Chapter 7 An Unexpected Encounter

• Hazel looked up, surprised to see a woman she recognized—someone who used to bully her back in school.
• “Oh my, it’s you? No wonder you’re so clumsy,” said the woman, Donna, looking at Hazel with disdain.
• “Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Hazel said, stepping away.
• “‘Sorry,’ you say? You bumped into me pretty hard, you know!”
• “Hazel, are you okay?”
• Hazel and Donna turned to the voice. It was Theo, along with his grandmother, approaching.
• Hazel quickly moved closer to them, shaking her head. “I’m fine, Theo. I just accidentally bumped into her.”
• “Oh, Mr. Theo, right? The one who’s supposed to marry Hazel, that nobody?”
• Theo looked at Donna with clear dislike. “Watch your mouth! She’s already my wife. So you’d better think twice before speaking to my wife that way, understand?”
• Donna pretended to be shocked, covering her mouth dramatically. “Oh, really? Mr. Theo, you must’ve married Hazel out of pity, right? She’s so hard to figure out. She even tried to take my money back in school,” she sneered.
• “You–!” Theo’s face was filled with anger as he pointed at Donna, but she didn’t seem intimidated.
• Hazel held Theo’s hand, signaling him not to respond to someone as cruel as Donna. She shook her head slightly, signaling him to let it go.
• Theo exhaled sharply, then lowered his hand. “Let’s go outside. Come on, Hazel.”
• Theo wheeled himself ahead, followed by Hazel and his grandmother.
• “Theo, don’t worry about it, okay? I’m used to dealing with people like her,” Hazel said as she helped push his wheelchair out of the hospital.
• “I hate seeing you treated like that. And you just stand there, silent? She was cornering you, Hazel. She didn’t even help you when you fell. Is she human or a demon?”
• Hazel stayed silent, glancing at her grandmother beside her. “Well... I didn’t take it personally. Let’s just drop it, okay?”
• “You’re always brushing things off, accepting whatever they throw at you. Even when they’re mean, you never admit they hurt you.”
• Theo stopped his wheelchair and turned to face Hazel. “Hazel, you need to think about how they treat you. Do you deserve that?”
• Hazel paused, standing directly in front of Theo, her husband. She clasped her hands together, biting her lip, afraid to answer.
• “You can’t answer, can you? You probably think you can never stand up to them.”
• Hazel stayed silent, lowering her head, her fingers fidgeting.
• “Theo, enough. Don’t scold her. Let’s just find a place to eat while we wait for my turn,” said Vivian.
• Theo sighed heavily. “Fine, let’s find somewhere close by.”
• Hazel glanced sideways at Theo, then followed behind him.
• After finding a nice place, they finally entered a restaurant not far from the hospital. It looked spacious and beautiful.
• “Let’s find a table.”
• Theo found seats by a window and gestured for Hazel and Vivian to sit down. Shortly, a waiter approached with menus for them.
• Hazel took one and chose her meal.
• “I’ll have the chicken steak and iced tea,” Hazel said, closing her menu once the waiter noted her order.
• “I’ll have the same, but just water to drink, please. What about you, Grandma?” Theo asked.
• “I’d like spaghetti and lemon tea.”
• “Anything else?” the waiter asked.
• “That’ll be all,” Theo replied.
• “Alright, please wait a few minutes,” the waiter said before leaving with their order.
• Hazel nodded politely, then looked down at her phone. No one spoke for a while.
• “What number did your grandma get earlier?”
• “Twenty-five,” Hazel answered without looking at Theo.
• “What number are they on now?”
• “About fifteen, I think,” Hazel replied again.
• Seeing this, Theo sighed with frustration, disliking her distant behavior. Finally, he took her phone.
• Hazel was startled, looking at Theo with a confused expression. “What’s wrong?”
• “You’re being rude. I’m talking to you. You should look at the person you’re speaking with.”
• Hazel sighed softly, feeling as if she could never do anything right in Theo’s eyes. “Okay, I... I’m sorry.”
• “Is ‘sorry’ enough?” Theo placed the phone back on the table. “Don’t do it again. With me or anyone else, understood?”
• “Yes, I understand.”
• “Can you two stop fighting? I’m getting dizzy watching you two argue,” said Vivian.
• “Sorry, Grandma. I’m just doing this for Hazel,” Theo replied.
• “It’s alright. I like seeing you teach her like that. I support you, Theo,” Vivian said with a smile.
• Theo returned a small smile.
• “I’ll go to the restroom for a bit. Take care of Hazel,” said Vivian as she left.
• Theo watched Vivian’s back until she was out of sight, then turned his attention back to Hazel, who was sitting quietly.
• “Can I check the bruise on your wrist from yesterday?” Theo asked, extending his hand across the table.
• Hazel glanced at Theo’s hand. Without hesitation, she held out her wrist to him.
• Theo examined her wrist. “It’s not red anymore. Does it still hurt?” he asked, looking at her.
• “A little. My aunt grabbed it pretty tightly yesterday, so it still hurts if it’s squeezed.”
• Theo cleared his throat. “I’ll massage it later. And I’ll also help with your leg.”
• “Theo, I–”
• “Are you going to refuse my help?”
• Hazel fell silent, meeting Theo’s gaze. She felt a mix of fear and respect for her husband. She took a slow breath and nodded. “Alright, I’ll let you help me.”
• “Good. I’m glad you didn’t refuse.”
• “Grandma’s taking a while, isn’t she? Do you think something’s wrong?” Hazel murmured, looking over Theo’s shoulder.
• “What?” Theo asked, glancing back briefly.
• “Grandma.”
• “She’ll be back. You don’t need to worry. She just went to the restroom.”
• Hazel cleared her throat quietly and nodded in understanding.
• Soon after, their order arrived. One by one, the waiter placed their food and drinks on the table. Vivian also returned and sat back next to Hazel.
• “Why did Grandma take so long?” Hazel whispered.
• Vivian chuckled at her granddaughter’s concern. “Why are you worried? I usually take this long, don’t I?”
• Hazel pouted. “I was worried about you.”
• “I’m fine, Hazel,” Vivian assured her.
• Hazel nodded, feeling relieved that her grandmother had returned.
• “Alright, let’s eat, then we’ll head back to the hospital.”
• They began eating their meals, following Theo’s suggestion.
• But Theo didn’t start eating. Instead, he found himself watching Hazel intently, without her noticing.
• At first, Hazel didn’t realize Theo was staring at her. But soon, she felt his gaze and looked up, noticing him watching her. She glanced at his plate. “Theo? Aren’t you going to eat?”
• v