บท 29: He Was Young and Inexperienced at That Time
Calix's silence was unusual but, Old Madam Xu didn't pressure him for the answer.
"Never mind. Treat Charlene well. Get her the best treatment. I heard the old woman has been mistreating her all this time."
Calix immediately understood who his grandmother referred to. Without any need to ask, it was clear that the old woman in question was Old Madam Li.
Old Madam Xu and Old Madam Li didn't have a good relationship but, they were not enemies.
The former disliked how arrogant the Li family's matriarch could be. As for the latter, she tended to curry favors with Old Madam Xu whenever she was presented with the chance.
Old Madam Li only toned down her behavior as she got older. She belatedly learned how much Old Madam Xu disliked her.
If not for Calix's marriage to Charlene, Old Madam Xu wouldn't want anything to do with the entire Li family. Still, she was aware that not everyone was bad in that family.
"I know, Grandma. You know me ah. I won't treat her badly," Calix answered playfully yet, his tone was firm.
Old Madam Xu nodded, her brows furrowing. She hesitated for a moment, weighing everything that was still in her mind. It took her quite some time before saying it out loud.
"Once Charlene's awake, you have to respect her decision. If she doesn't want to be your wife, let her go."
Calix blinked. He remembered the contract he signed with Rowan yesterday morning. His grandmother's words were just the same as the most important clause.
"I will do that. But, I'll still ask her to give me a chance first."
Old Madam Xu silently agreed with Calix.
Her thinking was still conservative like how she wanted her grandson to get married before getting older. But, she also knew getting a divorce was better than holding on to an unhappy marriage.
Old Madam Xu exhaled a soft sigh. Events of the past resurfaced in her mind, reminding her of the days when her second grandson was trapped in deep sorrow.
Instead of teasing the people around him like always, he tended to shut himself in his room. He also turned into a raging workaholic.
Old Madam Xu really didn't want it to happen again. Not when Calix had returned to his playful behavior.
Old Madam Xu reached out for Calix's hands. She still remembered how tiny they were when he was still a young boy. Now, his palms were much bigger than hers.
When Old Madam Xu smiled again, sadness laced on her lips.
"Calix, Grandma just doesn't want you to keep thinking of the past. Focus on your future instead of looking back to the failure. Remember, it's not your fault."
Calix was caught in a trance, understanding the meaning behind his grandmother's words.
Gently taking his hands out of her grasp, Calix carefully hugged the frail body of his old grandmother. He pressed his head on top of hers.
"I'm okay now. Fret not, Grandma. I was young and still inexperienced at that time."
The grandmother and grandson pair shared an embrace, immersed in their own thoughts. Old Madam Xu was the first one who pulled away from the hug.
Patting Calix's back instead of smacking it like earlier, Old Madam Xu said, "Go to your bedroom now. Have breakfast with all of us. Your brother and his family will stay here tonight too."
"Okay, I'll do that."
Calix helped Old Madam Xu to the bed. After promising that he wouldn't mistreat Leslie once again to his grandmother, Calix walked away from the bed.
He wondered if his ghost wife was still waiting outside or not. His conversation and his grandmother turned out to be quite long.
"Oh, Calix. Grandma forgot to ask you."
"Huh?"
Old Madam Xu's words paused Calix from walking. Turning around, he looked at his grandmother who already lay under the thick blanket.
"What is it, Grandma?"
Frowning, Old Madam Xu shot question after question to Calix, much to his surprise.
"Why did you haven't arranged a new private nurse for Charlene? You didn't let your Aunt Wendy take care of her too. What are you thinking? You're not by her side all the time even if you wanna do it yourself. Do you know everything about taking care of a coma patient?"
"..."
It turned out that Old Madam Xu inquired about Charlene's personal being by herself. She contacted Graceville Manor this morning after Calix went to work.
Aunt Wendy tried to make excuses to defend Calix but, Old Madam Xu's sharp sense managed to sniff them. The former was persuaded to be frank thus, the old madam finally learned the truth.
"Mr. Calix said he'll take care of Mrs. Charlene himself. Though... actually, I'm worried."
The softhearted Aunt Wendy was genuinely worried about the comatose Charlene's well-being despite trusting Calix. That was one of the reasons why she finally be open about the matter.
Old Madam Xu didn't expect Calix to insist on handling Charlene's affairs all by himself. Suspicions arose but, she refused to entertain the thoughts.
Thus, Old Madam Xu told Aunt Wendy that she would get skilled caretakers as soon as possible. She also reminded the housekeeper not to tell Calix anything.
Old Madam Xu's influence allowed her to procure two private nurses from the best agency in the city. They were already sent to Graceville Manor this evening.
"I've found two people to handle Charlene's affairs. It's good that you wanna be involved with your wife's health but, you're not a pro. Let them take care of her. You can learn from them if you want."
Calix was thoroughly dumbfounded. Because he forgot to address this issue with Leslie as soon as possible, his grandmother handled it herself.
"...thank you, Grandma. I won't... neglect her needs."
After awkwardly thanking his grandmother, Calix finally walked out of the bedroom. His mind was weighed with the news.
Now...
How should he tell Leslie about the private nurses?
Wouldn't she be embarrassed to know two strangers might have already undressed her to take care of her body's hygiene?
"..."
Calix had the urge to ram his head into the wall.
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