When I Was A Wallflower

Chapter 62

Half an hour later, Elyse emerged from the room. She stared at the ground, her hair tumbling down her shoulders. She twirled her hair as she called out, “Leo.”

Leo approached her. “So? How was it?” he quickly asked.

“You should ask the doctor.” Elyse turned around and looked at the doctor. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

“Oh, everything’s normal. Don’t worry about it,” answered the doctor.

Leo felt a weight lifted off his shoulder only to be replaced by a question. “Everything’s normal?”

“Yes, now let’s go.” Elyse tugged on Leo’s hand and tried to drag him away. She did not want to stay any longer.

Leo let her drag him away. His arm was pointing to the ground, and he tried to hold something, but all he grasped was air. So, she wasn’t the donor? Who was it, then? Elyse…. Amelie… Leo muttered the names under his breath.

He’s not moving? Elyse pushed him. “I’ll have to use the restroom, Leo. Wait for me here.”

Deep in his thoughts, Leo instinctively grunted. After she was gone, he mused over the question of the identity of his donor. Then he made a call to Quinn Town’s hospital.

“I’m looking for Dr. Philips from ophthalmology,” he quickly said.

“Who are you? And what business do you have with Dr. Philips?” asked the staff.

“Just do it!” he snapped.

Shocked by his tone, the staff member quickly went to look for Lily.

Lily had just finished examining a patient when the staff member came in and told her she had a call. She approached the staff member, impatiently taking her surgical gloves off. “I’m busy. What is this?”

The staff member apologetically said, “He sounds urgent. Probably important.”

Lily took the phone. “Who is this?”

“It’s me, Leo,” answered Leo. “Dr. Philips, I would like to know more of this Amelie you spoke of.”

“I’m sorry?” Lily froze for a moment, wondering what he meant by that.

“You gave her full marks for her eyesight, but she can barely even see. What if she comes after us? It’s going to be a scandal.”

“She wanted this. Insisted on it, even. It’s not like I had a choice.”

“That’s one crazy patient. If she doesn’t want anyone to find out she has bad eyesight, she shouldn’t have

corne to us.”

“Ely. I mean, celebrities can be crazy. She probably didn’t want her fans to find out. It might cause a hit to her reputation. Just let this slide.”

The medical staff’s conversation did not escape Leo. He swiveled around and saw a doctor and a nurse quickly trotting into the distance. He didn’t get much from the conversation, but he overheard them talking about Elyse The content of that conversation shook him to the core. He darted toward the doctor and grabbed his shoulder. Then, he swiveled the doctor around.

“M-Mr. Alston?” The doctor was surprised to see Leo here. Leo was a regular, but it wasn’t time for his yearly checkup just yet.

Leo yanked the doctor toward him and hissed, “Tell me about her eyesight. Elyse’s eyesight.” If looks could kill, the doctor would have been dead.

Shaken to the core, the doctor froze up, unable to utter a single word.

“Now, calm down,” the nurse softly said.

Finally, Leo let go of the doctor. “Give me the results.”

The doctor rubbed his shoulder. Ow. I can’t even lift my arm. How on earth is he so strong? He looks so slim and frail.

Oh. He wants the result? The doctor pulled his hand back. “Sorry, but that is strictly confidential information. I am not at liberty to give it away unless the patient gives their consent.”

“She’s with me. Refuse, and I’ll have to make her go through another checkup. And this time, I’m going in with her,” Leo snapped.

The doctor’s legs buckled. “Fine.” He sighed and handed the result to Leo.

Leo quickly skimmed through the results, but every line he read made him suffocate even more. Immersed in his thoughts, he missed the eventual reply from Lily. She said, “I do not know her full name, but her father’s a famous cobbler.”

Alright, that should be enough time. Finally, Elyse emerged from the restroom, pretending she played no part in this act of revealing her bad eyesight to Leo’. She played her part perfectly all thanks to her professional vocation as an actress. “Leo.” She quickly approached Leo. “Sorry for the long wait.”

Leo stared at her dumbly.

Despite knowing what he was thinking about, she feigned ignorance. “What is it?”

And Leo held her shoulder tightly. “Why did you lie?”

“Sorry?” Elyse froze. W-What’s with that question? This shouldn’t happen.

Her legs were trembling. Did he see through my life? Impossible! No. Just when I finally got his forgiveness. Just when he finally agreed to date me. A-And now we’re back to square one.

No. Square zero.

I broke his heart four years ago, and now I’m impersonating the one who saved him. He’s going to hate my guts. He’ll find that girl and do everything he can to return the favor. He’s that kind of man. And that girl likes her, so she might ask him to marry her.

Laura might have assured her that the girl left no useful trail behind, but Leo could find out anything if he just dug for it. A sense of despair rose within her, culminating in rivulets of tears. She burst into tears and held Leo with trembling hands. “B-Because I love you so, so much. I love you too much.”

Elyse knew that Leo was someone who cared a lot for those he loved, but he cared none for those he spared no sympathy for. Even if Elyse were to give her everything she had, he would never accept it. She could imagine how mercilessly he would shove her away, and despair almost crushed her heart.

But then, Leo hugged her. He hugged her so hard, she almost couldn’t breathe.

Elyse heard his heartbeat and his shallow, pained breath. “I know, but you shouldn’t have risked yourself. How do you expect me to live with this?”

“Sorry?” Elyse covered her mouth. Wait, is he…

Leo kept her tight in his embrace, his mind replaying the doctor’s comment. “She’s almost blind in her left eye.

And there are marks of surgery. There’s no cornea in there.”

He felt a pang of guilt rising in his heart again, and it coursed through his body like an undulating wave of pain. Elyse felt his tears drip onto her neck. “Even if I’d go blind forever, I wouldn’t want you to do that for me. I wouldn’t want it, Elyse.”

She felt his hot tears. Almost scalding, even. It was her first time seeing him so emotional. Even when she was embroiled in a scandal four years ago, even when Amelie forced him to marry her, all he did was clench his fists, but now he was crying. For her.

Elyse was only acting at first but now she truly felt the emotions, so she cried harder. Whew. Good thing he didn’t find out.

Good thing I didn’t tell the doctor to tell him I have bad eyesight. An inadvertent’ revelation works better. And good thing he didn’t see through my lie. Right, with this trump card in my hand, I can finally be the one he cares about the most now.

Someone broke the silence when they were locked in a loving embrace.