Chapter 76
Chapter 76: After they left the massage parlor, Madisyn took Belinda out for hotpot, insisting on the extra spicy flavor she knew Belinda once adored. As soon as the steaming dish arrived, Madisyn eagerly ladled some onto Belinda’s plate, her face bright with a smile. “Go on, Belinda, dig in. You’ve always been a fan of spicy food. It’s been ages since you’ve had some, right?”’ Belinda cast a wary glance at the fiery broth simmering before her. Spicy meals had been her favorite. However, her rapidly worsening stomach cancer might have been exacerbated by her penchant for such fiery foods. In times of distress, particularly those caused by Kristopher or the harshness of the Cox family, she sought solace in these scalding meals with Madisyn. They often said that spice was a form of pain. Belinda used it to dull the ache of Kristopher’s aloofness and the Cox family’s relentless cruelty. But after her diagnosis, she hadn’t dared to touch anything remotely spicy. Belinda realized that Madisyn, thinking she was merely upset about the events of the afternoon, had brought her here to lift her spirits. Touched by her friend’s gesture, she bit her lip, her eyes meeting Madisyn’s. “Madisyn, thank you.”’ “For what? Come on, eat!”’ Madisyn cheerfully urged, continuing to fill Belinda’s bowl. “Why aren’t you eating? Something wrong?”’ With her friend’s concern washing over her, Belinda managed a weak smile and forced herself to eat a few mouthfuls. “I’m just not very hungry, that’s all.”’ After nibbling a bit, she feigned a phone call and excused herself to the restroom. Once there, she hastily spat out the food and doubled over in pain, clutching her abdomen as she knelt by the toilet. From her position near the sink, Belinda caught the strains of a familiar female voice. “Maggie, didn’t you promise that Cathy would bring Kristopher along for hotpot tonight? I’ve already told our classmates they’d be joining us. They gave me such skeptical looks, as if I were making it up!”’ Belinda’s brow furrowed as she recognized the voice. It was Helen. Maggie’s voice, icy and sharp, cut through the air. “Cathy’s in the hospital. My brother’s tied up looking after her, so they’re not coming tonight.”’ “Hospital? But Cathy was perfectly fine at the house earlier today,”’ Helen responded, puzzled. Maggie scoffed dismissively. “It’s all Belinda’s fault. I heard that my brother took Cathy to the racetrack in the suburbs to unwind, and who do they run into but Belinda? She can’t even drive properly but insisted on racing with Cathy, leading to a crash!”’ “Really? How is Cathy doing?”’ Helen’s concern was evident in her voice. “She’s alright,”’ Maggie sighed, a trace of relief in her tone. “I just had a video chat with her. She’s got a minor scratch on her forehead, but nothing that’ll interfere with her engagement ceremony with my brother next week.”’ Hearing this, Helen let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good to hear. An engagement is such a significant moment in a woman’s life. Kristopher has been planning it meticulously. He booked the venue and the cake over a month ago to ensure a lavish ceremony for Cathy. It would have been disastrous if Belinda had messed it up.”’ As the voices of the two women faded into the distance, Belinda remained huddled in the restroom, the ache in her stomach growing sharper. Because of his recent hesitations about their conversations on divorce, she had started to believe Kristopher wasn’t keen on separating. But now, the truth hit her. He had been planning to propose to Cathy all along, having reserved the venue and cake weeks in advance. It dawned on her that Kristopher had been deceiving her all this time….