Nicole insisted on staying behind to accompany Audrey. Unable to dissuade her, Samuel had to keep
her company, feeling distressed for her.
She was not in good health, and she got too anxious about Audrey.
Samuel was worried that Nicole would collapse.
Mrs. Don came in without saying anything. She hired a care giver to look after Viola, and then she went
home.
Jason had been waiting outside. When he saw Samuel come out, he whispered, "Let's talk."
"There's nothing to talk about. If it's about Mrs. Don, I think it's up to Nicole.
Samuel said indifferently, obviously reluctant to talk about this.
Knowing his mother had gone too far, Jason sighed and said, "My mother is old, and she is getting
senile."
"Do you know why Minister Shaw committed suicide and tried to kill Viola?"
Samuel thought Audrey had gone to extreme this time.
Jason shook his head and said, "Perhaps it's because my mother adored Viola too much. Audrey has
been thinking she owes Nicole, who could not go back to our family on Viola's account. This is a torture
to Audrey. She was desperate to get Nicole back to the Don family and be Xander's daughter officially,
but it was delayed because of my mother's foolishness. When Viola was kidnapped and thrown into the
sea, she insisted that Nicole was behind the scheme, and my mother believed her. She started to
speak ill of Nicole in front of Audrey. In the beginning, Audrey would argue with my mother. Later, the
old lady was unreasonable and Audrey fell silent."
"It was Nicole's birthday, and Audrey said she was celebrating with Nicole. She only told me about that.
I thought that she was in a bad mood, and she might feel better talking to Nicole, but I didn't expect she
would do such a foolish thing after she came back."
As he spoke, Jason blamed himself.
If only he could have sensed something was wrong with Audrey.
As he listened, Samuel knew the root cause of the problem.
Audrey was the old lady's daughter-in-law, and she had been taking care of her on behalf of Xander.
However, her other daughter tended to alienate the old lady from Nicole, so Audrey felt guilty with
Xander and the Don family.
Perhaps there were quarrels between Audrey and Viola, which was unknown to outsiders, and Viola
wouldn't listen to her. Therefore Audrey made a reckless move, killing herself and Viola to leave peace
to Nicole.
Undoubtedly, Audrey loved Nicole, in a way that no one could understand.
It was a pity that none of them had noticed this.
Nicole stayed by Audrey's side. Looking at her quiet face, she couldn't understand why Audrey had
chosen to die.
As time went by, Jason decided to go back and check on the old lady. Samuel noticed that Nicole didn't
eat or drink anything, so he went out to buy her some food for he was worried about her health.
Impervious to the things happening around her, Nicole kept staying with Audrey.
Someone opened the door quietly.
Viola stood behind Nicole like a ghost, looking at Audrey, who was lying on the bed, with a trace of
malice in her eyes.
"Why? We are both her children. Why does she treat you so well, while treating me ruthlessly?"
Her ghostly voice in the spacious ward sent chills up Nicole's back.
Nicole looked back and saw her resentful eyes.
"You know what you've done. You should know why Mom did that to you."
"Mom? So intimate. Sure enough, you've recognized each other, haven't you?"
Viola burst into laughter.
"I've been expecting her to treat me better ever since I was a child, but she never did. Since you
appeared, she has given you all her love. No matter what you do, she admires you. No matter what I
do, she accuses me. On your birthday, I cooked for her, but she did not appreciate it. She asked me to
tell Mrs. Don that it was not you who kidnapped me and threw me into the sea. She also asked me to
tell the old lady that it was you who suffered miscarriage to save her. She had been thinking of
everything for your own sake, and she didn't even think about me. If I told the old lady everything, what
would she think of me? How would she treat me? Wouldn't the efforts I made on the old lady during the
past month be wasted?"
Nicole frowned.
"Didn't you do all this? Shouldn't you confess to the old lady?"
"Why should I confess? The old lady is blind. She likes lies, and she likes me, an outsider, to be her
granddaughter. She is my mother! Why can't she think for me? I need her love as well! But does she
give me any? You don't know how happy I was when she said she would cook delicious food for me. I
had thought I finally got what I wanted after so many years, but I almost died after I ate what she
cooked for me. My beloved mother wanted to kill me for you! Nicole, why do you exist in this world?
Why don't you die?"
As Viola spoke, she picked up something next to her and flung it at Nicole's head.
