Chapter 89 The Eldest Daughter-in-law
Fiona thought she was over the whole Darwin-getting-hitched thing.
But when she heard the date, it hit her like a ton of bricks.
She went quiet for a sec.
She felt pathetic.
"Hathaway invited me, but I can't stand Darwin, so I figured I'd just send a gift and skip the whole thing," Janna said, piling more food on Fiona's plate. "But even if I don't like him, I still wanna get a decent gift, so I thought I'd ask you what Darwin likes."
"Haven't really thought about it," Fiona said, keeping her face straight. "Since it's Ms. Ross's invite, maybe we should focus on what she likes?"
"Yeah, that makes sense." Janna nodded. "I'll get her a bracelet or some other jewelry!"
"Sounds good," Fiona agreed.
Janna eyed Fiona.
She didn't look sad at all.
If she wasn't sad, she must not have feelings for Darwin. So why was she still hanging around him? For cash?
Janna thought about it and ditched that idea.
Even though she hadn't known Fiona long, Janna was sure she wasn't the type to care about money.
So if it wasn't for cash, the answer was clear.
Darwin had always been a jerk. He must've done something dumb, like blackmailing or threatening her.
After that, they didn't bring up Darwin again.
They chatted about all sorts of stuff, having a blast.
"Is there really that much good food in Serene City?" Janna asked, practically drooling after hearing Fiona talk about the local snacks.
"The nearby cities have great food too. If you have time, you should stay a while and try it all!" Fiona said, feeling a bit proud of her hometown.
"I might head there next week." Janna's smile faded a bit. "If I can't find my old friend, I'll have to head back."
After a brief moment of sadness, Janna grabbed Fiona's hand. "When I go to Serene City, you gotta hang out with me for a couple of days!"
"No problem!" Fiona grinned. "If Darwin doesn't let me, I'll just drug him and make him sleep for two days!"
Janna burst out laughing.
They were having a great time when Stuart rushed over, holding a big bowl of food, crumbs all over his face.
He babbled something quickly.
Janna's face went pale. "Wasn't everything fine last time? How did it suddenly get critical?"
Stuart babbled some more, looking super worried.
"Get the car ready, we need to go now!" Janna was visibly anxious.
"Ms. Rhoads, what's going on?" Fiona stood up.
"The person I visited at the nursing home last time is suddenly critically ill!" Janna said seriously, "He's the adoptive father of my old friend, and only he knows how to find her!"
"Don't worry! Is the driver here?" Fiona asked.
Janna shook her head. "I thought nothing would happen tonight, so I let him rest."
"Stuart can read English? Take my car!" Fiona decided quickly, grabbing Janna's coat. "I got nothing going on tonight, I'll go with you."
Janna didn't argue.
A moment later, Fiona was driving through the night towards the nursing home.
On the way, Darwin called.
Fiona picked up.
Before Darwin could say anything, Fiona jumped in, "Mr. Solomon, Ms. Rhoads's friend is in critical condition. I'm taking her to the nursing home now, the one where Mrs. Solomon is."
"Critical? Need my help?" Darwin asked, sounding serious.
"We'll see when we get there," Fiona said, hearing some muffled voices on the other end.
"Got it. Don't drive too fast, be safe, and call me if you need anything." Darwin's tone was gentle but had a hint of panic.
"Okay," Fiona replied and hung up.
Even though the voice was muffled, she could tell it was Hathaway.
No wonder Darwin was so quick to let her go tonight.
"Fiona?" Janna called from the side.
Fiona snapped back. "What's up?"
"If he dies, will I never find my old friend?" Janna murmured.
Fiona hesitated. "Ms. Rhoads, can I ask who this old friend is to you?"
"She..." Janna sighed deeply. "She is my eldest daughter-in-law."
"Huh?" Fiona was totally floored by that answer.
"The person at the nursing home is her adoptive father. She and another kid were switched at birth. Not long after she married into our family, the truth came out." Janna shook her head. "What happened next is a family mess, so I won't get into it. Long story short, I was confused and manipulated, her marriage to my son got annulled, and she left, disappearing without a trace."
Fiona stayed quiet.
So, Janna felt guilty and wanted to find her to apologize?
"This past New Year, I found out I had been manipulated and wronged that child. When I finally found her adoptive father, he tore into me and then told me she had been dead for years." Janna wiped away her tears. "That child was a lot like me, tough but capable. I once saw her as my successor!"
"Don't be sad," Fiona said softly.
Janna choked up and shook her head. "I just want to find her, dead or alive, and apologize in person."
The mood was heavy.
Fiona played some calming music.
When they got to the nursing home, the person had been resuscitated by the time Janna got there.
But through the window of the hospital room, Fiona could see the frail old man was clearly at the end of his rope.
When her grandparents passed away, they had the same aura of impending death.
"Ms. Rhoads, we've done our best," the attending physician said helplessly to Janna, "He's still conscious, so make the most of the time you have."
Janna shook her head.
A moment later, Fiona helped her into the room.
"Joshua." Janna began, her voice trembling.
Joshua glanced at her. "Why are you here again?"
"What do you think?" Janna's eyes reddened, losing her businesswoman vibe. "We knew each other when we were young..."
"Yeah." Joshua gritted his teeth and suddenly got hysterical. "So I trusted you with my beloved daughter! But you!"
In the hospital room, the machines started beeping like crazy.
The medical staff rushed in.
At that moment, Joshua's gaze suddenly shifted past Janna and looked behind her.
His sunken eyes widened.
He urgently reached out his hand in that direction.