Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 282
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Chapter 282: Mask Removed
Annalise’s knees buckled, but her hands reached out, gasping and clawing at Catherine’s smug visage. An animalistic scream tore through her throat, and in that moment, she was more beast than human.
She wanted to rip apart Catherine from limb to limb!
It turned out that everything that she knew was a lie. All the love and care that she showered on Emmeline, a girl that she thought was her own daughter… turned out to be for naught.
Her best friend, the woman she thought would always have her back, was responsible for killing her own daughter. Her husband, the man who swore under oath to protect and cherish her, was now staring at her as though she was nothing but a gnat under his shoe.
What was the point of living? Annalise couldn’t help but despair. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest before a sharp pain ricocheted through her body, causing her already frail legs to crumble.
She fell to a collapsed heap on the floor.
Catherine leaned over mockingly. “Oh Annalise, there’s no need for such theatrics, you know acting isn’t your strong suit.”
Next to her, Benjamin Hawthorne was similarly cavalier about her prone figure. There was a brief moment of worry in his eyes, but then Catherine held his hand, and he got his priorities back in order.
Besides, Catherine was right. Annalise had a tendency to be overdramatic. His life wasn’t so smooth sailing that she would drop dead right in front of him!
“Mom, what the fuck is wrong with you?!” Aiden exclaimed, appalled at his mother’s nonchalance towards Annalise’s welfare.
Hell, even if this person was her most hated enemy, shouldn’t she help― if not for her sake, then for Emmeline’s? In Emmeline’s mind, this person was still her actual mother!
“She just collapsed! We need a doctor! Hey nurse! Anyone?!” Aiden called out frantically. His voice attracted the attention of the nurses on duty, and everyone could only watch helplessly as they hauled Annalise away on a stretcher to the emergency department.
“There’s no need for such panic,” Catherine sniffed dismissively. “I’m telling you, she’ll be as right as rain in a couple of hours.”
“I highly doubt it,” Amelia muttered to Matteo. Judging from the way Annalise had gripped at her chest desperately before she collapsed, she might have experienced a heart attack from the recent shock. And who could blame her?
However, Benjamin nodded in agreement. “I see no reason to worry. Catherine, there’s no reason for us to be here any longer.”
“Oh dearie, how could you say that when it’s our daughter that’s inside undergoing an operation?” Catherine cooed. She didn’t sound like a concerned mother at all.
Suddenly, Amelia felt very sorry for Emmeline. The mother who truly loved her had been hauled away for treatment, and she was only left with Catherine Laine.
“An abortion is a minor procedure,” Benjamin Hawthorne said. “We should get some breakfast first. You haven’t eaten yet, right?”
“No dear, I have not,” Catherine admitted. She gave a girlish giggle behind her hand. “Well, I guess it’s time for us to go. I’ll see all of you soon enough. Benjamin darling, what do you have in mind?”
The two of them walked off without a second glance. They were so confident in their relationship that their hands were linked together, their display of affection obvious to anyone with eyes. Amelia mentally applauded their audacity.
Aiden could only scowl in disgust. “What the fuck? Is she not scared that my father will find out?”
“Maybe she wants him to find out,” Amelia said with a sigh. “Things have got to this point, and with Annalise’s condition in jeopardy, maybe she wants to take this chance to divorce your father and marry Benjamin Hawthorne for real. Benjamin Hawthorne doesn’t seem to have any objection. I’m guessing they are too tired of hiding.”
Aiden’s face paled. “I’m screwed then. I should just leave the country at this point. Dear old dad will blow a gasket, and half of this city up while he’s at it.”
“You’re not leaving the hospital, let alone the city,” Matteo said, ruthlessly crushing Aiden’s hopes.
“Why not?” Aiden demanded hotly.
Matteo raised an eyebrow. “Someone sane has to be the one to break the news to Emmeline. Do you think your mother will tell her the truth?”
Aiden sunk into the chairs, terrified. “Must we tell her? She doesn’t need to know. We won’t have any ties with each other afterward. If Annalise Hawthorne dies, Emmeline will be none the wiser. She can mourn her as her beloved mom, instead of… whatever it is now.”
A brief look of pain crossed his face, and Amelia could empathize.
“If she doesn’t know, my mom can’t claim her as her daughter.”
“How long do you think this can be kept secret?” Matteo asked rhetorically. “You saw how lovingly Benjamin and Catherine behaved. You’d be foolish to think our dearest father would not find out in a day. And once he gets suspicious, he won’t stop digging until he gets to the bottom of it.”
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Aiden paled further, but he sucked in a deep breath and steeled himself.
“Amelia, we should make a move first,” Matteo said, his tone turning gentle as he addressed his love. “You need to rest.”
“I know, but do you think we can investigate where Annalise’s daughter went?” Amelia asked instead. “Catherine claimed she’s dead, but I suspect she was saying this to hurt Annalise. It might not be the truth. She could be hidden somewhere― or she might have been adopted by another family!”
“We’ll search for her,” Matteo promised. “And by ‘we’ I mean Ronan and I. You need to go back and rest.”
Amelia nodded. However, before they could leave, the light at the top of the surgical ward went dim. The surgery was over, and the doctor emerged. Behind him, Emmeline was pushed out on a wheelchair, her eyes drifting up and down, unfocused.
“Emmeline Hawthorne’s family?”
“Here…” Aiden raised his hand glumly. He was the father of the child, who was also her half-brother. Twice the family, as messed up as that was.
“Okay, a brief update. Good news, the abortion was successful, and she will be able to go home after a period of observation. If things go well, she can even go back home by tonight. The nurse will send her to her ward.”
“Okay,” Aiden said. “Lead the way.”
Emmeline stared at him groggily. “Who are you again? You’re handsome.” She smiled sincerely at Aiden, causing him to recoil in shock.
She then looked around and her eyes stopped at Amelia. “Hello, you must be my sister!”
“What’s wrong with her?” Aiden demanded, scared. “Is she possessed?”
“She’s now recovering from the anesthesia,” the doctor said. “Please be patient with her.”
Amelia could only laugh helplessly. Emmeline was high?!
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