Ch. 1101..1110
Chapter 1101 A Reluctant Parasite
Hearing Tessa’s words, Amber was angered as she never expected that her granddaughter would blackmail her. She pointed with her trembling fingers. “You heartless bi—wench! I’m your grandmother!”
“So what if you’re my grandmother? You only remember yourself as one when it’s convenient for you.” Tessa snorted mockingly while looking at the old lady.
As if her dignity had been cast out the window, Amber cried loudly, “My goodness, what sins have I committed to deserve such heartless grandchildren?”
“Oh? Do you really not know? Are you seriously unaware of what you did when you were younger?” Tessa sneered at her.
Seeing her granddaughter act like this made Amber guiltily avoid her gaze. Even so, she did not want to lose in this fight, so she retorted shamelessly, “If not for me, you and your brother wouldn’t be so successful right now.”
“Ha! So, we ought to be grateful to you then, huh?” Tessa was laughing out of anger by now. “They say that the elderly care about their pride the most, but you’re increasingly shameless as you age. You are right, though; if not for you and that father of mine who chased us out of the house in the middle of winter, we wouldn’t have made it our goal in life to succeed.”
One by one, Tessa started recounting all the evil deeds that Amber and Silas had done. Naturally, the old lady wore a significantly awful expression, for all her dirty laundry was aired.
“Get out, right now!” She clenched her teeth with ragged breaths and said, “Now, I know why you’re here! You’re not here to take care of me; you’re here to drive me to death!”
Looking at her coldly, Tessa calmly stated, “Yes, I do hope for that.”
Moments after Tessa said those words, the old lady immediately screamed in fury, “I knew the both of you wouldn’t come back without an ulterior motive! I’m telling you now that I won’t die so easily!”
“I know well enough that you won’t die just like that. Besides, no matter what you think, I’m not as heartless as you say. So, for the duration of your treatment, I’ll still look after you and that’ll be the extent of my kindness. Don’t cross the line.” Tessa set down the ground rules without caring about her screams and shouts. After all, her patience had long worn thin under Amber’s unreasonable whining.
As soon as the old lady heard that she would not be discarded alone, she breathed a sigh of relief. I knew this b*tch was just scaring me.
Just as she wanted to chastise Tessa again, a cold voice reverberated in the ward. “I would advise you to give up whatever you’re scheming. Do you still think that I’m the same person from before?”
She could tell from the moment Amber started to plan something in her head since she had been watching Amber’s expression change.
Not in the mood to stay around any longer, she bluntly stated, “If you still want to live for a few more years, just cooperate with the doctor and accept the treatment. Don’t think of playing any games. After all, the only people you can rely on now are me and my brother.” After stating her part, Tessa did not even bother to look at how livid Amber was as she walked right out of the ward.
The old lady looked at the disappearing figure before spewing blood out of anger, but she was helpless against her words. Although she detested her grandchildren, her vitality was more important right now! No matter what, I need to make sure that I can stay alive. The others can come later… Still, she could not help herself but curse out loudly in the ward.
Outside, Nicholas had been standing in the hallway, overhearing everything that Tessa had said in the room.
Seeing that she exited with a sour expression, he came up to her and gently patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. “You don’t have to ruin your day with a patient’s nonsense.”
Of course, Tessa did not feel that way, for she did not want someone so unimportant spoiling her mood. Shaking her head, she replied, “I’m fine. Let’s find the doctor and ask him what the situation’s like.”
Chapter 1102 Well-Intentioned Suggestion
After making sure that Tessa was alright without any hint of pretense, Nicholas nodded in agreement before they headed to the doctor’s office. Since the doctor knew their intentions, he told them all about Amber’s condition.
“Her condition isn’t too bad. It’s only in the early stages, so as long as she complies with the treatment to prevent the spreading of cancer cells, she can still hope to live for a few years.”
“What kind of treatment?” Tessa asked politely. The doctor replied, “We will arrange for her to undergo chemotherapy. Plus, medication will be administered.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll leave her in your hands, Doc. As for the fees, we will pay them on time.”
After the explanation, Tessa decided to hand all responsibilities of healing Amber to the doctor as she had decided to pay only for the treatment.
The doctor, who knew that the grandmother and granddaughter’s relationship was rocky, did not say anything and agreed.
Later, the two eventually left the hospital. Getting into the car, Nicholas hugged Tessa and asked, “Are you tired?”
“I’m not. Don’t worry.” She shook her head while smiling.
Even so, Nicholas allowed her to rest on his shoulder.
Back at Dynasty Gardens, they had just alighted from the car when Andrew welcomed them with a smile. “Master Nicholas and Young Madam, it appears that Old Master Sawyer and Old Mrs. Sawyer are here for a visit.”
