39

Originally, Charlotte stole her husband. Now, Charlotte’s daughter is stealing her daughter’s fiance. They are simply like robbers.
“If I haven’t died by then, I’ll definitely come to celebrate with a cup of wedding wine. Mrs. Brown, such a upright person, I never expected her to raise a son like James, who is so fickle. A person like him isn’t worthy of Isabella.”
“Hum, speaking so self-righteously. It seems you’re still in the dark,” Emily sneered.
“What do you mean?” Eleanor looked confused.
Emily leaned in, her voice becoming sarcastic and sharp. “Hasn’t your precious daughter told you why James rejected her? Isabella got involved with some wild man, even had his illegitimate child. Of course, James wouldn’t want her, this shameless second-hand goods.”
“You, you’re talking nonsense!” Eleanor’s voice trembled, one hand covering her chest.
“If I’m really talking nonsense, why are you getting so worked up?” Emily continued, “Did Isabella not tell you that she lied about studying abroad recently? In reality, she didn’t go abroad at all; she had to drop out of school because she was pregnant. Aunt, didn’t you have any suspicions?”
Eleanor was speechless because, indeed, what Emily said was true.
And during that time, coincidentally, it was about ten months ago.
“You, you… I don’t believe it. My daughter wouldn’t do such a thing.” Eleanor’s emotions were exceptionally agitated, her heart uncontrollably pounding in her chest.
She clutched her chest, looking pained. With difficulty, she shouted, “Doctor, call a doctor…”
Emily, frightened by her ghastly expression, took two steps back and instinctively ran out to call a doctor.
However, after running out of the ward, she suddenly changed her mind.
In Eleanor’s condition, if something happened to her because of the commotion, Emily would likely be blamed. It would be better to leave now; no one would know she had been here.
After hesitating for a moment, Emily quickly headed towards the elevator.
When the doctor and nurse heard the alarm from the room, rushing over, Eleanor’s heart had already stopped, and she had fallen into a deep coma.
“Start resuscitation.” The doctor urgently said.
After a series of defibrillation and chest compressions, Eleanor still didn’t regain independent heartbeat, closing her eyes forever.
The doctor helplessly shook his head, noting the time of death, and then informed the family.
…
When Isabella received the call from the hospital, she was in the middle of a film shoot preparing for an audition.
The makeup artist had already done her makeup, and she didn’t even have time to remove the heavy makeup from her face, rushing straight to the hospital.
When she arrived at the ward, doctors and nurses filed out, leaving only a caregiver tidying up.
Isabella stood stiffly at the door of the ward. At that moment, her mind was blank. She saw her mother lying peacefully on the hospital bed, the caregiver covering her with a white sheet from head to toe, finally covering her face.
Only when the doctor handed Isabella the death certificate did she react. Her mother had already passed away.
She collapsed by the bedside, trembling hands removing the white cloth covering Eleanor’s face.
Under the white fabric, Eleanor’s face had lost its color, devoid of any signs of life.
Isabella trembled all over, reaching out to touch her mother’s face, tightly holding onto her mother’s hand.
“Mom, mom!” After crying out twice, she shouted loudly at the doctor, “Doctor, are you mistaken? My mom hasn’t died; her hands are still warm…”
“Ma’am, your mother has already passed away. Please accept our condolences.” The caregiver, accustomed to scenes of separation and death, stepped forward to console her.
Isabella cried on her mother’s body for a while, feeling like all the strength in her body had been drained away. In the end, she could only let the caregiver assist her.
She watched helplessly as the medical staff wheeled her mother’s body away.
Experiencing the death of a loved one for the first time, Isabella didn’t know what to do next. She numbly took out her phone and called Ava.
“Ava, my mom just passed away. How should I arrange her funeral?” Isabella asked with a pale voice.
Ava hadn’t expected Eleanor’s sudden death either, and for a moment, she was at a loss. She could only ask Isabella to wait for her at the hospital as she rushed over.
Isabella didn’t want to stay alone in the empty hospital room, so she took the elevator down, intending to wait for Ava at the hospital entrance.
As she walked out of the hospital gate, a dazzling lightning suddenly cut through the sky, followed by a rumbling thunder. Dark clouds pressed down, making it feel suffocating.
She sat alone on the steps, letting the cold rain drench her body.
Curled up into a ball, she couldn’t cry out loud; her sobbing was drowned out by the thunderstorm.
Cold rain fell into her eyes, causing her vision to blur. She didn’t notice a black Maybach slowly stopping by the roadside.
The car door opened, and a man with long legs stepped out, holding an umbrella, slowly ascending the steps.
Isabella’s head remained buried between her knees, oblivious to everything around her. Suddenly, the rain above her head stopped.
She sluggishly lifted her head, finding a sky-blue umbrella sheltering her under a clear sky.
Holding the umbrella was a man with long and powerful legs. He lowered a pair of deep blue eyes, gazing intensely at her.
In a brief moment of eye contact, large teardrops suddenly welled up in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks in a torrent.
“Andrew, my mom passed away. I don’t have a mom anymore,” she cried, like a lost little girl, so helpless and fragile.
A hint of emotion flashed across Andrew’s handsome face. Then, he squatted down, silently extending his arms, pulling her into an embrace. Her tears quickly soaked the front of his shirt, making him couldn’t help but feel distressed.
Her body was cold and stiff, but his chest was dry and warm.
She nestled into his embrace, not wanting to leave.
“Take this.” Andrew handed her the umbrella, then bent down, carrying Isabella into the hospital.
She was soaked through, shivering on a bench in the hospital lobby. Andrew stayed by her side, his smoke-gray suit jacket wrapped around her, wearing only a white striped shirt. He looked even more noble and aloof.
She remained silent, her gaze scattered. Andrew’s arm was around her shoulder, and when she didn’t speak, he remained silent too.
At this moment, Isabella needed not consolation but companionship. Someone to be with her, making her feel less lonely, letting her know she wasn’t alone.
They didn’t have to wait too long before Ava and Olivia rushed over.
Ava had never expected Eleanor to suddenly pass away. She arrived in a hurry, drenched by the heavy rain.
“Mrs. Eleanor’s surgery was obviously successful, and she had already passed the critical period. How could she suddenly…” Ava stumbled over, walking over, gripping Isabella’s arm, her voice choked with sobs.
Isabella had been in a half-numb state all along, her face as pale as paper. “Ava, now is not the time to talk about this. The priority is to handle my mom’s funeral.”
“Ma’am, how should we handle the funeral? I’m not quite sure. Do you have any ideas?” Ava’s face was blurred by tears, looking at her with a pair of bewildered eyes.
Isabella, a young girl in her twenties, naturally hadn’t dealt with a funeral before. In the end, almost everything regarding Eleanor’s funeral was taken care of by Andrew.
Eleanor was a Christian, and her funeral took place in a small church. Although not grand, it covered all aspects.
However, Eleanor didn’t have many friends in her lifetime, and the small chapel was quite desolate, with very few people coming to bid her farewell.