A Wound that Never Heals

Chapter 109 Maybe Nigel Is Still Alive
Darlene’s body trembled violently, and she gritted her teeth and did not make a sound.
She did not want to say another word, since it was meaningless to say anything
anymore.
She thought, just like now, Avery has tied my hands and feet, forcing me to stay here and listen to his ridiculous fake sympathy
and care for me.
It has been ten years. If he had cared for me at all, I would not have been driven to this
dilemma.
I’m dying, and so is Grandma. Avery is right. It’s not worth it for me to die.
After I’m dead and buried, no one will even come to my tombstone and pay their
condolences to me.
After I’m dead, the Gallard family won’t be affected at all, and of course, Avery’s life will
still be the same.
I’m not willing. But no matter how reluctant I am, death awaits, and it’s getting closer
to me.
I’ve given up hope of a compatible heart.
I have tried to find a compatible one for so long. I’ve found two compatible ones for
Nigel, yet I’ve never found one for myself.
Maybe I’m just unlucky. Fate never favors me.
Avery’s breathing was a bit heavy. She could hear it clearly since he was very close to

her.
He was controlling his emotions, which Darlene found ridiculous. She was dying, and all of a sudden, he knew that he was wrong
and that he could not bear to part with her.
She was never that healthy. How come he was never worried that she might die when he tortured her like that?
Avery was silent for a long time. Then he said, “I will find a suitable heart for you. Don’t worry. You won’t die.”
“I don’t
Darlene opened her eyes and looked at him with a hollow smile. Then she said, give a damn anymore. I have endured for long
enough that dying might be a relief for me. I’m serious. I have been waiting for that day for a long time already.
“Avery, stop acting as if you care about me. You are such a phony. You make it look like I lied to you, and you are aggrieved and
painful.”
Avery got up, fetched some warm water, and wiped the sweat off her face.
She was kind of weak now. She quarreled with him for a while, and now her head was
covered in sweat.
Darlene stubbornly turned her head away, and the wet towel fell on the pillow, wetting
the pillow’s corner.
Avery picked up the towel and washed it again before continuing to wipe her sweat for
her.
He stared at her and suddenly thought, there may still be a one in ten thousand chance
of cure for a terminal illness.
However, if one has no desire to live, isn’t that more terrible than a terminal illness? How long does one get to live if so?
He felt that his palms were a bit cold, and he said in a deep voice, “Anyway, your heart must be changed. I’ve reached abroad
already. If I really can’t find a suitable heart for you, I’ll make one if necessary.

“Reina can stay here for her treatment from now on. And I’ll no longer limit your freedom. I’ll respect your decision. About the
copyright of the TV drama you signed with Gustave, you can do whatever you want, including writing the script or even being a
part of the production. Fine by me.
Darlene sneered, “Shall I be grateful to you? Mr. Gallard, all of a sudden, you are so
generous.”
Avery frowned. “You are supposed to be hospitalized now, given your condition. Yet Mr. Dawson told me that your mood matters
a lot, too.
“You need to cooperate with the necessary treatment. With Mr. Dawson’s permission, you may go out occasionally, but the
premise is that you have to come back at night, and you have to be ready for your heart transplantation at any time. You can’t
leave
Baltimore.”
Darlene looked out of the window and stopped looking at him. Her voice was without emotions. “I’m not interested. I don’t want to
go anywhere. I’ll just lie down and wait to
die.”
Avery was so angry that he almost lost it and quarreled with her again.
He was short–tempered. In fact, he blamed Darlene, since she had spoiled him over the years. When that year he was in a
wheelchair, Darlene never said anything harsh to him.
She was like a completely different person now. She spoke of death all the time, and she could be so sarcastic.
He suppressed his emotions and spoke after a long time, “Think about it differently. One only gets to live once. If you refuse
heart transplantation in a fit of pique, you’ll have nothing left after you are dead.
“After you die, I’m sure Reina won’t accept being taken care of by me. She can only go to the nursing home.
“You have been there before, right? All those people who go there have no visitors, and they are counting their days. They sit
from sunrise to sunset while watching their companions being carried out one by one. How sad.”

Darlene clenched her fists and coldly interrupted him, “Enough!”
It seemed that Avery didn’t see the anger on her face at all, or perhaps it was precisely the anger on her face that made him
decide to continue.
“Loneliness is always too much for old people. They have a much harder time than you. think. As for you, on the contrary, after
your heart is replaced, and your body is
restored, you can still strive for the life you want.
“You may even think of something to get a divorce. You can save some money to take Reina and Nigel to your favorite place to
live the life you want.”
Darlene’s breathing was chaotic. She clutched the quilt tightly, and then loosened her hands, and then tightened her grips again.
She knew very well that such a life was just a fantasy.
Suddenly, she realized that he mentioned both Reina and Nigel, which didn’t sound
right. She said, “Nigel is dead. Avery, what do you mean by that?”
She thought, Nigel is dead. How am I supposed to live with him and Grandma? Was Avery suggesting that we meet in another
world?
Avery took out his phone, clicked on a photo, and showed it to Darlene. “See? This photo was taken by Cyrus on the street in
Baltimore’s southern district.
“It’s kind of blurry, but the man in the photo is most likely Nigel. There is a good chance. that he is still alive, and he is here in
Baltimore.”
Darlene’s expression suddenly changed. She stared at the photo on Avery’s phone screen without blinking.
It was Nigel’s face. He was among the crowd, and since the crowd was moving, his face was a bit blurry.
Yet his face was so familiar.
However, Nigel was dead. She had seen him fall from the rental house, his face a mess.

Darlene thought, wait. His face was a mess?
Darlene was shocked.
She thought, the boy’s features were indistinguishable. Is it possible that it wasn’t Nigel
at all?
Yet the body had Nigel’s clothes and shoes on it. If it really wasn’t Nigel’s body, the only possibility left was that someone had
done something behind the scenes. Just like that time when I faked death, the corpse was swapped.
Nigel is still alive. Maybe he is still alive!
Darlene’s eyes suddenly lit up, like a pool of dead water suddenly had a ripple.
She thought, Nigel, my twelve–year–old brother. If he is still alive, even if I die, I will finally be able to face my adoptive parents.
But who took Nigel away? How come Nigel never comes back or reaches out to me?
Darlene’s mind was a mess, but she felt hopeful and surprised more.
Such a possibility was beyond her wildest dreams.
Avery put his phone to the side and reached out to untie the tie on her hands. “That’s why I said that you should live well. If you
do die, you will never know where Nigel is suffering. He’s so young, and there are so many bad guys in this world.”
Darlene’s hands and feet were set free, and she hurriedly got up from the bed. “I’ll go find him!”
“I’m on it already. Don’t forget that Reina is still here.” Avery reached out to stop her.
“Darlene, listen to me. I promise that everything will be fine. Reina will be fine, and you will get Nigel back. Also, you will find a
suitable heart for you.”
Then he added, “Go and get some rest now. Tomorrow, my family will have a gathering at the mansion, and you should come
with me. In the afternoon, I will take you to the police station south of town. The police are already looking for him. We may have
some
news soon.”

Darlene stared at him for a long time. News about Nigel clearly calmed her down a lot. She did not say anything more and just
entered the bathroom.
The next morning, Avery took her to the Gallard’s old mansion.
Not many people attended the family banquet. Other than those from the Gallard family, Andrew only invited about three of his
best friends to come over.
When Darlene got out of the car, she glanced at the car parked behind Avery’s car.
Through the crowd, she saw the man who got out of the car. She was stunned for a
second and felt that he was familiar.
Until the man turned around and walked straight towards her.