Chapter 201 Chapter 201
Anger boiled inside Caroline as she remembered Sheila's contemptuous words. If it weren't for Nicholas's presence and the fact that he was already in a difficult position because of her and Marcus, Caroline would not have let Sheila leave that room unscathed.
But now, Sara had nipped the problem in the bud. Judging by her resigned reaction, she must have given up on Victor completely.
It was better that way.
The pain of a broken heart was now preferable to the agony of a humiliating relationship doomed to failure in the future.
“Sara...” After a moment of silence, Caroline placed her hand lightly on her sister's shoulder, conveying strength. “I trust you. I know you can handle this.”
Caroline looked into her eyes seriously. “But listen: the most important thing for me right now is not Victor, nor school. It's that you have the surgery as soon as possible.
”Your recovery... your life...“ Caroline's voice trembled slightly. ”That's more important than any boy or any humiliation.
Sara's eyes darkened instantly as she thought about her condition.
Victor didn't know.
He didn't know she had a time bomb in her chest.
Would he still like me if he knew I was defective? Sara thought bitterly. That I could die at any moment?
Probably not.
Who would want to carry the burden of a sick girlfriend?
And since she didn't even have a healthy body, what right did she have to dream of love, romance, or a future? She shouldn't drag anyone into her abyss.
“Sister...” Sara's voice came out small and fragile. “Is there really a cure for my disease?”
She looked at her own pale hands. “When I was in elementary school, a classmate had the same condition as me. He also had the surgery. His family spent everything. He underwent several treatments. But... he ended up dying on the operating table.”
Sara raised her head. Her large, dark eyes were covered with a layer of liquid mist.
“Sister. I'm scared.” Her voice broke. “I... I can't bear the thought of leaving you alone.”
Caroline's heart broke into a thousand pieces.
“Sara! Don't talk nonsense!”
Caroline frowned, pulling her sister's thin, fragile body into a tight embrace, as if she could protect her from death with her own strength.
She stroked Sara's short hair with one hand, fighting back her own tears.
“Heart disease is curable. Medicine has advanced. You won't end up like your classmate,” Caroline said firmly, even though her heart was trembling.
“You have to trust your brother-in-law. Nicholas is an expert in these areas. He has the best doctors in the world at his disposal. He promised that as long as you have the surgery, you will be cured.”
“You'll live like a normal person, Sara. You'll go to college, you'll date, you'll travel. You have to believe that, okay?”
Caroline continued, trying to convince herself as much as her sister: “Our disease is treatable. We just need to cooperate with the doctor. I'll ask Nicholas about the date today. We'll have this surgery as soon as possible and put an end to this fear.”
Caroline's words sounded confident, but inside, she was terrified.
Heart disease could be cured, yes. But...
In a complex case like Sara's, the probability of success on the operating table was 50/50. It was a coin toss. Heads, she lives. Tails, she dies.
But Caroline could never say that out loud.
If she, the rock of the family, crumbled, what would be left for Sara?
“Sara, look at me.” Caroline held her sister's face. “Trust your sister and your brother-in-law. You need to have faith. Stop thinking about the worst, okay? We're going to beat this.”
Under Caroline's warm comfort and fierce determination, Sara's breathing gradually stabilized. The panic in her eyes subsided, replaced by a spark of hope.
Sara pushed her sister's hand away gently, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Sister, I'm sorry. I made you worry about me again.”
Caroline smiled and reached out to pinch her sister's beautiful, pale cheek, just as she had done when she was a child.
“Now that you know, try not to think silly things.”
“Yes.” Sara nodded obediently.
After a few seconds of silence, Sara asked curiously, “Is your brother-in-law a doctor? I thought he was a businessman. Doesn't he have a huge company?”
“He was a doctor.” Caroline explained what she knew, based on rumors. “I heard he stopped practicing a few years ago and now focuses on the family business. But the hospital dean said your brother-in-law is a genius. If he operates on you, the success rate is 100%.”
Caroline held her sister's hand. “So you can look forward to the operation with peace of mind. Don't think about anything else, okay? Trust him.”
“Okay.” Sara felt a little more confident. Her pessimism began to dissipate.
“Are you feeling well enough to go out now?” Caroline asked, remembering that Nicholas was still waiting for them. “My brother-in-law said we should have dinner together to celebrate your discharge. Do you want to go?”
After spending the whole afternoon in her room reflecting, Sara had processed her emotions.
Although she still felt a twinge of sadness over her disappointment with Victor, she was no longer at rock bottom. She wouldn't give Victor the power to ruin her life.
Nodding, she replied in a lighter tone, “Yes, I'm fine. If your rich brother-in-law is picking up the tab, of course I'll go. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”
Caroline laughed, relieved, and squeezed her cheek again. “Great. Think about what you want to eat. I'll change quickly and then we can go.”
“Okay.”
Caroline turned to leave the room.
“Sister.”
At the door, Sara's voice sounded hesitant.
“Huh? What is it?” Caroline stopped, her hand on the doorknob, and turned around.
After a few seconds of biting her lip, Sara asked, with a serious expression: “Victor's sister... Sheila... is she very close to her brother-in-law?”
Caroline was surprised. “Sara, why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
Knowing her sister as she did, Caroline knew that Sara would not ask such a question without reason. She had noticed something.
“Sister...” Thinking of Sheila, Sara's expression became cold and defensive. “You need to be careful with her. I feel that... she does not have good intentions toward your brother-in-law.”
Sara had never dated, but she had always been the most popular girl in school. Countless boys had a crush on her, and she had learned to recognize the signs.
She knew exactly what kind of look a girl gave when she wanted another woman's man.
She had seen how Sheila looked at Nicholas in the hospital. It wasn't the look of a childhood friend. It was the look of a predator.
Sara clenched her fists. She didn't want Sheila to become the next Claire.
She wouldn't allow another “friend” to steal her sister's husband.
Although Sara thought Nicholas seemed like a man of integrity who would never repeat the actions of that idiot Edward...
She needed to be cautious.
After all, at that time, she also held Edward in high regard. She thought he was the perfect Prince Charming for Caroline.
And in the end, she was wrong. Edward was trash.
Sara wouldn't make the same mistake twice. She would be the guardian of her sister's happiness now.