A Bride Switcheroo on the Big Day
Chapter 3
Jasmine was nowhere to be found once Quinn went downstairs.
Nicholas frowned as he looked around. He was somewhat distracted not seeing Jasmine around. He kept glancing at his phone even when they were in the car, accidentally running the red light a few times while his mind was elsewhere.
He looked at Quinn diffidently after running the red light for the third time and narrowly avoiding an accident. He started explaining, "I'm rushing to go to the hospital because I'm worried about your injury. I hope I didn't scare you."
She looked away and stared ahead. She then replied indifferently, "I'm alright, so just drive safely and stop running the red lights."
Nicholas noticed that something was off with her attitude. He was about to ask about it when his phone buzzed.
A brief flash of joy flickered in his eyes. The worry and tension on his face finally faded after he read the message.
…
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Nicholas left the ward under the pretense of buying supper for Quinn.
The doctor, Margaret Snyder, checked her condition once he left. She frowned while asking, "Do you have any heart-related issues?"
Quinn nodded, a bitter taste rising in her mouth.
She'd suffered from heart disease since she was young. But nothing serious had happened over the years as she had always taken good care of herself.
It was only in recent months that she had started staying up late to wait for Nicholas' return. It seemed to have contributed to the worsening of her condition.
That was why she had collapsed when she saw Jasmine's post earlier.
"You need to rest more. You might need surgery if this keeps up," Margaret advised, treating her wound before leaving the ward.
The empty ward was silent except for Quinn's breathing. She looked up at the ceiling and suddenly recalled the way she would always stay by Nicholas' side whenever he was sick in the past.
But now, he had left her alone in the ward for another woman.
Quinn's phone chimed with a notification, and she saw yet another new post from Jasmine. It read: "He always remembers what I like. I still remember that the first dish he made for me was beef stew."
Her hand trembled involuntarily as she gripped her phone. It turned out that Nicholas even cooked for Jasmine personally.
…
Nicholas only returned to the ward an hour later, wearing a faint blush on his cheeks. Quinn noticed the fresh love bites on his neck as he leaned down to open the food container for her.
"The traffic was bad outside, that was why I came back late," he said.
A hint of mockery flashed across Quinn's face when she saw the beef stew, now cold.
Nicholas said, "You can eat up while I check with the doctor about your condition."
Quinn received a call from him no sooner after he left. However, Jasmine's voice was heard on the other end of the line.
"She's still in the ward—shouldn't you be taking care of her now?" Her voice was tinged with evident jealousy.
Nicholas chuckled and said, "Are you jealous? Aren't you supposed to be happy now that I've left her to come find you?"
Jasmine asked, "Can you stay with me tonight? For some reason, I feel uneasy whenever I remember that you'll be marrying someone else."
"It'll be daytime soon. How about I stay with you for the whole of tomorrow instead?" Nicholas replied.
"Can you kiss me for now then—" The line was cut off halfway through Jasmine's words.
Although Quinn couldn't manage to hear the rest of the conversation, she could imagine what would happen.
When he saw the beef stew remained untouched on the table, he ran over to her bedside worriedly and grabbed her hand. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Quinn shook her head and replied, "No, I just don't have any appetite."
Nicholas panicked as soon as he heard her words. He ran out to get Margaret to come perform a series of checks on Quinn. He only relaxed when he had confirmed that she was alright.
He took note of every instruction Margaret gave without any hint of impatience. Once she left, he took Quinn's hand and smiled gently.
"Don't worry, I remember everything the doctor said, Quinn. I won't let you get hospitalized again. Is your injury hurting you now? It's all my fault—this wouldn't have happened if I'd taken the glass out earlier," Nicholas said.
He even started tearing up, and the guilt and heartache in his gaze seemed all too real.
Suddenly, Quinn couldn't tell if Nicholas' concern for her was genuine or not.
If it was genuine, why would he bring her Jasmine's leftover beef stew? But if it wasn't genuine, why then was he so concerned about her now?
Nicholas continued to talk, but Quinn no longer had the heart to listen to him.
He hurried to tuck her in when he saw her shutting her eyes. He then sat on the edge of the bed, resting his chin in his hand while he stared at her face.
Nicholas said, "You're so beautiful, Quinn. I can't take my eyes off you. Sometimes I really think I'm lucky to have met you before you fell for someone else."
Upon hearing his words, Quinn opened her eyes and looked at him.
She wanted to ask him—who exactly did he truly love?
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