Jake stood frozen and was momentarily unable to process the nurse's words. "What did you say?"
Was Molly discharged two days earlier?
That was the day she had just undergone the bone marrow donation operation.
He suddenly felt a wave of unease surging through him.
Could it be that Molly had figured out he was deceiving her all along?
But he quickly dispelled the thought.
That couldn't be.
If she had known it, why would she have willingly donated her marrow?
"Did she not come to the hospital to treat her wounds just now?" Jake asked the nurse again.
The nurse checked the records and shook her head.
Jake furrowed his eyebrows tightly.
Was Molly sulking?
Thinking about the harsh words he had said to Molly earlier and the look of disappointment in her eyes before she left, Jake felt guilt.
"Forget it. A little sweet-talking will do the trick," he thought.
He ordered a necklace Molly had mentioned before.
Every time he upset her in the past, he would buy her a gift. And she had never really held it against him.
After completing the purchase, he sent a screenshot of the order and expected Molly to respond with a cheerful voice message as usual.
But he got nothing this time.
He waited a full three minutes, yet the chat window remained silent.
She used to reply to his message instantly.
An inexplicable irritation rose within him. He dialed her number directly.
The automated voice on the other end came through. "The number you dialed is unavailable."
His heart sank.
He redialed it repeatedly, but the result was always the same.
He remembered Molly's recent distance and coldness, along with her unusual behavior of packing her belongings. Then Jake's heartbeat quickened.
With trembling fingers, he called Ellen. She must know where Molly was.
But Ellen didn't answer his call. He couldn't hold back any longer.
Without hesitation, he intended to head back to the orphanage.
Just then, his phone rang. Jake looked at the screen with hopeful anticipation. But his eyes, which had lit up just now, instantly dimmed when he saw it was Freda calling.
He paused but eventually answered it.
Freda was sobbing on the other end of the line. "Jake, it is our first baby. What if I lose it? It's all Molly's fault. If she hadn't pushed me..."
Jake didn't play along as usual and interrupted Freda. He said while frowning, "Didn't the doctor say everything was fine with the baby?"
After a few seconds of silence, Freda's evasive excuses came through.
He remembered Molly's wound and said, "She probably meant it. Let's just let it go this time, Freda. After all... we've already let her lose so much."
Freda sensed the protection in his words, and her tone was suddenly sharp. "What do you mean? Jake, are you regretting it? She intruded between us. She's just a tool. Have you really fallen for her?"
Jake was stunned.
His marriage to Molly was a setup to obtain her marrow.
But why... did he feel a hollow ache inside?
He sensed something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint it.
"Jake, let's go and try on wedding dresses. Didn't you say you had a surprise for me?" Freda softened her voice.
"Okay," Jake replied absentmindedly, "You go ahead. I'll be there later."
After hanging up, he rushed to the orphanage.
Even if Molly was merely a tool he used, she had been his wife for ten years.
He needed to ensure she was alright at least.
After he arrived at the orphanage, he saw Ellen helping the children with their homework. He breathed a sigh of relief.
He stepped forward quietly and asked, "Ellen, where is Molly? Is she okay? I'd like to see her."
Ellen kept her eyes on the table as she replied flatly, "She's gone."
