Too Far for Longing

Chapter 12 Fever

　　Emily dragged herself back from William's company, completely wiped out.

　　The past two weeks had felt like a lifetime—way rougher than the last three years combined.

　　Her mind was full of worries about her mom. She pulled out her phone and tried to call Benjamin, but no one picked up.

　　She figured she'd try again later, but before she knew it, her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor.

　　Her phone slipped from her hand, landing nearby while the sky outside slowly shifted from day to night.

　　The screen lit up a few times, always showing the same incoming call.

　　In the haze of semi-consciousness, she vaguely heard the door open, followed by a flurry of noise—then someone calling her name.

　　"Emily? Wake up! Emily, can you hear me?"

　　No matter how hard she tried, her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton.

　　Eventually, darkness swallowed her whole.

　　—At the hospital—

　　When Emily opened her eyes and saw the man slumped next to her bed, a flicker of disappointment flashed across her face.

　　She tried to sit up and check on her legs. Even though she moved slow and quiet, the motion still stirred Benjamin awake.

　　Seeing the stubble on his chin and the bloodshot eyes, guilt instantly crept into her heart.

　　"Ben…" Her voice cracked as her eyes welled up, "Sorry... I dragged you into this again."

　　Benjamin sat up and gently pulled her into a hug, patting her back.

　　"Don't ever apologize for that again. Emily, I just want you to remember—if anything ever feels too hard to handle, come talk to me. Like you used to."

　　She buried her face in his chest, legs still burning with phantom pain at the memory of the boiling water.

　　"Ben… I was so scared. It hurt so much. I kept begging him…"

　　Benjamin held her trembling body tighter, anger flickering in his gaze.

　　"Stop. Just forget it—all of it. Treat it like a bad dream. It's over."

　　Trying to distract her, he changed the subject.

　　"You tried calling me before you passed out, right? What happened?"Emily's tears stopped instantly. She quickly pulled away from Benjamin's arms and said anxiously, "My mom needs money for surgery. I was going to ask if you could lend me some."

　　"Oh, that," Benjamin interrupted, as if everything made sense now.

　　Emily blinked in surprise. "Ben, you already knew?"

　　"After we parted ways that day, I decided to check on your mom myself. You didn't want to tell me, so I had to find out on my own," Benjamin said, a bit bitterly.

　　"I didn't mean to hide it… I just didn't have the guts to ask you for money. I don't even have a job right now—if I borrowed from you, I wouldn't know when I could pay you back," Emily mumbled.

　　"Your mom's already had the surgery. She's doing well, so stop worrying. Right now, you just need to get better. As for the hospital bill… no rush. You've got a lifetime to pay me back."

　　Hearing that, Emily's eyes welled up again. If it weren't for Benjamin, she might've fallen apart by now.

　　"Thank you… really, Ben."

　　—

　　Outside the hospital room, William stood with a hard face, nobody knew how long he'd been there.

　　That morning, Benjamin had called him—said Emily had been running a high fever and passed out, unconscious for three days. The doctors had even issued a critical notice.

　　He dropped everything and rushed over.

　　And then what?

　　Through the glass, William saw Emily and Benjamin hugging and talking like nothing else mattered. That bitter smile tugged at his lips. No wonder she wanted a divorce. The moment Benjamin came back, she went running into his arms.

　　His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Wasn't this the same woman who said she loved him just days ago?

　　Some love that turned out to be.

　　As soon as Benjamin stepped out and saw William leaning against the hallway wall with that dark look in his eyes, his expression shifted. All he could think about was Emily's bruised, battered legs.

　　Without a word, he walked up and punched him hard.

　　"You bastard."

　　William wiped the blood from his lip and sneered, "Benjamin, maybe you're the one confused here. I'm the one that caught her cheating."

　　Benjamin gritted his teeth. "William, you need to divorce Emily right now."

　　"Oh? Divorce, just so you two can play happy couple?" William mocked.

　　Just then, the door to the room creaked open. Emily stood there pale and weak, taking in the tense air with unsteady breaths.