Love's New Bloom by Simone Hastings

Chapter 194 A Selfless Companion

Paulo’s words shocked the two of them simultaneously. Roman had a somewhat complicated

expression, as he couldn’t believe that Paulo would disclose everything in such a straightforward

manner.

Meanwhile, Erin was so shocked that she was unable to process her thoughts for a full minute. She’d

clearly heard the nurse earlier say it was an accident.

Every word Paulo said pierced her heart, and she’d long been full of tears as she listened to him.

But it was the last sentence that truly shook her, and Erin couldn’t help but choke out feebly in a raspy

voice. “You’re lying, aren’t you?”

“Oh, am I? You’d better come out and ask Roman yourself if you want to know whether I’m lying or

not!” Paulo had already stood up at this point, hinting at Roman with his eyes.

“Roman, I hope your sacrifice hasn’t been in vain, and I hope Erin isn’t a heartless woman. If I were

her, I would definitely undergo my treatments proactively with your sacrifice in mind. I mean, what’s the

big deal? I would just be spending a few years here. It’s not like I’m being imprisoned or denied

freedom. What right do I have to mope around thinking of death every day?” His words carried a tone

of mockery and disdain. It wasn’t only directed at Roman; Paulo intended for Erin to take in every

single word he said.

Using every explicit and implicit trick that he had in his books. Paulo went all out to help Erin overcome

this most difficult obstacle in the most direct way possible. If she could get past this hurdle, the

subsequent challenges wouldn’t be so daunting. It would simply be a repetition of treatments until her

full recovery. 1

Paulo left the remaining time to Roman. After all, they shouldn’t let his drastic infliction of harm on

himself go to waste. It was now time to make the most of it. Right now, they were both burn patients

who had to go through the same treatments. Whether it was intentional or accidental didn’t matter

anymore, because at least Erin had a fellow patient, and one with whom she shared a close

relationship at that.

Before leaving. Paulo coldly said one last thing to Erin, “Erin Lane, this is the last time I’m making an

effort to encourage you. I’m not some inspirational or motivational guru. I don’t have time to keep

reinforcing you with chicken soup for the soul every damn day. I have many medical projects to

research! If you want to die, do it sooner rather than later. Don’t waste any more of my time. If you

choose to commit suicide, perhaps after your death, you might even meet the scumbag couple, Tessa

and Jack, in the afterlife. They would be surprised to see you there, and they’d be even more surprised

that you died anyway without them doing anything. I’m sure they’d be delighted that your

died so soon and so pathetically.”

Roman frowned at Paulo’s blunt words that cut like blades. He had half a mind to interrupt and stop him

several times, feeling doubtful if

these heartless words he was spouting could really help Erin.

What if Paulo’s provocation accelerated Erin’s breakdown and pushed her to give up on herself?

Then again, Roman was wary of Paulo’s identity as a professional doctor. Given his medical

qualifications, he should know better than Roman. Besides, Erin had stayed in the Garden of Eden for

some time, so Paulo should have some understanding of her character.

Ultimately, Roman chose to keep mum.

As Paulo disappeared from his view, he became somewhat concerned about Erin’s mental state. He

remained seated in his wheelchair

and didn’t dare to approach her.

What if his proximity frightened or repelled Erin? What should he do then?

The entire ward was very quiet, and Roman could even hear his own anxious breathing. Meanwhile,

Erin, who was underneath the blanket.

began to show some signs of movement.

She still had the blanket wrapped around her head, but she had crawled out from the floor. Once her

entire body was out in the open, she pressed on the blanket and tentatively asked, “Roman, are you

still here?”

“Yes, I’m here. I’ve been here all along.” Roman struggled to control the urge to move forward. In fact,

he really wanted to walk up to Erin and give her a big hug.

Upon hearing his gentle voice, Erin seemed a little nervous but also somewhat reassured. She slowly

crawled backward, and when her hand touched the wall she chose to lean her back against it. Her legs

were already numb and slightly swollen by then.

