Chapter 4

Vanessa's POV

"What? Dr. Monroe has a bed reserved exclusively for his family! She's his mother-in-law. How can you refuse to admit her?"

I could no longer hide the shock and disbelief on my face.

The nurse hesitated before explaining, "Dr. Monroe just brought his sister-in-law in for admission, so the reserved bed has already been taken."

I turned stiffly and saw Serena reclining in the private room, leisurely eating freshly peeled fruit from a plate.

Christopher stood anxiously at her bedside, fussing over her and helping her drink water. He looked more like her husband than mine.

The seemingly perfect scene was interrupted by my arrival.

"Christopher, my mother—"

"Why did you follow me here?" Christopher cut me off furiously.

"Serena was so upset by what you said that it triggered contractions! If we'd gotten here any later, she might have lost the baby!"

At that moment, Serena casually speared a piece of apple with her fork and popped it into her mouth, chewing as leisurely as ever.

She looked perfectly fine, nothing like the critically ill woman Christopher had just described.

He shoved me out of the room and locked the door behind him.

My entire body trembled uncontrollably. Left with no other choice, I had to find another hospital that would admit my mother.

But then I realized I didn't even have enough money to cover the transportation.

Desperate, I grabbed Christopher's assistant, Joshua Williams, by the arm, clinging to him as though he were my last hope.

"What about Dr. Monroe's allowance for this month? Could I borrow some of it in advance? I'll pay him back later."

Joshua hesitated before answering, "Dr. Monroe used his entire allowance this month to buy supplements for his sister-in-law. There's nothing left."

I slowly released my grip on his arm, my eyes bloodshot and my expression bordering on madness.

My mother's breathing was growing weaker by the minute, and every second we wasted felt like a knife twisting deeper into my heart.

In my desperation, my fingers brushed against the emerald pendant hanging around my neck. It had been a wedding gift from Christopher when he returned from an inspection trip to Westvale.

Even during the hardest of times, when I could barely afford anything more than cheap sandwiches, I had never once considered selling it.

But now, I had no other choice. I took it off and handed it to the doctor.

"This is an antique. It must be worth something. Please, help me find a way to get some money for it."

The doctor, who clearly knew his antiques, took one look at the pendant before handing it back.

"Did someone scam you? This is just a cheap trinket from a street vendor, the kind people buy to amuse children."

In an instant, I felt as though every drop of blood had drained from my body.

Joshua couldn't bear to watch any longer and gently explained, "Dr. Monroe really did bring back an authentic emerald pendant, but he gave it to his sister-in-law as soon as he returned. The one you're holding really is just something he picked up from a nearby street vendor."

The pendant slipped from my fingers, hit the floor with a sharp crack, and shattered into two pieces.

I was completely drained of strength.

In the freezing hospital corridor, my mother sat in the stairwell and took her final breath. I bit down so hard that my lip split, but a heart-wrenching sob still escaped through my clenched teeth.

That evening, after making all the arrangements for my mother's funeral, I picked up my luggage and boarded the vehicle bound for Altara.

…

Third-Person POV

Meanwhile, Christopher had just finished tucking Serena into bed. After stepping out of her room, he handed Joshua a stack of cash.

"Take this to my wife. And pick up some supplements for her mother while you're at it. Tell her I'll personally take her to her prenatal checkup tomorrow."

Joshua didn't take the money. Instead, he hesitated before saying, "Mrs. Monroe's mother passed away just now."

"What?"

Christopher's heart lurched. He immediately turned and rushed out of the hospital.

As he sped home, a military transport truck passed him, going in the opposite direction, but he barely noticed it, his mind consumed by the need to get home as quickly as possible.

He had no idea that Vanessa was already on her way to Altara and that she would never come back.