The Sweet Rival (Mango Shen and Nathaniel Ye) novel Chapter 287

Suddenly, Mango's heart rate skyrocketed.

Then, Mango hurriedly pressed the emergency button and her hands trembled violently as she repeatedly offered up silent prayers for Rita to be okay.

When the doctors and nurses arrived, Rita was pushed into the operating theater for emergency treatment before Mango even realized what was going on.

The corridors of the hospital were eerily quiet at night, and that caused Mango to feel uneasy.

Right now, she hoped that Nathaniel could be here by her side so she wouldn't be so afraid. Actually, she had no idea what her future would hold or how Rita's condition would turn out. This frightening fear of the unknown unsettled Mango greatly.

Suddenly, someone handed her another glass of warm milk.

Mango turned around slightly and saw Walter standing behind her with a bright smile.

"Since you're wandering the corridors in the middle of the night, I take it that your daughter hasn't recovered?"

Mango shook her head and said, "Her surgery was successful, but she might be showing signs of organ rejection as she has a fever right now."

"Have some milk and calm down, it'll be fine. You have to see it from this perspective, Rita's your daughter, so obviously she's very tough. Right now, she’s battling her illness, so you can't break down because you're her mother."

At that moment, Walter was quite solemn.

Mango nodded at him. Even though she knew that these words were meant to comfort her, they weren't without merit.

She should have confidence in her daughter.

Mango sipped at the milk after she took it from Walter, but it was tasteless.

Her gaze was fixed in the direction of the operating theater and she felt hollow inside. Furthermore, she knew that the emptiness inside of her could only be filled by Nathaniel. Alas, she had no idea how he was doing nor did she have the time to ask about him.

Then, Walter sat down beside Mango.

He looked at the lights in the operating theater and said in a low voice, "Do you know that I' ve experienced what you're going through? I've gone through it plenty of times.”

"Hm?”

Mango replied off-handedly as she didn't hear what he said clearly because she was consumed by her worry for Rita.

Walter didn't seem to mind that Mango hadn’t heard him as he continued, "After my mother went insane, I found myself in this situation quite often. Back then, I was very young and I had my father with me initially, but after a while, I was left alone. In fact, my father gave up on my mother as he thought that an insane woman like her who harmed herself should just die. From then onwards, I constantly sat alone in these hallways and counted sheep as the operating theater’s lights flickered, but my mother never came out. There were times when I felt completely hopeless."

This was the first time that Mango had heard Walter talk about his mother. Although she had heard some rumors about his mother, the Song family treated the topic as taboo and no one really dared to discuss it.

"Your mother..."

"She went insane, and it was so bad that she couldn' t even recognize me. Actually, I was kidnapped when I was younger around the same time my father cheated on my mother, and those two events caused her to have a mental breakdown. Then, the kidnappers decided to kill a hostage and my mother went insane after she thought that I had died. After that, my mother kept self- harming and I always thought that my father was the culprit behind her insanity. In fact, I wanted to help you when you ran into trouble in the United States but I couldn't leave because something had happened to my mother. I' m sorry about that."

Walter's tone was soft as he said that.

Mango had no idea that Walter had experienced that and she didn't know what to say except, "Is she all right now?"

"She's doing much better now. Fortunately, I found her in time after she slit her wrists, if not she would've passed away. My father often likes to say that my mother's life is no better than death, but it’s not like that for me. As long as my mother is alive, I will still have the strength to carry on. If she died, then I won't have anyone else on this planet to care for, and I wouldn't have the will to keep on living."

A bitter smile curved the corners of Walter's lips.

Everyone else only saw Walter's most alluring side, the side of him that tirelessly enjoyed every ounce of fun that the world had to offer. However, the real Walter turned out to be a painfully lonely person.

His loneliness was concealed by the charming exterior he displayed, and he used his playful attitude to shield himself from his isolation.

Right now, Walter seemed to have given up his entire phony facade and he presented himself honestly in front of Mango like a helpless child.

Mango suddenly recalled the memory in her mind, but it slipped past her quickly.

"You said you were kidnapped when you were a child?"

"Yeah. How many rich kids haven't been kidnapped before? Even Nathaniel has been kidnapped when he was younger."

Walter’s words stunned Mango.

"How is that possible? Nathaniel's so tough, no way that could have happened to him."

"It’s not like he knew how to defend himself from the moment he was born."

Then, Walter gave Mango a disdainful look.

Walter's words finally prompted a reaction from

Mango.

In her eyes, Nathaniel was too perfect until she forgot that he would have been as powerless as Walter was when he was still a child.

She smiled and said in a low voice, "Speaking of this, I saved a rich kid before when I was younger. Plus, that kid even said he wanted to marry me when I was older."

Walter's gaze brightened instantly.

"Do you still remember what that little boy looked like?''

"It’s been so many years, how would I remember? Furthermore, how could I think that a child like that would mean what he said? In fact, I only saved him because I pitied him, as he was quite handsome and it seemed like he was barely breathing. After that, my mom yelled at me for being so reckless. Oh right! I remember that there was a birthmark on the boy’s arm in the shape of a star. Really, it was the first time I’ve ever seen such a beautiful birthmark on someone's body.”