Chapter 486

The ward went quiet.

After a bit, Caleb said, "I can't make your decision for you. Just think about your family."

"It was my fault for not telling Susan I had a fiancée. She was the victim. When she found out, she cut ties with me and kept her pregnancy a secret. This shows she's moral and follows your teachings. Keeping the child was out of love and shows her bravery, not a flaw."

"If you think she was wrong, the past four years of suffering are punishment enough."

"I know this has been hard for you. You've been punishing yourself, Susan, and the family. Susan didn't break any principles. She's the kindest, strongest woman I know and deserves better. She's suffering for something she didn't do."

"I'm the one at fault, which is why she hasn't forgiven me. I'll keep seeking her forgiveness and pursuing her. My love for her is unwavering. If I can't marry her, I'd rather stay alone forever."

"I want to make her happy. You're her family, the person she cares about most. So, I'll do everything I can to help you reconcile until you forgive her. Please rest well." With that, Caleb nodded and left.

Maurice started thinking deeply.

"Did my dad agree to let Dr. Diaz do the surgery?" Susan asked anxiously when Caleb returned.

"Not yet."

"I knew he wouldn't agree. He's so stubborn. What now, I..."

"I said not yet." Caleb held Susan's shoulders, stopping her anxious rambling. "Wait for his response."

"Will he agree in the end?"

"With me on the job, you can relax."

He seemed very confident.

"All you need to do now is eat well, rest well, and wait for the news. It's almost noon; let's order lunch."

"Eat again? I haven't even digested breakfast yet."

He had made her eat so much that Susan felt full to the brim. Eating more would make her sick.

"You need to eat on time."

"I really can't eat anymore. Maybe later. I think I can skip lunch and go straight to dinner."

"If you don't eat on time, I won't tell you immediately if there's news from Mr. Wilson."

Susan frowned. "You're actually using this to threaten me."

"Shall we have someone prepare lunch now?"

"Order it. You treat me like a pig anyway." Susan rolled her eyes at him.

In less than ten minutes, the assistant brought in a food cart. For a moment, Susan felt like she was in a high-end restaurant, not a hospital.

Money really did make things easier.

She took a few bites and then put down her spoon. "I'm full."

"Ordering so much, isn't it wasteful?"

"You ordered all this and now you're complaining about waste." Susan glared at him. "I already told you I can't eat anymore."

"You're too thin, and it worries me. I order extra food hoping you'll eat a bit more."

"That's what you think. I think I'm just right, not too thin. Don't use your standards to judge others, okay? It's my body, and I know it best. I'll eat if I want to, and I won't if I don't."

Caleb put another piece of chicken in her bowl. "Then eat half a bowl more."

"I can't eat anymore."

"Eat slowly. Eating should be enjoyable."

Susan shook her head. "I don't see it that way. For me, eating is just to fill my stomach. If I didn't get hungry, I'd rather not eat and use the time to work."

"I used to think that way too..."

"And then?"

Caleb looked at her, his eyes shining. "Then I met you."

Caleb's sudden sweet talk caught her off guard, and Susan was a bit moved.

But she grumbled, "That kind of talk doesn't work on me."

"Whether you eat or not is your business. Whether I say it or not is mine. When you love someone, you can't help but tell her... every minute, every second..."

"Stop." Susan made a "stop" gesture.

Caleb smiled. "Can't handle it already? Then I suggest you get used to it quickly. There are still decades to go."

Decades.

Susan's heart wavered.

The fact that he could so casually talk about the next few decades with her meant she was too relaxed and too friendly with him, right?

That shouldn't be.

The invisible track seemed to be deviating bit by bit, deviating to the point where it worried her.

"What are you thinking? Keep eating." Caleb knocked on her head.

"Why did you hit me?" Susan glared at him. "I said I can't eat anymore."

"If you don't finish this half bowl of rice, and there's news from Mr. Wilson..."

"Using that to threaten me again, Caleb, don't you think you're being despicable?" Susan glared at him.

"Whether it's despicable is subjective. As long as it's effective, that's what matters to me. Now eat. Be good."

Susan had no choice but to take her frustration out on the chicken, biting it hard.

That afternoon.

In the ward.

"I've decided to let Dr. Diaz perform the surgery," Maurice said.

"That's great." Carol's face lit up with joy. He finally came around. She had been worried about this, but now she didn't have to.

May's reaction was the complete opposite; she was very nervous. "Dad, why did you agree?"

Caleb was too impressive. He had only been in there for less than ten minutes and had managed to persuade the stubborn Maurice.

Carol was unhappy with this comment. "What? You don't want your dad to have the surgery?"

"How could you think that? It's just that Dad has always been very principled. Now that he's breaking his principles, I'm afraid he'll regret it in the future and be unhappy about it." May looked as if she was considering Maurice's feelings.

"If he doesn't have the surgery and continues to delay, he'll regret it," Carol retorted, "You should be happy that your dad has come around."

"But if Dad agrees to go along with Mr. Eilish's plan, it would mean he's forgiven Susan-or at least that's what Susan would think."

"We're all family..." Carol was increasingly uncomfortable with what she was hearing.

Maurice spoke up, "I only agreed to the surgery. I didn't agree to forgive her."

"But this means we owe Mr. Eilish a favor, and it will be hard to maintain a firm stance in the future. Dad, I'm happy you're having the surgery, and I want you to be healthy and live a long life. But there are other good doctors in City A. I can help you find another one. Heart bypass surgery isn't a major operation; it doesn't have to be Hubert..."

"May!" Carol couldn't take it anymore and interrupted her, "What are you really up to? Do you really not want your dad and Susan to make up?"