Chapter 658 Onset
Zachary replied, "Soon."
Winona couldn't shake the feeling that Zachary hesitated for a moment when he said that.
Lydia, being his mother, knew her son well enough to catch that brief hesitation.
Her face darkened for a moment, but when she turned to Winona, she wore a warm, loving smile. "Winona, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Could you grab me a couple of slices of cake?"
As soon as Winona left, Lydia's expression turned serious. She asked Zachary in a stern voice, "What are your thoughts on the wedding? Let me tell you, if you have any funny ideas, I'll break both your legs. Winona is the only daughter-in-law I accept. No one else."
She had heard the recent rumors, and the woman in question even bore a slight resemblance to Fiona. If Winona hadn't seemed unbothered and if Lydia hadn't feared that her interference might affect their relationship, she would have given Zachary a piece of her mind.
"Mom," Zachary said, half-laughing, half-crying, "What are you thinking? Of course, Winona is the only one for me."
Lydia's face softened at his assurance, but given Zachary's past, she couldn't help but add, "Don't forget, you were almost in tears begging to marry Winona. Now that you've finally reconciled, if you don't cherish her, even if Winona forgives you, I won't."
Zachary winced at her exaggerated description. "I wasn't crying."
Winona returned with the cake, and Lydia waved her off. "Go start the car and put all this stuff in the trunk."
After they left, Lydia and Winona sat in the cake shop for a while longer. When it seemed like enough time had passed, they grabbed the cake and headed out. "Winona, what do you want to eat later?"
"Mom, why don't you and Dad go out by yourselves? It's your anniversary. Zachary and I don't want to intrude."
She really didn't want to be a third wheel, especially since she always felt like Evander's every glance was a silent complaint about her lack of tact.
"We've been married for decades. It's just the two of us at home most of the time. Every day is a couple's day. On special occasions, it's more fun with family."
As they walked and chatted, a man suddenly bumped into Lydia, causing her to drop the cake.
The man had quite a bit of force, and Lydia almost fell from the impact. She was about to scold him for not watching where he was going, but he quickly bent down to pick up the cake, leaving her with nothing to say. "It's okay, you can go..."
The man handed the cake back to Lydia awkwardly. He seemed socially anxious, not even daring to look up despite wearing a mask and hat.
The cake was a mess, with cream smeared everywhere, making it inedible.
Winona took the ruined cake from Lydia. "Mom, I'll toss this. You wait by the road for Dad."
The trash can was a bit far, so she ran to it to save time.
Lydia rubbed her sore shoulder and turned to head towards the road. The man suddenly shoved two hundred dollars into her hand. "You're a kind woman. This is for the cake."
The voice, though older and weaker than she remembered, was unmistakable.
It was like a bolt of lightning, shattering the deeply buried, dark memories and laying them bare. Lydia trembled all over, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Fear, disgust, pain.
A flood of negative emotions surged from her heart.
Lydia stood frozen, unsure of what to do until Winona's voice snapped her out of it. She turned around quickly, but the man was already lost in the crowd.
"Mom, what are you looking at?" Winona followed her gaze but saw only people leisurely shopping.
Lydia gripped her hand tightly, struggling to speak but unable to make a sound.
"Mom, are you okay?" Winona noticed her pale face and the tight grip on her arm. "Is it your heart again? Do you have your medication?"
She helped her sit down and emptied her bag, finally finding the small box of pills.
But there was no water.
Winona put the pill in Lydia's mouth and was about to get water from a nearby store when someone handed her a bottle. She turned, surprised to see Michael.
Michael: "I just got this. It's warm. Let Lydia drink it."
"Thank you."
"No problem. I was just out shopping with a friend and saw you."
As soon as Lydia drank the water, Evander and Zachary arrived. "What happened?"
Winona shook her head at Zachary, not knowing the details.
Evander knelt down, holding Lydia gently, afraid to hurt her. He looked like a new dad holding a newborn for the first time, eager but unsure. "Are you feeling better? I'll take you to the hospital."
Lydia was the one who was sick, but Evander looked even paler, his voice trembling slightly.
Lydia clung to his sleeve, crumpling the fabric. "I just..."
When someone becomes a source of extreme fear, everything about them becomes a nightmare. For Lydia, Alton was worse than a nightmare, so terrifying that even mentioning his name filled her with dread.
Evander gently patted her back, soothing her. "Let's get you to the hospital first. We can talk about everything else later."
Michael reminded them, "I've already called 911. It's better not to move her too much to avoid further injury."
He directed his comment to Winona, speaking familiarly.
Zachary glanced at him, finding him unfamiliar, and asked Winona quietly, "Do you know him?"
Winona: "Michael, my assistant. He just helped get water for Mom."
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