Emily paused at the door and turned around. Her eyes were calm but cold.
"I was never planning to co back in the first place."
Then she walked out, leaving George and Margret fuming behind her.
......
Emily’s condition was far more serious. She was admitted to the hospital. Due to extre fear and stress, she had nearly miscarried again.
If it weren’t for Mary’s quick thinking, the baby might not have survived.
Emily feigned sleepiness, avoiding the questioning gazes of Mary, Olivia, and Theodore.
From the conversation just now, it was clear that the issue between Emily and George had never been about money in the first place.
However, Margret’s role as the villain did seem fitting.
Olivia parted her lips to question Emily, but Mary stopped her.
"Not right now. She’s under a lot of stress."
In the end, Olivia nodded. Understanding the severity of the situation, she left with Theodore and Mary.
They returned to the general ward, and the scene before them nearly made them faint from anger.
Margret and George were arguing with Aurora.
Suddenly, Margret looked agitated and raised her hand.
Aurora flinched and shut her eyes, but the expected pain never ca. Instead, she heard her mother’s furious roar:
"How dare you raise your hand against my daughter!"
Mary was staring at Margret with an expression so furious it looked like she could kill her on the spot.
Margret pointed a finger at Mary, about to say sothing when a security guard arrived and warned her,
"Ma’am, this is a hospital. If you cause any more trouble, we will have to remove you."
Margret gasped as if she were the victim. "Remove ? Do you know who I am?"
The guard didn’t even blink.
"I don’t care. Rules are rules."
George clenched his fists.
"You can’t talk to my mother like that!"
Mary rolled her eyes.
"Oh? But it was fine when she tried to hit Aurora?"
Aurora peeked out from behind Mary, her eyes wide.
She still looked scared—but also a little surprised.
Margret pointed at Aurora. "That brat insulted first!"
Aurora’s hands clenched into fists. "I only told the truth!"
Margret scoffed. "Truth? What do you know, you little—"
"Watch your mouth," Theodore interrupted, stepping between them. His voice was ice-cold.
Margret shrank back but still glared.
"Why are you all treating like the bad guy?!"
Mary crossed her arms. "Because you are the bad guy."
The security guard sighed. "Alright, that’s enough. If you don’t leave now, I’ll have to call the police."
Margret gasped. "The police?! For what?"
"For harassnt," the guard said firmly.
George grabbed Margret’s arm. "Mom, let’s go." His face was pale. He could tell they were losing.
Margret looked like she wanted to argue, but the security guard stepped forward, ready to escort them out. She huffed and stomped away, dragging George with her.
Once they were gone, Mary turned and cupped Aurora’s face.
"Are you alright? Did she hurt you? Are you injured anywhere?"
"Mom, I’m fine." Aurora patted Mary’s hand and lay back on the bed. "In fact, I had the upper hand until she decided to use violence."
"Really? What did you do?" Theodore asked with interest.
Aurora folded her arms and puffed out her chest arrogantly.
"Nothing much. I just called that guy—George—a mama’s boy. I also told him he was a coward who hides behind his mommy and that he was useless."
Mary, Olivia, and Theodore blinked.
"You said what?" Olivia asked, trying not to laugh.
Aurora shrugged. "Well, it’s true. He always lets his mom fight his battles. I just pointed it out."
Theodore chuckled. "No wonder Margret got so mad."
Mary sighed and shook her head.
"Aurora, you need to be careful with your words. People like Margret don’t handle the truth well."
Aurora huffed. "She started it!"
Mary softened and patted Aurora’s head.
"I know, sweetheart. You did well, but next ti, just call for , alright?"
Aurora nodded, feeling warm inside.
Mary tucked Aurora in and said, "You rest. Olivia and Theodore will stay with you until the evening."
Aurora nodded.
She knew Mary didn’t get holidays and had only taken half a day off from work.
......
"How dare you raise your hand against my daughter!"
The familiar yet distant voice rang in the ears of the young man watching the scene from the side.
