Chapter 154
Lydia immediately reached for her phone, ready to call Lucas and demand why that so-called “doctor” still hadn’t shown up. She thought, ‘If I could make him feel guilty enough, maybe I could pull his attention back to me!
But before she could dial Lucas’s number, her phone buzzed with an incoming call from him.
Lydia quickly pulled herself together, ready to start crying about her grievances, but Lucas spoke first.
Lucas said, “Lydia, great news-Grandpa just woke up. You’ve been crying your eyes out every day, worrying about him. Now that he’s awake, I knew you’d be thrilled, so I called you right away.” His excitement and joy practically radiated through the phone.
Lucas had run out after Emily, but she was way too fast for him to catch up. So he ended up heading to the hospital to try his luck.
He didn’t run into Emily, but instead, he happened to be there right when Charles woke up. Without missing a beat, he immediately called Lydia.
Lydia’s pitiful act froze on her face, her gloomy mood twisting her features into something almost scary. She fumed inwardly, ‘That old geezer should’ve died two years ago. Why is he so damn tough? Still not dead?’
She was so furious she nearly crushed her phone, but she forced herself to sound cheerful and act surprised. She replied, “Really? That’s amazing. I’ll head to the hospital right now.”
She hung up in a hurry, then angrily swept the makeup in front of her off the desk and smashed it onto the floor.
The clatter that followed was sharp and jarring to the ear.
Staring at her own messy, pitiful face in the mirror, a scheme suddenly popped into Lydia’s mind.
She gave herself a quick once-over, then grabbed some blush and exaggerated the redness and swelling on her cheek, making it look even worse. Satisfied with her handiwork, she set off for the hospital.
When Lydia got to the hospital, she found that Lucas was the only one there, keeping watch by Charles’s bedside.
She glanced around, hoping to spot the person she wanted to see. When they were nowhere in sight, her brows knitted in annoyance before she finally looked over at Charles.
Charles, who had seemed to be on the mend before, now looked deathly pale, his eyes dull and lifeless-he seemed even older and frailer than ever.
Lydia practically threw herself at Charles in a burst of excitement. She exclaimed, “Grandpa, you’re finally awake. I was so afraid I’d lost you forever. I’ve been sad for so long, thinking I’d never have you in my life again.”
Lucas, who’d been standing awkwardly to the side since Charles hadn’t paid him any attention, jumped in right away. He said, “Grandpa, Lydia’s been losing sleep every night worrying about you. She’s not like Emily at all.”
He almost blurted out another comparison between Emily and Lydia—just like he’d done for years without thinking. But this time, the words just wouldn’t come out.
Lydia, who had been waiting for Lucas to keep talking, almost let her mask slip-her face nearly twisted with frustration before she caught herself.
She quickly cut in, “Lucas, don’t misunderstand Emily. Even though she deliberately slandered me and even hit me, I believe she just lost her head because she was so worried about Grandpa. I don’t blame her at all.
1/2
Chapter 154
“She’s already heartbroken, but she’s still been coming to see Grandpa every night lately. She’s done her best.”
Anyone with a bit of sense could tell her words were full of backhanded compliments, but Lucas had always trusted Lydia without a second thought. He frowned and said, “Lydia, after what Emily did to you, how can you still take her side?”
Lydia stuck out her lower lip in a pitiful pout, making sure Charles could see her swollen cheek. She said, “Emily’s never liked me, so whatever she does to me, I can understand.”
Maybe Charles finally got interested in what they were talking about, because after sitting there in silence, he suddenly turned his head. His eyes fell on Lydia’s swollen cheek, and he asked, “What did you do?”
His sudden question left Lydia and Lucas completely stunned.
