Chapter 4

The moment I received the call, my whole body shook. I practically bolted out the door and rushed frantically to the hospital.

When I arrived, all I heard was that my father was still in intensive care and had not pulled through yet.

“How could this happen…”

My legs gave way as I collapsed to my knees. I said in a trembling voice, “My dad just had a heart bypass surgery…”

I could not bear to think of how much he must be suffering!

“It’s the building where your dad lives. He’s the only resident there. In fact, it fails the fire safety inspection every single year!

“You should be more considerate as his child. How could you let your dad live in such a run-down, cramped old apartment?”

I froze and looked at the stranger standing next to me. I had never met this woman before.

My father lived in Harmony Residential Complex. What “run-down, cramped old apartment” was she talking about?

That was the high-end house I bought for him as his retirement gift when he first moved to the city where I worked.

“Complex? What nonsense are you spouting? Your dad moved in next door to me just last month…”

My whole body shook. I could not take it anymore, so I called the real estate agent.

Ten minutes later, a property transfer agreement was sent to my phone.

The new owner was Michael.

The current residents were a middle-aged couple.

The man’s surname was Jordan.

“I’ve given your father’s house to Joanne’s parents so they can stay there for now.”

On the other end of the line, Michael’s tone was calm.

“The two of them are taking care of their grandson. It’s putting the house to good use.

“Your dad lives alone. There’s no need for him to live in such a big place.”

“Michael, I’m the one who bought that house!”

“Your money is my money too, right? What’s the difference?”

Michael rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking somewhat irritated.

“Besides, I’m not kicking your dad out. I asked Joanne to help find him a new place. She’s very thoughtful, so she must’ve arranged everything by now—”

“Thoughtful?”

I laughed out loud.

“Do you even know that the place she found for my dad is so run-down that even a beggar wouldn’t live there?

“The wiring is old, and the windows were boarded up. My dad almost burned to death in that room!”

Michael’s breath caught for a moment.

He paused and took a few steps toward the door, but Joanne stopped him.

“Michael, I didn’t!” Joanne said. She shook her head as she tugged at the hem of his shirt.

“I know Ms. Norman is just trying to get back at you, but how could she joke about her own father like that?”

She pulled up a photo on her phone.

“This morning at the hospital, I clearly saw that Mr. Norman had scheduled a follow-up for his heart bypass surgery. He just wanted to get checked out as an inpatient.”

Michael’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

“Nancy, you’ve really gone to great lengths to slander Joanne.

“She’s so kind. How could she possibly do something like this?”

He hung up without another word.

He did not believe the news that my father was in a critical condition, but he was convinced that Joanne was telling the truth with just one glance at the photo on her phone.

I put down my phone in frustration. There was more to come.

“Ms. Norman, your bank account is currently unable to process payments…”

“What did you say?!”

I frantically unlocked my phone, only to see a string of text messages notifying me that my bank accounts had been frozen.

Michael had texted me as well.

[A small punishment to serve as a great lesson.]

[As long as you swear not to target Joanne anymore, I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow to visit your father.]

[The wedding can go ahead as planned, too.]

Tears streamed down my face as I stared in despair at the operating room door before me.

My heart shattered completely on this summer night.

‘Michael, this is the end for you and me,’ I thought.

…

(3rd POV)

Michael had not received a reply from Nancy all day.

He thought she was still sulking. But for some reason, a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

“Could something really have happened?”

He recalled the grief-stricken tone in Nancy’s voice that day. After much deliberation, he decided to buy some health supplements and head to the hospital.

But he could not find Dan’s hospital bed.

“You mean that patient with the surname Norman? He was in the middle of resuscitation yesterday when a medical helicopter picked him up!” said a nurse.

“Luckily, that patient has a wonderful daughter who married a great man to be his son-in-law. They took the old man straight abroad!”

“What did you say?!”

The blood drained from Michael’s face.

The next second, his phone began vibrating frantically.

“Mr. Spencer, how did your wife post a photo of her marriage certificate on her Story when you two haven’t registered your marriage yet?”