Chapter 271
Harper was gone. One more person who truly cared about me had left this world.
I knelt beside the hospital bed, clutching her hand tightly, refusing to let go even as her body grew cold. Before entering the emergency room, I’d been terrified she would hate me for not telling her about Sam’s death, for not consulting her before donating his heart to someone else.
But from the moment I walked through those doors, Harper hadn’t spoken a single word of blame.
The pressure behind my eyes was unbearable, but I refused to let the tears fall. I followed the doctor’s instructions, helping to wash Harper’s body and dress her in clean, dignified clothes.
My movements were mechanical and rigid, driven by a desperate need to do something–anything- to honor this woman who had loved me like her own.
The emergency room doors burst open as Ava charged in. She stared at her grandmother’s
motionless form, her face utterly devoid of grief. She approached Harper’s bedside with cold detachment, releasing a contemptuous snort.
“I told you not to be so nice to outsiders,” she said to her grandmother’s lifeless body. “Look what
she did to you. She literally scared you to death. Why couldn’t you have taken her with you?”
She continued her heartless monologue, her voice growing louder. “Grandma, I told you: only you
and I are real family. Outsiders are never reliable. See? Now that you’re dead, I’m still the one
handling your funeral arrangements!”
She turned to me, her eyes narrowing. “Sophia is just a stranger. How could she possibly give you a proper send–off?” Her voice took on an accusatory tone. “You stubborn old woman, you didn’t even tell me where you hid the money before you died. Am I really your flesh and blood? Why did you always help this outsider over me?”
Her emotions continued to escalate until she actually reached out to shove her grandmother’s body.
That was the moment I snapped.
I slapped Ava hard across the face. Twice.
“Harper is dead! Can’t you let her rest in peace?” My voice trembled with extreme anger.
If Ava hadn’t revealed the truth about Sam’s death, shocking Harper’s fragile system, the doctor had
said she could have lived at least three more years.
Three years! I could have spent more time with this woman who had shown me nothing but love.
The grief was overwhelming, and Ava’s behavior was the final straw.
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Chapter 271
I was done coddling this spoiled, selfish child.
Ava stared at me in shock. She had never seen this side of me before, with anger radiating from every part of my body.
For the first time since I’d known her, genuine fear flickered across her face. She cradled her stinging cheeks, tears finally welling in her eyes.
“My grandmother just died,” she whimpered. “Her body isn’t even cold, and you’re abusing me! I never want to see you again, you poisonous bitch!”
With that final outburst, she fled the emergency room, abandoning her grandmother’s body without a backward glance. I knelt beside Harper’s bed and gently slipped her shoes onto her feet, completing the final act of care I would ever perform for her.
Alexander helped me with Harper’s funeral arrangements. Throughout the entire process, he remained a steady presence at my side, handling the details when I was too numb to function.
After Harper was laid to rest, something inside me broke. I fell into a state of complete emptiness, as if my soul had departed along with hers. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.
Alexander watched my deterioration with growing concern. He lifted me into his arms, not allowing me to refuse, and carried me straight to the hospital for examination.
As he carried my limp body down the corridor, we passed Catherine and Isabella coming from the opposite direction.
Isabella’s eyes lit up at the sight of me in another man’s arms. She revealed a calculating smile and quickly pulled out her phone to snap several photos. “Mrs. Harding,” she said to Catherine, “your daughter–in–law is getting pretty cozy with another man. Aren’t you going to do something about
it?”
She admired the high–resolution photos she’d just captured, her face glowing with malicious satisfaction.
Catherine glanced at the photos with undisguised contempt. “A single photo proves nothing. They’re both fully clothed, and they’re in a hospital. No one would think twice about it.” Her voice dripped with disdain. “If I were you, I’d find a way to catch them naked together. You need evidence of an actual affair, not just a man carrying a woman. Is this really the best you can do?”
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The Ex–Wife’s Redemption: A Love Reborn
Chapter 272
