Chapter 436 Secret Struggle
Madeline's flight was in an hour, so time was tight. As soon as Dione stepped into the hospital room, Juniper was already on her way out.
"Mrs. Hall, my mom's flight is about to land. I need to rush to the airport. Please take care of Samuel," Juniper said, giving Dione a quick glance before hurrying off.
Dione didn't even have a chance to respond before Juniper disappeared.
"Just leaving like that? So rude!" Dione muttered, her frustration with Juniper growing. She already had a grudge against her, and this just made it worse.
She couldn't understand it. Samuel had looks, a good family background, and was a big star. So many women would love to marry him, yet he chose this troublemaker.
Not only was Juniper a few years older than Samuel, but she also got him into this mess.
After Juniper left, Dione fumed silently, blaming Juniper for everything.
If it weren't for the fact that Juniper was carrying Samuel's child, Dione wouldn't want to see her at all.
She sat by the bed, checking the heart monitor. The readings were stable.
She then noticed a stain on the pillow and reached out to touch it.
"Still sticky?"
Dione saw the thermos on the bedside table and understood what had happened.
"This troublemaker! She claims she can't bear to leave Samuel and wants to take care of him, but look at this mess! She didn't even change the pillowcase?"
Juniper was really being wronged here. It wasn't that she didn't want to change the pillowcase; she was just so worried about Samuel's condition that she overlooked these small details.
At the airport, Juniper waited at the gate for a while until she saw her mom.
"Mom, over here!" Juniper called out, waving excitedly when she spotted Madeline.
Madeline was shocked to see Juniper and quickly walked over, concerned. "Juniper, you look so worn out! And have you lost weight?"
"Well, it's hard to rest in the hospital, and I haven't been wearing makeup, so I look worse than usual," Juniper shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"You're not alone now. You need to take care of yourself. Samuel's family can help too. You're pregnant; taking care of yourself is already a lot," Madeline said, her face full of concern.
Juniper pushed her mom towards the exit, brushing off her worries. "Okay, okay, I get it."
Outside the airport, Juniper hailed a cab, which annoyed Madeline.
"You came here alone? No one from the Hall family came to pick you up?"
"Samuel's dad is busy, and his mom is at the hospital. They really didn't have time," Juniper explained.
"They couldn't even send a driver? You're carrying their grandchild, and they can't even arrange a ride for me?" Madeline complained, frowning.
As they spoke, a cab pulled up. Juniper helped her mom into the car.
"Mom, you came on such short notice. I didn't have time to tell them. Let's just get in the car."
During the ride, Madeline held Juniper's hand, her face full of worry. "You've lost so much weight."
"Mom, it's just the pregnancy. No matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight. You're overreacting. I don't even feel like I've lost weight," Juniper reassured her mom.
"You're my child. How can I not care?"
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Madeline's concern lasted the entire ride. Juniper started to regret asking Dione to watch over Samuel. She should have hired a nurse instead.
She thought about how Dione was already unhappy with her because of Samuel, and now Madeline was upset with the Hall family. The two women were bound to clash.
Juniper felt a headache coming on.
At the hospital, Juniper and Madeline walked into the room. Dione didn't greet them warmly, but she was polite enough.
Despite her dislike for Juniper, Dione knew she needed her to help stabilize Samuel's condition, so she couldn't be too harsh.
"Mrs. Hayes, you're here."
"Yes, I came to see Samuel. I really like that boy."
"Please, have a seat. There's some fruit here," Dione said, pretending to be hospitable.
Though she offered the fruit, she didn't move to wash it, making it difficult for anyone to eat.
"How's Samuel's condition? What did the doctors say?"
The two women exchanged pleasantries, eventually discussing how Juniper had fed Samuel some soup earlier.
Dione pointed to the pillow. "Juniper, the pillowcase is dirty. I'll hold Samuel while you change it."
"Okay, I'll check," Juniper agreed, nodding.
She went to the balcony and came back. "Mrs. Hall, the pillowcase is washed but still wet. We'll have to wait."
"But we can't let Samuel use a dirty pillow," Dione said, clearly unhappy.
"I'll use a towel for now."
Juniper went to the bathroom, grabbed two towels, and carefully placed them under Samuel's head.
Seeing her daughter being ordered around, Madeline was visibly upset. Juniper was her precious child, not someone to be bossed around, especially while pregnant.
Not being picked up at the airport was one thing, but treating Juniper like this was unacceptable.
Samuel was a great kid, but how could he have such a mother?
Madeline took in Dione's expression and thought, "Samuel ended up like this because of your son. Juniper is doing her best, and you still aren't satisfied?"
Taking care of Samuel was Juniper's responsibility to the Hall family, but making him use a dirty pillow was too much.
The two older women were silently battling it out, while Samuel lay unconscious, and Juniper was too busy to notice.
After fixing the towels, Juniper looked up and saw the unhappy faces. She finally understood what was going on.
She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it, unsure of what to say. She regretted asking Dione to come.
Madeline spoke softly, "Juniper, you've been through so much. You're pregnant; you need to take care of yourself."
She paused, noticing Dione's displeasure, and continued, "If you can't eat or sleep well here, come home. Your dad and I will take care of you. Don't make us worry."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
