Chapter 5-Tell her to hold on

After the examination, Lucille remained asleep.

The doctor stood in the hospital room and explained her condition to Gwen. "The patient's body is severely depleted after childbirth. She has already suffered a major hemorrhage and undergone emergency treatment, so she is highly prone to hypoglycemia and fainting. Make sure she receives adequate nutrition, and do not expose her to intense emotional stress."

Nancy sighed from the side. "Ma’am never truly recovered after the baby came. In the first half of the month, her breasts were so swollen and painful that she barely dared to eat. In the second half, the baby kept waking up at night crying from an upset stomach, and Ma'am insisted on nursing her herself.

"She hasn't had a single full night of sleep. During the day, she was still working. Her body never had the chance to recover."

Gwen nearly lost her temper. She called Gideon again and again, but he never answered. In the end, she snapped a photo of Lucille lying in the hospital bed and sent it to him with a message.

Gwen: [Gideon, you have 20 minutes to get here. Otherwise, I'll be the one telling your wife to divorce you.]

Gideon might as well have vanished off the face of the earth. There was still no response.

Gwen looked at the thin figure on the bed, and her nose stung. Tears fell before she could stop them. Back in college, everyone had agreed that Lucille had married the best out of all of them.

Gideon was five years older than Lucille. He had once been the head of her company, and five years ago, they had suddenly announced their marriage.

Lucille had always worn her hair short and never cared much about dressing up, so her marriage into a family like the Prescotts had shocked many people.

To outsiders, Lucille now lived in luxury, wrapped in designer clothes and waited on by servants.

Only Gwen knew the truth. For the past five years, Gideon had worked her to exhaustion, and his family had looked down on her at every opportunity. Her marriage had been miserable.

Gwen had thought things would finally improve once Lucille became pregnant and gave birth to their daughter. But looking at her now, what part of this resembled life in a wealthy family? Even an ordinary household would have shown more care for the baby.

The more Gwen thought about it, the angrier she became. She was about to call Gideon's parents when Lucille stirred and called weakly, "Gwen. Water."

Gwen quickly poured half a cup of water, helped Lucille sit up, and watched her drink slowly.

"Lucy, having a baby is a major event. Did no one in the Prescott family know? Why hasn't a single one of them shown up?" she asked.

Lucille's mother-in-law had spent five years pressing for a child, trying every method she could think of and sending over fertility soups and herbal remedies.

Yet Lucille had given birth to a daughter. The baby was already a month old, and her mother-in-law had still not returned.

After finishing the water, Lucille gave a faint laugh. "She came to the hospital the day I delivered. She took one look, saw it was a girl, and left with a dark expression. She never came back."

The anger in Gwen's chest flared again. "What century are they living in? Sons over daughters? What, does the Prescott family have a throne to pass down? A girl is still their blood."

She looked at Lucille's worn, hollow face and felt her heart twist. "Lucy, if you want to cry, then cry. Don't hold it in. I'm here."

Lucille shook her head and gestured for Nancy to hand her the bowl of plain soup nearby. She had not eaten or drunk anything all day. She was starving.

"Cry?" She swallowed a spoonful of hot soup. When she looked up again, her eyes were sharp. "I won't cry. But everyone who looked down on my daughter will pay for it a hundredfold, a thousandfold. I will make them regret it for the rest of their lives."

Gwen reached out and touched her forehead. "Are you sure you don't have a fever? What exactly can you do to make them regret it?"

Lucille ate a few more spoonfuls, then set the bowl down. "I've made my decision. Tomorrow, I'm filing my daughter's birth certificate. Her name will be Lily Sandwell. Lily, for the flower's grace and resilience, and for the promise of a new beginning."

Gwen stared at her in shock. "You're giving your daughter your surname? What if the Prescott family refuses to leave her any inheritance later?"

Lucille's eyes turned cold, a hard, almost frightening edge settling in them. "Then I'll take it from them for her, no matter what it costs."

She took her daughter from Nancy and studied the baby's soft pink face for a long moment. "One way or another, I swear my daughter will never suffer what I suffered in the Prescott family. Even if I divorce, everything that belongs to her, Gideon will hand it over."

Gwen nodded firmly. "Exactly. That's how you should think. But what if the Prescott family digs in and refuses?"

Lucille lifted her gaze and pointed through the window at the nearly-complete towering landmark building rising against Coasthaven's skyline.

"I designed The Sage Tower from start to finish. It's the most important project in the Prescott family's portfolio. If they dare refuse, I'll make sure it never gets finished," she said.

Gwen's eyes lit with admiration. "Damn, Lucy. Seriously. Watching you swallow all this for five years has made me miserable too. I've been waiting forever for the day you finally stood up for yourself."

The moment she finished speaking, Lucille's phone rang. It was her assistant designer, Gary Harlow.

"Ms. Sandwell, I need to tell you some bad news," Gary said.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Prescott just announced a new appointment in the meeting. Rayne has been named lead designer for the Sage Tower project. She's being added to share project credit with you…"

Lucille shot upright in bed. "What did you say?"

"I'm sending you the appointment notice now. Mr. Prescott told us privately he arranged it because Otto contributed valuable input when the design was finalized, so this is basically giving Otto's wife a title in name only. She won't actually have to do any work…"

Lucille ended the call. She opened the document on her phone, her grip tightening until her knuckles turned white.

"What happened?" Gwen asked immediately. "What is it?"

Lucille handed her the phone, her expression cold.

The moment Gwen read the notice, she nearly jumped. "What the hell is Gideon trying to do? He's giving Rayne credit for your work now? She doesn't have to lift a finger, and she still gets to call herself lead designer of the Sage Tower? This is worse than being forced to add a second author to your paper."

Lucille steadied herself. "That makes this easier. There's nothing left worth saving in this marriage."

Gwen's heart skipped. "You've really made up your mind?"

Lucille nodded. "Call my mother for me. Tell her I've figured it out. I'm not staying with Gideon anymore."

Gwen pulled out her phone, still puzzled. "Why aren't you calling her yourself?"

Lucille said, "When I was six months pregnant, my mother brought over a gold charm and insisted the Prescott family hold a proper wedding for me. I refused. She called me spineless and said she didn't have a daughter like me. We've been at odds ever since."

Gwen shrugged. "You two are unbelievable. Every time you meet, you fight. Behind each other's backs, you care more than anyone."

Lucille smiled faintly. When she thought of her mother's striking face, her eyes reddened.

Gwen stepped outside to make the call. "Madam Sandwell, Lucy says she doesn't want to stay with Gideon anymore."

Silence stretched on the other end. Then a middle-aged woman spoke, her voice slightly hoarse but steady and unyielding. "Tell her to hold on. I'm in Asthrala. I'll be back in three days."