Chapter 211
Joshua and Jamar rushed downstairs and saw Lydia collapsed on the ground. They panicked, quickly lifting her onto their backs and rushing her to the emergency ward. The doctors immediately performed first aid and ran some tests. They explained that Lydia had fainted due to a sudden spike in blood pressure caused by extreme anger and stress. Luckily, she was brought in on time, and after treatment, there was no serious issue. However, she needed to avoid emotional outbursts in the future.
Joshua and Jamar finally let out a sigh of relief. Lydia had already been moved to a hospital room to rest, and the two brothers stood guard by her bed. Just then, Joshua’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he immediately answered.
“Dad,” Elliot’s voice was sharp. “Are you with your mother? I’ve been calling her, but no one is picking up.”
He had just finished watching the video Lydia sent him and was furious beyond words. If he had been there in person, he would have broken Cain’s legs.
Joshua paused for a moment before saying, “Mom’s phone might have fallen where she fainted.” Then he turned to Jamar, “Go back and look for Mom’s phone.” When they had rushed to get Lydia to the hospital, they hadn’t even noticed if her phone was left behind.
Jamar nodded and got up. “Got it.”
Elliot’s voice grew sharper over the phone. “What do you mean ‘where she fainted’? What happened to your mother?”
Joshua didn’t hide anything—he told him everything about what had happened in the hospital room and how Lydia had passed out. Hearing that Lydia was now out of danger, Elliot exhaled heavily, feeling a mix of relief and rage. But his anger toward Cain and Sienna only deepened. One was a complete fool, and the other was a heartless ingrate. Neither was any good. “Take care of your mother. Let her rest until she’s fully recovered before coming back home. As for Cain—make him stay at the hospital and take care of her. Don’t bother with Sienna.”
Joshua immediately nodded. “Understood. I’ll call Cain over now.” He could tell their father was genuinely furious this time. Cain was doomed. Not that he didn’t deserve it. As for Sienna? Joshua’s feelings toward her were more complicated than ever.
After hanging up, he called Cain. “Get over here—Mom collapsed.”
In the ward, Cain, who had just finished applying medicine to his injured face, froze upon hearing that Lydia had fainted from anger. “Sienna, Mom passed out. I’m going to check on her.”
Serina blinked in surprise—Lydia sure was fragile. On the surface, she put on a worried expression. “What? Mom fainted? Is she okay?”
Cain stood up. “She was treated in time, so she’s fine now. But she hasn’t woken up yet.” Sienna pretended to be anxious and tried to stand up. “Then I go with you to see…” She stumbled, and “accidentally” leaned toward Cain. Since her foot was still…
Cain quickly steadied her. “No need. You’re already injured—it’s not convenient for you to move around. I’ll go by myself.” He was also worried that if Lydia woke up and saw him with Sienna again, she’d get even angrier.
Sienna bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. “Alright… I guess I’d just be a burden in this condition.” She gently pushed Cain forward and pretended to be a considerate and worried wife. “Go quickly! And text me as soon as you have an update.”
Cain helped her sit back down. “Got it.”
Sienna nodded sweetly. “Okay. Get some rest. I’ll come back later.”
The moment Cain left, her worried and anxious expression vanished. Her eyes were filled with glee. “Lydia hit us so hard earlier—now she finally got what she deserved.” If only she had collapsed harder… what a pity.
At the hospital, when Cain arrived, Lydia was still unconscious. Joshua and Jamar glanced at his battered face and exchanged a look of sympathy. “Cain, you’ve really paid a high price for Sienna,” Jamar remarked. After this, Cain was definitely getting a beating from their dad too.
Cain rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”
The three bantered for a bit until, finally, Lydia stirred awake. The moment she opened her eyes, her sons immediately gathered around. “Mom, how are you feeling?”
Lydia still felt lightheaded but nodded. “Better.” Then, she spotted Cain. Her face darkened. She wanted to kick him out—she didn’t even want to look at him. But if she did, he might just run straight back to Sienna again. So she held back but had no intention of letting Cain off the hook. She turned to Joshua and Jamar and said, “You both have work tomorrow. Go back to the hotel. Cain can stay and take care of me.” If Cain could stay up all night for Sienna, then he could damn well do the same for his mother.
Joshua and Jamar immediately understood—Mom was going to torture Cain. Naturally, they had no objections. “Alright, Mom. Call us if you need anything.”
As they walked toward the door, Cain started feeling bitter. “Why do these two get to go back and sleep in a nice bed while I have to stay here? Aren’t we all her sons?” But he didn’t dare protest as Joshua and Jamar reached the door. Lydia suddenly said, “Tomorrow, tell Phoebe that I was hospitalized. If she wants to visit, bring her here.” Elliot had told her not to reach out to Phoebe anymore, but after fainting, she really wanted to see her. She missed the days when Phoebe would stay by her side when she wasn’t feeling well. Back when Phoebe lived at home, she had made medicinal dishes for Lydia several times a week, and Lydia’s blood pressure had stayed stable. Now, it was spiking uncontrollably again. The more she thought about it, the more she realized—Phoebe was still the best. A part of her clung to hope. Would Phoebe visit me if she knew I have collapsed! Wouldn’t that prove that Phoebe still cared about me?
Jamar turned back and asked, “Do you want us to tell her how you fainted?” He could already guess what his mother was thinking—but this was also a perfect excuse to reconnect with Phoebe.
Given how much Phoebe used to care about their mother, she should come visit. But… explaining why she fainted! That part was… awkward. Not because it was embarrassing for Lydia, but because Cain’s actions were humiliating.
Lydia had the same concern. “Just tell her my blood pressure spiked and I collapsed. Don’t mention Cain’s shameless actions. No need to disgrace ourselves further!”
Cain felt wronged. “I didn’t even do anything! Why is this embarrassing? Sienna and I are innocent!” But he didn’t dare argue. If he made his mother angry again, she might pass out for real.
Jamar nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I got it.”
After Joshua and Jamar left, Cain was left alone on night duty. Lydia, inspired by all the evil mother-in-laws she had seen in TV dramas, decided to torment Cain. She made him fetch water—only to complain that it was too hot, then too cold. She threw a cup of water at him. She forced him to sit on a hard stool all night. Lydia was feeling unwell, so she kept waking up throughout the night. And every time she woke up, she would call for Cain to do something. Cain had just dozed off in a chair when his mother’s voice jolted him awake. Fetching water, washing her feet, massaging her head—if she felt cold, he had to add a blanket; if she felt hot, he had to take it off. By the time morning came, Lydia had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep. But Cain? He had been tormented all night and was now completely wide awake. With dark circles under his eyes and a look of utter exhaustion, he dragged himself out to buy oatmeal for his mother.
Meanwhile, today was the final day of the variety show’s live broadcast, and the production team had planned a special event. For lunch, the crew treated everyone to a meal. After that, the show officially came to an end, and the participants waved goodbye to the livestream audience. To wrap things up, the production team gave everyone a one-and-a-half-day break, allowing them to explore the area and have some fun before flying back home the day after tomorrow. Phoebe was in the middle of discussing plans with the others when Jamar and Joshua walked over.