I Want a Divorce by Abigail Quinn

Chapter 33

Oliver’s eyes widened with excitement as he caught sight of it, his heart racing. Without delay, he scooped up a handful, scanning his surroundings only to find no available tools for grinding. After a brief moment of contemplation, he stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.

After chewing it into a pulpy mess, he spat it into his hand and grabbed another handful, chewing again.

With each bite, the bitter and unpleasant taste overwhelmed his senses.

After chewing two large mouthfuls, Oliver finally stopped. He turned around and carefully positioned Hailey’s right foot on the ground. Taking the crushed leaves, he gently applied them to her inflamed, reddened skin.

Hailey, who was in agony, dared not move, for even the slightest motion would result in excruciating pain.

Yet, as Oliver placed the crushed leaves on her foot, a refreshing coolness permeated her skin, offering instant relief from some of her sufferings. The pain noticeably diminished as Oliver proceeded to apply the leaves to the surrounding joints.

Inquisitively, Hailey asked Oliver, “What remedy is this? It has significantly alleviated my pain.”

With meticulous care, Oliver continued his task, explaining, “This is ground-ivy, a potent medicinal herb. When applied externally, it possesses remarkable properties such as reducing swelling, soothing inflammation, and relieving pain.”

“Can you even diagnose illnesses and identify herbs?” Hailey’s curiosity peaked, and she couldn’t help but wonder, “Is there anything this young store manager doesn’t know?”

Oliver vehemently shook his head and refuted, “No, no, I merely observed my father using it when I was young. He wasn’t a doctor, either. He possessed basic knowledge of a few herbs to alleviate stomachaches, reduce inflammation, and other common ailments, including this ground-ivy. Just some basic knowledge.”

“Oh…” Hailey dropped the subject, no longer pressing for more information. Once the medicine had been applied, she seemed to forget about the pain. Her gaze shifted towards Moulmore. Worry was etched on her face as she spoke, “Who exactly are those people? What should we do?”

Oliver didn’t know either. His eyes could discern myriad things in the world, but couldn’t identify people.

Thoughts of Julian crossed his mind when he contemplated those individuals.

However, he’s most likely inebriated tonight, making it unlikely for us to reach him. We’ll have to

but he gets things done. With money as an incentive, there’s nothing in Manchernius that can’t

a short while of sitting there resulted in

upon several wormwood plants known for repelling mosquitoes. He swiftly plucked them, crushing them to extract their juice. Oliver then applied the

the wormwood juice was applied, its scent became prominent, and the mosquitoes

head on Oliver’s leg to sleep. However, Oliver dared not sleep. In this unfamiliar and potentially dangerous place, he feared the thugs might discover them or that venomous insects and wild beasts might emerge.

only at daybreak, as the sky began to brighten, that exhaustion finally overcame Oliver,

comfortable support beneath his head. Without opening his eyes, he adjusted his position slightly, seeking an even more cozy spot. The cushion

the hotel?”

chirping birds above abruptly jolted Oliver out of his tired musings.

Opening his eyes, he discovered that he had unknowingly rested his head

Her flushed face resembled a radiant apple in the morning glow,

Ms. Fox, an

on his leg the previous night, so how

her leg now?

time to dwell on it. He swiftly sat

as she attempted to stand, but before she could steady herself, she cried out, “Ouch!” Her left

“Ms. Fox, are you… injured in this leg

it’s just a little numb…” Hailey

Oliver. He had rested his head on her left leg for an hour or two, and it was only natural that her leg had

about this foot? Is it getting better?” Oliver helped

a few times and nodded. “It’s much better. The pain is manageable as long as I don’t exert too much pressure. I’m not sure

applied the previous night had mostly come off. Hailey’s delicate foot was adorned with green grass

to apply to it.” Oliver stood up, intending to find more ground-ivy, but