CHAPTER 137: LOOKING AT A STRANGER

But strangely, she also felt lighter, as if some unseen weight had been lifted from her.

The dark, suffocating thoughts that once haunted her seemed faint, distant, almost unrecognizable.

"Strange..." she whispered, following Madam Zhi.

The world around her looked different.

Though still dull in her eyes, the scenery felt alive. The breeze brushing her cheeks was gentle and soothing. The swaying leaves seemed to dance like fairies invited by the wind. Flowers glowed faintly, and Yeri’s dog padded after them with a wagging tail as if waving at her.

For the first time in years, Lianna found joy in simple, ordinary things.

They felt real. Like the world is welcoming her to a new beginning, and it made her want to look forward.

In the greenhouse, Madam Zhi proudly showed her collection of orchids. Though Lianna couldn’t see their colors, she still smiled genuinely.

Then something outside caught her gaze. Her breath caught.

"Those are..."

Madam Zhi followed her line of sight. It was a trellis covered in blooming climbing roses, curving like a doorway to another world. The flowers glowed faintly in Lianna’s vision.

Her eyes moistened, her heartbeat quickened.

Red. It was red.

It wasn’t vivid, more like a rosy tint. But for Lianna it was like seeing a whole new world, apart from Yeri’s warm golden glow, she’s in awe to see those roses weren’t just

shades of black, grey and white.

Her lips trembled as she whispered, "Right... that is red. I remember."

Madam Zhi smiled gently. "Our Princess loves roses, so we planted many varieties there. Go take a closer look."

Lianna nodded, excusing herself. She hurried toward the roses, eager to touch them, to feel their reality with her own hands.

---

An hour later, the nanny came calling for breakfast. Lianna and Madam Zhi went inside, but Yeri was nowhere in sight.

"I’ll wake her up," Lianna volunteered.

She knocked softly on Yeri’s door. "Yeri?"

No response. She stepped closer, patting the blanket. "It’s time for breakfast. Even if you want to sleep more, you shouldn’t skip meals."

Still no movement. Frowning, Lianna gently pulled the blanket away, and she was taken aback.

Yeri’s face was pale, unnaturally so. Her lips looked bloodless. When Lianna touched her, the heat of fever burned through her skin.

Panic surged in her as she shook her gently, but Yeri didn’t wake.

That morning, Madam Zhi immediately rushed Yeri to the hospital with Lianna by her side.

When they arrived at Neri Medical Hospital, Lianna stared at the building. Once, this place had filled her with dread and unease. But now, she felt... nothing. It was as if it no longer had any constraint over her.

While Yeri was taken into the emergency room, Lianna sat anxiously with Madam Zhi.

"Madam..." she hesitated, her voice low. "I think it’s my fault Yeri got sick. I must have passed my fever to her."

Madam Zhi sighed, her lips curving into a faint, weary smile.

"It isn’t your fault. This has always been the case for her since she was little. She would suddenly get a high fever, her face going completely pale. We thought she had recovered, but perhaps it’s another relapse."

Madam Zhi’s voice wavered. She blinked rapidly, forcing back tears. "Ah, I haven’t informed my husband yet. Please keep an eye out here while I make a quick call."

Lianna nodded, watching her leave. She sat quietly on the waiting bench, hands clasped tightly.

---

Meanwhile, Zahn Neri was making rounds that morning.

He paused mid-step, his hand pressing lightly against his chest.

Last night, he had jolted awake for no reason. It wasn’t a nightmare, he hadn’t even dreamt. It was more like a dull ache, a strange heaviness he couldn’t explain.

Perhaps it was time for a health check of his own. Even doctors couldn’t ignore their bodies forever.

As he checked his phone for his schedule, a message from Vanessa popped up. He swiped it away without reading. During work hours, he never opened personal messages unless they were from family.

Then his eyes caught Lianna’s chat avatar.

After the incident at their son’s party, she had run off. He had considered sending people to find her, but his mother stopped him, insisting Lianna needed to learn her lesson. Otherwise, she would remain spoiled and willful.

With Sean also upset, Zahn had chosen to focus on comforting his son first, letting Lianna cool off.

After all, she had indeed acted rashly toward Vanessa. Matters like that should have been resolved privately, not in front of guests.

In the past two days, he had messaged her asking where she was, but she never replied. She hadn’t returned home either.

They owned several properties like the penthouse downtown, the villa in Sin Melle Estate, even the old house near the hospital. But when he contacted the staff from those properties, none had seen her. He even tried reaching out to her family, but she hadn’t gone there either.

