Chapter 8 Can Be Discharged

With his bag in his left hand, he was about to make a call as he walked. Glancing up, he decided against it and hung up. Charles was waiting for him at the entrance of the psychiatric hospital. "I received the news of your discharge from Mr. John," Charles said, opening the car door for him. John nodded and got into the car, bending down slightly. Charles dashed to the passenger seat and looked at the rearview mirror. Charles didn't dare to ask anything. As the car engine roared to life, John met Charles's gaze. Charles instantly retreated, and John's soft voice came through: "Is there anything about the company you need to tell me during my absence?" "Mr. Joshua's collaboration is progressing, and everything else is normal," Charles replied. John had originally told him to manage the company in his absence for just two days, but unexpectedly, he was gone for more than half a month. John reached out: "Cigarette." Smoking wasn't allowed in the hospital, but he wanted one. He used to be a non-smoker, but now he was somewhat addicted. Charles handed him a cigarette and turned on the car's air conditioning, whispering, "Mr. John, do you need to stay at a hotel first? Mrs.Kimberly just got home, and the house hasn't been cleaned yet." John's eyelashes flickered, and he waved his hand: "Straight home." In the living room, the roses on the sofa had withered, with only red balloons floating above. Aunt Kimberly quickly threw the withered flowers into the trash and started dealing with the balloons. Charles said John was on a business trip for more than half a month, and everything in the house should be considered as discarded. When John entered the house, the living room was spotless. A faint, delicate fragrance filled the air, one that Sophia had once loved. John seemed lost in thought. "Mr. John," Aunt Kimberly hurried over, "I've disposed of the kitchen items." John glanced in the direction of the kitchen, said nothing, and went upstairs, leaving Aunt Kimberly puzzled in the living room. In the bedroom. John stood by the bed, his fingers tracing the urn. Sophia was gone, enclosed in this tiny space, unable to cry, laugh, or feel warmth. He held the urn and slept until evening, when the lights outside began to flicker on. He reached for his phone and sent a Facebook message to Charles: "Help me buy a grave in the churchyard." Charles wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, "I'll take care of it right away." He had always been afraid to probe John, because if he didn't mention Sophia, John seemed like a normal person. It seemed he was truly healing. Charles was efficient, providing John with feedback after securing a location. John hung up the phone and knocked on the door in front of him. After a moment, footsteps echoed from inside. William looked surprised at John's face on the digital screen, pulling his lips into a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. He touched his mouth; the place where he had been hit still hurt. His family had gone bankrupt, and he was swamped with family matters when John showed up at his doorstep. William looked around and hefted a golf club. He kept his hands behind his back and opened the door for John. "Mr. John, what a rare guest," William said, glancing over his shoulder but seeing no one else. It seemed he had come alone, but his assistants or bodyguards might still be nearby. Seeing William's hands behind his back, John understood. He pushed past William and entered the house. William turned around, hesitating for a few seconds between attacking and not attacking, and chose the latter. John sat down on the sofa, the same spot where William had been humiliated. William pressed his tongue against his cheek, smiling without warmth: "What brings Mr. John here?" "What did you threaten Sophia with?" William was taken aback by the question, then smiled. "You figured it out," he said, suddenly relaxing and sitting across from John. Now that Sophia was dead, there was no point in William keeping secrets, especially since he had threatened her to be with her. Since John had asked, he might as well tell him. Besides, it wouldn't be him suffering in despair. "Remember when your Jones family received a sum of money? That was from Sophia, who begged me for it," William said. William laughed and pulled up a video from his phone, sending it to John's email. "Sophia chose to break up with you for two reasons: to save you and because of this," he said, leaning back comfortably with a hint of a smile. John watched the video, which showed a man and a woman entering a hotel together and coming out hand in hand the next day. There was nothing particularly special about the content, but the protagonists were Sophia's mother, Jennifer, and another man. Jennifer had cheated. No wonder she had been threatened by William. William beckoned John with his finger: "Give me Sophia's ashes. I paid a high price to get them from Jennifer." "She sold her daughter's ashes?" John's eyebrows furrowed. Sophia was her daughter; would she really trade her daughter's ashes with William? William smiled and held up five fingers: "Yes, for five million dollars." John stood up to leave. William licked his lips, fingers caressing the golf club: "John, are you giving them back or not?" John turned around and kicked him in the chest. William was kicked to the ground, clutching his chest and coughing hard. John Jones was ruthless. "Hey," William rubbed his chest and stood up, shouting at John's retreating back, "Don't be fooled by Emily's innocence. Do you think where I got the video of Jennifer's affair? John, let me tell you, that bitch gave it to me. She's had designs on you for a long time, jealous of Sophia. So when your father ruined the Jones family, she came straight to me, knowing I liked Sophia." John paused at the doorway. William laughed out loud, "Don't you think a rainy night car accident is a staple of romance novels? Do you think you're the hero? It rains, and you get into a car accident, only to be rescued by a beauty. Let me tell you, you should check out Emily. She might have had some improper dealings with that driver." John's fingers tightened with a creak. When he first met Sophia, she introduced him to Emily, her best friend. "She knew you were Sophia's boyfriend but deliberately approached you and comforted you. What kind of person do you think she is?" After shouting, William began to pant heavily. He would go to the hospital now. If John had hurt him badly, he would make him pay. William followed John out and got into his car, tailing John all the way to the hospital. William chuckled at the hospital sign. Emily was finished. But then again, maybe John actually liked Emily. ... Emily had just woken up and was receiving an IV drip. John pushed open the hospital room door and walked in. Emily sat up in surprise, but before she could speak, the man choked her. Emily didn't understand why he was doing this. "John..." Her eyes filled with tears, making her look pitiful. But there was no pity in John's eyes. He pressed his palm against the sheet, leaning forward to stare into her eyes. The sharp, cold light in his eyes made Emily tremble uncontrollably. "Get well soon," John said, his lips curling up slightly. His fingers traced her neck twice. A flash of cold light flickered in his eyes, but when Emily looked closely, she found his gaze as calm and expressionless as ever. She was just too nervous. Emily thought about what had happened that night and polished her words before speaking: "Did you and Sophia make up?" The woman's eyes were red-rimmed. John's gaze was indifferent: "She's dead." Emily was shocked and scrutinized John's expression, unsure if he was telling the truth. "You're kidding," Emily forced a smile. Was he testing her? Since John's business trip abroad, she felt like his attitude towards her had changed. She bit her lip. John had always been grateful. Emily pouted, "John, don't talk about Sophia like that. She's my best friend. Although she betrayed you, you two still had feelings before. That rainy night when you went to see her, and she didn't meet you, I think it's understandable. She didn't love you anymore." Emily's movement suddenly halted, her pearly whites clamping down on her lower lip. "John, my bones hurt so much. I think they're out of place again." The car accident had been Emily's deliberate setup, all to pretend to rescue John. But the driver had been reckless, actually hitting her, leaving her fragile all over. Frankly speaking, regardless of the circumstances, she had been injured and fallen ill while trying to save John. Was it really too much for her to ask John to take care of her for the rest of her life? Emily gritted her teeth, wondering why Sophia had such good fortune. Best friend? More like a deadly one. John sneered. Emily should be grateful that Sophia's heart now beat within her. She was merely a vessel to nourish that heart. Yet Emily knew nothing of John's thoughts. In the following days, John's people came every day to deliver tonics to her. Before her discharge, the doctor conducted several more examinations. The doctor said the new heart was adapting remarkably well within her body. Emily felt incredibly lucky. She had found a suitable heart donor, and everything had gone smoothly after the transplant. John brought her to his home. In the living room, Emily saw Sophia's portrait. Was Sophia really dead? Emily's eyes widened, followed by a secret thrill. Didn't that mean she could now become Mrs. Jones? Because of John, she had ended up like this. And John felt indebted to her; he would surely marry her. "John, where should I stay?" Emily draped her arm around John's and looked up to ask. "Where do you want to stay?" John looked down at her with an expression devoid of warmth. Emily instinctively felt a chill, but her heart remained sweet. If it weren't for this man's aura that had captivated her, how could she have followed him without hesitation even when he was bankrupt? Emily tiptoed and hooked her arms around his neck: "I want to stay in your room." Beneath this innocent face lay a heart as vicious as could be. John pinched her cheek and whispered, "Do you want to die in my room?" Emily blushed and buried her head in his chest.