Audrey had barely stood there for a while when Evans returned.
Seeing her standing outside without going in, he asked, "What are you doing here?"
Audrey glanced up at him and then casually lowered her head, saying, "There are people inside."
Evans nodded, standing a couple of steps away from her without speaking.
Not long after, Caroline and Jerry stormed out of the hospital room, clearly angered.
Upon seeing Audrey and Evans, they ignored Audrey and approached Evans with smiles on their faces.
"Mr. Hill, you came to visit Abner?" Caroline inquired.
Evans nodded and politely responded, "Mrs. Caroline."
Caroline's face stiffened. Evans' polite yet distant address, even though he was Abner's best friend, felt strange in this situation.
Could it also reflect Abner's attitude toward her?
Caroline felt a mix of emotions and couldn't stay any longer, so she left directly.
Jerry, who was behind her, didn't immediately follow. Instead, he walked directly in front of Audrey. "Audrey, long time no see. You look even more beautiful than before. Let's have dinner together when you have time."
After saying that, he left with a self-assured smile on his face.
Being complimented for looking beautiful should be a cause for happiness, but Audrey felt disgusted. Jerry's gaze just now made her feel nauseated.
No woman would appreciate such uncalibrated compliments. Instead, it would make them feel violated.
Violation doesn't necessarily require physical contact; sometimes, inappropriate gazes can also make women uncomfortable.
As Jerry approached Audrey, Evans slightly shifted closer to her.
At that moment, Evans watched Jerry's departing figure with a clear sense of displeasure shown in his eyes.
Suppressing her discomfort, Audrey turned and headed back to the hospital room.
Evans had initially intended to say something, but seeing her leave abruptly, the corner of his mouth twitched. He then followed Audrey without saying a word.
After spending some more time in the hospital room, Audrey eventually left.
After she left, Evans said to Abner, "Rest well. My eldest brother should be back in a few days. He said he'll visit you then."
Abner blinked in a brief moment of confusion, then quickly regained his composure, responding nonchalantly, "I'll be discharged soon too."
Evans advised, "Follow the doctor's advice. Focus on getting better before making any decisions. I'll leave now. I'll come see you when I have the time."
Evans went directly to the hospital's underground parking lot. He walked faster than usual, but when he arrived, he scanned around and didn't find the person he was looking for.
He stood there in silence for a moment before driving away.
Audrey was chauffeured to the hospital in the family car. When she arrived, she asked the driver to head back first. When she came out of the hospital, she took a cab home.
Not long after she returned home, she received a call from Linda.
Linda had always been well-informed. She knew that Abner was hospitalized.
She had called to ask Audrey to bring her to the hospital to see Abner, but Audrey didn't agree and directly rejected her.
Linda had been facing Audrey's rejections time and time again. This time, she couldn't hold back her frustration. "Audrey, what are you thinking? Aren't we on the same side? Help me out. If I become Abner's wife, we can join forces, and you won't need to worry about Charlotte anymore."
Audrey straightforwardly replied, "Linda, I've told you, I don't want to compete with Charlotte anymore. Right now, I just want to focus on my acting. If you genuinely like Abner, pursue him openly. Don't come to me; I can't help you."
Linda urgently said, "I do want to court him, but I can't even see Abner in person. You should know that if I go to the hospital alone, I can't even see him."
Audrey said indifferently, "That's your own business."
Linda yelled, "Audrey, you are turning your back on me."
Audrey couldn't be bothered with her anymore. "I have things to do now. I'm hanging up."
Upon saying that, Audrey quickly ended the call.
Linda stared at the disconnected call with a mixture of various emotions shown on her face.
Linda couldn't fathom why Audrey had suddenly changed. In the past, Audrey would listen to whatever she said. But now, Audrey just kept rejecting her requests.
They didn't have a strong friendship, but she had to admit that being with Audrey had brought her many benefits. She didn't even have to buy those luxury goods herself.
If she completely severed ties with Audrey, it would be an unprofitable deal. But things had already come to this point.
Linda felt so frustrated she wanted to pull her hair out