Chapter 144
Chapter 144: Cathy’s words drained the color from Belinda’s knuckles as she gripped the handrail. She had been contemplating divorcing Kristopher for some time now, yet technically, they were still a couple, weren’t they? However, Cathy was suggesting that they should keep their distance. “Cathy!”’ Kristopher called out, his brow furrowing as he noticed her overstepping. “I promised Grandpa I’d look after her.”’ “But must you hold her?”’ Cathy retorted, her eyes brimming with tears. She raised her voice, a note of accusation in her tone. “Kristopher, you’re just too nice. You’re blind to the manipulations some women are capable of! We’re in a hospital. You can easily hire a nurse or get a wheelchair. If she’s truly unwell, there are professional solutions available. Why do you need to hold her yourself?”’ Cathy’s raised voice drew the attention of those around them. Heads turned, and whispers began to circulate. “Isn’t that Cathy Miller, the actress who just returned to the spotlight?”’ “And the man with her, that’s her boyfriend Kristopher Cox, right?”’ “Yes, yes. I’ve been following their romance online. They’re absolutely adorable together!”’ “I heard that Mr. Cox waited for Miss Miller for three years while she was studying abroad. His devotion is just remarkable”¦”’ The crowd swelled around them, voices rising in a chorus of whispers and pointed fingers directed at Belinda. “Based on what Miss Miller mentioned earlier, is this lady bothering her boyfriend?”’ “Yes, she claimed her legs were hurt and requested Miss Miller’s boyfriend to assist her.”’ “How disgraceful! Mr. Cox is already taken, yet she clings to him, aspiring to be the other woman.”’ “And who does she think she is, needing someone else’s boyfriend to help her just because she’s injured? How utterly tactless and shameless.”’ Belinda heard it all, a sardonic smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She remained, in the eyes of the law, Kristopher’s legitimate wife. It was Cathy, not Belinda, who aspired to be the interloper. Yet, the public displays of affection between Kristopher and Cathy had painted Belinda as the outsider, subject to public ridicule. Kristopher, witnessing the spectacle, furrowed his brow in discomfort. He gently comforted Cathy with a pat on her back but couldn’t help but turn towards Belinda. She stood there, back against the wall, a bitter, self-mocking smile still playing on her lips as she endured the harsh words swirling around her. The sight tugged at his heartstrings. He opened his mouth, about to defend Belinda, when a blur of blue cut through the crowd, striding decisively towards her side. Fred approached Belinda and stopped right in front of her. “This is a hospital, not a market! Don’t you know you should keep quiet?”’ He glanced coldly at the surrounding bystanders who were whispering among themselves. “You should mind your words. Too much gossip brings bad karma and can prevent your illness””and your family’s””from being cured!”’ Perhaps it was Fred’s youthful appearance or the vehement tone of his voice that made his warning seem like a threat of imminent confrontation. The bystanders fell silent. One of them muttered, “Let’s get out of here. Talk about bad luck! We came for a spectacle and ended up cursed”¦”’ With that, the rest of the crowd, now disenchanted, gradually dispersed. Once they were gone, Fred turned his attention back to Belinda and asked, “Are you all right?”’ Belinda nodded and offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”’ “My pleasure.”’ He then glanced down at her legs. “Did you come to get your legs checked?”’ Before she could respond, he scooped her up, cradling her slender frame in his arms. Turning defiantly to Kristopher and Cathy, who were lingering nearby, he declared, “Your ex doesn’t care enough to accompany you to the doctor, preferring the company of his mistress. Forget about him! I can hold you, not just now, but all day if need be!”’…