Chapter 79

Micah was practically losing it, his face flushed with indignation. “Whose side are you even on, Uncle?” he protested, his voice cracking.

Jamison couldn’t be bothered to answer. He finished up two IV drips in a row, then stretched out his hand. “Ice packs.”

A nurse immediately handed him two ice packs.

He pressed them into his nephew’s hands, his face as impassive as ever. “Cold compress. It’ll help with the burning.”

Ivy wiped the smirk off her face and asked, “How much for the treatment? I’ll pay.”

Jamison regarded her coolly. “Are you here to get checked out, or to trash the hospital? Do you think fire extinguishers are toys? And you sprayed one at a person.”

Ivy froze, caught off guard by his scolding, then let out a cold laugh. “Fine. I’ll buy you two new fire extinguishers.”

She pulled a wad of hundred-dollar bills from her purse—at least a dozen—and waved them in his face. “Is this enough?”

Jamison clenched his jaw, swallowing his anger. “Is this how you solve every problem?”

“Oh? Does Dr. Ludwig want to give me life lessons now?” Ivy shot back with a sneer, tossing a few bills at Micah. “Keep the change—as compensation for your emotional trauma. Or see a doctor about your brain. You’re welcome.”

With that, she grabbed Katrina’s arm. “We’re leaving.”

Jamison was fuming.

He’d never met a woman so stubborn, so unreasonable, so quick to twist the truth. He almost regretted saving her the last time.

“Micah, your taste in women is worse than your idiotic judgment.” With nowhere else to vent, Jamison lashed out at his nephew.

“Uncle, why are you picking on me again?” Micah whined.

Poor Micah—slapped in the face, sprayed with a fire extinguisher, and now verbally eviscerated by family. With wounds inside and out, there was nothing left of him but a bruised ego.

Outside the clinic, Katrina looked at Ivy, concern etched across her face. “Ivy, after what you did to Micah, how are you going to handle the fallout? Emma’s going to turn your parents against you for sure…”

Ivy paused mid-step, catching sight of a fruit shop across the street. “Katrina, go find a place to eat and order something. I need to stop by the inpatient wing.”

Katrina caught on right away. “You’re going to see Emma? I’ll come with you—just in case she tries something.”

“Relax. I’ll be fine.” Ivy smiled, nudging her friend forward. “Go on, order something. I’m starving.” She gave Katrina a gentle push, sending her off, then headed into the fruit shop and picked out a fruit basket before making her way back to the hospital.

It wasn’t hard to find Emma’s room. Cradling the fruit basket, Ivy was just about to knock when voices drifted out from inside—

“She promised two days ago she wouldn’t bully Emma anymore, and now look at what she’s done! I must have been cursed to raise a daughter like her. Why did she even come back? She should’ve just stayed in that godforsaken place forever!”

That was Rosetta, her mother.

“I don’t care if it sounds superstitious—she has to move out. The further away, the better!” Adkins, her father, sounded furious.

Outside the door, Ivy stood frozen, a bitter smile tugging at her lips, sarcasm flickering in her eyes.

Just listen—her own parents, the ones who brought her into the world, were practically wishing her dead.

Her heart, which she’d promised herself would never ache for them again, twisted painfully in her chest.

If she’d known her beloved family would turn so cold and ruthless, she would never have come back.

But she was here now, and she had unfinished business. She would make sure the two-faced vipers showed their true colors at last.

After a moment, Ivy straightened her spine, wiped her expression clean, and knocked on the door.

Inside, the Windsors fell silent, caught mid-accusation, their faces darkening when they saw her.

“What are you doing here? Haven’t you hurt Emma enough? Are you here to kick her while she’s down?” Baillie, standing closest, spat the words at her.

Ivy furrowed her brow, looking contrite as she shuffled inside, clutching the fruit basket close. “I came to apologize to Emma. What happened this morning was an accident, please let me explain…”

“An accident?” Rosetta’s voice shot up an octave. “You knew that was Emma’s car, and you still forced your way past her, making her flip her car! That car cost nearly a hundred thousand dollars—brand new, and the first time she drives it, you turn it into a wreck!”

Listening to her mother, Ivy couldn’t help but think Rosetta cared more about the car than her own daughter.

Sure enough, Adkins shot his wife a look and murmured, “Forget about the car. The important thing is that Emma almost got hurt.”

“Exactly! Emma and the baby are what matter.” Rosetta jumped in again, glaring at her eldest. “How heartless can you be? Emma’s car flipped and you just drove away. That’s a hit and run!”

Ivy shrank back, her shoulders tense. “I… I was in a hurry this morning, I didn’t have time. But I called you, didn’t I?”

“In a hurry? You do nothing all day—what, were you rushing to your next life?” Adkins snapped.

Ivy flinched, looking even more pitiful. “I was coming to the hospital… You told me I should get treatment, remember? I finally got a slot with a top specialist, and I was afraid I’d miss my appointment. But Emma was in front of me, driving so slowly, constantly riding the brakes… I only tried to pass her because I was desperate. I had no idea she’d overreact—she’s always good at slamming the brakes, I thought she’d just tap them again. How was I supposed to know she’d jerk the wheel and flip her car—”