Bab 7: Under a Different Light
When Cassidy said that she forgot to do something, Charles had expected a lot of things except for this.
"Oh, perfect timing too, Charlie boy! Finally, I got someone to help me with this!" she enthused, spreading her arms wide open and presenting the plethora of flowers and gift baskets that she received over the course of her stay in the hospital.
"Oh, the 'get well soon' gifts everyone sent to you. Of course, I'll bring them to the car, Ma'am Cassidy-"
"No, that's not it! I won't be taking them home."
"Huh?"
With that, she proceeds to gush about her plan to give them to the other patients in this hospital instead - more particularly, to those with severe illnesses and the impoverished. This uncalled-for remark of hers took him aback for he knew that it's not something a typical woman of enviable affluence like her would do.
He's also more than aware that these presents were given not only by their company's employees, but also by the board and higher-ups. That means they're just not anything that someone can only use as giveaways.
"What? Are they gonna sue me if I do so? They're mine now, aren't they?" Cassidy retorted with a brow lifted and her arms crossed.
"Well, no. It's just that... The 'twenty-six-years-old you' would most probably say that she'd cherish them as they were gifts from others," Charles mused out loud with a shrug.
"Of course, I appreciate the gesture...~ Rather than material things, though, I would've been more glad if they just visited me... After all, I never really received a visitor for the past two weeks apart from you."
On second thought, Charles might've been wrong all along.
Though barely, he could point out a hint of disappointment and dismay in her tone and wording. She may be smiling blithely like she always does nowadays, but he still managed to catch the remaining trace of that adult who'd been silently carrying such a lonesome side with her - that one who's been secretly craving for love and affection all the time.
Charles was so close to believing that this Cassidy before him now was a completely different person from that woman he knew. With her amnesia still in effect and having no sign of leaving, he believed that he would have to get used to this entirely new her.
Right now, though, he senses that she's actually still the same person within. Even when she kicked people in their faces or sat idly on the balcony of the hospital's highest floor - which just happened to be the least that people would expect Cassidy Millicent to do, he could now tell that she remained the same through and through.
"Now, quit your yapping, Chamberlain...! Let's go and get this done already," Cassidy chimed in once more, making him snap out of his musing and sigh in defeat.
"I already told you it's Charles, Ma'am. Just where did this Chamberlain come from? And I wasn't even yapping," Charles pointed out tiredly before deciding to just go with this flow of things.
"Sure, sure... Now, get the baskets while I handle the bouquets."
Dragged around by her childish ebullience, he then found himself giving away bouquets and gift baskets instead of signing papers like what a typical secretary would do. They go from one hospital wing to another, visiting people who are severely ill first before meeting up with some financially challenged patients.
Much to his surprise, though, most of these people already knew her. It just happened that everyone started greeting her as soon as they got to this particular ward that's dedicated for the general public.
"Oh, you're here again, young miss...!"
"Still as lively as ever, huh...?"
"My, you brought something again? How very kind of you..."
"Oh, there are flowers this time!"
"Thank you very much, young lady."
They all see and treat her as if she's one of them.
From elders to young adults, they all accepted Cassidy warmly. To this round of ecstatic chatters, she doesn't fail to greet back with the same cheerfulness in return, smiling and chatting with them while handing out bundles of flowers.
It also seems like they have little to no clue about who this woman really is. But even then, they continue to treat her amicably and respectfully - almost as if she's been taking care of them since forever.
Right then, Charles suddenly comes up with a hunch that this is probably what she's been doing for the past two weeks.
"Having no visitor around can be pretty lonely, you know," Gilmore remarked from behind him out of nowhere, making his entrance inside that ward.
"Oh, doctor, good morning. I was actually planning to see you after this," Charles replied in surprise, turning to look at him.
"To get the results? Don't worry. I already have them here with me."
"I see, thank you... But how did you know we're here?"
"That's because Mrs. Millicent would visit this place everyday. Like I was saying, she'd probably gotten lonely in that huge room of hers, which was why she decided to do this charity work during her stay here... She talked with other patients like this, brought foods and other stuffs that were supposed to be delivered for her personal use, and just did her own thing in her own way. It's actually very surprising to see that 'Cassidy Millicent' so upbeat and outgoing."
Indeed, Charles couldn't be even more surprised than this.
Cassidy was never this friendly and openly amiable. But now that he's seeing this side of her, one certain realization finally dawned on him.
"Ma'am Cassidy was so bent on making the Board of Directors agree to donate more of the company's funds on charity houses and events... Was it because she genuinely wanted to help all along? The other members made it look like she just didn't have any better idea to share. Rumors even spread that she only wanted to steal money and secure illicit gains by handling a larger portion of the funds."
Silently pondering this train of thoughts and recollection, Charles ends up intently staring at Cassidy who's still chatting with the patients from a distance. His frame can't help but soften up at the thought that she's been this much of a good person all along - though underestimated and persecuted, she didn't blow a fuse and just continued to do her thing in her own ways.
At this very moment, Charles then began seeing Cassidy under a different light. Without him knowing it, what suddenly came along with that realization is the rise of these confusing emotions -
A rush of great respect and admiration.
A foreign feeling that made him muster such a soft and warm smile for some reason - something that he rarely does.
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