Chapter 73 Lily Slits Her Wrists
Emma's face drained of color as she stumbled backward.
She was caught in a firm embrace.
"Emma!" Liam looked down at the terrified figure in his arms.
His gaze turned cold as he looked at Lily.
Lily felt uneasy under his stare.
Emma's eyes were filled with fear and helplessness.
The familiar scent of him calmed her slightly.
She clutched his clothes tightly.
"Home," she murmured, her voice thick with tears.
"Alright." He scooped her up and turned to leave.
Lily watched helplessly as Liam carried Emma away, tears streaming down her face.
Her heart twisted in agony.
This man should have been mine!
She sobbed, clutching her chest.
Suddenly, darkness engulfed her vision, and her body went limp.
Steven caught her, calling out urgently.
"Lily! Lily!"
——
Liam carried Emma to the bed, holding her tightly.
She kept weeping.
What exactly had Lily told her?
He didn't press for answers.
He just sat beside her and wiped away her tears with tissues.
She didn't fall asleep until midnight, drifting off while still crying.
She was drenched in sweat.
Liam barely slept himself, getting up to wipe her sweat and check her temperature.
"Liam...honey..." she murmured.
He lowered his gaze to her lips, expecting her to call again.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Steven calling.
He rose slowly and walked to the living room.
"Hello?"
"Liam, I'm so sorry. Lily's in the hospital and hasn't woken up yet. She keeps calling your name in her sleep. Could you please see her? I'm begging you!" Steven pleaded.
Liam glanced back at Emma, who was sleeping on the bed, and his brow furrowed.
"Mr. Foster, is she dying?" he asked.
There was a pause on the other end.
"When my father called you back then, I was dying," Liam said coldly.
"Liam, it was Lily's mother who cut off contact between you two! I truly didn't know about it at the time!" Steven explained.
"What did you tell my wife?" Liam asked, ignoring his words.
Steven faltered, falling silent.
"Emma and Lily just had a brief chat about you two," he said.
"A brief chat? What could they have said to keep my wife unconscious this long?" Liam pressed, his gaze darkened.
Steven fell silent.
"Whether your daughter lives or dies is none of my concern—now or ever! Keep her away from my wife! If something like today happens again, I won't hesitate to have my father handle it personally!" Liam hung up and threw the phone onto the couch.
"Honey..." Emma murmured in her daze.
Liam exhaled in relief.
He walked to the bedside, carefully lifted the covers, and lay down beside her.
He then kissed her forehead swiftly yet tenderly.
"You really know how to sweet-talk. Come on, say it again for me..." he murmured, pulling her tightly into his embrace.
——
In the VIP ward.
"Dad, please step out. I need to be alone."
"Lily..."
"Go..." Lily's voice was laced with despair.
Steven said nothing more, exiting the room and waiting outside the door.
She buried her face in her hands.
Ridiculous!
Emma is that woman's daughter!
And Steven actually wants to reclaim her?
Does he intend to make me the odd one out?
The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached.
Steven stood outside the door, his heart heavy and aching.
What should I do?
As he pondered, a clatter of falling objects echoed from inside the ward.
He spun around and pushed open the door.
Lily's hand hung over the bedside with a vivid red gash across her wrist.
Blood trickled steadily from the wound before falling onto the floor.
She had slit her wrists!
"Doctor!" he shouted.
——
Emma woke up to find his hand resting on her breast.
She gently moved his hand away, but was pulled into his embrace and held even tighter.
"Sleep a little longer..." Liam murmured.
"I--I need to use the bathroom," she said.
He reluctantly released her, giving her buttocks a light pat under the covers.
"Come back right after. Stay with me a little longer," he murmured.
"Mhm." She slowly sat up.
Her eyes were swollen, dry, and stinging.
Stepping into the bathroom, she stared at her reflection and noticed that her clothes had been changed.
Her mind drifted as she wondered.
Had Liam been like this with Lily?
She raised her hands to pat her cheeks, trying to push the thought away.
Lily's words lingered in her mind.
"Emma, your mother was the third wheel!"
"And you're the illegitimate child the Foster family will never acknowledge!"
Lily's face, twisted almost beyond recognition, was etched in her memory.
"Even after my parents got married and had children, your mother still clung on. How disgraceful! Utterly filthy!"
"You're clearly just my replacement, and yet you stole my boyfriend. You're just like your mother! Slut!"
Emma's mind was in chaos.
The words she'd heard last night had nearly shattered her.
"Emma, are you okay?" Liam asked, standing outside the door.
She snapped back to reality and realized her face was covered in tears.
She slowly calmed herself down.
"I'll be fine in a moment," she said.
Liam felt slightly relieved.
When she emerged, he noticed the fresh traces of tears on her face.
He pulled her into a comforting embrace.
"If something's bothering you, just say it. Don't keep it bottled up inside." He gently stroked her hair.
She sniffled, tears falling despite her best efforts.
Slowly, she pulled away from his embrace.
"You go wash up first. I'm a bit hungry," she murmured.
Liam watched her, wiping away the tear from the corner of her eye before kissing her.
"Stop crying. It hurts me to see you like this."
"Okay, I won't cry anymore," she murmured.
Liam took her hand and led her back to the bedroom.
He pulled clothes from the wardrobe and laid them on the bed for her.
Then, he turned to wash himself up.