Chapter 5

Grandma Helen was my only living relative in this world.

She was severely ill and bedridden,

relying entirely on the top-tier medical team Ethan's connections had secured.

Over the years, even though I had saved up and paid every single penny of her medical bills myself,

never taking a dime from Ethan,

I couldn't deny the fact that I could never have secured this elite medical network on my own.

I couldn't risk her life. I didn't dare to.

Seeing me go pale and speechless,

triumph practically overflowed in Ethan's eyes.

He reached out, casually tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Take back what you said about the divorce. Discharge yourself tomorrow morning."

"Go home and clean up the master bedroom."

"Chloe's emotional state has been very unstable. She'll be staying with us for a while, and I expect you to take good care of her."

I lay on the bed, my eyes vacant and hopeless,

and gave a numb nod.

The next day, dragging my weak, aching body, I discharged myself and slowly crawled back to the house I had called home for five years.

Enduring the physical agony, I quietly packed up all my belongings from the master bedroom

and moved them, piece by piece, into the small, dark guest room.

Around dusk, Ethan sent me a Snapchat.

"Make some of Chloe's favorite dishes. We're on our way back."

For Grandma's sake, I did as I was told.

Soon, Chloe walked in, delicately leaning on Ethan's arm.

Looking at the table full of food, she put on her sweetest, most innocent act.

"Thank you so much, Serena."

"And I'm so sorry... I only just found out today that the person I hit yesterday was you."

"It's all Ethan's fault. He insisted I practice driving. He even said it was lucky that it was you, otherwise we would have had to pay a fortune in damages."

An uneasy look flashed in Ethan's eyes.

"I was afraid you'd run your mouth, so I told Chloe beforehand."

"Besides, you only got a scratch. If it were anyone else, Chloe would be devastated right now."

Hearing the warning in his voice, I merely gave a silent nod.

The two of them sat side-by-side at the dining table,

while I stood on the other side, looking like a complete stranger in my own home.

Right as I turned to leave,

Chloe suddenly clutched her chest and began coughing violently.

Ethan rushed to her side, panic written all over his face.

"What's wrong, Chloe? You were fine just a second ago!"

Chloe looked up, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Serena... you know I am severely allergic to ginger. Why did you put ginger in the food?"

The moment she finished speaking—

SLAP!

A hard, ringing slap landed brutally on my face. The force was so immense that my lip split, and blood trickled down my chin.

Ethan's eyes were filled with nothing but pure rage for Chloe.

"Serena, how can you be this evil? Chloe is already so weak, and you tried to poison her on purpose?!"

"Apologize to Chloe right now, and then we are going to the hospital!"

I gripped the edge of the dining table to keep myself upright.

"I didn't put any ginger in the food!"

"If you don't believe me, go look in the kitchen yourself. There isn't even a piece of ginger skin in there!"

But in Ethan's eyes, my defense was nothing but shameless lying.

He didn't even want to look at me.

He whipped out his phone and dialed the private hospice center's number.

"As of this moment, terminate all medical care and treatments for Serena's grandmother."

My eyes widened in absolute horror. The sheer shock drained all the strength from my legs,

and I collapsed heavily to the floor.

I crawled to Ethan's feet, desperately grabbing his trousers.

"Ethan, I was wrong! I'm sorry! Please, I beg you, don't stop Grandma's treatment..."

"Chloe, I'm sorry! It was all my fault! I'll kneel and beg, I'm so sorry!"

Ethan kicked me away without mercy.

"Now you know how to apologize? Too late."

Without another glance, he scooped Chloe up in his arms and walked out, slamming the door.

I ran like a madwoman to my grandmother's hospice care. But when I arrived, the doctor looked at me, shaking his head with sorrow.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Vance. Because the private life-support equipment was abruptly cut off and the specialized medications were stopped, your grandmother suffered sudden cardiac arrest during the emergency transfer. She passed away ten minutes ago."

I stood frozen in the corridor. I didn't scream, I didn't cry. It was as if all the energy had been permanently drained from my body.

I gently took Grandma's cold, withered hand.

There was no warmth left in her palm. She would never gently stroke my head again,

and she would never softly call me her sweet girl anymore.

In just two days, I had lost my baby, and now, my grandmother.

Over the next few days, I lived like a walking corpse, quietly arranging my grandmother's funeral.

Before I left, I placed the signed divorce papers on the kitchen island.

I took one last look at the house I had lived in for five years, turned around, and walked away without a single shred of regret.

On the other side of town, while Ethan was paying for Chloe's hospital discharge fees, a medical report slipped out of his coat pocket.

He remembered he had casually shoved it in there when he paid my bill the other day.

For some inexplicable reason, his heart began to race.

As he unfolded the paper and read the words, he froze.