Free Web NovelChapter 155: Chapter 142: Mourning
When Annabelle Leighton arrived at the hospital, her father, stepmother, and stepsister were already there.
Her younger stepsister, Yasmine Leighton, had never gotten along with Annabelle. The moment she saw her, Yasmine sneered and said sarcastically, "Some people claim to be so close to Grandma, but every time something happens, they’re always the last one to arrive."
Her stepmother, Jennifer Carter, patted Yasmine’s hand, signaling for her to be quiet.
Yasmine pouted, dissatisfied. "But it’s true. I’m just telling it like it is."
"That’s enough. Why are you arguing in front of the operating room?" Jennifer Carter chided her daughter before walking over to Annabelle. "Annie, don’t stoop to Yasmine’s level. She’s young and doesn’t know any better."
Annabelle was in no mood to argue with Yasmine.
All she cared about was her grandmother in the operating room. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
The emergency procedure lasted for over an hour. During that time, Annabelle’s father was dealing with emails on his phone, Yasmine was scrolling through short-form videos, and Jennifer sat beside her daughter, occasionally dozing off.
A long illness tests the devotion of any child.
Because the old woman had been on the verge of death so many times, and resuscitated just as often, they had long since grown numb to it.
But Annabelle’s heart was clenched tight, as it always was. She couldn’t sit still.
A little over an hour later, the doctor emerged from the operating room.
"Are the family members here?"
"We’re her family," said Annabelle’s father, Henry Leighton.
"The patient’s condition is poor. We’ve done everything we can." The doctor looked at Henry. "It will likely be over in the next day or two. You should start making preparations."
The moment the doctor finished speaking, Jennifer Carter and Yasmine Leighton burst into loud sobs, as if she were already gone.
Annabelle, however, couldn’t shed a single tear. Her legs simply gave out, and she could no longer stand on her own.
She braced herself against the wall, feeling as if her heart had been scooped out.
She thought she had long since prepared herself for this, but hearing that her grandmother was truly about to leave her, she still couldn’t bear it.
Annabelle’s father, Henry Leighton, wrapped his arms around his weeping wife and daughter, comforting them in a low voice.
"This day was always going to come," Henry said.
"But Daddy, I don’t want Grandma to go," Yasmine cried, unable to stop.
"I know you’ve always been such a good and devoted granddaughter. Don’t be too sad."
"..."
Annabelle stood alone in silence.
Her grandmother was moved back to her room, her life sustained by a machine.
Annabelle waited for her father and his family to leave before she could finally approach her grandmother’s bedside. She leaned close, holding her grandmother’s hand and feeling the faint, barely-there warmth in her palm.
"Grandma..."
Her heart felt like it was breaking, but still, no tears would come.
"Miss Leighton, before she lost consciousness, your grandmother kept talking about you," the caregiver said to Annabelle.
"What did she say?"
"She said that they are a family, but that you, Annie, are all alone. She’s very worried about you."
’They are a family, and I am all alone.’
Her grandmother understood her situation better than anyone.
And now, the only person in the world who truly understood her, loved her, and worried about her was about to leave.
Suddenly, Annabelle’s tears burst forth like a broken dam, flowing uncontrollably.
"To be honest, every time we had to resuscitate her, it was like torture for her. She was in so much pain. More than once, she said it would be a relief to just pass away. But she kept holding on, again and again, just because she hoped to see you happily settled. It’s a shame... she held on for so long, but in the end, she couldn’t wait any longer..."
A roar filled Annabelle’s head, drowning everything else out in static. She couldn’t clearly hear the caregiver’s final words. Only one thought cut through the noise: she had to let her grandmother pass on without any regrets.
"I’ll be right back."
She shot to her feet, wiped away her tears, and ran out of the room.
--
Morgan Hayes normally fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, but tonight he was suffering from a bout of insomnia.
When Annabelle had taken that call and left, she’d looked terribly upset. He had no idea what happened.
He tossed and turned, unable to get to sleep, so he finally got out of bed and did a set of push-ups in the living room.
DING-DONG! DING-DONG! DING-DONG!
Morgan had just finished his push-ups and was about to get a drink of water when the doorbell suddenly rang.
’It’s the middle of the night. Who would be at the door?’
Warily, Morgan walked to the door. He glanced through the peephole and was surprised to see it was Annabelle Leighton.
He immediately opened the door.
"It’s so late. Why are you here again?"
"Officer Hayes, can I ask you for a favor?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Morgan could tell at a glance that she had been crying, because her eyes were as red and swollen as walnuts.
"Come inside first."
Morgan pulled her inside and poured her a glass of water.
"What happened?"
Annabelle told him that her grandmother was critically ill and that her time was running out.
