safe.

He didn’t say anything more, respecting her choice.

Abigail was worried that Analise might need water in the middle of the night, so she went out with a

flask that Josh had bought to get some warm water. To her surprise, she bumped into Sean in the

lobby.

The man was, as usual, dressed in a smart suit. However, there were some tears on his sleeves, and

his hair was rather messy. Despite his disheveled appearance, he had a rugged and handsome

look.

She only allowed her gaze to linger momentarily before walking away with her flask. Her eyes held a

calm and empty expression as she looked at him, almost as if observing a stranger.

Sean was on the verge of pouring out all the words he had kept inside, but something held him back at

the last moment. He watched as Abigail walked away, feeling like he was trying to hold onto grains of

sand slipping through his fingers. The tighter he clenched his fist, the more sand he lost. It was as if he

was losing her feelings for him.

Instinctively, he chased after her. “Abigail,” he rasped.

She didn’t respond with anger as before. Instead, she turned around and addressed the way she might

address a stranger. “Is something the matter?”

man in a

“Must it be this way between us?” His fingers trembled as he spoke. Earlier that day, they had sat

together at the homestay’s dining table, and she had been delighted by the delicious meal he prepared.

It felt strange for them to turn into strangers in just one afternoon.

Abigail struggled to hold back tears as she listened to Sean’s voice. She knew she wasn’t heartless

and had harbored feelings for him for many years. Ending their relationship wasn’t something she could

easily do. However, she couldn’t ignore that her grandmother lay in a hospital bed. She pushed down

her emotions and looked at him with an empty gaze. “How about this, Sean? You can protect your

people, and I’ll protect mine. Does that sound fair?”

He softly responded, “I’ve handed Kingston over to the police, and I’ll take care of the remaining

matters.”

She nodded, saying, “Congratulations. At least you’ve done one good thing. If Xavien’s injuries are

connected to Grandma, I’ll also take responsibility. Thank you.”

Sean had hoped for a different reaction from Abigail, perhaps anger, shouting, or a sign that she cared.

Instead, her expression remained cold as she turned and walked away. He felt a lump in his throat as

he watched the hospital’s white door close, creating an unbridgeable gap between them. From now on,

there would be a chasm separating them.

She returned to the ward and spaced out for a long while.

The following morning, she received news that Xavien had regained consciousness after undergoing

surgery the previous night. He was no longer in critical condition.

Analise, on the other hand, was still fast asleep. Abigail had the hospital staff check on her before

leaving.

Xavien, with his ventilator in tow, entered Sean’s hospital room, where Sean was engrossed in work.

He wished to convey to his boss not to overexert himself and to heed the doctor’s advice. Regrettably,

Xavien’s condition prevented him from speaking.

Just then, a knock came from the outside of the room. Seated with his laptop on his long, slender legs,

Sean called for the visitor to enter.

A gorgeous young nurse stepped in with a pretty fruit basket. “The girl from Room 302 told me to send

this over,” the nurse said rather bashfully.

It’s a gift from Abigail? Xavien was confused. Why would she give a fruit basket?

On the other hand, Sean seemed to grasp the situation better as he focused on the fruit basket. He

thought that Abigail might have heard about Xavien’s injury and sent this as a kind gesture. However,

her thoughtfulness with the gift raised suspicion in his mind. He thought, Is she doing this to target me?

After the nurse set the fruit basket down, she cast a few more glances at Sean before leaving with a

starstruck expression.

Seeing the concern on Sean’s face, Xavien realized that the fruit basket had something to do with

Abigail. Perhaps the misunderstanding had deepened after the mission’s failure, and Xavien couldn’t

help but feel guilty about it.

Sean closed his laptop and got up to inspect the fruit basket. His gaze appeared distant as he

examined the fruits. The basket seemed like something you could buy in a store, giving the impression

that Abigail hadn’t put much effort into choosing a special gift.

He took another look at the basket and then took out a banana, peeling it. He told Xavien, “You won’t

be able to eat any of this for a while, so I’ll help you. Focus on taking care of yourself, and don’t

overthink the rest, okay?”