C9 I Was Sent to the Hospital

When Hilda awoke, it was already the next morning, and Kimball was no longer in the room. Her body ached, untouched by any cleaning, with the sole change being a box of birth control pills placed on the bedside table.

Without a word, Hilda took the pills and wearily made her way to the bathroom for a shower. The warm water cascaded over her face, her eyes stinging slightly, yet she stubbornly wiped her face, refusing to let a single tear fall.

No matter how much she scrubbed, Hilda couldn't shake the feeling of being unclean, as if she could never wash away the dirt.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed the bathrobe was slightly too large, revealing her pale neck and delicate collarbones. Fresh from the shower, her skin had a healthy pink glow, and her features seemed to carry an unfamiliar allure.

With a sharp "snap!" Hilda slapped herself, leaving a vivid red imprint on her cheek, startlingly visible.

Staring intently at her reflection, she spoke deliberately, "Who are you trying to impress in this state? Hilda, how long will you wallow in self-pity? This was your choice; you have to see it through. Just one year, and it will all be over, everything will get better. Stop acting like a lost dog!"

The woman in the mirror's gaze grew brighter, her confusion fading away, replaced by an unprecedented resolve. It was as though she had donned an armor, put on a mask, and cast aside all timidity.

"Hilda, don't give up. Remember your mother."

Taking a deep breath, Hilda opened the bathroom door and stepped out.

Her phone on the bedside table suddenly rang. Hilda hastened to it, only to realize it was a reminder she had set for herself: today was the day she was to visit her mother in the hospital.

"I need to make a trip back first." She searched for her evening dress, but it was nowhere to be found.

Finally, she opened the wardrobe in the room and discovered that, unlike its barren state the day before, it was now filled with a variety of new clothes, all in her size and even in styles she favored.

Hilda hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided on a black dress to wear. She quickly left and made her way back to her rented home. Once there, Hilda secured the check in her lockbox, loaded some daily necessities into her car, and drove to the hospital.

It was still early, so the First People's Hospital wasn't crowded yet.

As soon as Hilda reached the inpatient department, a nurse spotted her and hurriedly called out, "Hilda, why are you so late? Go see your mother right away."

"What happened to my mother?" Hilda's face turned pale, and she dropped the health products she was carrying, ready to sprint to the ward.

"Please, no running in the hospital corridors. Slow down," the nurse urged, picking up the items Hilda had dropped and following her to the ward.

"Mom!" Hilda burst through the ward door and immediately saw her mother lying in the hospital bed, with two figures standing beside her.

She instantly grasped the gravity of the nurse's words.

Hilda's expression grew stern. "Why are you here?"

Aimee glanced back and huffed, "Just checking if this woman has kicked the bucket yet."

"You!"

"How can you speak like that, Aimee?" The elegantly dressed woman finally interjected.

"Mom," Aimee complained, pouting as she tugged on the woman's arm and shook it, trying to charm her.

This woman was none other than Ken's current wife, Norma, the woman he had always adored.