Nodding, Tessa and Nicholas walked to the living room, at which Gregory’s cheerful laughter could be heard the moment they stepped inside.
“Daddy, Mommy, you’re back.” Gregory, who was very observant, noticed his parents as they came in and ran up to them with his little short legs.
At the sight of her adorable son, Tessa’s heart melted into a puddle. “Were you a good boy?”
“I was. I even poured tea for Grandma and Grandpa.” He puffed his chest out, waiting for praise.
The family was all amused by his adorable behavior. Following that, Tessa asked her parents-in-law. “Tobias, Stefania, when did you guys come? Why didn’t you tell us beforehand?”
“We knew that you two would be out this afternoon, so we came over to keep Greg company since he would be all alone at home.”
Subsequently, Stefania paused before saying, “Also, I was worried since you went to the hospital this afternoon.”
Although she had never seen the Reinharts, Stefania still knew a little about Tessa’s past. Knowing that her daughter-in-law was now pregnant, Stefania was worried that Amber might ignore that, which could cause harm to the baby in her belly.
Tessa’s smile deepened upon hearing this. “No need to worry. I’ll be fine with Nicholas around.”
“It’ll be good if nothing happens.” With a nod, Stefania then asked about Amber’s condition.
Tessa did not plan to hide anything and told her briefly about it, “The cancer is still in the early stages. If she complies with treatment, she should still have a few years to live.”
“If so, then we should arrange for a caretaker to look after her at the hospital. With Tessa’s condition, she isn’t suited to stay at the hospital long-term. Besides, it would be taxing on her body for her to go back and forth like that,” Stefania suggested to Nicholas, to which he agreed.
It was the same afternoon that he arranged for a caretaker to go to the hospital.
Knocking on the door, the caretaker smiled politely before entering the ward and introduced herself, “Hello, Mrs. Reinhart. I’m a servant sent from the Sawyer Family, Mia. Due to Young Madam’s current condition, it would be inappropriate for her to move around too much. Hence, I’m here to take care of you on her behalf.”
This stunned Amber, who became angry upon realizing that the young madam was none other than her unfilial granddaughter, Tessa. “What does that b*tch mean by this? Did she think that she could appease me by sending some nobody?”
Staring lividly at Mia, she cursed, “That b*tch just wants to see me die and not save me, am I right?”
Frightened by how fierce the old lady in front of her was acting, Mia quickly waved her hands and explained, “Mrs. Reinhart, you’re mistaken. The young madam never wished for you to pass.”
She could not afford to let this old lady misunderstand anything. If word of this got back to the Sawyers, she was worried that her high-paying job might not be secure any longer.
Nevertheless, Amber did not believe her words as she sneered. “If she really didn’t want me to die, why would she send you here? Don’t think that I don’t know what she’s thinking. She hates me with every fiber of her being, so why would she tell you to take care of me? She must want you to do something to me in secret, leading me to a mysterious death. Since I have cancer now, nobody would raise an eyebrow even if I were to suddenly die here!”
Chapter 1103 Hellraiser
Seeing how paranoid the old lady was, Mia was at a loss for what to do. She took a deep breath and tried to patiently explain to her, “Old Mrs. Reinhart, you are mistaken. Young Madam is very kind, so how could she do such an evil thing? I’m here to take care of you. This is all due to her kindness. Even if you don’t want this, you shouldn’t insult her like that…”
Yet, she never thought that her last sentence only served to add more fuel to the fire.
“Kindness?! More like slyness! You’re that b*tch’s servant. Of course, you’d speak up for her. Scram, right now!” Amber pointed at the door as a signal for Mia to leave.
Since Mia had a task at hand, she naturally did not do so.
After failing to chase the caretaker away, Amber descended into a terrible rage. She felt that Tessa wanted her to die out of anger by sending such a person over. “Didn’t you hear me? Get out!” Then, she threw the cup on the nightstand toward her.
Not able to dodge it in time, Mia was struck by it and her forehead bled.
At that moment, a nurse happened to pass by the ward and exclaimed, “Help! Someone is bleeding here!”
As Amber was the one who assaulted Mia, the hospital could only phone Tessa, who wore a dark expression upon hanging up.
Noticing her, Nicholas asked out of concern, “Did something happen?”
“That old hag assaulted the person we sent to the hospital. Even now, she’s still screaming bloody murder over there. The hospital hopes that I head over and settle the matter.”
Tessa did not expect Amber would be so nasty. At the same time, she felt relieved that she had listened to her mother-in-law’s words and only sent a servant over. If Tessa was there instead, the situation would have escalated without a doubt.
Since Nicholas wanted to tag along, he became upset by the situation as well. “I don’t think you should go to the hospital.”
With how fierce this old hag is, Tessa would only put herself in harm’s way if she went.
Not knowing what his thoughts were, Tessa frowned and replied, “I know. I don’t want to either. It’s just that I have to go since she’s raising hell over there right now.”
