Chapter 241: Busy With a Birthday Party
Raylee was overcome with anxiety. Sitting in the taxi, she felt so distressed it was nearly suffocating. At the hospital, Hazel paced anxiously outside the operating room.
Upon arriving, Raylee quickly asked, “Hazel, how’s Grandma doing?”
“The surgery has been going on for an hour now, and there’s still no update from the doctor. I’ve reached out to Mr. and Mrs. Goodridge, but they said they’re busy and won’t be able to arrive until later.”
“What could possibly be so important that they’d neglect their mother and mother-in-law?” Raylee fumed.
“It seems that tomorrow is Ms. Waverly’s birthday; they are planning a grand birthday party for her…” Hazel replied, sounding somewhat dejected.
A birthday party? Oh, so it’s Waverly’s birthday tomorrow. Well, it’s my birthday too… A wave of bitterness washed over Raylee’s heart.
“Mrs. Goodridge also mentioned that, on top of Ms. Waverly’s birthday, she’s about to be engaged as well. It’ll be a double celebration, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to visit such an ill-omened place like a hospital. As such, she asked me to help keep a close watch instead. How could she do this? It’s utterly disrespectful toward Old Mrs. Goodridge!” Hazel added with a furrowed brow.
“Engaged? Who is she getting engaged to?” Raylee had no idea about this.
Hazel found Raylee’s question somewhat peculiar.
“Ms. Waverly is engaged to Mr. Sutherland, so naturally, it’d be him.”
With certainty, Raylee declared, “It’s not him.”
However, after she had spoken, she began to feel a sense of unease. How could it be possible for Waverly to find a new fiancé within just a few days if it weren’t Casimir? Torn between affirmation and denial, she eventually chose to put her faith in Casimir. After all, Casimir had decisively chosen her instead of Waverly. For her sake, he had engaged in a fight to the death with Alaric. Most importantly, she had chosen to stand by his side in this battle, giving him all of her shares in Goodridge Group.
After comforting herself, Raylee calmed down and sat patiently in the chair, waiting for Vera’s surgery to be performed.
Three hours later, the operation on Vera was unsuccessful. The doctor emerged from the operating room and announced, “The patient’s condition is far from ideal. We’re moving her to the ICU now. As her family members, you need to brace yourselves. Her situation could take a turn at any moment…”
“Doctor, are you saying there’s no hope for my grandma? That can’t be possible!” Tears instantly cascaded down Raylee’s cheeks like a rainstorm. “I beg you, please save my grandma! I can’t lose her!”
“We really did everything we could,” the doctor replied with a sigh.
With tears streaming down her face, Hazel helped Raylee to her feet and said, “Ms. Raylee, let’s accept reality here. Old Mrs. Goodridge’s health had been in a dire state for quite some time. The fact that it ended now, after all this while, is somehow a form of release for her.”
Wait a minute… After all this while? Hazel, was Grandma’s illness that severe? Why has no one informed me?” Raylee couldn’t come to terms with it.
“I might as well tell you the truth now, Ms. Raylee. In the past four years, Old Mrs. Goodridge has been overly stressed due to your imprisonment. She’s been in and out of the hospital constantly. Not a single day has passed without her suffering…”
As Hazel recalled the past, her heart filled with sorrow. “It was only after you were released from prison that she began to feel… the doctor not to tell you the truth. Old Mrs. Goodridge really went out of her way for you.”
“It’s all my fault, I’ve let Grandma down…” Raylee leaned against the wall, clutching her chest in distress, her body shuddering with each sob.
Hazel held her, soothingly saying, “Ms. Raylee, you shouldn’t blame yourself. In truth, it was the actions of Mr. and Mrs. Goodridge that led to this. They were the ones who constantly hindered Old Mrs. Goodridge from visiting you in prison. Had they not done so, her condition wouldn’t have deteriorated so much.”
“How could they treat Grandma like this? Could they really disregard Grandma’s life for the sake of family interests?”
In the midst of her sobbing, Raylee clenched her fists tightly, the resentment in her heart burning through her entire being like a fierce flame. She wished fervently that every member of the Goodridge family would join Vera in her grave. Casimir, you must win this battle! You have to help me take down everyone from the Goodridge family!
Even when Vera was transferred to the ICU, not a single member of the Goodridge family came to visit. Wiping away her tears, Raylee continued to call Casimir. She had tried calling him several times, but his phone remained switched off. Why can’t I reach him? Overwhelmed with sorrow, Raylee couldn’t help but burst into tears again. She was yearning to see Casimir at that moment. Even a single word of comfort, a solitary embrace from him, could have provided her with a profound sense of solace. However, he let her down at the most crucial moment. It was truly disappointing.
Speaking of which, he hasn’t been in touch with me for the past few days ever since I transferred my shares over to him. I wonder what his situation is like now? Having acquired my shares, he should have felt invincible, capable of winning this battle, right? Raylee felt a bit worried inside. The news of Waverly’s engagement unconsciously drifted through her mind once again. Raylee shook her head vehemently as she refused to believe that Casimir would stoop that low. He probably didn’t reach out to me only because he was too busy. Raylee was slumped weakly in the corner, her hands cradling her head as she cried. Whenever she thought of Vera’s illness and the thought of Vera possibly leaving her at any moment, her heart ached as if it were about to be torn apart.