Chapter 6
Just then, the host announced a little game.
The couple performed piano duet on stage, and the best performer will receive a set of precious jewelry as a bonus.
“That jewelry set is so beautiful!” Veronica’s eyes lit up, she grabbed Howard’s sleeve and coquettishly said, “Howard, my birthday is coming up soon, can you and Ms. Belton help me win it back?”
The socialites around immediately laughed, “Veronica, are you trying to embarrass people? Ms. Belton doesn’t even know German, how could she play the piano, such a high society thing?”
“Someone suggested, ‘Why don’t you perform with Mr. Wiggins?”
Veronica looked at Howard and asked, “Is it okay?”
Howard nodded slightly and said, “Sure.”
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Veronica glanced at Gretchen smugly and said, “Well, I’ll just borrow Howard for a while.”
The moment they walked onto the stage and the music started playing, the whole audience fell silent.
Veronica’s fingertips danced on the piano keys, Howard seamlessly complementing her as if they were the perfect couple in
sync.
The guests were amazed, and Gretchen in the audience was surrounded by Veronica’s friends.
“Gretchen, did you see that? That’s a perfect match, you can’t even speak German or play the piano, how can you deserve to be with the Wiggins family’s son? If you have any sense, just leave on your own.”
“I heard you used to live in the slums on the west side of town, that kind of rundown place, people actually live there? No wonder you smell so poor.”
“A poor girl, dreaming of becoming a phoenix on a branch? Don’t embarrass yourself.”
The grating laughter stabbed into my ears like shards of glass.
Gretchen clenched her skirt and turned to leave, but someone deliberately tripped her.
She fell heavily to the ground, a sharp pain instantly engulfing her whole body.
Before she could even catch her breath, a red high-heeled shoe stepped on her wrist.
“Oops, sorry.” She pretended to be surprised, maliciously grinding the heel of her shoe back and forth on her toes, “Didn’t see you there.”
“A crisp sound of ‘click’.”
Gretchen was in so much pain that she saw white in front of her eyes, instinctively looking up at Howard in front of the piano.
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t make a sound, so she could only helplessly seek help with her eyes.
Howard did glance over here.
Just a glance.
Then, he just looked away like he saw a stranger, and went back to focusing on flipping through the sheet music for Veronica.
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Gretchen bit her lip hard, trying not to cry out loud.
She remembered three years ago, when she accidentally cut her finger while working at the supermarket, Howard was so worried that he left work early and rushed over, he even dragged her to the clinic to get it bandaged.
The doctors all said “No need to treat the small wound,” but he stubbornly stayed by her side all night, afraid she might get a
fever and infection.
Now, she had her hand bones broken by life, but he didn’t even spare her a glance.
Howard and Veronica shared a smile, like a prince and princess in a fairy tale.
“Ugh!”
The sharp heel crushed down again, and Gretchen clearly heard the crisp sound of her wrist bones breaking.
The excruciating pain flooded through every nerve like a tidal wave, and my vision started to blur and distort.
At the last moment before falling into darkness, she heard the piano piece end, and the applause thundered.
When Gretchen woke up, the hospital room was filled with the smell of disinfectant.
The doctor was explaining to Howard, “Mr. Wiggins, Ms. Belton has a comminuted fracture of the wrist bone, even if it heals, there will be permanent damage, she won’t be able to lift heavy objects anymore, her fingers will be connected, she will be in pain and unable to sleep at night for the next month, make sure to have someone take good care of her.”
Gretchen’s face turned pale all of a sudden.
She subconsciously raised her wrist, wanting to reach for the water cup on the bedside, but the sharp pain in her wrist made her accidentally knock it over.
“Plop-”
The sound of glass shattering made the doctor and Howard turn around at the same time.
After the doctor sighed and left, Howard quickly walked to the bedside and poured her another glass of water.
After handing it to her, he furrowed his brows, cleared his throat a few times before saying, “Sorry, I was playing the piano at that time and didn’t see you fall. Are you hurt?”
Gretchen looked at his face, and the first thing that came to mind was how he used to gaze tenderly at Veronica in front of the piano.
Was he just not seeing it, or did he simply not care?
She slowly closed her eyes, trying to suppress the pain in her heart, and said word by word, “I’m going to call the police.”
Howard was taken aback: “What?”
“Didn’t you hear what the doctor just said?” Gretchen raised her casted hand, her eyes red but stubbornly holding back tears. “My hand is ruined, shouldn’t those people pay for it?”
Howard’s expression became complicated, “You just can’t lift heavy things anymore, it’s not like before. With me around, you don’t have to do those rough jobs anymore.”
He paused, “They are all Veronica’s friends. If you pursue this, Veronica will be embarrassed. Do we have to make such a big
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