“If so, let me handle it. Just stay at home. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
Soon, Nicholas’ gaze turned icy as a resolution was planted in his mind before he ordered his butler to prepare his car. I’d never let that old hag hurt my Tessa again.
At the hospital, Amber remained to throw a tantrum like there was no tomorrow. Even from a far distance, one could hear her. “I don’t want to live anymore. Not only do my heartless grandchildren not give a sh*t about me, but they have also even sent people over to try to harm me! Ungrateful b*stards. What kind of sins did I commit to deserve such treatment by my grandchildren?”
If they did not know any better, one might misunderstand her words as her complaining that Tessa and Timothy abused her.
As soon as Nicholas stepped out of the elevator, he heard all kinds of whispers.
“I heard from the old lady that apparently, her granddaughter is the young madam of the Sawyer Family. Ugh, with how rich they are, you would think that so-called young madam would take care of her grandmother. It seems like she’s not much of a human.”
“That’s right. I wonder how she became the young madam of the Sawyers.”
“It’s because she’s pregnant. Didn’t you see the woman with the belly this afternoon?”
As the whispers made their way to Nicholas, he wore a remarkably solemn expression. Since the head doctor knew him, his heart skipped a beat upon seeing how dark his countenance was.
“Why are you all standing here and talking? Have you all finished your rounds? Have all the medicine been given to the patients?” Then, he dispersed the gossiping nurses before greeting Nicholas politely, “Hello, President Sawyer.”
Nicholas nodded slightly and walked straight to the ward with a cold visage. There was no way he was going to let that old hag tarnish his wife’s reputation anymore!
“If you don’t want to live anymore, just do us all a favor and kill yourself! You’re being a misery here!” The moment he went in, he stared at Amber fiercely and bellowed, “If you don’t know how to do that, I can tell you—just jump out of the goddamn window, and ta-da! You’re dead!”
Chapter 1104 A Protective Nicholas
Amber immediately stopped wailing as though someone was choking her throat. Was she stunned by Nicholas’ atrocious words or the ferocious aura seeping from him? No one knew.
Her glazing eyes fixated on him as horror swallowed her whole—she recognized who Nicholas was! My son went belly-up because of this very man!
He watched every nuance in her expression and snorted. A typical cowardly old haggard.
“Since you don’t have the guts to jump off the building, stay and receive the treatment as you’re told. Can’t you appreciate Tessa’s willingness to look after you? Know your place and stop the antics.”
His words tampered with Amber’s ego, hence her instinctive retort. “I am her grandmother!”
“Grandmother?” He sneered. “Says who?”
Amber was going to retort to that, but the moment she met Nicholas’ steely eyes, she dared not utter a word.
Ignoring her scrunched-up face, he continued, “Think about your ‘filial’ son. All because of money, he abandoned the family. He didn’t even look after you. In the end, the two kids—whom you guys have forsaken—are taking care of you. Someone like you should live obediently and wait for death to come. Your existence now is only harming them. If you can’t stay low-profile and shut up about Tessa, don’t blame me for what’s about to come.”
At that, Nicholas wheeled around and left, after which the doctor in charge quickly followed suit. “President Sawyer, I don’t think you should be doing that to her.”
He looked back at the patient room, worried that Amber might really jump off the building as Nicholas had instructed.
Noticing the agony in the doctor’s voice, Nicholas mocked, “Why would a selfish person kill herself? If she had the heart to do so, she wouldn’t have asked you to contact my wife.”
In the evening, Tessa heard the engine sound coming from the yard. Knowing that it was Nicholas, she rose to her feet to welcome him home.
He gazed at his wife standing by the door. As his cold expression softened, he strode over toward her. “What are you doing out here?” he questioned while holding her arms sweetly.
The corner of her lips curled upward to reveal a bright smile on her face. “I heard the car, so I figured that it was you. I just wanna welcome you back.”
His heart melted at that. The couple walked to the living room and sat on the couch before Tessa inquired about what had happened at the hospital. “So, how’s Grandma doing?”
“I’ve settled it. She won’t cause a ruckus anymore in the future.” Nicholas briefed Tessa on the incident that happened at the hospital.
She nodded, but at the thought of the injured maid, she asked, “Is Mia alright?”
“They bandaged her wounds by the time I got there, so I asked her to get some rest at home and compensated her,” he told her honestly.
Tessa’s heart sank, and a smidgen of guilt surged in her. Then, she stared at Nicholas apologetically. “Sorry for making you worried with such a matter.”
He was displeased by that. “Why are you apologizing to me?”
“I—” She barely uttered a word, yet Nicholas interrupted her. With a solemn countenance, he pulled her hand. “No matter what it is, don’t be such a stranger in front of me. We are husband and wife. Isn’t it normal for us to bear everything together?”
