Husband With Benefits-Chapter 840: Look

Lily’s gaze shifted to the young child’s voice that rang out clearly in the hallway. "Mom. Look, it’s the replacement girl."

A quick shush from the mother silenced the child, but the sharp, disapproving glare the woman cast in Lily’s direction confused her. Replacement girl? The phrase pricked at her curiosity and made her wonder if they had confused her for someone else—perhaps a member of the hospital staff who had displeased them. The unpleasant thought made her frown, but when the pair turned away and resumed their conversation, she shook off the feeling and continued down the corridor. They were probably mistaken.

She had barely reached the nurse’s station when a familiar face approached. It was the nurse who had been handling her father’s case for the past few days, her expression filled with concern.

"Miss Lily, are you alright?" the nurse asked, her voice softly, her eyes searching.

Lily blinked, surprised by the sudden question. She felt a flicker of confusion but managed a slow nod. "Yes, of course. I’m fine," she replied, though her voice sounded uncertain even to her own ears. She was fine in the sense of the word maybe.

The nurse’s brow creased, and she hesitated for a moment before continuing. "If I’m not mistaken, your boyfriend is Doctor Caius Frost, correct? He was here a couple of hours ago, with you?"

Lily nodded again, this time more slowly. The confusion deepened as she remembered Cai’s visit. He’d stayed with her as long as he could, reassuring her that he would return soon. He had seemed preoccupied, as if a heavy weight rested on his mind. Now, this nurse’s odd behavior only added to her growing unease. Was something wrong with him?

"Is something wrong?" Lily asked, her eyes searching the nurse’s face for clues. The nurse met her gaze for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, Miss Lily. Everything is under control," the nurse said, though her tone was anything but convincing. "Your father is stable, and your mother is getting the rest she needs after collapsing from exhaustion. You should go and rest while you can. It’s important."

A hint of apprehension stirred in Lily’s chest at the nurse’s cryptic expression. "Rest before what? What do you mean by ’before the storm’?"

The nurse’s lips tightened as if she regretted letting that slip. "It’s nothing. Just a figure of speech, since both your parents are depending on you," she said hastily, avoiding Lily’s questioning look. "Please, get some rest."

Exhaustion settled heavily on Lily’s shoulders. The stress of the past few days, the endless running around, and the new worry of her mother’s unexpected admission into the hospital pressed down on her. She nodded, unable to argue, and turned away. The nurse’s odd words lingered in her mind, but her body craved a break more than it needed answers. Her father had been shifted to a normal room but was unconscious and her mother was sleeping in the same room on the bed next to him, since she’d collapsed from anxiety and exhaustion about an hour ago.

Returning to the private room Cai had arranged for her, Lily pushed the door open and leaned against the wall. The sterile scent of the hospital clung to her senses, mingling with the dull hum of distant activity. She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, willing herself to shut out the questions and the tension. For now, she needed a moment of quiet—just a moment. She slid down and with her head on her knees, caught some sleep.

Still unaware of the storm brewing outside her little world, she remained inthe room, safe.

***

"The Replacement girl Has No Idea." Even before, Lily had fully fallen asleep, she had no idea that she’d unexpectedly started a new trending topic almost turning into a big celebrity.

As expected, the netizens were not letting the story rest. The drama around Cai and his so-called "string" of relationships just kept growing. People online wouldn’t stop talking about it and in the lack of any information had simply started adding their own twists. Now, the big rumor everyone believed? Cai was still so in love with his dead girlfriend that he was dating her younger sister as a replacement. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

The story had spread fast, picking up wild new details with every post and comment. The idea had taken off: Cai, the grieving boyfriend, leaning on Lily because she reminded him of what he’d lost. The online story made him look like a guy trapped in the past, trying to fill a void while Lily had been turned into being a cunning woman who was using his feelings, taking advantage of him and still playing the victim.

And because Cai and Lily both stayed quiet with no posts, no comments, nothing. Their silence made people talk more. Was it because they were guilty? Was the "replacement" thing true? Or did they just not care enough to get involved in the mess?

New comments popped up every day. "Lily needs to clear the air," some said. "Cai, speak up already," others demanded. But no matter how much pressure built, they didn’t say a word. The rumors and theories kept swirling.

And that’s when the nurse, who had just finished speaking with Lily, posted a photo online. The nurse was known for being a bit of a gossip, always eager to share what she knew, but she was kind-hearted too. The picture showed Cai holding Lily tightly as she broke down in his arms, her face buried in his shoulder. The nurse’s caption changed the entire narrative, bringing on the latest trending topic.

"The so-called ’replacement girl’ has actually been here in the hospital for the past five days, ever since the whole drama started. Honestly, I didn’t even recognize her at first, not until I saw Dr. Cai with her. Her father’s been admitted, and she’s spent every waking moment here. If she wasn’t making arrangements or talking to doctors, she was in the chapel, praying."