Chapter 105 Who Was She

Isabella didn't say a word, so Keith told her to head inside first, promising he'd be done soon.

After seeing his guest off, Keith poured Isabella a glass of water and asked, "Not working today?"

Isabella shook her head. "I got fired."

"What? Fired? What happened?" Keith asked, confused.

"Do they need a reason to fire someone?" Isabella replied with a wry smile.

"It's okay. You're pretty far along now; you could use the rest before the baby comes," Keith reassured her.

Isabella sighed, "Yeah, I guess that's all I can do."

"Oh, by the way, a customer loved that sunflower painting you did. I sold it for you," Keith said, handing her a check. "2,000 euros."

Isabella was stunned. "It sold for that much?"

"See? Losing that job isn't the end of the world. You can make a living with your art," Keith said, giving her an encouraging look.

"Thanks, but I can't take this money," she said, handing the check back to Keith.

Keith looked puzzled. "Your painting sold, and you don't want the money?"

"Just give me 200 euros," Isabella said with a gentle smile.

Keith chuckled. "You silly girl, do you really think I'm a greedy capitalist? Take it."

He tried to give the check back to her, but she insisted. "Keith, you've helped me so much already. I can't take this money. Just keep it for me, so I can overdraft whenever I need."

"That's nonsense. You're young but think too much," Keith said, not listening to her.

"Keith, it can't be like this," Isabella insisted, feeling she had troubled Keith enough. Although the money wasn't much, it was her token of appreciation.

"Listen to me," Keith said sternly. "I consider you family. I know you feel guilty about my help. Just come and chat with me often."

Keith's eyes turned red. Isabella knew about Keith's family situation. Most of his help was because he saw her as his sister.

Keith's sister was only twelve when she passed away, still a child, obedient, sensible, and especially sweet and pretty.

Such a child shouldn't have passed away.

"Keith, don't be sad. I'll accept it, and I won't be polite with you anymore," Isabella said, taking the check and putting it in her bag. "I don't have a job now, so I have time to paint here. You have to help me sell more paintings, and I'll treat you to a meal."

Keith smiled. "Now that's more like it."

Isabella understood Keith's feelings well. Once, when he got drunk, he cried heavily, and she and Elodie couldn't hold him back.

Keith, drunk, muttered to himself for a long time.

Isabella then learned that when the car accident happened, Keith's sister was still alive. He wanted to save her, but because of a fatal mistake, the car exploded, causing his sister to lose her chance at life.

This was a pain in Keith's heart, and he might never forgive himself for it.

Life was like this. Sometimes, regrets took up most of our time, but in the face of life and death, our trivial matters of love were insignificant.

The most beautiful state of life was when the people you loved and those who loved you were all living well and healthily.

Isabella suddenly felt a sense of clarity.

Outside a private clinic, a red Bugatti rolled to a stop. Ray, sporting sunglasses, stepped out.

Since his last meeting with Mike and coming up with a treatment plan, Ray had a clear idea of what he wanted to do.

Treating amnesia was a tough nut to crack globally.

Ray had tried countless medications for his headaches, but nothing really worked, and some even made things worse.

He knew that if he didn't get his memory back, he'd be stuck with these headaches forever.

When Ray walked in, Mike was going over Ray's test results. Abnormal brain discharges were the main culprit behind Ray's constant headaches.

"Hey, Ray," Mike said, putting down the report and motioning for Ray to sit. "I've got a new medication that might work for you. Want to give it a shot?"

Ray wasn't too keen on more meds. He was here for the big guns. "Mike, I've made up my mind. Let's go with electroshock."

Electroshock therapy for amnesia was uncharted territory, but it was worth a shot.

However, this treatment required serious endurance, and Mike wasn't sure if Ray could handle it.

"Ray, are you sure about this?" Mike asked.

Ray nodded firmly. "Let's do it."

The setup was intense: an electric chair, a bunch of wires, and precise instruments. When the current hit, it was like nothing else.

This was Mike's first time trying this treatment, with 2-second intervals each time.

Ray closed his eyes, feeling the jolt of the current.

After ten rounds, Mike took off the equipment and asked, "Ray, how do you feel?"

Ray shook his head. "Not very clear."

"Any visual fragments?"

Ray looked at Mike, feeling a bit hopeful. "Yeah, but they're blurry."

"That's a good sign. It means it's working. We'll do it again in three days."

Ray nodded. "Okay."

As the current surged through his brain, it felt strange. It was like being in icy water, with no light. He didn't know why he was there, but he seemed to be searching for something, swimming endlessly... A woman appeared, but she was blurry. He was desperately trying to save her. Who was she? Could it be...?

Leaving Mike's clinic, Ray got into his car and lit a cigarette.

Amidst the smoke, he closed his eyes, and the silhouette of that woman appeared again.

After getting fired, Isabella often hung out at Keith's studio when she was bored.

Sometimes, she helped him sell paintings, but mostly, she just soaked up the sun, picked up a brush, and painted.

As her due date approached, Lisa wouldn't let Isabella out of her sight, always watching her for any signs of labor.

Isabella wasn't too worried and often reassured Lisa. "I'm fine, Lisa. If I have contractions, I'll let you know."

"Isabella, this is your first baby. You can't be careless," Lisa insisted.

"I'm fine," Isabella said, just as she felt something wet beneath her.

Water gushed out, and Lisa freaked out. "Oh no, your water broke. We need to get to the hospital."

In a whirlwind of panic, they grabbed the pre-packed hospital bag, hailed a taxi, and rushed to the hospital.