What else could Tessa say to that? Feeling the warmth that was as sweet as honey embosoming her heart, she could only nod to his statement.
Back then, she had to face everything on her own, hence the habit to deal with everything single-handedly; however, things were different now. There would always be someone whom she could rely and share the burden with.
“Darling, you’re the best.” She could not help the urge to link onto his arms.
After the short wholesome conversation, Nicholas scanned the silent living room in doubt. “Where’s Greg?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Dad and Mom invited us for dinner at Sawyer Residence. I wanted to wait for you, so they brought Greg along earlier.”
Chapter 1105 Wanda’s Jealousy
Tessa suddenly remembered Stefania’s words and hurriedly told Nicholas about it. After acknowledging it, they headed to Sawyer Residence together.
At the same time, Wanda heard about Nicholas’ return from her assistant. Thinking about the man whom she had not met for a long time, she could not quell the strong urge to meet him.
Therefore, she brought Horace to Sawyer Residence for a visit. Naturally, Remus was delighted to see them, especially Horace, who had returned to the country without informing Remus.
“Since when have you returned to the country? Oh, how dare you keep me in the dark!”
“That’s why it is a surprise, isn’t it?”
While the old men shared a conversation, Wanda’s beautiful eyes swept across the living room. As she had not expected Tessa and Nicholas to be here together, the smile on her face went stiff.
Thanks to the great control of her expression, she regained her composure in split second. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer,” she greeted everyone politely and even addressed Tessa.
Though she was surprised by Wanda’s appearance, Tessa nonetheless politely nodded in acknowledgment. As a result, everyone sat in the living room and the light conversation began.
Wanda kept watching Tessa and Nicholas’ interaction, which fueled her jealousy the more she looked at them. She gritted her teeth in silence while annoyed by Tessa’s presence. Therefore, she questioned while feigning innocence. “Miss Reinhart, are you back because of a concert?”
“No.” Tessa shook her head but did not explain much, for she should not wash her dirty linen in public.
Since Wanda did not hear the answer she was expecting, the glint in her eyes turned somber. Despite the displeasure, she knew that it would be suspicious of her to pry further.
On the other side, Stefania and Tobias inquired about Horace’s condition, “How are you feeling lately, Mr. Muller?”
“Me? I’m all good.” Horace smiled in response.
Stefania nodded before asking Wanda concernedly, “What about your new company? How’s it going? Is anyone picking on you on purpose?”
“With Nicholas and Master Kieran’s help, everything’s going pretty well. I’m thinking of going public in the second half of the year.” Wanda briefed on her plan to butter Stefania up.
In fact, Stefania was genuinely happy for her. “Going public that quick? You are a capable one, aren’t you?”
“I’m flattered, Mrs. Sawyer. It is all thanks to Nicholas, Master Kieran, and Grandpa. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have been that easy.” A humble Wanda bit her lips.
However, her reply made Horace frown as he knew that his granddaughter was not completely over Nicholas.
Meanwhile, a frowning Tessa was feeling uncomfortable as well. She could not help but read between the lines on the account that Wanda kept mentioning Nicholas. Just as she was deep in her thoughts, Wanda’s laughter rang in her ears.
“But I’m nothing compared to Miss Reinhart. She’s the toast of the town,” complimented Wanda as she flashed an empty smile at Tessa.
At that, Tessa reciprocated with a faint smile, whereas Stefania genuinely agreed with Wanda as she grinned. “You’re right. She’s literally a champ. Things are getting better for her.”
The smile on Wanda’s face stiffened when she heard that. She stared at Stefania in disbelief and her hands clenched into fists. What does she mean by that? Has she accepted Tessa, that b*tch?
Before she could wrap her head around it, Tobias began praising Tessa. “She’s a hard-working one. Stefania and I went to her concert, and many famous musicians had high expectations for her.”
“Really?” Wanda could not force a smile any much longer.
Kieran, who seemed to have sensed something, nodded in affirmation. “Those musicians were indeed impressed by Tessa’s work. Grandpa and I heard them.”
Chapter 1106 Investigation
“Mr. Sawyer went to the concert too?” Wanda was perplexed. I thought Mr. Sawyer hated Tessa, that b*tch! Why was he there too?
Naturally, Remus had an insight into what was going on in her head. As such, he glared at the busybody Kieran before answering, “Hmm, I did. It was great.”
“Grandpa, it was not great—it was awesome! Mommy’s the best!” corrected Gregory before he started to shower praises upon Tessa. As her number one fan, he was extremely displeased by Remus’ comment.
In his brisk voice, he was so generous with his compliments that everyone except for Wanda in the room burst into laughter. Although Tessa was shy about the sudden praises, she was genuinely touched.