Nicole had learned quite some self-defense techniques from Samuel these days. The moment Viola
came over, Nicole turned around and kicked her in the stomach with her right foot, sending her out of
the ward.
Viola let out an angry scream.
She flew out like a kite with a broken string.
However, Nicole felt no pity for her.
She went mad hopelessly.
"Beat it! Stop disturbing my mom!"
After she spoke coldly, Nicole closed the door and shut Viola out.
Returning to bed, Nicole looked at Audrey in a coma and whispered, "Why are you so stupid? So what
if she doesn't tell the old lady? I never care about what the old lady thinks of me. Is it worthwhile killing
yourself for this person? Or do you think no one or nothing could make you stay in the world? How
about me? Don't you want me anymore?"
Audrey's hand moved slightly, but the movement was too slight for Nicole to notice.
She sat at Audrey's bed, whispering, "I used to think that there was a long distance between us. Now, I
know that you love me, in a special way that I can't understand. So what if I can't go back to the Don
family? I don't care at all. As long as you are well and happy, I feel contented. Why do you insist on
getting me back to the Don family? Do I have to do that to be Xander's daughter? And I am not his
daughter if I don't? Mom, sometimes you're too stubborn. "
Nicole didn't know if Audrey could hear her, but even if she couldn't hear, she wanted to tell her.
Audrey was sleeping soundly, and Nicole felt tired, leaning against the bed and falling asleep.
In her dream, she seemed to see Audrey's affectionate smile. And she saw Xander too. When she was
about to say something, they left.
"Dad, Mom!"
Nicole woke up to find this was just a dream.
Samuel was back. When he noticed that she had a nightmare, he asked, "Are you alright? There's a
sofa inside. You go to sleep for a while. I'll watch over her. She'll be fine. Look, I bought some food. Try
to eat some."
"I don't have any appetite."
Nicole was worried.
Samuel knew how she felt, but he tried to persuade her, "Even if you have no appetite, eat some. We
don't know when Minister Shaw will wake up. What if you collapse again?"
"I can't eat."
Nicole knew that Samuel meant well, but she did not have any appetite.
Samuel took a bowl of porridge and said, "Even if you don't have any appetite, have the porridge at
least. Otherwise, if Viola comes looking for trouble again, how do you have the strength to kick her
out?"
Nicole paused.
"How do you know?"
"Well, I guess the whole hospital knows about it. Viola woke up and came to see her mother, but she
got kicked out by you. She can't even get up now, but she says pitifully that you are in a bad mood, and
she asks everyone not to blame you."
"Hypocrite."
Nicole thought it would be a waste of talent if Viola didn't take the career of acting.
Of course Samuel believed none of this.
However, he whispered, "It'll affect you if this spreads out. Besides, Mrs. Don is blind, and she might
misunderstand you. Therefore you should eat something and sleep for a while, so that you can have
the energy to deal with the villains, right?"
Nicole's heart softened when she saw that Samuel took pains to persuade her to eat.
"You are the only one who loves me and understands me in the world."
"I'm your husband. If I don't care about you, who will?"
Samuel handed the porridge to Nicole.
Nicole didn't refuse. Although she didn't have any appetite, she forced herself to eat some.
Samuel felt relieved.
He was afraid that Nicole would break down because of Audrey.
After Nicole ate the porridge, she thought she couldn't sleep, but she drifted off anyway.
She didn't know that the miscarriage had harmed her health, and she felt tired and drowsy easily.
Samuel knew well about this, so he hoped she could sleep well.
Now that she had fallen asleep, Samuel carried her into the inner room and tucked her in. After that, he
walked out.
Audrey was still asleep. Everything was developing in an unknown direction.
Samuel did not know what tomorrow had in store for them, but no one would be allowed to get Nicole
into any trouble!
Samuel felt relieved.
He was afraid that Nicole would break down because of Audrey.
After Nicole ate the porridge, she thought she couldn't sleep, but she drifted off anyway.
She didn't know that the miscarriage had harmed her health, and she felt tired and drowsy easily.
Samuel knew well about this, so he hoped she could sleep well.
Now that she had fallen asleep, Samuel carried her into the inner room and tucked her in. After that, he
walked out.
Audrey was still asleep. Everything was developing in an unknown direction.
Samuel did not know what tomorrow had in store for them, but no one would be allowed to get Nicole
into any trouble!
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