Charles walked over briskly and took her hand, saying softly, "I''m here."


    -----


    "Mommy..."


    Sandy was waiting for her mom, but she didn''te back. It was only after she called Charles that she found out Dahlia had been hospitalized. The next morning, instead of going to school, she insisted on visiting Dahlia at the hospital.


    Charles arranged for a bodyguard to take Sandy to the hospital. He hadn''t gotten much sleep the previous night, and when Sandy arrived, he took some time tofort her.


    "Dad, Mommy has me and Auntie here to look after her. You should go home and get some rest," Sandy said, noticing the dark circles under Charles''s eyes. Her gentle understanding warmed his heart.


    As expected, Charles''s expression softened. He gave Sandy a loving pat on the head. "Alright. Call me if you need anything."


    "I will, Daddy," Sandy nodded, her obedience endearing.


    Charles made sure the caregiver knew to take good care of Dahlia and Sandy before he left the hospital. Not long after, Dahlia woke up.


    "Mommy!" Sandy was standing on a stool, carefully dabbing Dahlia''s lips with a damp cloth, a technique she had learned from the caregiver, who watched with a proud smile.


    Dahlia opened her eyes just then, and seeing her mother awake, Sandy couldn''t contain her excitement.


    Dahlia didn''t respond immediately. She scanned the room, not seeing Charles, and asked hoarsely, "Where''s your dad?"


    "Daddy was tired, so I told him to go home and rest," Sandy replied sweetly, then asked with concern, "Mommy, does it hurt? I can blow on it to help."


    Sandy gently blew on Dahlia''s bandaged wrist, her heart aching for her mom.


    Dahlia didn''t answer. Instead, she turned to the caregiver. "Go bu me breakfast from Smith''s Deli-make sure it''s from there."


    Smith''s Deli was at least a thirty-minute round trip.


    "Ms. Dahlia, Mr. Jenkins wanted me to take good care of you. I could have it delivered," the caregiver suggested.


    Smith''s Deli did offer delivery.


    "I said, go buy it," Dahlia insisted, her voice frail but her gaze icy.


    Paid to follow instructions, the caregiver didn''t argue further and left to fetch breakfast from Smith''s Deli.


    Once the caregiver was gone, Dahlia''s demeanor shifted, turning cold. Sandy felt the change. Having been on the receiving end of Dahlia''s tempen before, her body flinched instinctively, though she didn''t dare move away.  swnovel


    She looked at Dahlia, cautiously speaking. "Mommy..."


    "You useless brat," Dahlia snapped, her eyes icy. She raised her uninjured hand but stopped short of pping Sandy, worried that Charles might noticeter.


    Still, she couldn''t suppress her anger. Frustrated, she shoved Sandy off the small stool. Among all the people Dahlia resented, Sandy was high on the list-a constant source of disappointment.


    If Sandy had only seeded in one thing, maybe Dahlia wouldn''t have been pushed to the brink by Wesley and Evelyn. The thought filled her with bitterness. All because of Sandy.


    The more she thought, the angrier she became. If Sandy wasn''t still useful, she might have wished her gone long ago.


    Sandy lost her bnce and fell with a thud. The stool wasn''t high, but the impact made her head hit the ground hard, bringing tears to her eyes instantly. But she didn''t dare cry out.


    Almost instinctively, she scrambled up from the floor, wiping her tears away, and returned to Dahlia''s bedside.


    "Mommy, I''m sorry. It''s Sandy''s fault. You can punish me however you want, just don''t be mad at me."


    She didn''t even know what she''d done wrong. But every time Dahlia got angry and punished her, she''d tell Sandy it was because she was loved but too naughty, making Mommy upset.


    So, she must have done something wrong. It was all her fault. When she was wrong, she needed to ept her punishment obediently. As long as it calmed Mommy down, Mommy would be okay.


    Dahlia''s emotions were all over the ce, and she felt a wave of dizziness. Exhausted from blood loss, she had little strength, but her gaze remained icy as she looked at Sandy, "Just you wait."


    Once she recovered, she''d deal with her properly.


    This scene unfolded before Wesley,


    standing quietly at the doorway. He hadn''t slept well either, worried about Dahlia. Even though the


    vel


    doctor said she was out of immediate danger, he feared something might still go wrong.  swnovel


    He had spent the night in the hospital. While Charles was there, he kept an eye


    on the floor, watching for any doctors summoned for emergencies. He''d watched through the night.


    When Sandy arrived, he observed from afar. For Sandy, he bore no resentment. Since her birth, he felt he owed her. He hadn''t fulfilled his duties as a father.


    Even when she''d pulled his oxygen tube, she was too young, too


    trusting of Dahlia''s words. At


    a nk state; how could she understand what pulling an oxygen tube meant? Surely, Dahlia had instructed her to do it, so sheplied.  swnovel


    As for Dahlia, his feelings were deeply conflicted. He resented her cruelty. Yet, seeing her nearly die, he couldn''t help but feel pity. He''d spent the night torn, debating whether to reveal the evidence.


    His hesitation vanished in the face of what he just witnessed, reced by a newfound rity and resolve. For Sandy''s sake, he couldn''t afford to be soft- hearted.