Husband With Benefits-Chapter 838: Please

"Will you please stop? Just give me my phone."

"No! Your father is sick! At a time like this, you should not be looking at your phone but praying for his well-being. Stay here with me, in this prayer room."

Lily’s shoulders tensed as she sat back down on the narrow, uncomfortable bench in the hospital chapel. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, making it hard to breathe but it was her mother that made things even more difficult for her. Her mother’s voice had taken on an almost frantic edge, more urgent than ever before, as if the intensity of her devotion alone could somehow heal the man lying unconscious just a few floors away.

Her father had suffered a heart attack—serious enough that the emergency surgery, while successful, was only the beginning of a long and uncertain road to recovery. The doctors’ words rang in her ears: extensive damage, years of neglect, time to regain consciousness... phrases that had carved fear into the pit of her stomach. And now, the waiting. The endless, torturous waiting.

Since the moment they had rushed to the hospital, her mother had transformed from a cold, judgmental figure into an almost obsessive presence. The woman who had hurled cruel words and shut Lily out had seemingly forgotten all the bitter exchange that had culminated into her walking out on her parents again and her father collapsing with a heart attack. Now she was clinging, insistent, eyes wide with alarm as she pulled Lily into hours of whispered prayers and fervent pleas for divine intervention.

Lily had actually not expected this. From the moment she’d admitted her father here and signed the forms, she’d expected her mother to pin the blame for all this on her shoulders as well but her mother had been surprisingly clingy.

Lily pressed her lips together, holding back a sigh. Her mother’s sharp eyes darted to her, daring her to break the moment. With reluctance, Lily bowed her head, clasping her hands as if she were part of the prayer. She whispered a few words, but they felt empty. The guilt in her chest wouldn’t ease.

If she had stayed, hadn’t distanced herself from her parents, would this have happened? Would her father have taken better care of himself? The questions wouldn’t stop. She could almost hear Cai’s voice telling her not to blame herself, reminding her that years of stubborn habits weren’t hers to change. And her first duty had been to protect herself and her sanity. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

She knew he would be right, but that didn’t make the guilt any lighter or the pain any less.

She needed to hear Cai’s voice. The need was like an ache in her chest. He was her anchor, cutting through her spiraling thoughts. She had let her mother take her phone without protest, seeing the desperation in her eyes. Instead, she handled the paperwork and spoke to the doctors in a calm, steady voice.

But now, with her mother still praying, Lily couldn’t ignore the urge any longer. She had to call Cai, had to let him know what was happening. He was probably worried, wondering why she hadn’t reached out in so many days. She gave a bitter smile. She didn’t even know how many days had passed in all this time.

Lily took a deep breath, steadying her voice as she tried to reason with her again, " I need my phone. Please, just for a minute."

Her mother’s eyes snapped open, narrowing as she turned to face her. The sharpness in her gaze was a stark contrast to the pleading tone she had taken moments before. "No, Lily. I told you, not until your father recovers. You’ve done enough already."

Lily flinched the accusatory words cutting through her, reminding her of what she had just been thinking. "What do you mean, I’ve done enough? I’m trying to help, trying to be here for him, for you."

Her mother’s voice dropped to a low, tremulous whisper, one that dripped with exhaustion and bitterness. "If you hadn’t done what you did, maybe he wouldn’t be lying in that bed. Maybe we wouldn’t be here now. You walked out, then you created problems with us and then had to rub your selfishness and lack of character in his face and look where that’s gotten us. Your father fighting for his life, and you want to talk to someone else? No, Lily. The only thing that matters now is prayer, not distractions. And I can already guess what it could be!"

The weight of her mother’s words pressed on her chest like a boulder. She should have expected this! It was only a matter of time before her mother would blame her for everything going wrong! Lily’s fingers curled into fists, nails biting into her palms. She felt the rush of frustration, guilt, and helplessness inside her. This wasn’t the time to argue, but she also couldn’t stand here and let it swallow her whole.

Without another word, she stood and walked out of that chapel. She could pray for her father elsewhere! Once outside, the air somehow felt cooler, clearer. She let out a shaky breath and ran her hands through her hair, willing herself to keep it together.

Then she looked up and froze. Standing a few feet away was Cai. His presence was so familiar, so grounding, that for a moment she couldn’t move or speak.

"Lily," he said softly, stepping closer. "I came as soon as I heard. How are you?"

The tension she had been holding onto unraveled all at once, and she felt the sting of tears she hadn’t let fall. Before she could respond, he reached out and pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapping around her with a warmth that broke through the numbness spreading within her.

"I’m here," he whispered. "You’re not alone."

Just hearing the words made her realise just how alone she had been and the tear that she’d been holding back all this time, simply started to fall as she held him close.