Chapter 296: Chapter 296

He adjusted the hospital bed to a higher position, set up the tray table, and placed the breakfast in front of her one by one.

He mentioned he just bought some congee earlier, yet when he laid it out, there were also many specialty items from the dim sum shop, all of which she loved.

Halfway through eating, she remembered to ask him, "Have you eaten yet? If not, join me. There’s too much here for me to finish."

"You go ahead." Simon Rhodes sat down on a chair beside her, looked at the bandage on her forehead, and asked, "How did you get hurt?"

Susan Wilde froze for a moment and said, "I slipped while taking a shower. The floor was slippery, and I fell accidentally."

Simon Rhodes looked somewhat skeptical but didn’t probe further because he noticed the unusual marks on her face and neck, which didn’t seem consistent with a fall.

He wasn’t sure if there had been some conflict between her and Shawn Rhodes, but what was certain was that she wasn’t doing well.

"What did the doctor say?"

Susan Wilde looked up at him and, wiping her mouth with a napkin, replied, "Superficial wounds, nothing serious."

"Are you the only one in the hospital? Where’s your husband?"

"... He had something to do. It’s not that serious, so I didn’t ask him to come."

Susan Wilde kept her head down, avoiding Simon Rhodes’s gaze, as if she was afraid he would see through her lie.

Simon Rhodes had been worried since the day she and Shawn Rhodes got married. Although he had foreseen the unhappiness of this marriage, he didn’t want to see her being bullied.

"What do you want for lunch? I can have someone bring it to you." Seeing that Susan Wilde had finished eating, Simon Rhodes asked her while cleaning up the table.

Susan Wilde glanced at him and replied, "You don’t need to trouble yourself, Uncle. I can buy it myself, and there’s food at the hospital too."

Simon Rhodes silently tidied up without saying anything more, seemingly lost in thought but unsure how to approach the subject with her.

"I have to go to the company now. Do you still have my number? If anything comes up, you can call me."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle."

After Simon Rhodes left, Susan Wilde lay on the bed and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

She could sense that Simon Rhodes had a particular regard for her, but she wasn’t sure if that meant he liked her.

After all, they knew each other before she met Shawn Rhodes, and back then, he didn’t show any such feelings.

But since she married Shawn Rhodes, he appeared erratically around her.

It made her wonder if there was some conspiracy she didn’t know about—perhaps a power struggle between the two companies? Did he want to win her over to get some secrets or benefits from Shawn Rhodes?

Yet this didn’t quite make sense either.

If it were said that Shawn Rhodes wanted to gain some benefits from him, that would be reasonable. The Rhodes Group was already at the top and wouldn’t need to put in that effort for minor gains from Shawn Rhodes.

Having ruled out this possibility, Susan Wilde was even more puzzled. Could it be that he truly liked her?

In the morning, Shannon Quinn went to Susan Wilde’s workplace to find her, only to be informed that Susan Wilde wasn’t there. Official source is NovєlFіre.net

Shannon Quinn called to inquire, and only then did Susan Wilde reveal the truth, saying she was in the hospital.

"How could you be so careless? You’re always in the hospital every other day. What’s going on?" Upon hearing the news, Shannon Quinn rushed to the hospital immediately.

Susan Wilde smiled and used the same excuse, saying, "I slipped while showering."

"How clumsy are you? It’s a good thing it’s not serious. Are you all alone in the hospital? Doesn’t Shawn accompany you even when you’re hospitalized?"

"Busy with Rowan Alder, huh? Susan, I think you can’t keep indulging him. No matter what, Shawn is your husband now. Whether he likes you or you like him, you can’t let another woman be so arrogant, blatantly moving into your marital home. If it were me, I’d kick them both out."

Susan Wilde smiled, reached out for the apple Shannon Quinn had peeled, took a bite, and then said, "But I didn’t spend money to buy the house, so what I say doesn’t count, right?"

"You didn’t buy it, but it’s your marital home. You shouldn’t fight for what’s not yours, but you can’t let others occupy what’s yours either."

"I really don’t know what to do. I’m thinking of moving out, especially since my sister has come here. If I rent a place, I can keep an eye on her."

"What’s with your face?" Shannon Quinn noticed the mark on the side of Susan Wilde’s face for the first time. "Did Shawn hit you?"

"Then it must be Rowan Alder."

Susan Wilde hesitated and then told Shannon Quinn about the confrontation she had with Rowan Alder the previous day, but she didn’t mention what happened with Shawn afterward.

Shannon Quinn became infuriated after hearing it, "Here’s what I think. Don’t Shawn’s parents like you both? You said Mrs. Rhodes treats you better. After discharge, go home, call the elders over for dinner without telling Shawn, let his parents catch them in the act, and kick Rowan out."

Susan Wilde contemplated for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

Initially, she didn’t want Shawn’s parents to know. She didn’t want to break the rules between her and Shawn or disrupt the current balance. As long as they were content, she didn’t intend to stir trouble and let things be.

But now, she saw that maintaining a peaceful life was no longer possible. Even if she avoided conflict, Rowan Alder would deliberately provoke it.

This incident had fully clarified that, in front of Rowan Alder, Shawn wouldn’t discern right from wrong and would judge her based solely on Rowan’s words.

If she continued to endure in silence, Rowan Alder would only become more arrogant.

Even if this made Shawn unhappy, in reverse, there was nothing she could do to make him happy, so she might as well focus on her comfort.

The afternoon the following day, Susan Wilde was discharged from the hospital. During her two-day stay, Shawn Rhodes hadn’t visited her once.

After being discharged, she didn’t go home directly but visited a hair salon to cut bangs that slightly covered the wound on her temples, making it less visible.

She had dinner alone outside before returning home. When the security guard saw her come back, they were pleased and asked, "Ma’am, are you alright?"

Susan Wilde smiled, "I’m fine. Is Mr. Rhodes home?"

The security guard’s smile faded, and he seemed hesitant to speak, studying Susan Wilde’s expression, "Both Mr. Rhodes and Miss Dixon are home."

"When did they return?"

"Around five o’clock, they returned together carrying lots of bags, looks like they went shopping at the supermarket."

Susan Wilde nodded, lifted her foot, and walked inside.

She entered the password into the lock and pushed open the door, immediately hearing the breathy, sultry sounds from inside.

She pretended she hadn’t heard anything, walked into the room with indifference, glanced at the trail of clothing stretching from the entrance to the living room, and then saw the couple entwined on the sofa. She quietly changed into her slippers and walked straight to her room.

Shawn Rhodes glanced at her, seeming to want to ask something, but Rowan Alder held his face and kissed him, continuing their intimate moment.