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Novel Catalog
Chapter 17
When Veronica finally arrived home that night, she washed up and poured herself a cup of hot water to take her medicine. The past few days had been a whirlwind, and her thoughts were still clouded with the events surrounding Matthew. She had made mistakes before, but this time, she wasn’t going to let anything slip through her fingers. She’d learned from her past.
After tidying up, Veronica lay down on her bed, scrolling through her phone for a while before exhaustion finally took over, and she fell asleep.
The next morning, she woke up early and prepared a bowl of vegetable porridge for her adoptive mother. After packing it into a lunchbox, she headed to Saint Hospital. Normally, she only had time to prepare meals during lunch, but with her night shifts at work, she had more free time in the mornings now.
With the lunchbox in hand, Veronica hopped onto her scooter and made her way to the hospital. Upon entering the ward, she saw her adoptive mother, Daniella, clad in a navy printed top and blue jeans, gently washing Tony’s face. Her adoptive father lay motionless in the bed, unresponsive as always.
Daniella’s hair had already started turning white, and the lines on her face revealed the toll of years of hardship. “Sigh, Tony, why aren’t you waking up yet? You’re lucky you can just lie there while our daughter has to work and prepare meals for me every day, rain or shine. It breaks my heart to see her doing all of this,” Daniella murmured, wiping away the moisture on Tony’s face.
Veronica felt a pang in her heart, but she walked in with a smile. “Mom, you don’t need to worry. I’m free anyway. I’ve brought you lunch.” She placed the lunchbox on the table, took the face towel from Daniella, and went to the bathroom with the basin to freshen it up.
“Veronica, you don’t have to cook for me all the time,” Daniella called out. “I’ll just have some bread in the morning. It’s enough.”
Saint Hospital was a high-class private facility, and the food there was expensive. To save money, Daniella mostly ate bread, something Veronica hated to see.
“Mom, please eat before it gets cold,” Veronica said as she emerged from the bathroom with a bright smile. “By the way, how’s Dad doing these days?”
Daniella sighed deeply, opening the lunchbox and beginning to eat. “He moves his fingers sometimes, but who knows when he’ll wake up. It’s tough, Veronica…” she trailed off, her voice thick with emotion.
Veronica didn’t let herself dwell on the sadness. Instead, she sat by Tony’s bed, gently massaging his hand. “Look, Mom, he’s responding more. I’ve been thinking… I’ll take him back to our hometown in the next few days. Maybe the change of environment will do him some good.”
Daniella paused mid-bite, looking up at her daughter. “Veronica, look at you. You used to be such a beautiful girl, but now, just to take care of me and your father, you’ve had to make so many sacrifices. You even pretend to look plain. I… I feel so guilty.”
Veronica winced, knowing that her adoptive mother still didn’t understand why she had to appear different. “Mom, it’s fine. I’ve explained this before. The Larson family prefers me to look plain, and it makes things easier for my work. It’s nothing.” She laughed lightly, trying to cover her discomfort.
“That’s not a good reason, though,” Daniella said, shaking her head. “How can you expect to find someone to date if you look like this?”
Veronica chuckled nervously. “Mom, stop worrying about that. The Larson family doesn’t care about my appearance. It’s just for work, really. It’s no big deal.” She waved her hand dismissively.
“Still, you’re so young, and you deserve to be happy. You’ve spent so much time taking care of us, but what about your own future?” Daniella’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.
Veronica smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine.”
But Daniella wasn’t convinced. “You’re still single, right?”
Veronica laughed awkwardly. “Who said that? I’ve been seeing someone for a while now, just haven’t told you yet.”
“Don’t tease me,” Daniella replied, her face crinkling with skepticism. “If even I can’t stand to look at your face sometimes, who else will?”
Veronica sighed, feeling the weight of the conversation. “Okay, fine. I’ll bring him over tomorrow. You’ll meet him.”
Daniella looked relieved but also concerned. “You’re serious? You’ll bring him, right?”
“Of course,” Veronica promised. “I’ll make sure you meet him soon.” But inside, she was already dreading how she would pull this off.
After leaving the hospital, Veronica continued her work delivering takeout orders. At exactly five o’clock in the evening, she headed back to the Twilight Club for her shift.
As she changed into her security uniform, she saw Cody and nudged him. “Hey, Cody, can I ask you for a favor?”
“What’s up, Big Ron?” Cody asked, grinning.
“Are you free in two days? I need your help,” Veronica said, her tone a little hesitant.
“I wish I could, but my godfather’s in the hospital, so I’m going home tomorrow,” Cody replied with an apologetic shrug.
Veronica sighed. “Oh, well. Thanks anyway.”
She then asked the two other colleagues she was friendly with, but one was busy with family matters and the other was in the middle of a fight with his girlfriend and didn’t want to risk agreeing to help her.
“Why is everyone unavailable?” she muttered to herself.
Just then, someone walked up to her, placing an arm casually around her shoulders. It was Xavier.
“Well, looks like we’ve found a solution,” one of her colleagues said with a grin. “Young Master Xavier would be perfect for this.”
“That’s right,” another added. “Not only is he handsome, but he’s also well-respected. Big Ron, you’re in luck.”
Xavier raised an eyebrow and shot a sideways glance at Veronica. “You’re seriously asking me to help with this? Are you underestimating me?”
Veronica had no other choice but to agree. “Fine, you’re in. But I’ll have to explain this to my mom.”
“Deal,” Xavier said with a slight smirk. “Just call me tomorrow and let me know when.”
After a brief chat, Veronica agreed with Xavier, and they went their separate ways. Veronica continued her shift, while Xavier prepared for the task ahead.
The next day, after preparing lunch for Daniella, Veronica headed back to the hospital, hoping she could make everything work. When she arrived, she found Xavier waiting outside the entrance.
As she parked her scooter and walked over to him, she couldn’t resist teasing him. “If you dress so fancy, my mom might think you’re a little too much for her.”
