Chapter 169 Is Raymond Interested in This Child?
Margaret shivered all over, her fingers trembling at the mere mention of Raymond's name. She felt a wave of nausea but, for Marlon's sake, she pushed it down and took the phone from Nancy.
The prompt said Raymond was out of signal range and couldn't be reached. She hung up.
Nancy was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. Margaret wiped them away, saying, "Mom, don't worry. I'll go find him. Dad will be fine."
With that, Margaret turned to leave. Based on what she knew about Raymond, he should be at Hughes Group. He was a tireless, profit-driven machine!
"Margaret," Nancy suddenly called out.
She turned around, puzzled. Nancy stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Where have you been these past few days? Did something happen to you?"
Margaret hesitated. Something had indeed happened to her; she was on the brink of death, and the child in her womb had been kicked to miscarriage by Sarah. Her body hadn't even recovered yet.
"Margaret, you look terrible. Are you sick? Your dad is already like this, don't do anything foolish. Take care of yourself, wait for your dad to wake up, okay?" Nancy cried and urged, "You're pregnant now, so you can't act impulsively like a child anymore. Raymond cares about the baby in your womb."
Hearing Nancy's words, Margaret felt a pain so intense it was suffocating. Did Raymond care about this baby? He clearly wanted to torment her. She was dying too slowly, so he sent Sarah to harm her!
But Margaret didn't want Nancy to worry. The Hughes Family had become what it was now, and Nancy's hair had turned white because of her. She wanted Nancy to be happy. Nancy didn't need to know about her illness because knowing wouldn't help; it would just make one more person sad.
"Mom, I'm fine. I'll go find him." Margaret wiped away her tears, smiled, and walked out of the ward, closing the door behind her.
The bodyguards blocked her way and said, "Mrs. Howard, we'll take you back to the apartment."
"I want to see Raymond!" Margaret bit her lip.
The bodyguard said expressionlessly, "Mr. Howard is on a business trip. He will see you when he returns."
"But my dad can't wait!" Margaret growled.
The bodyguard remained unmoved, saying, "Mrs. Howard, please don't make things difficult for us."
Margaret laughed bitterly. Of course, what was the point of making things difficult for them? They were just doing Raymond's bidding.
Margaret worried that Nancy might hear and get concerned, so she followed the bodyguards without making a fuss.
Before returning to the apartment, she bought a new phone and got a new SIM card, then was escorted back to the apartment by the bodyguards. The bodyguards didn't leave; they stayed downstairs, clearly to prevent her from escaping again.
Margaret didn't have time to care about that. She used the new phone to call Raymond repeatedly. But he never answered, nor did he hang up on her. The phone would ring until it automatically disconnected. Margaret called him twenty times but couldn't reach him.
The plants in the corner had withered and died. They were fine when she left, just like her heart and body, which had decayed beyond recognition.
On the coffee table was a birdcage with a parrot inside. The parrot jumped excitedly and chirped when it saw Margaret. But Margaret still felt upset. She fed it and then placed it back on the perch outside on the balcony. The sunlight outside was good, and the parrot liked sunbathing.
"Your owner is so heartless, leaving you behind! Your owner is so heartless, leaving you behind!" the parrot suddenly squawked, mimicking Raymond's tone.
Margaret sneered. Was it her who ran away? Wasn't all of this arranged by Raymond? He was quite the actor, creating a persona of deep affection. What good did it do him?
Feeling stifled, Margaret petted the parrot's feathers and then walked out onto the balcony. At that moment, the phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Raymond calling, but when she looked, she felt a pang of disappointment. She answered the call.
The attending doctor said in a deep and mellow voice, "Ms. Hughes, how are you feeling now?"
"Still the same." Margaret didn't want to tell him the truth. After this miscarriage, her body had become increasingly weak.
The doctor in Silverwood had told her she had at most half a month to live, provided she stayed in good spirits and received proper treatment. Otherwise, she could die at any moment.
The attending doctor asked again, "What about the baby in your womb? I still recommend you deal with it as soon as possible. If you delay, it might be too late for an abortion procedure."
Margaret said gently, "The baby is already gone. I'm currently recuperating."
The doctor was satisfied and advised her to stay cheerful, keep a positive mindset, and not worry too much. Margaret listened quietly and then agreed.
Just as she hung up, Daniel's call came in. Margaret held the phone to her ear and said into the phone, "Hello, Mr. Taylor."
"Ms. Hughes, don't be sad. If you need any help, just let me know. I'll do my best to assist you." Daniel's voice was compassionate. Clearly, he didn't know that Marlon wasn't dead.
Margaret felt both touched and ironic. Raymond, her husband, wished for her death, while Daniel, a near stranger, was genuinely concerned.
"My dad isn't dead," Margaret murmured.
Daniel was shocked for a moment but quickly understood. He said with concern, "Ms. Hughes, does Raymond know about your late-stage liver cancer?"
Margaret didn't want to talk about it and lied, "He doesn't know." After all, Raymond didn't trust her.
"Are you not planning to tell him?"
Margaret said with a bitter smile, "No need. We're getting a divorce. Less is more." It wasn't like she hadn't told him before, but Raymond pretended not to know. He insisted she was healthy. It was his new way of tormenting her.
"Ms. Hughes, don't give up on treatment. Liver cancer can be treated with a liver transplant. I can help you find a suitable liver. If the match is successful, you have a chance of survival. Ms. Hughes, I hope you can cooperate with me." Daniel's firm, deep voice gave her a lot of strength.
Margaret used to be very afraid of dying. But after this trip, it was as if she had died once. She saw things more clearly. She was going to die sooner or later. What difference did a liver transplant make? She would still be tormented by Raymond while alive. Death was the best release for her.
But now, hearing Daniel say that a liver transplant could help her survive, her once lifeless heart suddenly filled with hope. She wanted to live, to be with her parents, and to take care of them. She didn't want them to be sad!
What Margaret didn't know was that Raymond was already stepping up the spiral staircase in his black leather shoes, his face darkened.
Raymond had just gotten off the plane and had Alvin drive him back to the apartment. But as he reached the top of the stairs on the second floor, he saw Margaret with her head down, talking on the phone.
He saw the smile on her face, her voice so grateful and gentle. "Daniel, thank you. Let's discuss this when we meet."
Raymond hadn't seen this attitude in a long time. He thought, 'Are they already that close? So they have indeed been living together for a while.'
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