Chapter 6

Samantha picked up the call.

"Hello, is this Ms. Samantha? This is Central Hospital. Your grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Manning, suddenly took a turn for the worse today. We just finished emergency treatment, but she's not going to make it. Right now, she really wants to see you and your husband. Can you come over as soon as possible? Otherwise, it's going to be too late."

"What?" Samantha sat up, unable to accept reality in that short moment. "No. That's not true! It can't…"

The doctor on the other end sounded regretful too. Knowing she couldn't accept it, he continued, "We're telling you the truth. I hope you and your husband can come quickly. Any later, and it really may be too late."

No matter how hard it was for Samantha to accept, she had to.

"I'm going to lose my grandmother!" she cried. "I'm not going to have a grandmother anymore!"

Elizabeth was her only family. She was the person who had raised her, the one Samantha was most attached to.

Samantha immediately wanted to leave. She couldn't hold back her tears, and they kept sliding down her face.

When she thought of the doctor saying Elizabeth wanted to see both her and Channing one last time, she stopped.

Her voice was hoarse as she grabbed Channing's hand. "Can you come with me to see Grandma one last time?"

Ever since Samantha's miscarriage, Elizabeth had known there was a rift between the two of them. When Samantha got married, Elizabeth had seen how happy she was.

What Elizabeth wanted most was for her granddaughter to be happy, so she had gladly accepted Samantha's desire to marry Channing.

After Samantha became pregnant, Elizabeth had sent a lot of fresh chicken meat and other home-grown produce to enrich her diet.

In the end, Sydney ruined everything.

After Samantha lost her baby, Elizabeth felt deeply sorry for her. She was also afraid of Samantha becoming even more helpless and alone if divorced, so she still hoped Samantha could have another baby soon.

Samantha desperately wanted Channing to see Elizabeth with her one last time, so that her grandmother, who loved her more than anything, wouldn't have to worry about her marriage.

Channing stared at her without speaking.

The next second, he pulled his hand back.

Samantha's heart suddenly felt hollow.

"I have something to do later. Go on your own," Channing said. "I'm sorry. I really have something to do. I'll come over later."

Channing got up and walked toward the door. After he left, he never came back.

Samantha vaguely heard that he was already gone.

Her tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

She had thought that if Channing could go to the hospital with her, Elizabeth could pass on without regrets after seeing them together. What her grandmother worried about the most was that no one would take care of her in the future.

But Channing didn't care about her or her grandmother.

This result didn't surprise her at all.

Samantha immediately went downstairs and got into the car, heading straight to Central Hospital.

When she walked into the ward, Samantha froze. The purse in her hand dropped to the floor, as she rushed over. "Grandma!"

Although Elizabeth's health had always been poor and she had been hospitalized for a long time, this was the first time she had been put on a ventilator. It sounded like a dying groan, rough and dry.

Samantha broke down in tears and rushed over, calling out anxiously, "Grandma... What happened? How did this happen? How did it suddenly get so serious?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes with difficulty. A faint light suddenly appeared in her aged eyes.

"Sammy, you're here..."

"Grandma, I'm here. It's Sammy," Samantha cried. "I'm sorry, Grandma! I didn't realize you were doing so much worse because I was overseas. If I'd known, I would've taken you abroad for treatment. Medical care overseas is better than whatever we have here!"

Elizabeth smiled faintly and shook her head. "Samantha… Living and dying is a part of the natural cycle of life, and I'm now reaching the end. I know my own body very well. No matter where I go, this body won't hold up anymore."

"No. That's not true. Grandma, hold on. I'll find a way to cure you. I can't lose you, Grandma... Please don't leave me…" Samantha's tears poured out endlessly, her heart felt aching terribly.

Elizabeth was her only family, as well as the person who loved her most in this world.

"Sammy, don't cry for me. I have such a good granddaughter in this life. I have no regrets, but I just can't stop worrying about you." Elizabeth said as she looked at Samantha lovingly. "You and Channing... Have you made up?"

Her words paused. Her eyes moved toward the empty space behind Samantha. She never saw her granddaughter's husband.

Samantha held Elizabeth's withered hand with both hands. She could no longer hide the pain in her heart. Through her tears, she poured out every grievance buried inside her.

"Grandma, Channing will never love me. I loved him for eight years, but all I did was humiliate myself. He only loves Sydney. He'll always think I'm beneath her. They never respected me."

Deep grief appeared on Elizabeth's face.

"So… That's what happened. Sammy, this is my mistake. I didn't know they were hurting you like that. If I'd known earlier, I never would've agreed to this marriage. This is just too much."

Her wrinkled hand was still so gentle as it wiped Samantha's cheek.

She held Samantha's hand, and continued slowly with her aged voice.

"Don't cry… In this world, nothing is completely bad. Maybe there's a silver lining in this. Since you already know he doesn't love you, let him go. You'll always have a few hurdles in this life. You're a strong girl. If you fall, then get back up. Keep moving forward. There will be someone waiting for you who cherishes and loves you more."

Samantha hadn't expected Elizabeth, who had always hoped she would reconcile with Channing, to encourage her to leave him now.

She understood at once.

All this time, Elizabeth had only wanted her to be happy.

While Samantha was still stunned, the light in Elizabeth's eyes slowly began to fade, and her voice grew weaker.

"Sammy, there's one more important thing I need to tell you. It's about your origin..."

Samantha was shocked. "Grandma, tell me!"

Elizabeth's voice fell to a whisper.

"You must never think you're beneath them. You're never worse than anyone in this world. You and Channing… You're of equal standing... Your real parents are..."