Valerie clenched her teeth, her resolve hardening. “I won’t agree to the dowry, Mom. Just forget about it.”

Her defiance sent Ruth into a fury. With a forceful slap, Ruth swept everything from the table with her arm. “How dare you defy me? I brought you into this world, and this is how you repay me? I tried to find you a good match, but you ignored all my efforts. I hoped you’d choose someone impressive, but you chose him—a man who can’t even provide a dowry. If you don’t agree, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay right here until you come up with $120,000. If you don’t have it, borrow it!”

The cups and glasses shattered, echoing through the room.

Startled by the loud crash, Aiden, who had been watching from a distance, suddenly jerked and then fell to the floor, seizing.

“Aiden!” Julian cried out in horror and dashed to his son.

Ashley, initially siding with Ruth, turned pale at the sight of Aiden’s condition. “Aiden, what’s wrong?”

Ruth, her anger momentarily forgotten, looked around bewildered. “What’s going on?”

“It’s a seizure,” Valerie recognized the symptoms from a past incident involving a guest’s child. As Aiden’s body stiffened and his face paled, a mix of anger and urgency surged through Valerie. She fumbled with her phone. Her trembling hands misdialed. Suddenly, someone took the phone from her, dialed 911 correctly, and handed it back.

“Enchanted Gardens, that’s the address,” Matthew said, his deep voice instilling an unexpected sense of calm. He quickly moved to open a window, letting in fresh air.

Ashley was frantically trying to rouse Aiden by slapping his cheeks.

Matthew motioned for Ashley to step back, but Ashley misunderstood his intent, her fear turning to anger. “What are you doing?” she snapped.

“During a seizure, the body stiffens and the chest muscles tighten. It’s crucial for his breathing to be unobstructed. Holding him too tightly could hurt him more,” Matthew explained, his tone firm but controlled.

Taken aback by his stern warning, Ashley hesitated, her hands still on Aiden. Julian quickly stepped in, gently pushing her aside to better tend to their son.

“Matthew, can you help him, please?” Julian’s voice was laden with worry.

“Of course.” Matthew crouched beside Aiden, carefully turned his head to the side, and placed a handkerchief between his teeth to prevent him from biting his tongue. He then unbuttoned Aiden’s shirt to help him breathe more easily.

As Matthew worked, Aiden’s color began to return, though he continued to twitch. Matthew’s hands moved with practiced ease, massaging key areas of Aiden’s body. He had learned these techniques from watching his cousin’s doctor handle similar episodes.

Aiden’s complexion returned to normal, and the convulsions ceased. His eyes fluttered open.

“Dad! Mom!” Aiden’s voice was weak and confused, not understanding the fuss around him.

Just then, the ambulance pulled up. They quickly carried Aiden down to receive medical attention.

Watching his son being loaded into the ambulance, Julian was overwhelmed with relief and gratitude. He grasped Matthew’s hand firmly. “Matthew, thank you so much! Without you, I can’t imagine what might have happened. You truly saved the day.”