Theodore was about to comfort Ariana further, but she suddenly changed the subject.

“I'm sorry. To be honest, I always suspected that you were pretending to be disabled. From now on, I won't doubt you anymore. You don't know how desperate I felt when you were stuck in that car. When it happened, I really hoped your legs were okay."

Ariana's voice trembled. She looked pale and frightened.

Theodore froze, hesitating. He silently put his hand back under the quilt. He went quiet for a long time. At some point, he broke the silence and said bitterly, "Would you be angry if I were pretending?"

Ariana sobbed, tears dripping from her lashes. She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and said exasperatedly, "Of course, I'd be angry! Wouldn't that be making fun of me? After getting to know you for so long, I think of you as my friend. If you were making a fool out of me behind my back, I wouldn't know how to face you. Luckily, it didn't turn out like that."