The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
Samuel secretly glanced back and spotted the soup in Veronica’s hands. He huffed, “Showing up with soup now? I don’t want it anymore! Take your soup and get out of here!”
Since Samuel and Eleanor had both been sick these past few days, Miriam felt left out. She was resentful
and took her frustration out on Veronica. “Mom, either you show up, or don’t! You’re ‘so annoying. Samuel and Ms. Turner are already better, and now you bring soup?”
If Veronica had come earlier, she could have cared for Samuel and wouldn’t have monopolized Eleanor’s
attention.
“Veronica, they’re still young. Don’t take what they’re saying to heart,” Eleanor said, gently biting her lip
while appearing anxiously eager to explain.
Veronica smiled and asked, “Are you all done?”
Without waiting for their response, she firmly pressed the button for the tenth floor. The elevator doors quickly closed shut, and the shocked faces of the group disappeared from view in an instant.
Veronica let out a breath of relief. Finally, she had some peace. When she knocked on the hospital room
door, there was no response. She waited for a while and confirmed that no one was there.
Veronica sent a message to Ashton. He quickly replied, “Something came up. The door’s unlocked, so go in and wait. I’ll be right back.”
bit and politeness, Veronica sat on the bench outside the door. As she settled down, her mind
k to the scene she’d just encountered.
ever must have broken, because his complexion didn’t look as terrible as it did in the photos.
he was three, he’d had a similar high fever that lasted a whole week. Veronica had been worried
and spent days crying her eyes out.
When medicine didn’t work, she turned to spiritual remedies. She climbed up the mountain to the
cathedral and prayed for a blessed charm for Samuel. Whether it was psychological or not, his fever
actually broke shortly after.
Later, Miriam let it slip that Samuel had been taking cold showers while they slept because he didn’t want to go to kindergarten. It was a trick he’d learned from Eleanor to skip class.
Looking back now, she really had been foolishly naive. Maybe from that moment, or even earlier, she had
already become an outsider in that family.
Meanwhile, Veronica’s abrupt exit had caught the group completely off guard. Heath stared at the
Chapter 20
elevator doors like he was trying to burn a hole through them.
Samuel stood there confused. He thought Veronica was there to see him, so why did she leave? He
pouted pitifully, fighting back tears.
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On the other side, the public elevator doors opened, and Regina rushed out looking frantic. When she saw
Samuel’s pale face, she felt her heart ache terribly.
“Oh sweetie, you’ve been through so much! Come here, let me see you!”
“Grandma!” Samuel burst into tears and stretched out his arms. So, Heath passed him to Regina’s
embrace.
“Mom doesn’t want me anymore!” Samuel sobbed in Regina’s arms. He complained about everything Veronica had done these past few days.
“She did what?” Regina’s brows twitched in fury as she looked around. “Where the hell is Veronica?
Samuel’s sick, and she’s not here? What kind of mother is she?”
Samuel cried even harder.
Regina had always treated Samuel like the apple of her eye, and she was both heartbroken and furious.” That little bitch! If I don’t teach her a proper lesson today, she’ll think she can get away with anything!
Where is she?”
Heath frowned. “Mom, she’s still Samuel’s mother. Please don’t say things like that.”
“I’m your mother! You think I can’t handle her? And stop defending that outsider!” Regina snapped.
Heath finally gave in. “She went upstairs.”
“The tenth floor? That’s Mr. Fletcher’s private suite. Strange… What would Veronica be doing there?” Eleanor said casually.
Heath’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing toward the elevator panel that showed the current floor. He thought, “Veronica, you better not be doing what I think you’re doing!”
Regina growled, “Someone like her wants to climb the social ladder? Marrying into our family was already winning the lottery. She should be thanking her lucky stars!”
She waved off Eleanor’s subtle remark without a second thought, declaring confidently, “She probably couldn’t face us and ran up there by accident! Go drag her back down before she embarrasses herself in front of the Fletcher family!”
Chapter 21
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Chapter 21