At the sight of the guffawing people who were proud of Tessa, Wanda’s expression turned to an upset one.
Yet, Tessa did not take it personally. She figured that it was merely the Sawyers’ way of protecting her dignity in front of an outsider. Nevertheless, she was elated on the inside. At the very least, the elders of the Sawyer Family were willing to consider her situation, which felt like a sense of acknowledgment to her.
It was not until then that Horace sized Tessa up. He did notice her before, but he was unbothered by her presence. However, it seemed like he should take note of her, judging from the Sawyers’ attitude. Aside from her family background, it was undeniable that Tessa did not pale in comparison to his granddaughter.
The glint in his eyes flickered when he thought of Wanda. Subsequently, he spoke to Nicholas gently, “You’ve found yourself a good partner.”
“I second that. Tessa’s wonderful.” Nicholas was not humble in the slightest as he saw eye to eye with Horace on that.
At that moment, Wanda did not have the strength to stretch a smile anymore. It was not only Nicholas’ words, but it was because of her grandfather’s attitude that played a dominant reason.
As the night progressed, Wanda and Horace decided to leave since it was getting late. Noticing her bad mood on their return trip home, he sighed and advised, “I know how you feel, but it’s best you give up on Nicholas. He’s going to welcome his second child soon and they’re already a family. You’re Wanda Muller. Whether it’s for your reputation or whatnot, you are not allowed to ruin a family.” His voice turned sharp at the end of the sentence.
She pursed her lips before nodding sadly. “I understand.”
Still, unlike what she had promised, she had not given up yet. She knew that she should rein back those ideas in front of him. Otherwise, he might force her to leave the country just to stop her from doing anything.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Horace was in pain to see Wanda down in the dumps. “Cheer up. I’ll introduce you to someone better than him.”
He patted her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but she merely forced a smile in response without any words. Does someone like that even exist? Even if there is, I don’t want him. I only want Nicholas!
When they arrived home, a tired Horace went straight to his room after informing Wanda. She headed to her room and reminisced about what happened today. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. In particular, she was curious as to why Tessa had returned to the country.
In the end, she decided to give her assistant a call. “Find out why Tessa Reinhart is back in the country. I need to know by tomorrow morning.”
“Understood,” replied the assistant before hanging up the phone.
…
The next day, Wanda had breakfast with Horace before she went to work. Not long after she entered her office, her assistant knocked on the door for a report. “Miss Muller, I’ve got to the bottom of it.”
“Tell me. What happened?” Wanda looked straight into the assistant’s eyes.
Her assistant nodded before recounting her discovery.
Chapter 1107 Stefania’s Treasured Collection
“Tessa’s grandma has been diagnosed with cancer, so she returned to the country to take care of her. However, according to my investigation, she’s on bad terms with her grandma.”
Wanda revealed a smile upon hearing the truth from her assistant. “I can’t believe that Tessa has a grandma like that! If word of this gets out, then the Sawyer Family’s reputation would be tarnished. By then, I don’t think anyone in the family would still adore this b*tch.”
As the assistant saw Wanda’s sinister smile, she could not help but shiver in fear.
Meanwhile, Tessa was completely oblivious to Wanda’s plans as she was enjoying her breakfast with Nicholas and Gregory.
During their meal, Nicholas turned to her and asked, “What’s your plan for the day?”
She pondered about it before replying, “I’m planning to go to the hospital.”
“You just did yesterday. What are you visiting again?” Nicholas frowned and seemed to disagree with her decision.
Tessa heaved a sigh in response. “I don’t wanna go to the hospital either, but that old lady there is just… Anyway, I’m obligated to go there and watch over her just in case anything happens.”
She was brought up not to speak ill about someone behind their back. Even so, Nicholas caught on to the underlying meaning behind her words and became even more against the idea. “There are others there to watch over her at the hospital and they’d inform you immediately if there’s any emergency. There is no need for you to visit so frequently.”
“But then, I’m worried that the old lady would harass Tim if I don’t show up,” Tessa expressed her worry.
As soon as Nicholas heard that, he immediately took out his phone and placed a video call to Timothy.
“Nicholas, what makes you call so early in the morning?” On the other end of the line, Timothy looked at Nicholas in confusion.
“I need your help to convince your sister to not go to the hospital.” Then, Nicholas recounted the conversation he had with Tessa right before that.
As soon as Timothy heard that, he agreed vehemently with Nicholas’ suggestion, so he tried to convince her over the phone. “That old lady has a foul temper. Just visit her once every two to three days. What’s the worry?”
He thought, That old hag hates the two of us to the core! If Tessa visits her daily, she will definitely vent her anger on Tessa!
In the end, Tessa gave in to both of them and decided not to head to the hospital. However, she was bored while being cooped up at home, so she ended up bringing Gregory over to the Sawyer Residence to keep Stefania company.
