?Chapter 43:


    Belinda nodded, doing her best to suppress her difort. “Okay.” The night before, she had drugged Anthony, but her intentions were simply to shield the old man’s mood, not wanting her argument with other Cox family members to ruin his good spirits. She had never meant to conceal the divorce indefinitely.


    After all, secrets like these don’t stay buried for long.


    Now that Anthony was aware, she had to discuss the divorce with him directly. He was, after all, the only family member who truly cared for her.


    Kristopher’s expression hardened as he adjusted his suit sleeves and said in a frosty tone, “Then stop feigning illness. Get out of bed ande with me.”


    Belinda managed a weak, forced smile. “Alright.” With considerable effort, she rose from the bed.


    Her n was to freshen up and slip into the dress she had worn the previous night.


    However, when she retrieved the dress from the nurse’s station, she discovered it was marred with bloodstains.


    With no alternatives, she returned to her room in her striped hospital gown and approached Kristopher. “Could you apany me to buy some clothes?”


    All her belongings were still at Madisyn’s house in Nawrin, far from both the hospital and the Cox family estate. It made sense to purchase new attire at a nearby mall.


    Kristopher was listening to Cathy’s voice message on his phone. “Kristopher, I’m really okay. Please, don’t worry about it too much. I’m not fragile,” Cathy’s voice assured him through the speaker.


    Hearing Belinda, Kristopher’s expression darkened. Instead of replying to her, who was standing right in front of him, he chose to respond to Cathy first. “Send me the hospital’s diagnostic report. I’ll be convinced you’re okay only if the doctor confirms it.”


    Belinda couldn’t help but see the irony in his reaction.


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    In the past, whenever she was ill or hurt, Kristopher would dismiss her, convinced she was exaggerating.


    She had once thought he simply didn’t understand how to show care. Yet now, here he was, consumed with worry for Cathy, demanding a medical report to confirm her well-being.


    It wasn’t ack of empathy. He simply hadn’t cared for her.


    “Alright, I’ll get the report from the doctorter and send you a picture,” Cathy’s cheerful voice floated from the phone.


    Kristopher’s face softened at her words, and he replied, “Good girl.” He then turned to Belinda with a cold gaze. “New clothes? What happened to the ones you worest night?”


    “They got blood on them. I can’t wear those anymore,” Belinda exined.


    “A little blood, and they’re no good to wear?” Kristopher pocketed his phone and strode towards the door, his sneer cutting. “Were you always this picky back in the countryside?”


    He had left with Cathy the previous night just as she started coughing up blood, missing the severity of the situation.


    To him, it was merely a case of bleeding gums. How serious could it really be?


    Serious enough to spoil her clothes?


    The scorn in his gaze and tone left Belinda feeling uneasy.


    Yet, she chose not to justify herself and responded coldly, “Bloodstained is bloodstained, no matter the amount. If you’re reluctant to apany me to the mall, I might as well wear the stained dress. What do you think Anthony will do? Reprimand me for my dirty attire or chastise you?”


    Kristopher stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing in annoyance, before stepping into the elevator. “There’s a mall close by.”


    At the mall, Belinda darted into a clothing store, picked out two presentable outfits, and headed for the fitting rooms.


    Emergingter, she found Kristopher gone.


    Assuming Anthony had called him, she figured Kristopher had returned to the car to wait and quickly made her way outside with the hospital gown in hand.


    However, she was taken aback when passing by a jewelry store in the shopping mall. She spotted Kristopher standing at the counter. She could just make out the saleswoman’s enthusiastic pitch. “Sir, if you’re thinking of proposing to that special someone, this ring would be ideal.”


    Belinda paused briefly, then approached.


    Kristopher was absorbed in examining a pair of rings on the counter and didn’t notice her approach.


    She took a quick look at the rings—attractive, though slightly gaudy, and clearly suited for Cathy.


    “Please, wrap these up,” she said to the saleswoman, her smile broadening. “I’ll take them.”


    Kristopher snapped back to reality, his brow furrowing.


    “What are you doing?”


    “You’re nning to propose to Miss Miller, right? These rings seem just right.” Belinda’s smile was faint. “Consider them a divorce present from me.”


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