The Royal Contract

Chapter 781

Chapter 781: Today

Laura did not wish to leave her husband’s side even for a second, but she also understood that her body needed some rest. Besides, Dani would not allow her to stay a minute longer until she had her rest.

She was glad that she also followed her daughter’s advice, feeling so much rejuvenated from the relaxing and peaceful sleep she had. Seeing Ethan smiling somehow gave her a bit of hope. It was the only thing she could hold on to that made her leave his side for a while.

Presently, she had just finished taking a shower. Her wet hair hung loosely on her shoulders as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror in their room.

She looked like she had aged by a decade since Ethan had been in the hospital. Her eyes were still slightly puffy from crying and the sleepless nights. Her cheeks had a hollow in the center since she hardly ate anything.

“Oh my!” She gushed as her fingers ran through her frizzled hair.

No wonder her husband looked at her with so much concern. She looked pitiful. What should she expect? She hardly combed her hair after showering, messily tying the long strands in a bun on top of her head.

She prided herself on always looking her best around her husband. Not because she would like the attention from everyone around her, but because she did not want him to look at someone else.

.....

Although he did not show any signs that he cheated or would cheat on her, she still wanted to look good for him. But only for him.

“Rachel,” Laura called to her assistant to enter her room. “Has anyone called?” She asked, but deep inside, she hoped no one did.

Because if Dani had tried to contact her, it could only mean one thing while the rest of the other calls were not important to her at the moment.

Thankfully, her assistant told her everything had been quiet since she had arrived at the mansion. This time, she opted to go home instead of checking into the hotel.

“Ok.” She felt relieved that all had been silent. “Have the car ready in twenty minutes. I am going back to the hospital?”

Laura instructed before walking into her massive cabinet of clothes to choose what she would wear. She had to hurry because she also wanted to do her hair and makeup.

She had to look beautiful for her husband and show him she was ok. It was him they should be worrying about and not her. For some reason, she wanted her husband to feel that she would be fine even without him.

“Ms. Laura, are you ok?” Suddenly, she staggered, feeling her heart squeezed with unbearable pain. Her hands automatically clutched her chest, wanting to ease the ache consuming her.

It was not a heart attack but the realization that she was preparing herself for his imminent death. It was too painful to accept, even if she had conditioned herself that nothing last forever.

She thought it would be easy, but it seemed it was impossible. She could not even imagine waking up in the morning without Ethan constantly by her side.

“No,” Laura answered her assistant as tears rushed down her cheeks. She swore never to cry again in front of Ethan, but he was not here, so technically, she was not breaking her promise.

Rachel quickly moved to her side and assisted her to a chair, where she sat down, drowning in misery. She allowed herself to release the pain she had bottled up inside while in the presence of her husband.

Pretending that she was smiling, laughing, and happy before his presence was not an easy task, but it was necessary. If her husband was about to leave them in this world, she did not want his last remaining memories of her and his family in sorrow.

She wanted to remember the smile that curved on his lips as he gazed at her and their children. But to do that, she had to control her emotions. She had to be stronger than this.

“I am ok now.” She uttered in between her sobs, pulling the towel her assistant gave her and wiping her tears away. “Just have the car ready.”

She straightened her shoulders, standing up to prepare herself. She could see that her assistant was reluctant to leave her, but she only waved her hand. Her assistant finally vanished behind her door.

Now, she was alone again, staring at herself in the mirror, looking at her puffy eyes again. This time, she swore she would not cry anymore. She had done enough crying for them.

Staring at her eyes through her reflection, she only saw him and his unconditional love since she met him. “I swear I will be strong for the two of us. It is my turn to bear the pain and burden so you can finally rest peacefully.”

She always knew how much Ethan had sacrificed himself for her and Dani. She wished she could continue to do that, including Alex and Gerald in her wings.

They said behind a man was a strong woman, but in her case, it was the other way around. Ethan had carried them through all the bad times. And he had continued to lift them through all their happiest moments.

He was the strongest person she knew, and now she had to carry the torch for him. As she emerged from her room, looking and feeling like her old self.

“You look beautiful, Ms. Laura.” Rachel complimented as she assisted her into the car. “I do hope that Mr. Ethan gets well soon.”

She turned to the young girl who had been serving her for a couple of years. She could feel her genuine concern as well as the rest of the staff.

They had been quiet since she had arrived, and now that she was leaving again. But she sensed their anxiousness for the man of this house to return home.

“We all wish that.” But she could not promise them anything as she rode in the car on her way to her husband, waiting for her.

She would make the best of what was available to them. If there was no forever, they still had today.