Chapter 37

Shirley spoke through her tears, her voice thick with frustration and hurt, hoping her tears would make Patrick pay more attention to her.

She looked at Patrick with longing eyes, desperately wanting him to comfort her.

But when Patrick saw Shirley crying, he looked at her with disdain instead of sympathy.

Patrick had a thing about cleanliness and couldn't stand seeing women cry. except for Emily. When Emily cried, it oddly made him feel at ease, as if he had control over her emotions.

In the past. when Shirley and Emily were together, and Shirley got bullied by Emily, Patrick would occasionally feel sorry for her.

But now. with Emily not around, any sympathy Patrick had for Shirley vanished instantly. He wondered if his feelings had changed because Emily was gone, or if the car accident had messed up his brain.

Patrick's face was full of confusion, his brows furrowed tightly.

Seeing Patrick remain silent, Shirley felt even more wronged and continued, "Patrick, you have no idea how heavy you are. I've been the one turning you over and cleaning you these past few days."

"I know you don't like others touching you, so I didn't let the nurse help. Look at my hands, they're red and sore, and I have no strength left."

She extended her trembling hands to show Patrick. They were covered in blisters, some of which had burst, looking quite alarming.Shirley looked exhausted, hoping Patrick would notice her hard work.

Patrick glanced down and saw that Shirley's hands were indeed badly hurt. His heart softened, and his tone became gentler, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. He said, "Thanks, Shirley."

He knew Shirley had suffered a lot taking care of him. Although he was grateful, his emotions were mixed with other complicated feelings.

Just hearing "thanks" made Shirley feel like she had received a treasure. Her face lit up with a satisfied smile, happy like a child who had just gotten candy.

She quickly opened the lunchbox, handed Patrick a fork, pouted, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, saying sweetly, "Patrick,try this. I made it myself. If you don't want the crab and corn, that's fine.You're sick right now. I remember Jennifer said too much crab can upset your stomach. So, have some chicken soup instead. And there's this pie... it's my first time making it, so it's not perfect."

She playfully stuck out her tongue, trying hard to act cute and innocent in front of Patrick, hoping he would eat a few bites.

Patrick frowned at the unappetizing food in front of him, his brows knitting even tighter, showing hesitation and disdain.

But not wanting to hurt Shirley's feelings, he slowly placed the utensils on the table and said softly, "I'm not hungry right now.Please take it away."

Patrick had no appetite at the moment; his mind was filled with thoughts of Emily.

Patrick was puzzled why Emily hadn't come to see him and what she was doing.

His anticipation gradually turned into anger, wondering if he meant nothing to Emily. Was she so eager to get rid of him?

"Shirley, has Emily really not come by even once?" Patrick asked again, unwilling to give up, his eyes cold but filed with a mix of hope and anger,waiting for a different answer.

Seeing Shirley remain silent, his eyes were full of urgency, eagerly waiting for her to confirm.

When Shirley heard Patrick mention Emily again, jealousy flared up inside her. Her expression changing slightly, her eyes flashing with anger and resentment.

She wondered why Patrick kept asking about Emily when she had repeatedly told him Emily hadn't come. Did he not believe her?

Could it be that in Patrick's heart, Emily was the most important,and he just didn't realize it yet?

Thinking this, Shirley trembled with anger, her hands clenched into fists, her body shaking slightly.

Everyone thought she was Patrick's beloved and would surely become Mrs. Rivera in the future. She couldn't let anyone know that Patrick actually loved Emily.

Otherwise, she would become the laughingstock of Pearl Peak City.and all her father's efforts over the years would be in vain.

Shirley felt both resentful and jealous, but she didn't dare show it in front of Patrick.

Thinking of her somewhat mentally challenged father, Shirley felt the Rivera family owed her family. She believed that only by marrying into the Rivera family could she settle the score.

Shirley stood up, wiped her tears with the back of her hand,leaving a tear streak, and said. "Patrick, since you woke up, you haven't asked about Jennifer or cared about me. Even when you saw my injured hands, you didn't feel sorry for me. All you do is think about Emily.Have you forgotten? She quit and left. Who knows where she went? She hasn't shown up for days. When you had the car accident,I called her first thing, but she didn't answer and even blocked me.Look-"

She pulled out her phone and showed it to Patrick, her eyes full of urgency, hoping he would believe her.

Patrick saw Shirley had called Emily 42 times without getting through,realizing she wasn't lying.

A surge of anger, disappointment, and helplessness overwhelmed him.With determination in his eyes, he pulled out the IV needle, causing blood to spurt and Shirley's face to turn pale with fright.

"Patrick, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Don't get so worked up.Emily isn't worth it. You care about her, but she doesn't care about

you at all." Shirley cried, her face covered in tears, her makeup smudged.

She just wanted to persuade Patrick to see her worth, her eyes full of worry and urgency,hoping he would calm down.

"She sees you as a monster and avoids you. She doesn't love you!" As soon as Shirley said this, Patrick looked up, his eyes fierce and burning with anger, scaring her into taking a step back.