บททั้งหมดของ Dead at Heart: บทที่ 61 - บทที่ 70

A wave of mortification washed over Ariel, rooting her to the spot. Evelyn's seemingly innocuous words felt like a dismissive assessment, reducing her to an object of scrutiny.Just to bear a child, she had to be assessed for her qualifications! She was completely insignificant compared to someone like Nancy, a PhD graduate from a top foreign university.Little did they know, their words were a painful reminder of her impending reality. Once she began her medical treatment and surgery, her chance to bear children would be gone forever.It clicked. That explained his lukewarm attitude toward intimacy before their divorce. Maybe even back then, he'd already decided that she wasn't good enough to bear his offspring.Ariel didn't want to know how Jayson responded. The way he brushed off Betty's expectations at dinner made it clear that he had no intention of having a child with her. He most likely agreed with Evelyn.She gripped the bottle tightly and returned to her room. Her breaths

"Up to you. Just make sure you explain to Grandma when she asks." Jayson gave Ariel a long look as he adjusted his tie.She instantly understood. So, this was just about pacifying Betty, who'd been complaining about his lack of concern for Ariel.Downstairs, Betty had returned from her morning walk. She'd gotten up early to make Ariel a nourishing soup.Not wanting her effort to go to waste, Ariel endured her discomfort and forced herself to drink some."Jay, why don't you leave with Ari?" Betty warmly suggested.Jayson paused and looked at Ariel, who recalled the phone call from earlier and said, "No need, Grandma. I have something to take care of in the opposite direction."Betty glanced at Jayson, who didn't bother responding. She immediately understood that he did not intend to leave with Ariel and fumed.Ariel knew Jayson was going to pick up Nancy, and she hadn't forgotten how he'd left her stranded on the roadside just days ago. She had no interest in reliving that humili

Ariel was simply stating a fact.Wendy looked at Lucas in surprise. She hadn't known Ariel had been married.Lucas narrowed his eyes. He could tell that there were serious tensions between Jayson and Ariel. The latter wasn't the kind to make a scene unless she was pushed to the edge, like now.He reached out to take the coconut juice in front of her. "She doesn't drink coconut juice."Jayson turned slightly toward Nancy and listened to her speak. No one could tell if he'd heard it or not.Ariel glanced at Lucas. She had to admit that he knew her best.Wendy suddenly sounded a little jealous. "You treat Ariel so well."Lucas wrapped an arm around her with his lips curved in a slight smile. After he whispered something in her ear, she punched him lightly and blushed.Ariel looked at Lucas, then at Jayson. The latter showed no reaction.She knew that if it wasn't something he cared about, it would never matter to him.After the meal, Jayson and Nancy were the first to leave. As

At 4:00 pm, the sky was gloomy with a biting cold wind rushing through the air. Ariel received another call from Katie. "Grandma, what's wrong?"Katie rarely called during working hours, unless it was something urgent.Katie hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ari, remember I mentioned wanting to sell the family home a while back? You wouldn't let me, so I listed your mother's closed-down art gallery. It's just sitting there collecting dust, so I figured it'd be better to turn it into cash for you…"She felt she had to let Ariel know. The latter hadn't had it easy in the Larkin family, and Betty couldn't bear to see her only granddaughter being looked down upon. She believed that if Elena were still alive, she would have agreed too.Ariel's expression changed slightly. It seemed the call earlier hadn't been a scam."Grandma, you don't have to worry about my finances. I'm working now, and I'll get substantial dividends every year. There's no need to sell the art gallery."She

When Ariel woke up, her body felt weak and limp. As she stirred slightly, Freya's delighted voice rang out beside her."Ms. Walker, you're awake! Are you still feeling unwell?"Ariel turned. "Why are you…"Freya helped her up and explained, "Perry and I brought you to the hospital, and he left to print your test results. We were worried something might have happened to you, so we decided to check everything just in case.""What floor is he on?" Ariel's expression shifted slightly as she lifted the covers and got out of bed.Freya seemed startled. "This floor."Ariel didn't have time to care about her discomfort as she rushed out and headed straight for the self-service printing station on the same floor.Sure enough, Perry was standing in front of the machine as it printed out a stack of reports.Ariel ran up and snatched the papers from him before gripping them tightly in her hand.He seemed taken aback. "You're awake? Why did you leave your ward?"Ariel's heart was still po