Chapter 3
My father-in-law anxiously looked at Hannah. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” “Dad, I’m fine. It’s just a small issue and I just need some rest. But Ethan keeps making a fuss. He’s giving me a headache.” Hearing this, I let out a cold laugh. The next second, my mother-in-law’s palm came swinging toward me. “Ethan! What are you laughing at? Do you still have the nerve to laugh? If my daughter hadn’t been in such a rush to come back and try on her wedding dress, would she have ended up in the hospital?” I chuckled bitterly. “Yeah… how would she have ended up in the hospital?” My mother-in-law didn’t catch the hidden meaning in my words. She was still trying to haggle. “Ethan, let me tell you, because of this incident, you have to add another thousand dollars to the bride price! My daughter ended up in the hospital, shouldn’t you at least compensate her with two or three thousand dollars?” “Do you even know why she’s in the hospital? She spent seven days and nights with her ex-boyfriend! She ended up here because of a perineal tear! And you expect me to pay her medical bills? Pay for what?” My mother-in-law took a step back, staring at me in disbelief. Then she turned to look at Hannah on the hospital bed. At that moment, my parents also rushed in. Hannah held her waist as she swung her legs off the bed. “Ethan, don’t be so unreasonable. I’ve already explained everything to you, haven’t I? It’s just a little celebration. What’s wrong with me having some fun with Caleb? We were just saying our final goodbye.” Her mother chimed in, “Exactly, don’t push your luck.” Hannah continued, “We just booked a hotel room, that’s all. Do you really have to be this mad?” The moment those words left her lips, the temperature in the room plummeted. Her mother had been about to agree, but suddenly, her smile vanished. “You… you… what are you saying?” She grabbed Hannah, but Hannah shook her off. “Mom, be gentle. My whole body hurts right now.” She tossed the diagnosis report aside. “Can’t you see I’m sick? I’m in so much pain.” My parents were panting heavily, my mother clutching her chest repeatedly. “How can you be so shameless? You’re just married my son!” “So what?” Hannah sneered. “Your generation is just too old-fashioned. This kind of thing is completely normal for young people like us. What’s the big deal?” She limped toward me, her loose neckline exposing the unmistakable marks on her skin. The sight of those glaring red stains made my vision blur with rage. “Ethan, Caleb is in the room next door. Go pay his hospital bill.” Her mother hurriedly grabbed her and when Hannah winced, she immediately switched to supporting her gently. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Hannah, why is he still here? And why did you bring him to the hospital?” “Oh, come on, the bachelor party lasted seven days. He lasted all seven, so now he needs some supplements to recover. It’s not a big amount. Ethan, you can cover it, right?” Hannah stuffed the hospital bill into my hands, smiling as if none of this was out of the ordinary. “Ethan, you’ve chased me for so long. You’re not really going to get upset over something this trivial, are you? Relax, once you pay the bill, I promise I won’t have anything to do with him anymore.” She raised three fingers in mock sincerity. “I swear, okay?” “I…” My voice was hoarse, my chest tightening with suffocating anger. My mother-in-law immediately smiled and stuffed 3000 dollars into my hand. “That’s right. Hannah was just saying goodbye to him, wasn’t she? It’s just that… well, their way of saying goodbye might be a bit more modern, haha. I have some money here, take it and go pay the bill first, okay?”