Chapter 81
Ivy stared at the message, momentarily stunned. Dr. Handsome was so busy, yet he'd remembered her situation and reached out to check on her? Just that level of thoughtfulness and warmth put him miles ahead of Jamison.
She smiled and replied: I went to the doctor and got checked out. They prescribed some medication.
Dr. Handsome: Was it serious?
Mrs. Smith: Well… it’s a bit serious, but honestly, it doesn’t matter much to me.
Dr. Handsome: What do you mean?
Mrs. Smith: The doctor said I’m infertile. But I never planned on getting married or having kids anyway, so it’s not a big deal.
Jamison frowned as he read this exchange on his laptop. What kind of pain must a woman have gone through to say something like that so casually? He became more convinced: Mrs. Smith must be an experienced, mature woman with a lot of life behind her.
After a moment’s thought, he typed back: Whether you marry or not, you should still get treatment.
Mrs. Smith: Yes, thank you for your concern.
Dr. Handsome: Of course.
Jamison kept staring at the screen. Soon, the other person’s profile picture dimmed and her status switched to “offline.” He sat there, lost in thought, and for some reason Ivy’s face floated back into his mind. He’d run into her three times at the hospital today, and each encounter had been deeply unpleasant. Especially the memory of her pointing a fire extinguisher straight at his nephew’s face – utterly absurd and impossible to reason with. No wonder the Windsor family treated her the way they did. She really brought it on herself.
His phone suddenly rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. It was his nephew calling.
“Hello?”
“Uncle Jamie, my eyes still hurt. Are you sure I’m okay?” Micah’s voice was plaintive.
Jamison’s patience was thin. “You’re fine. Go to the pharmacy, buy some artificial tears, and use them when your eyes bother you.”
“Shouldn’t I get checked at the hospital?”
“If you want to go, then go.”
“Forget it, then…”
Remembering the events from earlier, Jamison couldn’t help but ask, “Is Emma pregnant?”
“Only found out a few days ago. But then Ivy caused that car accident today, and now the doctor says there’s a risk of miscarriage. Emma has to stay in the hospital for observation for a few days.”
Jamison had no interest in the Windsor family’s endless drama; he only cared about his own people. “So what are you planning to do?”
“Get married, of course. As soon as Emma’s better, we’ll tie the knot.”
“Are you sure about this? Marrying Emma?” Jamison’s tone darkened.
Micah was taken aback. “What do you mean, Uncle? If I don’t marry Emma, who would I marry?”
Jamison gave a cold laugh. “You still have feelings for Ivy. Are you really planning to keep bouncing between these two sisters? Is life too easy for you or something?”
“That’s not it,” Micah protested quickly. “I just feel sorry for Ivy. The one I love now is Emma. Besides, Ivy doesn’t have much time left. There’s no future for us.”
“Not much time left? What’s wrong with her?”
“AIDS! She said it herself. She saw the doctor today. There’s no hope…”
Jamison let out a laugh – dry and speechless.
“What’s so funny, Uncle?”
“I’m just laughing at your stupidity. The whole Windsor family is a circus, and you’re right there in the ring with them.”
“Uncle, that’s too much!” Micah snapped, then hung up abruptly.
Jamison didn’t care. He just added another strike to Ivy’s already poor record in his mind.
Pathological liar.
But then he thought about it: the Windsor family was convinced she had AIDS, and nothing she said would change their minds. So why not play along? Claiming she was sick just to spite those idiots – he had to admit, it was understandable.
Really, birds of a feather flock together. This whole bunch deserved each other, all stuck in the same toxic mess.
Emma spent two days in the hospital before she was discharged. Micah brought his parents over to discuss wedding plans.
As Ivy listened to their conversation, she could tell Micah’s father, Farley, and his mother weren’t exactly thrilled about Emma. But their son had made up his mind, and with Emma pregnant, they had no real choice but to go through with it.
The wedding was set for two months later. Emma could hardly contain her excitement. She strutted around the house every day like a queen, and Rosetta and Adkins only became more accommodating to her every whim.
At first, Ivy was baffled by her parents’ sudden change in attitude. But after spending more time at home and overhearing Adkins and Baillie gossip about business, she pieced it together: The Windsor Group had been on a steady decline for years. Now the family was desperate for a strategic marriage to save the company.
As for Ivy – she’d been kidnapped, her reputation ruined, her health in question. No respectable family would ever consider her for a match. That left Emma to shoulder the “mission” of marrying up. No wonder they were so eager to please Emma, hoping she’d lock Micah down as soon as possible.
Realizing the truth, Ivy couldn’t help but sneer. She’d been following the stock market lately, reading company reports, and noticed the Shepherd family wasn’t in such great shape either. Their only advantage was being loosely tied to the Ludwig family – Jamison’s people – which kept up appearances. But the Ludwig family might help the Shepherds, sure; they’d never bother with the Windsors.
She remembered how cold Jamison always was toward her family, barely hiding his disdain.
But none of this mattered to her. She had no interest in their schemes. She only cared about one thing: Emma moving out after the wedding – before Ivy could settle her own scores.
So she had to tear off Emma’s mask before she left the Windsor family for good. But Emma was a tough nut to crack. This would take careful planning and patience.