At the moment her grandmother collapsed, Victoria Monroe’s world crumbled.
A figure quicker than her reached out to support her grandmother.
Victoria Monroe rushed over in panic, Rhys Hawthorne spoke calmly, "She’s lost consciousness."
After speaking, he picked her grandmother up. Just then, Julian Fordham arrived, and Rhys Hawthorne ignored any animosity and spoke directly, "Take us to the emergency room."
Julian Fordham withdrew his gaze from the far end of the hospital room, "Follow me."
Victoria Monroe lifted her legs to follow, so nervous that she almost tripped.
"Careful." Julian Fordham reached out to steady her.
Victoria Monroe’s first reaction wasn’t to hold his hand, but to grab the corner of Rhys Hawthorne’s clothing.
She instinctively feared Julian Fordham.
This subtle action made Julian Fordham somewhat crestfallen.
This was not the time to dwell on such matters; Julian Fordham knew better than anyone how important her grandmother was to Victoria Monroe.
Years ago, Victoria Monroe’s mother brought her back to the slums, and no one knew who her father was.
Some said she was a love child born to a mother who was kept by someone, others said her mother was raped and got pregnant.
After bringing her back, Victoria Monroe’s mother neither raised the child nor worked, she indulged in drunken oblivion at home daily, and no one knew what happened during those years she was away.
When her mother left them, her grandmother became her only family.
If something happened to her grandmother, the blow to Victoria Monroe would be immense.
After sending her grandmother to the emergency room, Victoria Monroe was restless outside the examination room.
Rhys Hawthorne and Julian Fordham, one sitting, one standing, Julian reached out a hand, wanting to embrace her, "Victoria, it’ll be okay."
Victoria Monroe’s big eyes were filled with tears, she wished so much she could rush into Julian Fordham’s arms like before when she was upset.
Even if her grandmother passed in old age, she would still have him.
But now, his embrace was no longer her refuge.
She restrained her impulse, stepped back, creating distance from Julian Fordham.
Victoria Monroe backed up to the wall and chair, slowly sliding down, sitting on the cold floor, wedged in the corner of wall and chair, hugging her knees tightly.
Like when she was a child, every time debt collectors came, she would hide in the cabinet, hearing the sounds of smashing outside, she held her mouth shut, not daring to make a sound.
In these years, Julian Fordham nurtured her well, it had been many years since she performed this action.
But today she was both panicked and scared, instead of holding him, she hid in a corner, biting her sleeve to suppress her cries.
Seeing her , Rhys Hawthorne felt as if something was lodged in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.
He wanted to hold her, embrace her, kiss her hair, telling her it would be okay, that he was there.
But now, from what position could he approach her?
If he pressed too hard, it would be like Julian Fordham, making her despise him.
The three of them formed a strange triangle.
Until the moment the door opened, Victoria Monroe was the first to rush up, tears streaming, "Doctor, how is my grandmother?"
"The patient has a heart attack and needs immediate stent surgery."
Victoria Monroe spoke, "Then please hurry and do it."
"But the patient is very old, even if she has stent surgery, her vitality is limited, and after the surgery, she needs good recovery, she mustn’t face any more stimuli."
Victoria Monroe nodded repeatedly, "I understand, please hurry and operate on her!"
As long as she could keep her grandmother, even one more day together would be good.
The surgery room light went on again, and Victoria Monroe had only one thought in mind, what happened during those five minutes to stimulate her grandmother?
Thinking more and more, Victoria Monroe decided to seek out the truth herself.
"Rhys, please watch the surgery room for me, I’ll be back soon."
Before the examination, her grandmother was lively, talking to her about the child. What could have happened in just those five minutes?
Rhys Hawthorne noticed her hurried departure and Julian Fordham following behind, he furrowed his brow slightly.
Victoria Monroe arrived once more at the floor where her grandmother fainted, part of the inpatient department.
She had already moved to the suburban area, with no acquaintances except the old neighbors around.
Victoria Monroe suddenly reacted, that night when she was tied in the bathroom by Julian Fordham, she heard the bodyguard on the phone say that Autumn Fordham had committed suicide.
That one night Julian Fordham did not return, Autumn Fordham was undergoing emergency care.
