Chapter 14
But Sharon’s eyes softened, and she took the blame with a tender smile.”I should’ve knocked before I came in. I’m really sorry, Manny. How about this-I’ll get you the newest limited-edition Ultraman pajamas to make up for it. Sound good?”
Hyman lit up.”Really?!”
Most of the boys in his old class had Ultraman pajamas.
But his mom always said they were made with bad dyes and full of bacteria, so she never let him buy them, let alone wear them.
He thought, “So it was just an excuse. She just didn’t want to buy them for me.
“Sharon was an adult too, and she thought it was fine!”
Sharon chuckled, pinching his nose.”Of course. Have I ever lied to you? Now, go change out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold. Just toss them in the trash.”
Beaming, Hyman ran off to change.
He hesitated for a second, looking down at the stained pajamas.
Then, remembering what Sharon had said, he tossed them into the trash.
“I don’t care about those childish pajamas anyway,” he thought with a touch of defiance.
Meanwhile, in the study, Alejandro had just received his repaired phone.
There was an important set of confidential company documents saved on it that had never been backed up, so he had asked his secretary to recover the data.
Once he inserted the SIM card, he noticed that some messages had disappeared.
The last message from Concetta was still stuck on the screen, dating back to that day in San Jose.
Concetta typed, “I’ll land at ten this morning.”
That day, Sharon had landed a major endorsement deal with Lucas, and his company just happened to be negotiating a ten-year partnership with the same luxury brand. They’d run into each other at the event.
He’d completely missed Concetta’s message.
Alejandro pressed his lips together and yanked off his tie.
“She got this upset over something so small?” he thought.
As the screen refreshed, three missed calls suddenly popped up.
Concetta had called him an hour ago.
With a deep breath, he tapped the number and started dialing back. But before the call could connect, two frantic little voices rang out from the
hall.
At that very moment, in Jackson Memorial Hospital, a nurse was trying to make a call.
“Hello? Are you Ms. McFarland’s husband? We’re calling from Jackson Memorial Hospital. You’re listed as her emergency contact. Your wife’s condition is critical and…”
She frowned. There was no response.
Looking down, she realized the battery had died, and the phone had shut off mid-call.
“Daddy! Something’s wrong with Sharon!”
“She’s dying! Daddy, you have to help her! Hurry!”
Lynne and Hyman burst into the study, their faces pale and panicked.
“What happened?” Alejandro narrowed his eyes and rushed toward the bedroom.
Sharon lay on the bed, her skin flushed crimson. Red rashes had spread across her arms and neck.
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* Chapter 14
Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her voice was faint.”Alec… am I am I going to die?”
Hyman’s lips trembled “She suddenly started scratching all over. The places where the pajamas touched her it turned into this huge res
“That pajama… Mom made it,” he thought.”Could she have tried to hurt Sharon?
“No, no-Mom didn’t know Sharon would wear her pajamas.”
He forced himself to shake that thought away. But Lynne was quicker to jump in. “She did it on purpose! Mom wanted to hurt Auntie Sharing
Alejandro’s face darkened like storm clouds.
Sharon had found she had left her sleepwear in San Jose, so she borrowed the pajamas Concetta had left behind.
When the kids saw it, they begged to wear theirs too and tugged him into matching with them.
He hadn’t seen the harm in it.
He never imagined it would end like this.
He dialed Concetta again, his anger mounting.
However, the only answer was the cold chime of a powered-off phone. The number you have dialed is currently unavailable?
His jaw clenched as he gripped the phone tightly.
He thought, “She had the nerve to block me?
“Concetta, I’ve really been too soft on you.”
Just then, Sharon began to gasp for air.
Lynne and Hyman were in full-blown panic, not knowing what to do.
Alejandro strode over to the bed and scooped Sharon into his arms. ‘I’ll make sure Concetta anewers for this,” he vowed.
