Chapter 43: Go to the Hospital
Walter shook his head. “No, she didn’t.”
Chandler raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with meaning. “With all the commotion at the hospital, and considering she’s Dalton’s fiancée, it wouldn’t look right for her to stay away!”
Especially since Dalton’s mother, Charlotte, was also at the hospital. Charlotte had never thought highly of Lydia, believing Lydia to be unworthy of her son. But Dalton had publicly acknowledged Lydia as his fiancée right in front of all the reporters. That was a bold move, a clear challenge to Charlotte’s authority. Dalton had never defied his mother before. This was the first time he had gone against her wishes. It was easy to imagine the frustration simmering inside Charlotte.
Now that the entire Aniston family had gathered at the hospital, it would be a complete show without Lydia. Chandler wanted Lydia to understand that entering the Aniston family wasn’t a walk in the park. Even if she managed to get in, it would be like living in a hell of her own making. After all, Meryl had been wrongfully imprisoned for three years because of Lydia’s schemes. Lydia thought marrying into the Aniston family would give her everything she desired, but in reality, it was just the beginning of her suffering.
Walter nodded, catching on to Chandler’s intent. “I’ll take care of it.”
Meanwhile, Lydia was on edge. From the moment she stepped into the office that morning, she could feel the weight of judgment in the air. As she made her way to the break room for coffee, she overheard her colleagues whispering.
“Can you believe it? Lydia seduced her sister’s fiancé just to climb the social ladder. What a ruthless move!”
“Who wouldn’t want to marry into the Aniston family? It’s a goldmine.”
“Do you really think the Anistons will accept her? Dalton marrying her would just be a total joke.”
“That’s a recipe for disaster. If it were Dalton, I’d be cringing at the thought of marrying her. Who wants to be the butt of everyone’s jokes?”
Lydia’s face turned crimson with rage. She slammed the glass cup she was holding onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. The three gossiping colleagues froze, their faces turning pale as they realized they’d been overheard.
This was the first time Lydia had lost her temper at work. Not wanting to provoke her further, they quickly excused themselves, leaving her alone in the break room.
Back in her office, Lydia rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache forming behind her eyes. Her assistant came in with a new cup and a fresh brew of coffee, careful not to say a word before slipping out quietly.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Elias, Dalton’s assistant, calling to check if she knew about the incident from last night when Dalton was attacked.
Elias explained, standing in the stairwell of the hospital, “Mr. Dalton Aniston woke up this morning asking why you didn’t come to see him at the hospital. The whole Aniston family is here. He thinks this is a perfect opportunity for you to make an impression.”
Lydia perked up at his words. She thought, “No matter how ugly the rumors get, no matter how ridiculous they sound, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I marry into the Aniston family. Once I’m officially part of it, those people will think twice before saying anything.”
She recalled how Dalton had publicly acknowledged her as his fiancée just days ago. But she knew that in this world, nothing was set in stone. Meryl had been Dalton’s fiancée for three years, and that hadn’t stopped him from breaking things off. She murmured, “I need to show my face in front of the Aniston family and have them all recognize me. Only then can we set a wedding date.”
Meanwhile, Meryl was busy preparing breakfast for herself. She thought, “I’ve got to put on some weight. I need to look good in my clothes. Being abandoned by family isn’t the end of the world, and breaking up isn’t either. What’s truly terrifying is giving up on myself. I need to live better than before, to make those who bullied me green with envy. I’m going to reclaim my peak beauty and dazzle everyone when I show up again. I want them to gasp, to squirm, to feel uncomfortable—that’s how I’ll know I’ve won. That’s the best revenge.”
Just as she finished cleaning up the dishes, her phone rang. It was Anne.
“Hey, can you come to the hospital with me?” Anne asked.