Chapter 162 The Lipstick Stain on His Shirt
Marigold has always had a strong sense of pride and a competitive personality, so the last thing she wants to hear in her life is people saying she's not as good as Ruth.
Even though that's the reality, Marigold has always felt that Terry and Kenna were on her side.
Marigold has always believed that Ruth was born to bring misfortune, that Ruth's bad luck indirectly caused the deaths of her husband, her son, and even her daughter-in-law.
There wasn't a single thing about Ruth that was better than her or stronger than her.
Now hearing these words from Kenna's mouth, Marigold was so angry she could barely breathe.
She gave Terry a hard shove.
"Terry, go teach your wife a lesson!"
Terry looked troubled when he heard this.
When Thomas went out to chase after Cordelia, she had already gotten into a taxi. He rushed over, and only then did Cordelia roll down the window.
Her expression was a bit cold, but her tone remained very calm.
"Thomas, I'm sorry, but I probably can't help you with this."
Thomas looked embarrassed. He rubbed his forehead and said quietly, "It's my fault. I didn't communicate well with my grandmother."
Cordelia's eyes were indifferent. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."
Seeing her polite manner, Thomas sighed inwardly. He could only pay the taxi fare for Cordelia before returning to The Thompson Manor.
When he entered the living room, he heard Marigold urging Terry to beat Kenna.
Thomas gritted his teeth, walked over, and knelt directly in front of Marigold, slapping himself hard several times.
"Grandma, I'm sorry. I didn't tell the truth. Cordelia and I aren't dating. The person I like isn't Cordelia."
Seeing Thomas slap himself, Marigold paused for a moment and quickly grabbed his hand.
"Thomas, it's a good thing you don't like her. As long as you don't like her, I won't blame you."
"There are plenty of good girls in Shadowpine."
Thomas's hand kept trembling. He pulled out his phone, opened his photo album, and showed Marigold the intimate photos he had taken with Ken, one by one.
"I know there are plenty of good girls in Shadowpine, but I don't like them."
"Grandma, if you really want to introduce someone to me, then introduce me to a boyfriend."
Marigold's face changed dramatically. She stared at the photos on Thomas's phone, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"Thomas, you're lying to me again."
As she spoke, she snatched Thomas's phone and scrolled back several pages. They were all photos of Thomas and Ken.
Her hand holding the phone wouldn't stop shaking.
Thomas took his phone back from Marigold's hand, his voice heavy and low.
"So Grandma, stop making things difficult for Cordelia. She's the only person who looks at me without prejudice."
Kenna, meanwhile, was sobbing uncontrollably on the side.
She never expected that Thomas would personally tear off this fig leaf in front of Marigold.
"Thomas, don't say anymore. Your grandmother is just a selfish person who only thinks about herself."
Marigold sat stiffly on the sofa, unable to recover for a long time.
The photos Thomas showed her had too much of an impact on her. She even forgot to throw a tantrum.
Terry was worried about her health and wanted to say something comforting.
Marigold grabbed Thomas's hand and asked urgently.
"Is Cordelia's child yours?"
Thomas didn't answer.
For the past three years, Cordelia had been trying hard to hide Amber's background. If he told Marigold the truth, Alaric would definitely find out before the night was over.
Thinking that Marigold was asking this because she might want to fight for custody of Amber.
He sighed and said quietly, "Whether or not Amber is my child, custody is with Cordelia. I won't fight her for it, and I have no right to fight her for it."
From Thomas's words, Kenna became even more certain that Amber was Thomas's child.
Amber's existence might have been an unexpected accident, but in Kenna's eyes, with Amber's existence, Thomas would surely become a normal man, a normal father.
Marigold looked at Thomas with a heavy gaze. When she touched the scars on Thomas's wrist, her expression changed.
She suddenly pulled up Thomas's sleeve and saw whip marks and self-inflicted cuts on his arm.
Seeing these wounds, Marigold, Terry, and Kenna all froze.
They had been too angry before to notice these injuries on Thomas.
The living room of The Thompson Manor suddenly fell silent.
Thomas quickly pulled down his sleeve to cover the scars on his wrist.
Kenna covered her mouth, trying not to cry out loud.
No matter how selfish Marigold was, she couldn't bear to pressure Thomas anymore. She lowered her hand and said nothing, looking deeply affected.
Kenna quickly went over to help Thomas up and walked upstairs with him.
Thomas held Kenna's hand tightly the whole time, apologizing quietly.
Kenna remained silent.
Downstairs.
Marigold's voice sounded somewhat weak.
"Thomas, I'm old and a bit confused. Call Ms. Stone and apologize for me."
Thomas didn't respond.
Terry tried to comfort Marigold.
Cordelia had just returned to The Stone Manor when Clifford from The Hughes Manor called.
"Dr. Stone, please come to the hospital right away. Mrs. Hughes suddenly had a stroke and is being resuscitated in the emergency room. Mr. Hughes is still in Silverlake Springs and won't be back for another two hours."
Hearing this, Cordelia's expression changed sharply. She immediately grabbed a random car from her garage and headed to the hospital.
When Cordelia arrived, Clifford was pacing back and forth outside the emergency room.
Seeing Cordelia arrive, he looked like he'd seen a lifeline. "Dr. Stone, you're finally here."
Clifford's voice carried a hint of choking.
Cordelia patted his shoulder to calm him down, then listened as he described some of Ruth's symptoms.
Two hours later, Ruth was still being resuscitated.
Alaric rushed back from Silverlake Springs.
He came from the elevator, looking travel-worn and exhausted.
Seeing Cordelia sitting on a chair outside the emergency room, his anxious heart somehow became much calmer.
The assisting nurse from the emergency room came out every ten minutes to update Cordelia on the situation.
Ruth's health hadn't been good recently, so Clifford had been paying close attention. Fortunately, it was discovered in time. Although the situation was critical, Ruth's life was saved.
"Ruth's condition has stabilized for now. There's no immediate danger to her life, but she still needs to be transferred to the intensive care unit for observation."
After hearing the nurse's words, Cordelia breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at Alaric, and when she saw a lipstick mark below his shirt collar, her eyes dimmed slightly before she quickly looked away.