Yvette’s reverse psychology would never work on me, given my character. However, I could not ignore her this time, since Dad was gravely sick. I knew I would feel uneasy if I did not go, especially since Dad had asked to see me.
What I could not figure out all these years was how the relationship of my loving parents suddenly changed for the worse. Everything that happened back then felt strange to me.
Now that Mom is back, could Dad possibly be reminiscing about our once sweet and loving family?
At the hospital, I made an inquiry at the front desk about the location of Dad’s ward before making my way to the stairs. That was when I ran into Scarlett and Yvette. Both of them furrowed their brows as they cast their hostile gazes at me. Unable to suppress their displeasure any further, one of them finally uttered, “Stop dilly-dallying. Your dad has been waiting long enough for you.”
Instantly, I was on alert. It was more than reasonable that Dad wanted to see me. However, Scarlett would not have allowed that to happen. I knew her too well. She had always wanted to chase me out of the Tanner family and would definitely stop me from meeting Dad if he was indeed in critical condition. After all, as a Tanner, I was eligible for a share of the family’s fortune.
Nevertheless, I suppressed my suspicions and headed to the second floor. I figured I should meet Dad since I was already there. Besides, there was no way they could do anything to me in broad daylight.
I made a turn at the corner and saw Natalie and Crystal standing outside the ward. As usual, the two of them looked as arrogant as ever. Crystal even sarcastically said, “Oh, what a rare guest we have here! She even dares to harm her family member. Yvonne, you’ve always said you’re so kind-hearted but it doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“Exactly. You grew up with the Tanners, yet you’re now going against them. How heartless you are! If not for the Tanners, do you think you could survive to this age?” Natalie’s expression was grim. In fact, ever since the wedding, they had always looked like they wanted to kill me every time they saw me.
“I’m not here for a fight. Yvette called to say that Dad wanted to see me. If nothing good could come out of your mouth, I’ll leave now and come back when you guys can speak nicely.” I pretended to take my leave.
“All of you, shut up! Yvonne, come in,” Suddenly, Dad snarled from inside the ward. I could tell he was indeed not in a good state as his command sounded weak and powerless.
A surge of emotions overwhelmed me. As I hurried inside, I swept my gaze at Crystal, only to notice that she was casting a death glare at me. Natalie had to drag her aside with some force to make way for me to pass.
Pushing open the door, I saw Dad lying on the hospital bed with a drip attached to his hand. Though he did not look too sickly, I could tell he was not energetic. His hair seemed to have turned a lot grayer than before.
Since young, Dad had always had a few strands of gray hair mixed within his black hair. This was hereditary. Perhaps because there were too many problems stressing him out recently, especially relating to the family business, it felt to me that his hair had gotten a lot grayer within a short span of time.
“Dad, are you all right?” I walked over, my eyes filled with worry and concern.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing but some old ailments.” He muttered after letting out a few coughs.
I recalled Dad had a weak kidney and even had to undergo surgery a couple of years back due to his kidney stones. Moreover, he would often suffer headaches whenever he pulled all-nighters. I grabbed the diagnostic report on the desk for a read-through, only to realize Dad was running a high fever due to his kidney stones.
“You should take better care of your body. The doctor has mentioned that you should do more exercise during your free time instead of leading a sedentary lifestyle. Dad, you need to listen to the doctor’s advice.” I placed on the table some carnations I had bought on the way to the hospital. I then picked up an apple to peel it.
“I did pay attention to my health.” Nathan seemed hesitant to speak.
“If not for Isabelle making use of the Goldsteins to cause all sorts of devastating blows to our family business, would your dad need to stay up through the night and become hospitalized for overworking himself?” With hands on her hips, Natalie stood by the doorway and spoke with an interrogative tone. “If you still treat your dad as family, you should ask your mom to stop whatever she’s doing.”
“Is this why… you asked to see me?” I looked at him earnestly.
“Yes, I hope you can help me persuade your mom to stop targeting the Tanner family. Otherwise, we could go bankrupt.”