Of course, Stefania was extremely happy to see the mother-and-son duo.
Coincidentally, she was doing some floral arrangements when they arrived, so she invited Tessa to join her. Meanwhile, Gregory sat by the side obediently and helped them by handing them the flowers.
As a result, Tessa and Stefania spent a wondrous morning together.
After lunch, Tessa took a short break and kept Gregory company in the garden as he practiced the violin, whereas Stefania sat by the side with her afternoon tea to observe their interaction.
Ever since Tessa fell pregnant, Stefania had a concern that she kept to herself. After all, Gregory was not Tessa’s biological child, so she was worried that Tessa would distance herself from him now that she was pregnant with another child.
However, after observing their exchange throughout the morning, Stefania could tell that Tessa and Gregory were as close as before and their relationship was unaffected by her pregnancy.
As Stefania remained lost in thoughts, she suddenly realized that the violin music in her ears had stopped. It was then that she noticed that Tessa and Gregory’s practice session had ended.
She glanced over to the mother and son duo, who were interacting happily with each other, and she appeared to have made up her mind about something when she stood up abruptly. “Tessa, come with me.” With that, she turned around and left.
A perplexed Tessa watched as her mother-in-law disappeared in the distance. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a slight shove behind her as Gregory’s voice rang out impatiently. “Mommy, hurry up and go over! Grandma’s way ahead.”
As soon as Tessa heard that, she hastily went after Stefania and followed her to the storeroom, which was where Stefania stored her treasured collection of musical instruments. In there were plenty of priceless and exquisite violins.
Meanwhile, Tessa was bewildered upon seeing that and she glanced toward Stefania with a confused look. Why did she bring me here?
Sensing the confusion in Tessa’s eyes, Stefania laughed and explained, “These used to be my favorite violins in the past, so I’ve kept this collection here. I realized they’re being displayed here and not fully utilized, so I might as well gift them to you.”
Chapter 1108 First Chemotherapy Session
At that moment, a shocked Tessa was in disbelief upon hearing Stefania’s offer. “You’re gifting all of these to me?” “Yes, that’s right.” Stefania nodded.
It took a while until Tessa finally believed that she was not hearing things. Subsequently, she shook her head frantically. “No, this is too extravagant for me to accept.”
Meanwhile, Stefania was pleased to see Tessa rejecting her gifts without any hesitation as it meant that Tessa was not a greedy person.
“Don’t be a stranger. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t play the violin anymore, so they’re honestly just collecting dust at this point. However, you’ve got your ambitious dreams, so I want you to utilize them and let them shine under the spotlight they deserve,” Stefania persuaded her.
Taking in Stefania’s words, Tessa was extremely touched. She had assumed all the while that Stefania had not accepted her, but little was she aware that she had a mother-in-law who was utterly supportive of her dreams.
“Thank you, Stefania…” Tessa choked on her words as she stepped forward and embraced her.
Though taken by surprise for a moment, Stefania patted Tessa’s back naturally soon after that. Then, she broke into a smile. “Why are you tearing up? You should thank Nicholas if you’re grateful for this.”
“Nicholas?” Tessa withdrew herself from Stefania’s arms with a nonplussed and confused look. Did Nicholas ask her to give me these?
“He didn’t say anything to me. I wanted to gift these to you on my own accord.” Stefania appeared to have figured out Tessa’s thoughts, so she explained, “The reason why I mentioned Nicholas was because he has never been so smitten with anyone else in his life.”
As soon as she mentioned those words, she heaved a sigh absentmindedly and seemed to be recalling something. Seeing that, Tessa decided to stay silent and avoid disrupting her.
A few seconds later, she heard Stefania’s laments reverberating in the room. “In the past, I always thought that he was an emotionless robot since he was unconcerned about anything else other than work. Even though Gregory’s his biological son, he didn’t seem to have much patience with him. However, I noticed a different side in him when he was with you. He shows anger, anxiety, and worry; he behaves like a human being! As soon as I noticed this, I knew that he must be infatuated with you. So, tell me, how can I not accept you as part of the family now?”
Stefania smiled at Tessa resignedly and continued, “Since I’ve accepted you as my daughter-in-law, then I should show my support. That’s why I’ve decided to gift these to you. I hope that you will achieve more in the future and have a wonderful, fulfilling life with Nicholas and Gregory.”
As Tessa met with Stefania’s brimful gaze of love, she was filled with emotions and made a resolute promise right then. “You can trust me on that. I’ll definitely take good care of Nicholas and Gregory. I’ll also strive my best to achieve more so that I’ll be a worthy match for him. I won’t let him down for all that he’s given up for me.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. One day, you’ll achieve similar heights as Nicholas and stand proudly by his side.” Stefania became even more pleased with Tessa when she was reassured that her daughter-in-law was a girl with ambition.
