Chapter 10

Fia sniffed as she began to cry again and the tears rolled right into Jason’s handkerchief.

“Is my mom… She… Is she going to die?”

Jason looked at her in silence. He wanted to console her and tell a white lie, but as a doctor, he was not that good at lying.

He looked down and saw that the two clenched fists that she kept by her side were covered with bite marks.

“All humans will die. That is the law of nature. No one can escape from it.”

“Then… If she’s given proper treatment, she’ll still have a lot of time, right?”

Jason could feel pain in his heart. He let go of her shoulders as he didn’t dare to look her in the eyes.

“She’s not doing very well. She’ll have three months at most.”

Fia’s legs gave way as she crumbled under her own weight. She shook her head as she wept.

Jason continued. “She won’t survive chemotherapy… That would only make her suffer even more. My suggestion is to get her discharged and you can spend some time with her and let her enjoy more of the food she likes.

Fia shook her head and said, “Didn’t… Didn’t you say that there’s hope yesterday?”

Jason gulped. He didn’t want to say just how much of what happened earlier had hurt Echo.

He was worried that if he told her, the woman in front of him would not be able to take it.

“Is there… really no other way?” Fia suddenly grabbed Jason’s hand, the way she looked at him with those red eyes told him that she desired hope.

Perhaps it was those eyes. Perhaps it was the way she cried.

When Jason thought about this much later, he never understood it. He had seen plenty of beautiful and talented women, but he never knew why he had fallen for Fia.

After Conrad took care of Esme, he quickly rushed over and saw Fia holding another man’s arms.

She had hope written all over her face, like there was no one else in her eyes except him.

“Fia Lawson!”

He roared angrily and pulled her up by grabbing her collar.

“What are you doing?!”

Fia was swaying, her legs so numb it was as if thousands of ants were biting them.

Jason quickly stood up and helped Fia up. He then gave Conrad an annoyed stare.

“Mr. Maxwell, this is the hospital. Be careful of how you act!”

“This has nothing to do with you!” Conrad stared at Jason angrily. He was so angry that he wished he could tear him apart.

Fia felt like her head was going to split apart. She used all her might to pry away Conrad’s hand that was holding her and thanked Jason. She then shuffled back into the ward like a living dead.

Conrad was about to follow her, but Jason grabbed his hand.

“Mr. Maxwell, I haven’t finished explaining to you about the patient’s condition.”

Conrad frowned and freed himself from Jason’s grip. “Tell me, then.”

“This is not the place to speak. Let’s go to my office.”

As an outsider, there was only so much he could do.

He had a feeling that Fia didn’t want to face her husband.

Echo was lying there on the bed with an oxygen mask over her face. When she saw Fia walk in, she smiled and tried to raise her hand.

Fia took in a deep breath and walked over to hold her hand.

“Mom, the doctor had just asked me to make a very difficult choice.”

Echo nodded with tears in her eyes and opened her mouth under the oxygen mask.

Fia got closer, putting her ear closer to the oxygen mask.

“Fia… I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Let’s go home.”

“…Alright.” Fia held her mother’s hand tightly.

Jason had arranged for the hospital’s ambulance to send them home.

Echo had just been carried into the ambulance when Conrad ran over and pulled Fia’s hand.

“Take her back to our place.”

Fia turned around and stared at him. He must be joking.

Conrad tightened his grip, worrying that she would pull her hand back.

“Regardless of the circumstances, we’re still husband and wife. I have an obligation to take care of your mother.”

Fia cracked a smile, but her smile was no better than her weeping.

“We’re going to separate. If you asked my mom to move in, what would Esme think when she looks at the mansion?

“Ha!” Fia let out a sneer. “That’s right. You have money. All you need to do is get a new mansion, isn’t that it?”

“Please, don’t. Doctor Evans told me about your mom’s condition. I simply want to take care of her for your sake.”

Fia wanted to refuse him when Echo cried out with great difficulty from inside, “Fia…”

“Let go!” Fia cried out coldly.

After Conrad let her go, she quickly entered the ambulance and asked, “How are you feeling, mom?”

“Listen to him.”

Fia frowned and said, “Mom, can’t we just go back to the apartment?”

Echo shook her head and said, “If your grandmother knows that I’m ill, she would be worried sick. I can’t make her worry about this.”

Fia was hesitating. Conrad wanted to return to how things were with her cousin after all.

They would separate eventually.

“Fia, I beg you. Can we please do it step by step? Don’t let your grandma worry so much.” Echo sobbed as she held her daughter’s hand.

Fia looked at her mother. She knew what it felt like because she was her mother’s daughter too. Her grandma was the only one who loved her in the Lawson household.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”

Echo let out a cough and said, “Ask Conrad to pick up your grandma and take her there. I don’t have much time and all I want is to spend some time with her.”

Fia looked at Conrad waiting outside, she then said, “Can you please send a driver to pick up my grandma?”

“Sure.” Conrad heaved a sigh of relief in his mind. He was worried that Fia would refuse.

He only wanted to do something for her.

“What?!” Beryl threw the cards onto the table as she grabbed her mobile tightly. She could feel herself physically fuming.

Esme was still explaining what happened to Echo to her gently.

“That’s enough for today. All of you should leave!” Beryl got rid of her friends as she kept on complaining to Esme.

“That woman is almost dead! How can she move into my son’s mansion?! She’s going to bring her curse along with her.

“This is all Fia’s fault! This must be her darn idea! That infertile woman! I have never had a day of peace since she married Conrad!

“Oh, Esme. Thank you for telling me this. I’ll stop them right now! I know. I won’t tell Conrad that you told me this. You’re still the best, Esme. Once Conrad finalizes his divorce with that useless woman, come and marry into our family. We won’t mistreat you!”

Esme hung up. If it wasn’t because of her situation, she really wanted to go to Conrad’s home just to see how Beryl would humiliate Fia and her mother!

“Madam, why are you here?” When Mrs. Taylor saw Beryl barge in angrily, she quickly walked over to greet her.

“Move out of my way. Why are you blocking me? Can’t I enter my own son’s house?”

“That’s not it.” Mrs. Taylor had no choice but to hold Beryl’s arm with her hands and tried to calm her down. “The madam’s mother has cancer, and she has little time left. Can’t this wait for a little while?”

“Enough!” Beryl pulled her arm out and pushed Mrs. Taylor away.

“She’s going to die soon and yet she’s still stirring up trouble while staying in my son’s house! I’ll get rid of them today no matter the cost!”

Mrs. Taylor quickly followed Beryl and said, “Please don’t do that, madam. Mr. Maxwell had agreed to this, and he was the one that personally took her in.”

“Conrad’s too soft-hearted! If I don’t make the hard decisions for him and clear away all the obstacles as his mother, I’m the one failing him!”