Zahn’s expression darkened. Lianna felt further away than ever. The distance between them had grown into something he no longer knew how to cross. She wasn’t the same woman she had been before marriage.

Especially after he returned from his medical mission, she had grown distant, speaking less, her smiles bitter, her eyes full of unspoken words.

He was about to send her another message when a movement outside the emergency room caught his eye.

There she was.

Lianna.

Zahn halted, his chest tightening.

What was she doing there?

And what was she up to this time?

Zahn’s shoes echoed across the tiled floor as he approached Lianna outside the emergency room. His face was tight with suppressed indignation.

For days she had not gone home, had not contacted anyone, had neglected Sean and left him in the care of others as though she wasn’t a mother. To him, it was nothing less than irresponsible and unreasonable.

Seeing him, Lianna turned and froze.

For a heartbeat, the man she loved and hated at the same time stood before her, Zahn Neri.

Every encounter with him had always been like a storm, her heart torn between longing and loathing. Yet at this moment, staring at him, she felt... nothing.

It was like looking at a stranger passing by.

Her silence only ignited Zahn’s indignation. His voice snapped, sharp and accusing, as he grabbed her wrist.

"Lianna, what are you doing here? I told you many times before not to come here without telling me. Do you even realize what you’ve done? Days without going home, no call, no word. Have you forgotten you have a son? "

Lianna blinked, Zahn must have assumed she was there to see him.

"I’m not here to see you," Lianna said softly but firmly, yanking her hand back.

Her resistance made his expression darken further.

To him, it was proof she had not learned, had not recognized her mistakes, only grown more willful and his frustration spilled over.

"So you can’t even admit your fault? At the very least, you should apologize to Vanessa for the trouble you caused and for misunderstanding my relationship with her."

Apologise?

Lianna almost laughed. Now she couldn’t be bothered explaining herself. Since he was convinced she was at fault, any words from her meant nothing but lies and excuses to him.

For the first time in years, Lianna’s mind was clear. Her heart no longer stirred at his words, no longer bent under the weight of family duties or the moral expectations of others.

She felt strangely free, like she had finally found herself again. After drawing in a deep breath, she met his cold gaze, clear and wavering.

"Zahn Neri, let’s get a divorce."

The words hit Zahn like ice water. He stood stunned.

In their five years of marriage, they had some arguments, he had left her for medical missions yet he never heard any complaints, she had conflicts with his mother, but through it all, Lianna had never once mentioned the word divorce. Until now.

"In the first place, you married me out of obligation," Lianna continued, her tone calm, her face steady. "Now, I don’t want it. There’s no need for us to trap ourselves in a loveless marriage just because we have a son."

"Loveless?" The word slashed through Zahn like a blade. He snapped out of his daze, and pain twisted into anger. His eyes hardened into ice as he grabbed her wrist again in a punishing grip.

"Enough! Don’t say things you don’t mean. Lianna, why have you become like this? Have you even thought of Sean?"

Lianna frowned from pain as she tried to yank her hand back, but his hold was unrelenting, his anger blinding him.

He was about to drag her away when the emergency room doors suddenly burst open.

At the same time, Madam Zhi hurried down the hall toward them.

Seizing the chance, Lianna shoved Zahn back and rushed to the doctor who had emerged.

The doctor nodded respectfully to both women before speaking gravely.

"Apart from the high fever, the patient’s body is extremely weakened. There is widespread swelling of her muscles and veins. May I ask if she was recently involved in any serious accident, perhaps a fall or a car crash?"

Madam Zhi’s face turned pale. "Doctor, what does that mean? There was the park bombing incident, and she was admitted here afterward, but the doctor in charge confirmed she was completely fine."

"Anything after that? What about her previous medical condition?" the doctor pressed.

Madam Zhi quickly shook her head. "No, that’s impossible. We’ve always been careful with my daughter’s health. She never does anything strenuous. As for medical history, she has only experienced similar fever symptoms in the past."

The doctor’s expression grew more severe.

It was strange. Her breathing is erratic, and her body shows signs similar to someone who has suffered severe trauma like from a fall or a car accident. Yet there are no fractures, no external injuries. It could have been heart, liver, or kidney failure that caused the tearing, swelling of her muscles and inflammation of her blood vessels but all those organs appeared completely normal.

He hesitated, frowning deeply. "I cannot explain it fully yet. We’ll need to run more tests to be certain. It is as though her body has suffered immense internal shock without any external cause."

Madam Zhi covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with worry.

Meanwhile, Lianna felt her chest tighten. Just last night, Yeri had seemed completely fine, how had she suddenly gotten so much worse?