As for Tessa, she was elated the entire day because of Stefania’s acknowledgment and gifts.
That night, Nicholas returned home to find Tessa sitting alone on the bed while beaming widely at nothing in particular. Since he learned his lesson the hard way last time, he did not refer to her as a fool anymore. Instead, he merely asked with curiosity, “What happened today? Why do you look so delighted?”
“Your mom gifted me all of the precious violins that she’d collected over the years.” Tessa did not hide her joy and smugly recounted the matter to him.
As soon as Nicholas heard that, he was significantly surprised. After all, those violins were Stefania’s treasured pieces and she frowned upon anyone even laying their hands on them. Yet, she had gifted the entire collection to Tessa, so it was indeed a shocking piece of news.
“I see. It’s no wonder you’re grinning like a Cheshire cat then.”
Shortly after that, the phone on the bed rang as Tessa and Nicholas were engrossed in the conversation. It was the caregiver from the hospital who had called.
“Madam Tessa, the doctor just informed me that Old Mrs. Reinhart will undergo her first round of chemotherapy tomorrow morning. Since it’s her first chemo session, the hospital would prefer to have her family members present too.”
“Okay. I’ll be there tomorrow morning.” Tessa hung up upon agreeing to attend.
Meanwhile, Nicholas noticed the frown on her face and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Chapter 1109 Kick up a Fuss
“Everything’s fine. The caregiver just called to say that the hospital has arranged for that old lady to undergo chemo first thing in the morning tomorrow. Also, they want us there, so…” Tessa replied frankly without hiding anything.
In response, Nicholas frowned without saying anything much. He simply expressed his concern, “Do you want me to go with you?”
“That’s not necessary. You’ve got work tomorrow. I’ll be alright by myself and the caregiver will be there to help me too. It’ll be fine.” She shook her head and rejected his offer.
Since Nicholas had assisted her a lot in this matter, she felt bad about having him go the extra mile. Next, he considered it for a moment before agreeing as there were some important matters that he had to deal with at work tomorrow. However, he did not feel at ease letting Tessa handle Amber by herself.
“I’ll get Edward to go with you.”
“Sure.” Tessa knew that he was worried about her safety, so she nodded in agreement.
…
The next morning, Edward arrived as soon as Tessa finished having her breakfast.
“President Sawyer, Madam Tessa,” he greeted them in the living room respectfully.
Nicholas nodded and instructed, “Keep Tessa safe.”
“Yes, sir.” Edward nodded and affirmed.
As soon as Amber saw Tessa at the hospital, she instantly glowered at her granddaughter. “It took you long enough to get here. Did you do this on purpose just to delay my treatment?”
Meanwhile, Tessa looked at the unreasonable old lady and ignored her. Subsequently, she turned to ask the caregiver, “What time does her chemo start?”
“10.00AM,” the caregiver replied frankly.
Nodding, Tessa lowered her head to glance at the time on her phone. We still have ten more minutes to go. We should head there now.
Just as she was about to instruct the caregiver to make a move, Amber expressed her annoyance with being ignored. “Tessa Reinhart, I’m talking to you right now! Is this how you treat your elders?”
“Firstly, you’ve never behaved as how an elder should, so unfortunately for you, I don’t regard you as one. Now, let’s not waste each other’s time.” Tessa looked at her grandmother with a cold gaze and added indifferently, “There’s not much time left until you’re due for your chemo. Do you really want to waste your time with me here?”
At this point, Amber was angered beyond words by Tessa’s attitude, but since she treasured her dear life so much, she turned around and berated her caregiver instead. “Didn’t you hear her? It’s about time! Get me out of bed!”
The caregiver was not bothered by her harsh attitude as she diligently helped Amber out of bed. After all, the caregiver knew what she was getting into from the start of the assignment.
The group then left the ward and headed over to the chemotherapy ward. Edward remained by Tessa’s side and guarded her protectively to prevent her from being jostled by the passersby.
Meanwhile, Amber glanced at Tessa who was walking ahead elegantly with poise and she could not control the hatred within her. I’m living like a pauper right now, but that b*tch has married into a wealthy family and is now waiting on hand and foot!
Naturally, Tessa sensed the malicious look directed at her, but she paid no heed to it.
At last, they arrived at the chemotherapy ward and Amber was escorted into the room by the doctor.
After she finished the session, she came out in a bad condition as she felt extremely nauseous and uncomfortable, rendering her face as pale as a sheet.
Noticing Amber’s discomfort, the caregiver walked over and proffered a glass of water. “Old Mrs. Reinhart, a sip of water might help.”
“Get lost!” Amber reached out and pushed the glass of water in front of her to the ground.
Crash! The glass broke into pieces as water spilled all over the ground.
