Chapter 21
"I heard Grandpa wasn't feeling well, so I came to check on him."
Sarah showed up with perfect makeup - clearly she'd dolled herself up before coming. Carrying a fruit basket, she saw Ava answer the door, shoved past her, and walked straight into the hospital room.
The warm atmosphere instantly froze.
William glanced back at Howard guiltily, then took the fruit basket from her hands and pushed her toward the door.
"What are you doing here?"
He frowned, clearly annoyed. Howard had been hospitalized because of her in the first place. He'd barely managed to smooth things over, and now this woman was stirring up trouble again. Yesterday's whole day of kneeling had been for nothing.
Sarah knew she'd crossed a line. Her eyes flickered as she put on a hurt expression.
"I was just worried about Grandpa. Why are you being mean to me?"
"William, let her in."
Sarah had one foot out the door when Howard called her back. When Howard spoke, William didn't dare disobey. He had no choice but to call back the person he'd just kicked out.
Howard watched the two of them pulling at each other and spoke slowly,
"First of all, I'm not your grandpa. You look quite a bit older than our Ava, so you should understand something - not every old man can be called grandpa, and not every man is available.
William isn't someone you should be getting involved with. Setting aside the fact that he's married, even if he were single, the Morgan Family wouldn't accept a woman with questionable morals.
Since all three of you are here today, let's make things clear. You getting into the Morgan Family is impossible. Better to take some money and leave cleanly.
If you won't, I still have some connections in Emerald City. Making a person disappear isn't that hard."
Sarah's face turned ashen. She hadn't expected Howard to be so direct, not giving her any face at all.
"Grandpa, I mean no harm. I'm from a decent family, too. Ava is my half-sister - I'm not worse than her in any way. If you can accept her, why can't you accept me?
William and I have been in love for over ten years. We're childhood sweethearts, each other's first love. This feeling can't be measured by money. I love him and don't care about status. Even if I have to spend my whole life hidden away, I'm willing to have his children."
Howard coughed a few times. Ava quickly brought him water.
Seeing the situation, William tried to push Sarah out again. Howard raised his hand to stop him.
"Love needs two people to maintain it, not just your wishful thinking. You want to have children for him, but you need to ask if he agrees. Does he want you to have his children?
Besides, let me be clear with you today - even if you have ten or eight kids, the Morgan Family won't recognize illegitimate children or pay child support. If you want to have them, go ahead, but don't expect a penny.
If he's willing to live a hard life with you, I won't stop him. I think Ava can be trained up - taking over this business in the future wouldn't be hard for her."
William froze. He hadn't expected Howard to dote on Ava to this extent - actually planning to hand the Morgan Group over to an outsider. That was Howard's life's work. The Morgan Group's position in the top ten of the international luxury jewelry industry came from three generations of hard work.
Howard was willing to hand three generations of effort over to Ava to manage - he must be crazy.
The hospital room fell silent. William stood stunned for a long while, then realized all three of them were staring at him, seemingly waiting for him to take a position.
Sarah blinked her moist eyes at him, her gaze full of hope and grievance.
"William, would you want our child? You would, right?"
The atmosphere froze to the breaking point.
Ava's heart clenched. She had a guess - of course, he'd look forward to having a child with Sarah. In this moment, she masochistically wanted to hear him say it out loud, so she could finally give up completely.
After a long silence, time ticking away second by second in her heart, she finally heard him say,
"The child would be innocent."
Those few words landed heavily in her ears, each one piercing her heart.
He really did want a child with Sarah, even if Howard told him to leave the Morgan Group.
At this moment, she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears flooded out like a bursting dam.
Three years of marriage, and all she'd gained was humiliation.
"I'll go get some water."
She found an excuse to leave, walking like a zombie to the hot water room. Seeing someone else getting water, she realized she'd come out empty-handed without the thermos.
After everyone else left the hot water room, she couldn't hold back anymore. Leaning against the wall, she broke down crying.
"Stop hoping for anything from him, Ava. He doesn't love you!"
She told herself over and over, her heart aching like it was in spasm.
Not being loved was the original sin.
In the hospital room, after Ava left, Howard was extremely disappointed in William.
"Have you thought it through? You want to give up the Morgan Group, abandon everything you have now, and leave with this woman?"
William rubbed his temples.
"Grandpa, that's a false choice. There won't be any children. And if there were, it wouldn't be the child's fault. I'll find a proper way to handle this, don't worry, and just focus on getting better. Also, I won't let you treat the Morgan Group like a joke and hand it over to Ava to manage."
Hearing him say he wouldn't give up the Morgan Group, Sarah's heart settled back in her chest. Poor couples struggle with everything - she didn't want to live a hard life with a broke rich kid. She'd rather not have that love.
Howard closed his eyes. "Fine, you two leave. Don't come in unless there's something important."
As soon as they left, Sarah leaned weakly into William's arms. "William, my heart feels uncomfortable. Touch it and see if it's racing again?"
William helped the person in his arms stand up, stepped back, leaving a safe distance between them. His deep, dark eyes looked down at her, his whole body radiating coldness.
"Sarah, did you answer my phone yesterday?"
Sarah's eyelids twitched. She knew she'd been found out.
"William, you were sleeping so deeply yesterday. I called you several times but couldn't wake you. Your phone kept ringing. I saw it was Ava calling and was afraid she had something urgent, so I answered. When she heard my voice, she just started cursing me out.
I was wrong to answer your phone and upset Ava. Please apologize to her for me later - I don't think she wants to talk to me right now."
After hearing the explanation, William didn't comment. After a long pause, he warned,
"Don't appear in front of Grandpa again."
Sarah had known him long enough to know his boundaries. Coming to show her face today was purely to test the waters and force him to take a position.
Hearing him say "the child would be innocent," she felt reassured.
"William, I'm sorry. I was rash today. I should have discussed it with you before coming. Go take care of Grandpa. I'll leave now."
Sarah thought he'd at least walk her out a bit. After she finished speaking, he turned and headed straight to the smoking area.
Her heart went cold.
Ava pulled herself together and went back, running into William returning from smoking at the hospital room door. The two of them, in tacit agreement, said nothing.
Howard saw them come in one after the other. Without that annoying person around, he breathed a long sigh of relief.
"You two come here. I have something to say."