Zelda used to feel inferior to Mary because Angela favored Mary more. She thought that Angela's bond with Mary might be similar to her bond with Rebecca. Rebecca's kind words always warmed Zelda's heart. They made her want to give Rebecca all she had.Zelda wondered if Angela felt the same way about Mary. Yet, she decided to stop worrying. She knew that equality was a matter of will. She always did her best, even if she couldn't be perfectly fair with her children.Whether her children were mature or playful, they were all wonderful to her and she loved them all equally. Likewise, Zelda realized that she was good enough just the way she was.The afternoon was beautiful, with the chirping of cicadas and the singing of birds in the lush trees. The sunlight streamed through the colorful flowers in the conservatory and landed on the wooden table. The warmth seemed to melt away all the sadness.Angela walked slowly toward the house while using her cane for support. The conservatory upst
Angela explained, "I only found out today when I was discharged from the hospital. I just told you that Zelda has been losing her temper a lot lately, and she can't be bothered with me. I even came to the hospital by myself—""Mom, I told you long ago not to come to Fairport. But since you're here, stop being mad all the time. I'll be there in a minute. Wait for me in the ward," interrupted Mary before hanging up the phone. She acted so quickly that Angela didn't notice how excited she sounded."Mom, why are you so happy?" Serena was confused. Just a few moments ago, Mary had been cursing the Johnsons."I guess you didn't hear. Your grandpa has been hospitalized!" Mary smiled widely."Grandpa's hospitalized? Is that something to be happy about?"Mary tapped Serena on the head. "Are you being silly or what? Do you have any idea how old your grandpa is? There's no telling if he'll make it out of the hospital."Mary thought that Zelda had to be hiding the matter on purpose because s
Angela stood there stunned, as did Serena. She had been with James long enough and had seen him look frail before. She had realized he would pass away one day but to see him so frail was heartbreaking.They had just been in the hospital arguing about Mary. Now, James was suddenly lying weak in bed. He was dressed in a hospital gown, and there were tubes attached to his body."James, how did you suddenly get so sick?" Angela asked. Tears filled her eyes as she sat in the chair next to the bed. She wanted to hold James' hand, but it was connected to some monitoring equipment and the other hand had an IV.Mary stepped forward and asked, "Dad, how did you get like this in only two days? Were you feeling unwell before, but you didn't say anything about it?" She couldn't bring herself to cry, so she kept a frown on her face and pretended to be worried.She was trying to imply that James hadn't been living well in Fairport, which had led to his health problems. She implied that it was bec
James' actions left Mary in disbelief. The ward was quiet and only James' voice could be heard. Even if his words sounded weak, they hit Mary hard like a slap in the face. She couldn't understand why telling the truth would result in James kicking her out of the ward."Mae, can you step outside for a moment? I'll call you back in when your dad has calmed down," Angela said.James seemed particularly uncomfortable, and the readings on the nearby monitors suddenly began to fluctuate. Angela had to send Mary away to tend to his emotions. She knew James valued the Johnsons, and of course, he didn't want to hear Mary badmouthing them.Though angry, Mary could tell something wasn't right with James. Something bad could happen if she persisted. Fearing that James might pass on all his money to Rebecca, Mary decided to follow James' instructions and leave."Okay, Mom, I'll step out for a while. Call me if you need anything. Doctor, please take good care of my dad. He's old and stubborn. Pl
James' emotions were slowly on the wane. When he heard the sound of crying, he couldn't help but look over at Angela and Serena and say, "Why are you crying? I'm not dead."Angela shed no tears, though her eyes glistened with tears. Next to her was Serena, who was crying buckets. She covered her face but couldn't stop sobbing.Serena sniffled and choked out, "I'm sorry, Grandpa. I just couldn't help myself."James' health had been deteriorating for six months but she had no idea. Mary had even urged her to get in touch with James more often for fear that he might give away all his possessions to the Johnsons. Serena hadn't had a chance to take care of James back then.With a sigh, James said quietly, "Serena, come here."Serena wiped away her tears and slowly approached the bedside. Her voice cracked as she said, "Grandpa." James lifted his finger. Serena quickly caught his hint and pushed the button next to the bed to raise the bed slightly.James cleared his throat and looked
"Don't rush to refuse yet." James smiled at Serena. He felt a whirlwind of emotions building up within him.In James' day, it would have been surprising for someone Serena's age not to be married. Fortunately for Serena, she lived in a time when people were more accepting and valued accomplishments over marital status. So, it wouldn't be considered unusual if she never got married.Furthermore, the reason Serena hadn't been able to marry until now was a result of Mary and her own actions, as opposed to Rebecca's situation. So, she had no one to blame but herself and Mary. Even if Serena got married, she could face challenges similar to Mary's if she ended up with the wrong person.James resented Mary, but his feelings for Serena had softened over time. He took on the role of teaching Serena how to cook in his later years. It stirred a sense of compassion in him when he saw her crying. Even though Serena seemed to be in a state of hopelessness, James couldn't bear to see her succum
As Mary watched Serena remain silent with tears in her eyes, she couldn't help but be annoyed. "Why are you being so stubborn? Can't you just listen? You've always listened to me."Serena felt heartbroken. She wished she had seen the truth earlier. For years, she had trusted Mary's judgment and thought she had her best interests at heart. Only when she saw the person she cared for lying in a hospital bed did she realize how absurd her actions had been.As Mary prepared to speak with seriousness, Serena sniffed and nonchalantly replied, "I have no idea what Grandpa's will was but we should respect his wishes; whatever they were.""You stubborn fool, do you really mean that?" Mary was frustrated. She looked at Serena as if she were a complete idiot. "Respect? So, you're fine with your unjust grandpa giving all of his money to that Johnson bitch? Seriously, think about it. Does Rebecca really need your grandpa's money?"She's already set for life and beyond with the Johnsons' fortune.
Serena came up with an absurd idea out of the blue. She felt like calling Rebecca to talk about her problems and apologize to her. She understood that she was wrong when she thought about what she did. She needed to apologize to Oliver as well.She scrolled awkwardly across her phone's screen until she realized she didn't even have Rebecca's contact information. A couple of years ago, when she had spent Christmas with Mary and James in Fairport, they had set up a new family group chat.Then, Rebecca lost her phone and had to get a new number. That was when the group chat fell silent. Perhaps they had started a new group chat without Serena and Mary being part of it.Suddenly, Serena found herself pathetic. She had many relatives who were all successful people. Even if she couldn't be successful, her life wouldn't be so miserable if she had a close relationship with the Johnson family. No matter how bad things got, she wouldn't end up without someone she could talk to.Serena couldn