Roman remained silent, intensely focused on every move she made. He had a bitter feeling in his

heart, and tears had already welled up in his eyes. He discreetly wiped them away, carefully controlling

his emotions, not wanting to burden Erin emotionally any further.

believed that the best way to help her was through companionship. If she wanted to talk, he would talk

to her. If she didn’t feel like talking. he would quietly stay by her side. If she wanted him to leave, he

would immediately leave.

After a long time, when the air in the ward seemed to be filled with tension and dread, Erin suddenly

asked. “Roman, is what Paulo said true? Did you burn yourself for me?”

Her voice sounded kind of calm, but of course, being a master in acting, Roman could tell that she was

deliberately suppressing her emotions. He fell silent and began to hesitate. If he told Erin the truth,

would it add to her psychological burden?

However, when he remembered the profound mistake he’d made by concealing the truth before, he

immediately decided that he would never hide anything from her again. He no longer wanted to have

any more regrets.

Besides, Paulo had already revealed everything anyway, so it was pointless to continue pretending. 1

“It’s true. I couldn’t come up with a better way to encourage you. Erin, I don’t want to put any pressure

on you, but from the bottom of my heart. I hope you can gather up the courage to continue with your

life. I’ll be here for you,” Roman said calmly, without any hint of

melodrama or coercion.

After listening to his words, Erin remained silent for a long time. Her face beneath the blanket was

covered in tear streaks, and she

continued to weep quietly.

Realizing that Roman had hurt himself grievously for her sake, Erin was shocked to her core. She’d

never expected that a friend like Roman would go to such lengths for her. It moved her greatly, but she

felt heartbroken that Roman did something so drastic to himself.

This kind of friendship that went beyond conventional norms wasn’t something that even Holly would

be capable of doing. If one considered Roman’s behavior in a more dramatic light, he could be

considered a madman. He was a fool who made her feel deeply guilty.

*Don’t worry, Roman. I won’t have any thoughts of suicide anymore because I’m not worthy of it.”

If she selfishly ended her life when her friends and family loved her so much, she would probably end

up in hell.

A sense of relief washed over Roman. He couldn’t help but move his wheelchair forward by about six

feet, but he didn’t dare to go any

further.

He said, “Erin, don’t worry. Apart from telling me about your situation, Paulo hasn’t revealed it to

anyone else. Without your permission, I

won’t disclose any information about you. I swear!”

His words alleviated much of Erin’s worries, and she sincerely thanked him, “Thank you.”

A faint smile that was barely visible appeared at the corner of Roman’s mouth. “Erin, I’m a renowned

actor who relies on looks. You have to

encourage me to actively face treatment. What if I have suicidal thoughts when I feel pessimistic-”

“Take a look at how injured I am before you say that, Roman. I’m still hanging on miserably somehow.

How can you be more fragile than

me?” Erin commented as she removed the blanket.

Her face which was mostly burned suddenly appeared before Roman’s eyes.

As soon as Erin realized what she’d done, she immediately covered herself with the blanket again,

feeling extremely uneasy.

“He must have seen it!” she exclaimed inwardly.

When Roman witnessed that scene, his heart burned as if scalding boiling water had been poured all

over it. That burning sensation spread throughout his entire body.

He swiftly bit his lip to suppress any sound. To him, Erin had become a fragile glass doll. He didn’t dare

to expose any of his emotions, not even a sliver of them.

What surprised Erin was that she waited for a full ten minutes, but Roman didn’t say any comforting

words. There were no words of encouragement or sympathy. He just sat there quietly.

For some reason, she felt a sense of relief instead. The suffocating worry and lear she’d felt so

intensely gradually dissipated with the passage of time.

“You’ve been silent all this time. Is it because my appearance scared you?” Erin asked timidly.

expressed, “Erin, you can be your true self when you’re with me. You don’t have to be cautious around

me. If my presence stresses you out, I can choose to remain silent and be like a puppet.”

His words rained on Erin’s scarred heart like a gentle drizzle that washed away all her negative

emotions. As the blood gradually flowed toward her rapidly beating heart, a small white flower of hope

bloomed in the deepest recesses of her heart.