Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral - Chapter 38: Chapter 38
You are reading Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral, Chapter 38: Chapter 38. Read more chapters of Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral.
The hospital room door hung wide open.
Blake stared at Riley in shock.
Riley's eyes fixed on the lunch container in his hands.
She'd never thought she'd live to see Blake learn how to take care of someone.
Too bad it wasn't her.
The stomach pain mixed with heartbreak, twisting through her like a knife.
The nurses suddenly realized she knew the VIP they'd been gossiping about. The awkwardness was suffocating.
When Riley didn't answer, Blake stepped closer and turned to the nurse.
"What happened to her?"
The nurse blinked, then snapped back to reality.
"Acute gastritis. She was barely conscious when the paramedics brought her in. Touch and go for a while, but we managed to pull her through."
Something caught in Blake's throat.
He remembered that night.
He looked back at Riley, but her face was still completely blank.
His brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me you can't handle spicy food?"
With his words, Riley almost laughed.
She'd never been able to eat spicy food. But Blake loved it.
So she'd gotten good at pretending. Pretending she liked what he liked, pretending it didn't hurt, pretending they were perfectly compatible.
It wouldn't have been hard for him to notice.
He just never cared enough to look.
Riley's smile was bitter. "I did tell you. You just didn't listen."
Something caught in Blake's throat as he started to say something, but his phone rang.
He answered, and his tone immediately shifted to pure concern: "You're thirsty? Stay put, sweetheart. Don't try to get up—I'll get it for you!"
Then he hung up quickly, barely glancing at Riley.
"I'll bring you dinner later," he muttered, already heading for the door.
The nurses exchanged looks and slipped out.
Riley was alone again.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. She answered slowly.
The voice on the other end jumped right in: "The lawyer's all set. I've been telling you for years—you and Blake are from different worlds."
For the first time, Riley didn't argue.
Blake never came back that night.
But around midnight, Sophia showed up in a wheelchair, knocking softly on Riley's door.
The second she rolled in, she threw herself out of the chair and onto her knees.
Riley frowned at the woman sobbing on the floor, but before she could say anything—
Sophia burst into tears:
"Riley, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know you couldn't eat spicy food. This is all on me—I put you in the hospital, and then I was such a klutz with my ankle that Blake felt terrible and couldn't leave me alone to come see you."
"Please don't blame him for this. It's my fault!"
Riley didn't even look at Sophia's theatrical performance, she said with voice cold:
"Save it, Sophia. Blake's not here to see your little show."
Everyone on Riley's team knew about her stomach issues. They all knew she couldn't handle spicy food.
But Sophia had played innocent anyway.
She'd been needling Riley for weeks, making sure she heard every gushing detail about how amazing Blake was to her, how he treated her like a princess...
Sophia's mask suddenly slipped completely.
She burst into a vicious smile.
"Riley, I wanted him to hate you! To get bored with you and throw you away!"
"But look at this—I barely had to do anything and he already threw you aside. Riley, he doesn't love you. What makes you think you can compete with me?"
Before Riley could react, Sophia started slapping herself across the face.
"PA! PA! PA!"
Then came the waterworks.
"I'm so sorry! I don't want the promotion anymore! Please forgive me!"
The door slammed open so hard it hit the wall.
Blake hurled the takeout container at Riley's feet. Hot soup splashed everywhere, scalding her legs through the thin hospital gown.
He scooped Sophia up in his arms, his face thunderous as he glared at Riley.
"Apologize. Now."
His voice was ice-cold.
Riley clutched her burning stomach, her eyes blazing with defiance.
She argued: "She hit herself! Why the hell should I apologize?"
It was the first time she'd ever talked back to him like this.
Something dangerous flickered in Blake's eyes.
And Sophia, still clinging to his chest, was clearly loving every second of it.
She continued crying. "Blake, she's right—I did hit myself. Riley didn't do anything wrong!"
"Put me down, please. If Riley's still angry, let me keep apologizing. I deserve whatever she gives me!"
Blake just looked down at her with pure concern.
Sophia's face was swollen and red from her own slaps. Her nails had even drawn blood across her cheekbones.
His stare turned absolutely glacial when it landed back on Riley. Then he opened the mouth.
"Riley, I'm the one who runs this company. You wanna play power games? Better make damn sure you can handle the consequences."
"All this drama over some middle management bullshit? Fine. Since you won't say sorry, you can kiss your thirty percent goodbye! Consider it Sophia's consolation prize."
Riley's eyes went wide with shock.
