Chapter 2

I scooped Dolly up, crying, and ran to the car as fast as I could, driving straight for the hospital.

The doctor examined her and started emergency treatment right away.

It wasn't until dark that Dolly came back to consciousness.

The doctor told me it was heatstroke.

She'd already been running a fever, and then she'd been out in the heat for so long that it had turned into a severe case.

Luckily I'd brought her in early and they'd treated her in time, so she was out of danger.

Half an hour later and her organs would have started failing, and by then there'd have been nothing anyone could do.

The fear of it hit me all over again, and so did my fury at Jasper.

That night, Dolly ate a little rice porridge and fell into a deep sleep in the hospital bed.

I called my mom and asked her to come sit with the child for me.

I drove home to get my documents.

But when I stood at the door, I froze.

The lock code wasn't working, no matter what I tried.

I pounded on the door, and Jasper's voice came from inside. "Mavis, promise me you won't bring Dolly in, and I'll open the door."

"I've disinfected every room. If Dolly comes in, my whole afternoon's work is wasted."

I said through gritted teeth, "Fine. It's just me. Dolly isn't here."

The door opened.

I didn't say a word to Jasper. I went straight to the study and packed my ID, the deed to the apartment, my insurance card, everything, into my bag.

As I turned to leave, Jasper stopped me.

"Where are you going?" he said, annoyed.

I said it one word at a time. "Dolly's in the hospital. Severe heatstroke."

Jasper blinked.

I stared him dead in the eye, and there wasn't a trace of guilt on his face.

He even shook his head, put out. "You've spoiled Dolly rotten. And she's got no constitution to speak of."

"When we were kids, we ran around outside all summer and nobody got heatstroke."

"My advice is, don't let her stay in the hospital. The longer she's in there the more delicate she gets. Let her tough it out, she'll come out stronger for it."

He took out his phone. "My mom wants to video with you. You can go after that."

Not once, from start to finish, did he ask how Dolly was.

Jasper dialed the video call, and his mother picked up at once.

The moment she caught sight of me, she rattled off, "Mavis, the confinement meals are on you, then."

"Put some effort in this time. Don't be like last time and give the baby jaundice."

"Renee's got a good heart. She's willing to trust you again. Don't let her down."

I said flatly, "I'm not doing it. Why on earth would I make her confinement meals?"

"And doesn't she have a home of her own? Why is she coming to my place for her confinement? I won't have it."

Julius Dickerson heard that from his end and exploded, roaring, "Mavis, do you even hear yourself?"

"You're the older brother and his wife. Aren't you supposed to look after his sister?"

"Turning your back on your own family, what are you if not an animal?"

"And on top of that, Renee had a boy this time!"

"Dolly's a girl. Once she's married off she's water poured out the door, no use to anyone. What are you going to lean on then?"

"When you two are old and something happens, you'll be begging Renee's son for help."

"You'd better start behaving now. Wait till you actually need him, and it'll be too late to regret it!"

Jasper cringed and groveled. "Dad, Mom, Mavis didn't mean it like that."

"We've already sent Dolly away, so don't worry."

He hung up, then said to me through his teeth, "Mavis, you're getting more and more out of line. You even talk back to my mother."

"She's your elder, she's my mom! Do you have any sense of respect left? Any shame at all?"

I looked at him coldly. "They just said Dolly's a daughter married off, water poured out the door, no use to us."

"That someday we'll be begging your sister's son, so we have to behave now."

"Is that what you think too? Is it?"

Jasper dodged and looked away, and didn't answer me.

He pointed at the kitchen. "I already bought the groceries for you. Go cook, quick."

"I'm heading to the hospital to stay overnight. We'll be back tomorrow morning, and you'll have a hot meal ready for the whole family."

Jasper left, and I shook my head, done with it.

Two minutes later, I took out my phone and made a call.