Due to the crowd, he remained unseen by the Waters family, but from his vantage point, everything was clearly visible.
The young man had srizing deep blue eyes, well-defined facial features, and skin as pale as snow. He was strikingly handso.
However, the small scar at the corner of his forehead, partially hidden by his bangs, added a touch of fragility to his appearance.
Even dressed casually in an off-white t-shirt and beige pants, he looked breathtaking.
He appeared to have just co of age, yet the wisdom in his eyes told a completely different story.
A few passing nurses and won sneaked glances at him, giggling.
The young man, however, remained indifferent. To be precise, he was dazed.
He kept staring at the scene in front of him, feeling no warmth—only coldness.
’She abandoned you!’
’She never loved you at all!’
’She doesn’t care about you—she didn’t even wish you a happy birthday!’
’If she truly loved you, she would have never left you in the first place!’
His father’s voice echoed in his mind.
Before, he had thought his father was rely trying to create a wedge between them.
But now...
Doubt crept in.
Maybe he was the foolish one all along.
’See? It’s not that she doesn’t care—she just doesn’t even rember you exist.’
A mocking voice sneered at him from within.
The young man clenched his fists and tried to console himself.
’It’s alright. She’s busy. She barely even has ti for herself.’
Another voice countered sarcastically,
’Oh, but she has ti to protect your halfsister—not you. Truly busy. Just accept it—she doesn’t care about you.’
The young man couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
Without another glance, he turned and walked out of the hospital room.
He walked up to the only place that gave him peace and warmth.
The library.
The young man walked into the library, his footsteps light but his heart heavy.
Bookshelves stood tall around him, filled with endless stories and knowledge.
The sll of old pages and ink filled the air, calming his restless thoughts.
He made his way to a quiet corner near the window, where the sunlight poured in gently.
This was his favorite spot. It was peaceful—unlike the storm raging in his mind.
He sat down, resting his head on his hand.
His deep blue eyes stared at the book in front of him, but he wasn’t really reading.
His mind kept going back to what he had seen.
His mother—his mother—had looked so fierce when she protected Aurora.
But had she ever looked like that for him? Had she ever defended him that way?
He tried to rember.
But all he saw were faded mories. Blurry images of her holding his hand when he was little.
Her warm smile, her soft voice telling him bedti stories.
Then, nothing.
Just silence. Just distance.
His chest ached.
’Maybe she forgot about ,’ he thought bitterly.
Just then a warm voice called out,
"Alex, you are here again?"
Alex turned toward the voice and saw a familiar kind old face.
Librarian Eleanor Steel.
One of the kindest souls he had ever t.
Not only did she rember his birthdays, but she also brought him various snacks and asked about his day.
It was as if she had all the ti in this world.
Alex’s lowered his head and said softly,
"Yes."
"You seem upset." Eleanor pointed out after 20 seconds.
Alex was used to Eleanor’s delayed reaction. He knew she was getting old and it took her a lot of ti to process his words.
"Yes." He openly admitted. Facing the world he still had a guard on, but in front of Eleanor, the woman who had looked after him since he was 13, he didn’t feel the need to hide.
Eleanor sat down across from him, her old chair creaking a little.
She adjusted her glasses and looked at him with gentle eyes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, her voice warm and patient.
Alex hesitated. A part of him wanted to say no, to keep everything bottled up like always.
But another part of him, the part that still longed for soone to care, wanted to spill everything.
After a long pause, he mumbled, "I saw my mom today."
Eleanor’s eyebrows lifted slightly. "Oh?"
"Yeah..." He swallowed.
"She was protecting Aurora. She was so angry... so fierce. Like she would do anything to keep her safe."
"Your half-sister?" Eleanor asked. She knew about Alex’s complex life.
"Yes," Alex admitted.
"But she never did that for . Never."
His voice cracked, but he quickly forced it back down.
"I just... I don’t get it. Why is Aurora so important, but I’m not?"
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