Chapter 499
Hillary had long since grown disillusioned with Darren’s hypocrisy. His sudden outburst, his self-righteous anger—it only made her feel less guilty about Olivia’s current condition. She had no space left in her heart for guilt. Not anymore.
Naomi, however, was blindsided by their argument. She never expected her parents to turn on each other now, of all times.
“Can you two stop?!” she snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. “This isn’t about either of you. This is about Olivia!”
Her words cut through the tension. Darren and Hillary fell silent. Whatever fire had been in Darren’s voice a moment ago vanished. He looked away, quietly ashamed. Hillary, too, held her tongue, her expression unreadable.
“If she doesn’t recover…” Hillary began softly, but she couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought. The words lodged in her throat, cold and heavy.
The only comfort she clung to now was the doctor’s assurance that the baby remained unharmed. That meant Naomi was still safe. For that, she was silently grateful—and it calmed whatever lingering resentment she felt toward Darren.
“Look,” Hillary said more firmly, “now isn’t the time to argue about who’s to blame. Olivia needs treatment. That’s what matters. We’ll wait until Tyler returns so we can figure out what to do next.”
Naomi suddenly felt a creeping sense of unease. On the surface, Olivia’s condition might seem like a blessing in disguise—an opening. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t that simple.
Yes, the child Olivia carried was still healthy. But if Olivia remained in this fragile mental state, what then? Where would she go? Could she still be part of the Jones family? Would she even want to return?
Naomi’s guilt grew heavier with every passing second. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen, but that didn’t erase her role in it. And yet… she couldn’t stop thinking about the consequences this would have on their future.
Maybe this was divine punishment—some cruel correction for surviving when she wasn’t meant to.
Her fingers clenched tightly, nails pressing into her palms.
Just then, Tyler emerged from the corridor, his presence snapping everyone to attention.
“Tyler!” Naomi called out, stepping forward instinctively.
Hillary and Darren moved to him as well.
Tyler paused and looked at them, but his eyes eventually settled on Naomi. His face was unreadable. His voice was quiet, almost emotionless. “She’s stable.”
“Is she doing better now?” Naomi asked, her hand trembling where it rested over her chest.
“The nurse is doing what she can,” he replied simply.
Naomi felt a tremor of dread. “What can we do to help?”
“Just leave for now,” Tyler said without looking at her.
She opened her mouth to respond, but Hillary stepped in first. “We’ll stay in Naomi’s ward. That way, if anything changes, we’ll hear right away.”
Naomi nodded stiffly, her expression carefully composed. But beneath the surface, her anxiety was mounting.
Camilla, who had remained at a distance, finally spoke. “That’s… fortunate.”
The word hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning.
And just like that, they knew—this was only the beginning.