Chapter 10 The Afflicted
Daisy and Anna also rushed to the spiral staircase. They discovered bloodstained footprints extending from the corridor to the staircase, evoking the atmosphere of a crime scene.
Daisy let out a long sigh of relief, thankful that it was a false alarm. However, seeing the tense relationship between Jackson and Lillian, she vaguely guessed that her plan had failed.
Just then, Daisy's phone rang, and a doctor's anxious voice came through the line. "Mrs. Frane! Jeffrey's condition has worsened. He is running a high fever, so please come to the hospital quickly!"
Jeffrey's condition was Daisy's greatest concern. Upon hearing the news, she was at a loss, holding the phone and crying uncontrollably. Anna tried to ask what was happening, but Daisy was too overwhelmed with tears to respond. Jackson took the phone, inquired about Jeffrey's condition, and arranged for others to go to the hospital.
Lillian had a soft spot for Jeffrey because he still retained the innocence. It was enjoyable to converse with him; unlike with adults, whose conversations always revolved around self-interest.
Inside the children's ward at Duke University Hospital, Jeffrey lay unconscious on the hospital bed and hooked up to an IV drip. The Franes surrounded him, with Daisy at the forefront. She leaned over Jeffrey’s bed, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
"Didn’t you say there was no danger and the condition was manageable? Why is this happening?" Daisy asked with a trembling voice, causing the doctors beside her to look troubled.
One of the doctors timidly said, "Mrs. Frane, to cure Jeffrey's illness, he will need a bone marrow transplant with a matching blood type."
Daisy cast a pleading look at Lillian, who remained indifferent. Lillian had thought Daisy was just a grandmother eager for a grandchild, but she never imagined that her true desire was not for a grandchild but for a remedy to save Jeffrey.
Lillian would not allow her child to be born into this world with the dull duty of being a savior for others, even if the person to be saved was her beloved person.
Lillian left the ward, silently rejecting Daisy's pleading eyes. Jeffrey needed a quiet environment, so one by one, everyone left the room, leaving Daisy alone by his bedside. The doctors, unable to persuade her to leave, let her stay.
Outside the ward, Lillian ran into two familiar faces: Wendy's parents, York Sivan and Grace Walker.
To be precise, before the age of six, they were Lillian's parents, showering her with all their love. Lillian's room in the Sivan Mansion was filled with toys, and they used to go on family outings every weekend, living a comfortable and hopeful life.
Lillian was greatly cherished, with York reading bedtime stories to her from a fairy tale book every day. One night, the fairy tale discussed, ‘When is forever?’
Lillian asked York, "Daddy, what is forever?"
York replied, "Sweetheart, my love for you is forever."
But all those promises from the past became void after Lillian turned six.
A scientific identification certificate revealed the truth to both the Sivan family and the Young family.
Wendy was the gentle, bedtime-story-telling daughter of York；while Lillian was the daughter of a gambler and alcoholic!
Lillian lost her beautiful bedroom filled with teenage toys, bedtime stories, and York's love.
From that moment on, she knew that nothing in the world was eternal.
Outside the ward, York and Grace awkwardly avoided Lillian's gaze, feeling ashamed of their broken promises. .
Besides visiting Jeffrey, Lillian had other matters to attend to at the hospital. She hinted at Jackson with her eyes, and he nodded.
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