The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 369 Worse Than Death

"How are you feeling now, Autumn? What is wrong?" Chris asked question after question anxiously. "Please do tell me if you aren't feeling that well."

"I'm fine really. Please don't worry, Chris." Autumn said, "By the way, what brought you here all of a sudden?"

"Charles told me you were hospitalized. Oh my god, did he take care of you well? Autumn, I swear I will teach him a lesson later." In a short span of time, Autumn had been brought into the hospital twice. In Chris' view, Charles, as husband, had failed to protect his wife from harm's way, and she was quite unhappy about the situation.

"Are you really okay, Autumn?" Sam also inquired, as he stood behind Chris.

"I'm really okay. You both please don't worry any further. It's nothing a little rest won't fix, "Autumn answered. She suddenly realized that so many people had come to visit her and showing her with love and care ever since she got admitted. And a wave of happiness and gratitude washed over her.

"Autumn." While the three of them were talking, Arthur knocked at the door and came in. "I have something that needs my urgent attention. Could you please stay with Autumn here," he requested Chris and Sam.

"No problem, she will be just fine with us," Chris replied with a warm reassuring smile.

Arthur thanked them, and left the hospital to go to the police station. When he arrived, he found Aron there. There was no doubt that Wendy was a murderer, and was to be sentenced to life.

Aron saw Arthur and hurried to greet him, "Doctor Zhao, hello, what are you doing here?" Aron seemed to have been through a lot overnight. Arthur walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "I heard about your father. I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Gu."

"Oh, it's okay." Aron forced a smile. He was no longer bitter about his father's death. The fact that he helped the culprit get caught had something to do with it. "Doctor Zhao, you're here for..."

"I found out about Bowen, "Arthur said in a morose tone. "Autumn has been sick and hospitalized because of this. I'm here to see Wendy. There is something... I'd like to ask her in person."

"Is Autumn feeling any better now?" Aron left immediately after he sent Autumn to the hospital the previous night. And he had been at the station all night following up Wendy's case and had no time to think about her condition.

In fact, now he regretted saying those harsh words which upset her.

"Yes, she is fine now," Arthur assured him. "I want to meet Wendy right now. Could you please help me with that?"

Aron nodded as he agreed to help out. Somehow, through his strong connections he managed to buy Arthur ten minutes of visitation time with Wendy. Wendy had already known that her situation was only getting worse with each passing minute. And when she saw Arthur, she just cast him a lazy glance, giving a sense of despair and sadness.

"Wendy Ye, someone is here to see you," a policeman yelled out at Wendy and then reminded Arthur, "You only have ten minutes with her."

"I understand, "Arthur replied as he turned to Wendy. "Do you have anything to say to me?"

"Say to you? What are you expecting me to say to you?" Wendy returned his question with a question and smirked.

She then looked sideways at Arthur and said, "You see, I'm done. There is nothing left to say or do here. What do you think I have to tell you?"

"Tell me about Bowen. About what happened back then... " Arthur looked at her imperturbably and demanded an answer, "Did you really murder him?"

An unnatural look flashed across Wendy's face, and she looked away almost instantly in an attempt to hide her face. "You already know what happened," she said, "Then why would you ask again?" "I want to hear it directly from you. Did you... murder Bowen?" Arthur threw the question again, hoping for an answer.

"Yes, I did. Are you happy after hearing that?" Wendy cried out impatiently, "I did murder him. So what?"

"But why did you do that?" Arthur clenched his fists so tight that his fingernails began to dig deep into his flesh. Only the pain was helping him remain calm and suppress the burning rage in his heart, or he would not be able to control himself and kill Wendy right in that instant. "Bowen was desperate to be with you, he would have done anything to make things right. He loved you so much. How could you have the heart to kill him?" he snapped at her.

"You say he loved me?" Wendy let out a sneer as she stared at Arthur with disdain. "Yes, he did love me, but love is not enough to put food on the table. I grew up among the poor, and money is the most important thing for survival. I know I'm good-looking and that has always been my biggest asset and boon. I was with Bowen only because he was from a wealthy family. I hoped at some point I would have access to all that money to lead the good life I always dreamed of, but you... you broke my dream mercilessly and shattered it into a million pieces."

Her eyes were now filled with resentment. "I did kill Bowen, but it's all on your head."

Wendy's face did not reflect one ounce of regret even after being behind bars. She was always such a selfish and wretched woman: she would do anything to get what she wanted, even if meant sacrificing her love, relatives and dignity.

"We could see through you and your intentions from the first day. That's why we didn't approve Bowen's relationship with you, "Arthur roared in a deep voice, "How could we allow a woman like you who has no morals, no dignity to marry into our family?"

"Oh, was that really how you saw it?" A content sly smile cropped up on Wendy's face. "It's a pity that Bowen loved me so much that he would do anything for me, including disowning you. He clearly did not feel so strongly towards your family..."

Arthur clenched his fists more tightly as he watched her smug smile. "He was so nice to you. He would have done anything for you, all you had to do was ask. Why did you have to kill him?"

"Because I wanted you to suffer. Does that sound right?" Wendy burst into a shout of laughter as she watched Arthur's shocked expression. "You didn't allow me to marry into your family, and then I killed Bowen and made you miserable for all your lives. How was that for revenge?"

"You crazy woman!" Arthur yelled at her. He just could not contain his emotions. He got up with a sudden thud and with all his energy slapped the table angrily. Wendy, however, did not show any signs of fear as she looked at Arthur coldly. "Don't forget that you are at a police station. I advise you to consider your idea of hitting me again. I will be extremely happy if you get the cell next to mine."

"Rest assured. I am not as stupid as you are. I won't hit you physically but I will hurt you in places that will injure you far more as from in there you will not be able to do anything, "Arthur sneered. He knew Wendy was deliberately provoking and manipulating him. He took a deep breath as he took his seat again. "Then what about Autumn... Is she not your daughter? Why are you so cruel towards her?" he continued interrogating her.

"She?" Wendy said wrathfully, "Hmm, I'd rather even consider her as my daughter! Whenever I see her face, I immediately think of Bowen. Her existence is a constant reminder that I lost."

She then impatiently concluded, "Arthur, I'll tell you this, you are not only the cause of Bowen's death but also Autumn's suffering. You're the real one to be blamed. Your choices led us here."

Arthur smiled coldly as he attempted to intimidate her, "You think I don't have ways to torture you when you're under arrest? I'll tell you this, Wendy, I have countless ways... to make your life in prison worse than death. Everyday you live and breath, you'll wish I pity you and murder you instead..."

"You... How dare you threaten me like this!" Wendy's eyes widened in horror. She knew Arthur was capable of doing exactly what he described. "You won't do that to me. I am after all Autumn's mother. She won't let you go if you ever do that to me!" she tried to warn him away.