Chapter 392 Succumbing to Depression
Luann got tossed forward 'cause of the inertia and the way her body tilted, smacking the ground hard. Just as she was trying to get up, her leg took a nasty hit.
Shirley managed to slam the brakes just in time, but Luann was still hurt. Shirley stared in shock, her vision going red.
It felt like she was back six years ago, right after the car crash, seeing her dad's body.
Shirley clutched her chest, coughing like crazy, blood trickling from her mouth.
"Luann, Luann," she struggled to get out of the car to check on Luann, but everything went black.
When Luann woke up, her leg was wrapped in thick bandages. First thing she asked was, "Where's Mom?"
Everyone stayed quiet, faces looking grim. The air was thick with tension.
Even Jones, who had rushed over from abroad, sat by her side, patting her shoulder.
Luann had a bad feeling and tried to get up. Jones held her down. "Your leg's messed up and just stitched up. Don't move."
Debra's painful cries echoed in the room. She blamed herself for going out that day, thinking if she hadn't, Shirley wouldn't have driven.
Jones said, "It's a miracle she's lived this long."
"No! No way!" Luann's voice was sharp. "What are you talking about? How could something happen to my mom? She was fine before we went out. She wouldn't leave me."
People held Luann back as she tried to get down. Jones sighed. "Let her go."
As soon as her feet touched the ground, pain shot through her. Luann fell and almost crawled over.
Shirley's usually pale lips were now stained with blood. Her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes didn't flutter.
"Mom." Luann ran over, grabbed her wrist. No pulse. She pressed her ear to her chest. No heartbeat.
"Give her a shot; give her a shot!" Luann frantically searched for tools. She grabbed Jones's sleeve. "Jones, the medicine, get the medicine!"
"I've used every medicine on her," Jones said, crushing her hopes. "Without the medicine, she would've gone even faster."
"Impossible. Didn't you say if I studied medicine, I could save her? Then what was all my studying for?"
Besides piano, Luann spent most of her time studying medicine. She hated it but did it for Shirley, staying in the cold, disinfectant-smelling hospital every day, trying to get stronger.
But in the end, she couldn't save her own mother. All those years of effort seemed wasted. From then on, Luann never set foot in a hospital again.
The solid foundation she built was wasted. Every time she saw something related to medicine, she hated how worthless she felt.
Jones knew this whole mess was a massive hit to Luann, so he didn't push her to keep up with the medicine stuff. From then on, even when she got sick, she dodged hospitals like the plague. As she got older, she chilled out a bit, but staying overnight in a hospital still gave her the creeps.
Luann's leg eventually healed up, but it left a gnarly scar. Jones suggested some reconstructive surgery or a skin graft, but she wasn't having it.
As she grew up, she started forgetting things about Shirley. Those precious memories got even fuzzier. The pain seemed to fade with time and her young age. After Shirley's death, Debra stuck around instead of heading abroad. Luann made sure to visit her every year.
When Luann was seventeen, Debra, on her deathbed, spilled the beans. "Luann, I gotta come clean. When I sent you to the Miller family, it was 'cause I hated Mike for wrecking the Wright family. I wanted you to get strong with Jones and get back at him for your grandpa. But seeing Shirley live in guilt and hate for six years until she died, I regretted it. I don't want you to be a revenge tool. I hope you can live a carefree life as Sunshine. Don't let hate blind you, don't hold too much resentment, and don't be overly kind like your mom. Don't start trouble, but if someone messes with you, don't show mercy."
In the lonely cemetery, crows cawed annoyingly.
Mike trembled. "So, you really came to the Weaver family to dig up what happened back then! You've been here for four years, Luann. You really got patience!"
Luann's voice was soft but ice-cold. "I did think about it. If you had treated me a little better, cared a little more, we wouldn't be talking here right now. If I hadn't spread the news about the Wright family orphan, causing a big stir, you probably wouldn't have let me into the Weaver family. Am I right, dear father?"
Luann bent over, chuckling. Mike looked at her face, shaking. For a moment, her smile seemed to blend with Shirley's in his memory. It drove him nuts. "Shirley?"
Luann's smile vanished. She hated hearing her mom's name from Mike's mouth. She thought he had no right; he didn't deserve it!
"If you wanna make up for it, show some real sincerity. Why don't you kneel here for a night and pray for my mom?"
Mike stood up abruptly. "A night? Are you kidding me? How could I..."
Before he could finish, Luann picked up a brick and smashed it on his head. Mike's body dropped like a sack of potatoes.
She dusted off her hands. "So annoying. Stay here and behave yourself."
