Julie Sampton wasnât foolish. Regarding her actions of breaking up Nina Lee and David Chip, she didnât bother asking paid posters to whitewash her image. She was well aware that netizens nowadays had strong moral compasses, and she understood that using the pretense of "true love" to destroy someoneâs engagement was irredeemable.
Therefore, Julie only had the paid posters clean up the matter regarding Old Sir Sampton, ensuring that when they whitewashed her for causing his illness, they also subtly criticized her for breaking up relationships. That way, the posts wouldnât seem too conspicuous.
After orchestrating everything last night, Julie felt at ease and returned to the Sampton Family home to rest early. She was mindful of the child in her belly and didnât even entertain the thought of staying up late.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Jane Sampson and Granny Sampton hadnât eaten all day. Now that it was nearly early morning, James Black couldnât help but notice that Jane hadnât even had breakfast. He stepped forward to advise her, "Jane, take Grandma to get something to eat. If Grandpa wakes up later and both you and Grandma end up sick, it will be worse. You havenât had breakfast and itâs been all dayâyour stomach might not hold up."
"Thatâs right, Mom. Both of you need to eat at least a little," Father Sampson chimed in to persuade her.
"I just canât eat," Granny Sampton shook her head, "but Janeâher body has never been strong, and she hasnât eaten breakfast. If sheâs hungry all day, her stomach will ache. James, take your wife to eat some light porridge. I wonât go; I want to stay here and be by his side. I need him to see me first thing when he wakes up."
"Grandma, how about thisâIâll go with James to eat, and after weâve finished, weâll bring you back some food. You should have at least a little, and eating here wonât stop you from waiting for Grandpa," Jane offered as she stood up, though her body swayed slightly.
She cared little about eating herself, but she couldnât allow Grandma to go hungry, especially at her age.
Granny Sampson understood Janeâs intentions and, in turn, she wanted Jane to eat something. So, she nodded in agreement to Janeâs suggestion.
"Alright, you and James should go. Eat slowlyâdonât rush. When youâre done, bring a portion back for me," Granny Sampson patted Janeâs back gently, her mind already set on convincing Jane to take a proper rest when she returned.
Seeing that Jane was willing to go eat with him, James finally felt a sense of relief. Holding Janeâs hand, he left the hospital and drove to her favorite chain porridge shop.
Fortunately, this shop also served late-night snacks, and despite the hour, it was still busy. After taking Jane inside, James immediately booked a private room with good privacy. Once they were seated, he began ordering dishes.
Looking at Jane beside himâclearly drained, her eyes swollen and redâJames felt a mix of anxiousness and heartache, yet he couldnât figure out what words could comfort her.
"What can I do to make you feel a little better?" James exhaled heavily, pulling her gently into his arms.
"You donât need to do anything. Just stay with me like this, and itâs enough," Jane spoke softly from within his embrace. "I still need to take care of GrandmaâI wonât let myself fall sick. In a moment, Iâll make sure to finish an entire big bowl of porridge."
Her voice sounded optimistic and resilient, yet James, upon touching her face, felt tears.
They were hot, damp tears.
She cried silently, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly.
After quite a while, Jane suddenly spoke.
"James, I really hate Julie Sampton." Her tearful voice was choked with bitterness. "I really hate her... so much. But I also hate myself... so much."