"You..." Summer rolled her fists, her insides burning with helpless frustration.
How could he still act like this? They were no longer husband and wife. Six years had passed since their divorce. They had no contact during that period.
He then suddenly appeared in her life, unwelcome, and demanded that she do the things she had once done. She wanted to protest, her pride urging her to walk away. But then she reminded herself of the money he was offering.
’For Hope,’ she said to herself, swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat.
Pushing her frustration down, she moved toward him. "Let’s go." Summer held his arm and guided him into the bathroom.
The contact of his skin stirred the familiarity she had buried long ago, making her chest clench. She ignored the uneasiness and took him to the bathtub she had filled with warm water.
Gideon stopped abruptly, his entire body stiffening. His face turned pale as he looked at the water. A haunting scene from his nightmare came to life – Summer’s lifeless form being pulled out of the water.
His mind was trapped in the memory he couldn’t escape, his legs refusing to move. He swallowed hard, his fingers tightening unconsciously around her waist.
Unaware of his inner struggles, Summer hissed, her face twisting. "What happened now? Get in. I need to leave..."
As she turned to him, she froze at the sight of his pallid face. The rest of the words died down in her throat.
The horror in his eyes was evident.
’Why does he look so terrified?’ she thought, puzzled. ’What is there in the water?’
Confused, she followed his gaze to the bathtub. There was nothing in the water.
’Maybe he is too drunk to see anything clearly.’ She rolled her eyes. The man could barely stand. What more could she expect?
"Come on," she tugged at his arm forcefully. "The water will get cold. Get in."
"No." Gideon flinched at her contact and shoved her hand away, stepping back. His feet slipped against the tiled floor, and he tumbled down.
"Gideon?"
"No, no..." He scooted back, clutching his head as a sharp pain inside his brain almost blinded him. The vein on his neck strained.
The world around him blurred. The present dissolved, and he was no longer in the bathroom. He found himself at the bank of a river, giving CPR to Summer, desperate to revive her.
’Wake up.’ He found himself yelling, pressing his hand onto her heart. ’You can’t die – not like this. Come back.’
Pinching her nose, he squeezed her jaw and blew air into her mouth. Once. Twice. Thrice.
But Summer was unresponsive.
He continued to blow air into her mouth and press her chest. But there was no response from her. Her lips remained pale, her body still.
’Come on, Summer,’ he cried, pressing her chest harder. But it was no use.
At that, the pain in his head intensified, forcing him back into the present. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head in his knees, his shoulders trembling.
Summer couldn’t understand what was happening. She crouched beside him, confused and terrified. She put a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "Gideon," she called him cautiously. "You okay?"
Gideon could barely hear her, still trapped in the shadows of a nightmare. The scenes kept playing in the back of his mind like a never-ending loop.
Summer thought he was having a headache again. She remembered Gideon taking some pills.
"Where is your medicine?"
He didn’t reply, nor did he lift his head.
Summer felt a helpless urgency surging inside her. She shot up to her feet. "Let me bring your medicine."
Just as she turned toward the door, his fingers wrapped around her wrist.
"Don’t leave," he breathed shakily. "Don’t leave me alone."
Summer looked down at him, her chest twisting with a strange mix of worry and confusion. She had never seen him like this. The Gideon she knew was vibrant, full of vitality. He used to face the world without flinching. But the man before her seemed broken, weak, and fearful.
What had caused this change?
At that point, she forgot about the bitterness between them and sat crouched down beside him. "I’m here," she murmured, her voice soft and soothing. "I’m not going anywhere."
Gideon instantly hugged her, burying his face into her shoulder.
Summer stilled in his arms, stunned momentarily. Her skin burned at the closeness. She wanted nothing but to shove him away and flee. But when she sensed him trembling, she changed her mind.
This man was not only drunk but in pain as well. Summer had no idea what had gone wrong with him. She, however, wasn’t as heartless as him to abandon him in this state.
"Let me wash you up first," she said slowly, trying to move toward the bathtub.
"No, don’t go near the water," he said, hugging her tighter. He was afraid the nightmare would come true. The scene of Summer’s cold and pale body pulling out of the water refused to leave his mind. He didn’t want to experience it in reality.
Summer was even more confused. She had not remembered Gideon fearing water. In fact, he used to love swimming.
’It’s me who drowned to death in my past life in that cold river. I should be the one to fear water, not him.’
As she held him closely, her gaze landed on the deep, ugly scar on his shoulder. She remembered him telling her that it was from a kidnapping incident when he was young. In the past, she used to feel a painful jolt in her heart every time she saw it, imagining the pain he might have gone through. But now, all she felt was pity.
What had caused him to be afraid of water? This question circled back into her mind.
Seemed like she was no longer familiar with this man, who was once her world. She still felt the pain in her heart as she recalled the happy moments with him in the past.
’Forget it.’ She pressed her lips together. ’There is no point in thinking about what can’t happen.’
Summer suddenly realized how late it was. Hope was alone at the hospital. She could no longer stay with him. She had to head back to her daughter.
’I could have left much earlier,’ she muttered to herself as her frustration rose as she thought about the reason she had agreed to help him bathe in the first place.
Gideon had tempted her with the promise of money, but he refused to step into the bathtub. Who knew what had made him so afraid of water? It was beyond her understanding.
Since she hadn’t bathed him, there was no chance he would pay the money he had offered.
’What a waste of time,’ she thought.
"Since you don’t want to freshen up, let’s go out," she huffed. "You can’t spend the night here. Come on." Rising to her feet, she pulled him up by his arm.
Her touch startled him. Gideon flinched, his eyes flickering open. For a brief moment, their gazes locked. A shadow of confusion and pain flashed across his eyes. But when he came to his senses gradually, he saw her.
Summer was right in front of him, alive. It was relieving. Despite the years of distance, the bitterness, and the wounds of betrayal, a part of him still longed to bridge that gap and reclaim what they had lost.
"Get up."
She almost dragged him out of the bathroom; his full weight slumped heavily on her. Her arms trembled, her legs giving out from effort, but somehow, she managed to put him on the bed carefully. Once he was down, she heaved a long sigh, sweat clinging to her body.
"Now, try to get some sleep. I’m leaving," she said, rubbing her aching arms.
"My head hurts," he said quickly, fearing she would leave. Wincing, he rubbed his temples.
Summer twisted her mouth. She wondered when it was going to end so she could leave. "Fine, I’ll get your medicine."
Her gaze fell to the suit jacket he had tossed aside carelessly. She bent down to pick it up, thinking his medicine would be inside one of the pockets.
"I don’t need any medicine. Just stay with me for a while."
Her hand froze just an inch away from the jacket. Slowly, she turned her head toward him, stunned.
"What did you say?" Summer narrowed her eyes at him. "You want me to stay with you?"
She couldn’t make sense of it. This man hated her. He had once claimed he couldn’t stand the sight of her. He had crushed her with his words and mistrust. But now he asked her to stay with him.
"You are my secretary, and I’m not feeling well," he argued defensively. "It’s your job to take care of me."
"No, that’s not a part of my job description," she retaliated. "This is not working hours. You can’t keep ordering me around."
"Fifty Thousand – you can still get that amount," he said suddenly. "I’ll add an additional fifty thousand. Stay."