The sight was a lot to take in, so Clara snapped a few quick snapshots and left. The two people on the bed had obviously overindulged in Love Potion, making their time together drag on.
William had been preoccupied with thoughts of Clara, but Emily’s skills were impressive enough to make him fall into a deep sleep afterward.
When Emily woke up, she thought the man beside her was Dylan. Blushing, she snuggled up to William and playfully nipped his neck. Catching on, William realized he wanted more. As he moved closer, Emily’s horror hit her—this is William, not Dylan. Despite her fear, William wasn’t letting go.
Meanwhile, Clara hopped into a cab and went straight to Oakridge General Hospital. After agreeing to marry into the Goodman Family, Dylan took Grace to the county’s top hospital.
Since Grace had yet to know her marriage, Clara felt a pang of guilt and wanted to be with her for a while.
Just as Clara got into the cab, her phone rang with a call from Oakridge General Hospital. “Miss Bennett, your grandma’s condition has suddenly gotten worse. She’s had a severe heart attack from some recent shocks. It’s critical. You need to get here right away.”
Clara’s heart skipped a beat. Critical? How is that even possible?! I saw Grandma just a few days ago, and she was doing fine! Why would things go south so suddenly? She urged the driver to go faster.
Eric, who had been tailing Clara, saw her rush into the hospital and immediately called Michael. “Mr. Goodman, Miss Bennett just showed up at Oakridge General Hospital.”
Michael, having looked into Clara’s background, knew her grandmother was a patient at the hospital. Remembering Clara’s prescription, he forwarded it to Eric with instructions. “Take this prescription to Dr. Brown at Oakridge General Hospital.”
Later, Eric received the prescription and headed inside.
Before ending the call, Michael remembered something and told Eric, “Revisit the Saint Mercy Medical Center and check on the girl I asked about before. If you can’t locate her, search for any clues related to that pendant.”
Since he left the hospital, Michael had been expecting the girl to reach out. He thought, I left my contact info clearly. It’s been a month with no word—did she move away? Determined not to give up, Michael resolved to find her, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Clara rushed into Oakridge General Hospital and accidentally collided with someone.
“Are you blind?!” Emma snapped, clutching a medical report. Seeing Clara, she added coldly, “Do you even know how serious your grandma’s condition is? She’s dying.”
“What are you saying?” Clara asked, trying to push past Emma.
Emma stepped in her way and stated, “Just so you know, your grandma’s condition got worse because you didn’t tell her about your marriage. She might still be clueless about how you cheated on her if I didn’t say anything.”
“You were the one who told her about the marriage?!” Clara exclaimed, stunned. She looked at Emma in disbelief, her face draining of color as it sank in. It all makes sense now! Grandma had a heart attack and needs emergency surgery because of you, Emma Bennett!
Furious, Clara balled her fists and was about to confront Emma.
Savoring Clara’s distress, Emma smirked and replied, “I only told her the truth—you, her beloved granddaughter, married a dying man. Isn’t that just wonderful?”
Before things could escalate further, a nurse rushed over and informed Clara, “Miss Bennett, the surgery is over. You can see your grandma now.”
After Clara left, Emma was on her way out when she spotted a shiny pendant on the ground—likely dropped by Clara.
The pendant looked expensive, and Emma’s eyes lit up. She thought, A country bumpkin like Clara wouldn’t afford something like this. It’s probably stolen. Well, finders keepers!
Emma eagerly picked up the pendant and started examining it. Just then, she bumped into someone, dropping the pendant and the medical report. Luckily, the pendant wasn’t broken. Emma quickly scooped it up, treating it like a prize, and turned to rebuke the person she’d run into, “Hey, are you blind or something?!”
It was Eric, and he was stunned to see the pendant. He was at a loss for words, thinking, I never imagined to find the girl I’d been searching for right before me. Plus, she perfectly fits Mr. Goodman’s description—long black hair and a slender figure.
Noticing Eric watching her, Emma thought he was checking her out. She cocked her head and cleared her throat. “I know I’m gorgeous, but you don’t get any ideas. I’m not interested.”
Eric frowned at her comment but quickly snapped back to reality. He picked up the medical report and saw “4 weeks along” written on it. He mentally calculated, The timing seems too perfect. He froze momentarily and asked Emma, “You’re expecting?”
Emma’s face tightened. “What? You want to be a father, too? Even if you’re dying to have kids, I’m not interested.” She snatched the medical report and walked into the consultation room.
Inwardly, Emma reflected, Mom and Dad don’t know about the pregnancy yet. I need to sort this out fast. If they find out, it’ll be the end of everything.
Eric spotted the consultation room and stopped a passing nurse. “Hey, what kind of procedures does this doctor do?”
“Abortion,” the nurse replied, giving him a weird glance. As she walked off, she murmured, “What a jerk.”
Brushing off her reaction, Eric quickly called Michael. “I found her!” he stated excitedly.
Michael was thrilled at the news, but his excitement dramatically shifted when he heard about the abortion. “Stop her! Make sure she doesn’t go through with it,” he ordered.
The operation theater door swung open as Clara reached the waiting area outside of it, and a team of doctors and nurses emerged. She rushed to the attending doctor, who greeted her with a grave look.
The doctor informed her, “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.”
The news hit Clara like a ton of bricks, leaving her feeling like she was in freefall.
This can’t be happening. It must be a mistake! She repeated this to herself over and over in her mind as she staggered into the operating room.
Grace lay on the surgical bed, covered by a white sheet that revealed only a part of her arm. Clara reached for her hand, feeling the chilling reality of the situation.
“Grandma!” she cried out, pulling back the sheet to reveal Grace’s wrinkled face and the tears still lingering in her eyes, though her consciousness had long faded.
Overwhelmed with grief, Clara sobbed uncontrollably. Maintaining a cold demeanor, the nurse pushed Grace away and stated, “Miss Bennett, I’m sorry for your loss.”
Determined, Clara wiped away her tears and vowed, “Grandma, I’ll make them pay!” In her heart, she silently promised herself, This is all the Bennett Family’s fault!
Knowing Emma was still in the hospital, Clara recalled spotting the doctor’s autograph on the medical report. She then quickly inquired about the way to the consultation room and rushed there.
Outside the consultation room, Eric continued to plead with Emma, “Miss, you can’t go through with the abortion.”
“Aren’t you the one who wants to take the baby if I don’t?” Emma snapped and shot him a fierce look.
“Absolutely. I’ll take care of it,” Eric replied firmly, nodding in agreement.