After Autumn Fordham hatched a plan against her last time, Victoria Monroe no longer considered her family, naturally, she didn’t care about her wellbeing.
If she hadn’t been discharged and had just been encountered by her grandmother.
Did someone from the Fordham Family say something?
Thinking of Lana Jameson’s mouth, Victoria Monroe felt anger rising.
"Victoria, where are you going?" Julian Fordham tried to grab her.
Victoria Monroe swatted his hand away, "Autumn Fordham is in the inpatient department, isn’t she?"
"Yes, she’ll be discharged in a couple of days."
Julian Fordham’s expression seemed off, Victoria Monroe saw right through it.
"You guessed it too, right? Someone from the Fordham Family must have said something to my grandmother."
Julian Fordham thought of it sooner than she did, Lana Jameson had been persuading them to get divorced, maybe she directly told her grandmother about it, and the shock triggered her grandmother’s heart attack.
"Sorry, my mother is just that way, I didn’t anticipate..."
Victoria Monroe’s eyes were bloodshot, "Julian Fordham, if anything happens to my grandmother this time, I will not let your family off lightly!"
After speaking, she let go, rushing off towards the hospital room. Arriving at the innermost room, Lana Jameson and Rachel Hayes had already left.
Only Autumn Fordham remained, chatting under the blankets, laughing foolishly at her phone, "When I discharge, let’s go to the Maldives..."
Hearing someone come in, seeing it’s Victoria Monroe, she put down the phone, lazily cast a glance, "Ah, who do we have here, you finally decided to look in on me."
Victoria Monroe wished she could kill her!
Because of her, she almost died in the bathroom.
Autumn Fordham chuckled coldly, "Who visits a patient empty-handed, you’re..."
Victoria Monroe stepped forward, grabbed Autumn Fordham’s collar, "What did you say to my grandmother?"
Autumn Fordham was bewildered, "Are you crazy? When did grandma come?"
Grandmother doted on Autumn Fordham the most when they were young, she was sweet-tongued, calling her grandma with every breath.
Though she had been rebellious these past two years, she wouldn’t go so far as to insult an elderly lady.
Autumn Fordham saw Julian Fordham come in, fearing he would discover that Rachel Hayes was still secretly contacting them, she coldly said, "She went shopping, call her if you want to find her, why ask me? Brother, look at Victoria Monroe, she’s acting like a shrew now."
At this moment, Victoria Monroe’s hair was disheveled, eyes flushed, her expression sharp, indeed looking somewhat menacing.
Julian Fordham reprimanded in a low voice, "Don’t be rude to your sister-in-law like that. Earlier, you ever see grandma?"
"No, isn’t grandma in the suburbs? I visited her recently, she even gave me a basket full of cabbage, I’ve told you, she’s at such an old age, she shouldn’t live alone over there, if something happens there won’t be anyone to care for her."
"Yes, did mom come by today?"
"Not yet, I just called her, after shopping, she’ll come by. Brother, I’m really better now, let me be discharged..."
Autumn Fordham started acting coquettishly again, Victoria Monroe gradually ran out of strength.
Could she have misunderstood?
She didn’t want to watch the sibling duo’s antics, back when Julian Fordham scolded Autumn Fordham, she would hide behind Victoria Monroe, making Victoria deal with Julian.
Those days would never return.
From the moment she decided to help Rachel Hayes, she had already betrayed herself.
When it comes to betrayal, Victoria Monroe shows no mercy.
Watching her silhouette leaving, Autumn Fordham curiously asked, "What’s up with her?"
"Grandma really hasn’t come?" Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn novel⸺fire.net
"Why would I lie to you? What’s going on?"
Julian Fordham patted her head, "It’s nothing, just, if you see grandma later, don’t talk too much about my and Victoria’s affairs, you know, she’s too old to bear stimuli."
"Rest well, your sister-in-law is not feeling well, I’m going to accompany her."
Victoria Monroe walked out of the hospital room, her anger receded like ebbing tides, draining the last bit of strength from her body.
This morning her emotions had wildly fluctuated; and she hadn’t drunk a drop of water all morning; her vision darkened, and before she could react, her body was uncontrollably falling forward.
A pair of strong hands caught her just in time.