At that, the caregiver jumped up in fright. Instantly, Tessa glanced at the caregiver’s drenched hands and became concerned. “Are you alright? Did you get scalded by the water?”
“I’m fine. It was just warm water.” The caregiver shook her head as she retrieved some tissue from the side to wipe her hands.
Tessa nodded and turned around to look at Amber with a displeased expression. “Why are you kicking up a fuss again?”
“Oh, am I? You’re the one who’s trying to kill me, b*tch! You must want me dead. That’s why you’ve decided on such a painful treatment for me!” Amber pointed at Tessa and hollered angrily.
The exasperated Tessa burst into a dry laugh. Ungrateful swine. Naturally, she was not going to condone Amber’s horrendous behavior, so she retorted with a cold sneer.
Chapter 1110 Amber’s Outburst
“If I intended to see you dead, I could have just easily cast you aside and ignored you. Why would I waste the money and effort to help you seek treatment?”
“You sure made yourself out like a saint, but who knows what your true intentions are? You might be harboring malicious thoughts and want to subject me to torture before my death.” As Amber spoke, she was even more convinced that she was right.
This b*tch must be trying to torture me on the pretext of this treatment plan! She flared up. “I should’ve known that you’re a vicious b*tch! I can’t believe that you’re trying to torture me! How can you be so heartless? Watch out because your unborn child might carry the same trait!”
The hospital staff by the side could no longer bear to hear Amber’s unrestrained, vulgar words, especially after she started to curse Tessa’s unborn child. Hence, they came forward and tried to appease her. “Old Mrs. Reinhart, you’ve misjudged Miss Reinhart. It’s very normal to experience side effects after a chemotherapy session. Furthermore, this is your first session, so that’s why you’ve got such a bad reaction. You’ll get used to it after a couple more sessions.”
However, Amber did not even care about their words as she yelled rudely at the hospital staff while pointing at them. “You guys received money from this b*tch, so you’d surely speak up for her! I reckon that you guys are nasty people too!”
At that point, the hospital staff was rendered speechless. Noticing their silence, Amber became even cockier as she continued to curse Tessa glaringly. “I’m warning you right now. If you dare to harm my life, I won’t let you get away with this! I’ll haunt you even during my death and your unborn child won’t be spared either! I’ll haunt him every single day and torment him!”
Meanwhile, Tessa’s expression turned thunderous upon hearing that. “Shut up!” she chided Amber through clenched teeth.
Nonetheless, the old hag glared at her challengingly. “What’s wrong? Are you afraid of me? Even if you don’t want to hear this, I’m still going to say it! Don’t even think that your lowly identity has changed just because you’ve married a wealthy man. You’ll always be of lowly origins and your child will also be a b*stard of low caste!”
At that point, Tessa lost her temper completely. She could not care less even if Amber cursed her since she could tolerate that, but she refused to allow Amber to curse her child repeatedly. As such, she lost it and slapped Amber across the face. After all, her child was innocent in all this, so the baby did not have to be subjected to such curses.
“All this while, I’ve regarded you as my elder. You’re sick, so I’ve tolerated your unreasonable behavior and given in, but don’t ever think that I’d let you get away with everything!” Tessa glared at Amber through clenched teeth while exuding an air of oppression. “You can try me and say another word, and I swear, I’m not going to bat an eyelid even if you keel to your death in front of me!”
It was then that Amber was stunned by the blow. Once she regained her senses, she nearly descended into insanity. She could not believe that Tessa actually hit her, which was why she had kicked up a fuss instantly.
“Look at this person here! She’s my granddaughter, yet she slapped me! Come over and take a look at this heartless person! She wants to see her grandma dead in front of her! This is such indignancy! I’m just a poor, lonely, old woman, yet no one’s willing to help me even though I’ve been bullied.”
As soon as the hospital staff milling around heard her words, they were significantly speechless.
As for Tessa, she clenched her fist tightly out of anger. “Shut up and stop this nonsense!” she chided Amber angrily. However, her effort was futile as Amber kicked up a larger fuss in response.
“Look at this! My heartless granddaughter is yelling at me right now! I’m going to die in her hands! If I end up dead, then it would be because of your doing, and not my condition! Tessa, you’re a b*tch! I’ll continue to haunt you even in my death!” she continued to curse Tessa.
At that moment, Tessa was at a total loss for what to do with this old hag.
One of the hospital staff could no longer stand this as well, so the nurse came forward and suggested, “Miss Reinhart, she’s too agitated right now and it’s not good for her condition. Why don’t we administer a tranquilizer for her so that she can get some rest?”
To that, Tessa agreed instantly. It was a marvelous idea to let Amber get some rest since she could not be bothered to deal with her anymore.
Shortly after the shot of tranquilizer, Amber drooped calmly to sleep on her bed while peace and serenity finally descended in the room. Those who were present heaved a sigh of relief.