Blake stared at Riley in shock.
Riley's eyes fixed on the lunch container in his hands.
She'd never thought she'd live to see Blake learn how to take care of someone.
Too bad it wasn't her.
The stomach pain mixed with heartbreak, twisting through her like a knife.
The nurses suddenly realized she knew the VIP they'd been gossiping about. The awkwardness was suffocating.
When Riley didn't answer, Blake stepped closer and turned to the nurse.
"What happened to her?"
The nurse blinked, then snapped back to reality.
"Acute gastritis. She was barely conscious when the paramedics brought her in. Touch and go for a while, but we managed to pull her through."
Something caught in Blake's throat.
He remembered that night.
He looked back at Riley, but her face was still completely blank.
His brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me you can't handle spicy food?"
With his words, Riley almost laughed.
She'd never been able to eat spicy food. But Blake loved it.
So she'd gotten good at pretending. Pretending she liked what he liked, pretending it didn't hurt, pretending they were perfectly compatible.
It wouldn't have been hard for him to notice.
He just never cared enough to look.
Riley's smile was bitter. "I did tell you. You just didn't listen."
Something caught in Blake's throat as he started to say something, but his phone rang.
He answered, and his tone immediately shifted to pure concern: "You're thirsty? Stay put, sweetheart. Don't try to get up—I'll get it for you!"
Then he hung up quickly, barely glancing at Riley.
"I'll bring you dinner later," he muttered, already heading for the door.
The nurses exchanged looks and slipped out.
Riley was alone again.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. She answered slowly.
The voice on the other end jumped right in: "The lawyer's all set. I've been telling you for years—you and Blake are from different worlds."
For the first time, Riley didn't argue.
Blake never came back that night.
But around midnight, Sophia showed up in a wheelchair, knocking softly on Riley's door.
The second she rolled in, she threw herself out of the chair and onto her knees.
Riley frowned at the woman sobbing on the floor, but before she could say anything—
Sophia burst into tears:
"Riley, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know you couldn't eat spicy food. This is all on me—I put you in the hospital, and then I was such a klutz with my ankle that Blake felt terrible and couldn't leave me alone to come see you."
"Please don't blame him for this. It's my fault!"
Riley didn't even look at Sophia's theatrical performance, she said with voice cold:
"Save it, Sophia. Blake's not here to see your little show."
Everyone on Riley's team knew about her stomach issues. They all knew she couldn't handle spicy food.
But Sophia had played innocent anyway.
She'd been needling Riley for weeks, making sure she heard every gushing detail about how amazing Blake was to her, how he treated her like a princess...
Sophia's mask suddenly slipped completely.
She burst into a vicious smile.
"Riley, I wanted him to hate you! To get bored with you and throw you away!"
"But look at this—I barely had to do anything and he already threw you aside. Riley, he doesn't love you. What makes you think you can compete with me?"
Before Riley could react, Sophia started slapping herself across the face.
"PA! PA! PA!"
Then came the waterworks.
"I'm so sorry! I don't want the promotion anymore! Please forgive me!"
The door slammed open so hard it hit the wall.
Blake hurled the takeout container at Riley's feet. Hot soup splashed everywhere, scalding her legs through the thin hospital gown.
He scooped Sophia up in his arms, his face thunderous as he glared at Riley.
"Apologize. Now."
His voice was ice-cold.
Riley clutched her burning stomach, her eyes blazing with defiance.
She argued: "She hit herself! Why the hell should I apologize?"
It was the first time she'd ever talked back to him like this.
Something dangerous flickered in Blake's eyes.
And Sophia, still clinging to his chest, was clearly loving every second of it.
She continued crying. "Blake, she's right—I did hit myself. Riley didn't do anything wrong!"
"Put me down, please. If Riley's still angry, let me keep apologizing. I deserve whatever she gives me!"
Blake just looked down at her with pure concern.
Sophia's face was swollen and red from her own slaps. Her nails had even drawn blood across her cheekbones.
His stare turned absolutely glacial when it landed back on Riley. Then he opened the mouth.
"Riley, I'm the one who runs this company. You wanna play power games? Better make damn sure you can handle the consequences."
"All this drama over some middle management bullshit? Fine. Since you won't say sorry, you can kiss your thirty percent goodbye! Consider it Sophia's consolation prize."
Riley's eyes went wide with shock.
End of Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral Chapter 38. Continue reading Chapter 39 or return to Roses for My Mother's Grave, Divorce Papers for Your Funeral book page.