Chapter 95 Blood Is Thicker
Two years later…
Two years had slowly passed since the night that shattered all their lives, the night Michael was arrested and Phil was left bleeding on the cold ground. Those two years felt heavy and long, filled with grief, healing, and changes none of them had ever imagined.
Phil eventually recovered from the gunshot wound and accident after months of surgeries, physiotherapy, and sleepless nights filled with pain.
Though the scar on his shoulder healed, the emotional scar left by Michael’s betrayal remained buried deep inside him. Trust no longer came easily to him, and sometimes, when he was alone, he would replay that night in his mind, wondering how a man he once treated like a brother could turn into someone capable of such evil.
Through it all, Edith and Cora stayed by his side. They helped him return to work gradually, encouraging him when he felt weak and reminding him that he still had people who loved and believed in him.
During that same period, life surprisingly brought new hope. Both Edith and Cora discovered they were pregnant within months of each other. The news brought mixed emotions, joy for the new lives growing within them and fear because of the painful situation surrounding their family.
The two women became inseparable during their pregnancies. They attended hospital appointments together, shared meals, laughed over baby names, and comforted each other on difficult days. Their bond grew deeper than friendship; they became sisters in every sense of the word. In those moments, they promised that no matter what happened, they would raise their children together as one family.
Cora gave birth first to a baby girl whom she named Vanessa. The little girl had innocent eyes and soft curls, and whenever Cora looked at her, her heart would ache and heal at the same time. Vanessa was a reminder of both love and betrayal, but Cora chose to focus only on love. She swore that her daughter would never inherit the darkness of her father’s actions, she would make sure of it.
A few months later, Edith welcomed her own daughter, Rebecca. The house that had once known sorrow now echoed with the soft cries of newborns and the gentle laughter of adults learning to smile again.
However, their happiness was short-lived.
Not long after Rebecca’s birth, Edith suddenly fell seriously ill. At first, everyone thought it was normal weakness after childbirth. But days turned into weeks, and instead of getting stronger, she became weaker. Her once shiny skin grew pale, her voice softer, and she spent more time resting than walking. Doctors ran several tests, prescribed medications, and tried different treatments, but nothing seemed to work.
The once cheerful and lively Edith slowly became a shadow of herself. The house that had just welcomed new life became heavy with silent fear. Phil barely slept, staying by her bedside every night, holding her hand as if letting go would mean losing her forever.
Cora did everything she could, cooking, cleaning, caring for the babies, and even reading stories to Edith just to keep her spirits up. But deep inside, she felt a growing dread she couldn’t explain.
One quiet evening, about a month after her illness worsened, Edith asked to speak with Phil privately. Her voice was weak, but there was urgency in her eyes.
Phil sat beside her immediately, holding her frail hand carefully. "I’m here, Edith," he said gently, forcing a smile even though his eyes were tired and swollen from crying in secret.
She looked at him with so much love that it made his chest ache. "Phil… promise me something."
He shook his head immediately, fear rising in his heart. "Don’t talk like this. You’re going to be fine. The doctors are still trying.."
She squeezed his hand weakly to stop him, she knew there was no coming back from this illness. "Please… just listen to me."
Tears filled his eyes, but he nodded slowly.
"If anything happens to me…" she whispered, her breath uneven, "take care of Rebecca… and also Cora and Vanessa. They are family now. Don’t let them feel alone."
Phil’s throat tightened painfully. "Nothing will happen to you, Edith. I won’t let it."
A faint smile appeared on her lips. "And… if one day you decide to move on… you can even marry Cora. She's the only one that'll love Becca as her own."
Phil froze in shock, his eyes widening. "Edith! What are you saying?"
"I mean it," she continued softly. "She is kind… strong… and she already loves Becca like her own child. I don’t want you to spend your life lonely."
Tears streamed freely down his face as he shook his head repeatedly. "Please stop. Don’t say such things. You’re not leaving me. You can’t."
She gently wiped his tears with her weak fingers as she let out a weak cough . "I love you, Phil… please be strong for our daughter."
That night became one Phil would never forget.
A few days later, Edith passed away quietly in her sleep.
Her death shattered the fragile peace they had just begun to rebuild. The funeral was filled with sorrow and disbelief. Phil stood like a broken man beside her coffin, holding baby Rebecca close to his chest as if she was the only thing keeping him standing. He could hardly speak, hardly breathe, as reality finally sank in, the woman he loved was truly gone.
Cora cried endlessly too. She had lost a sister, a confidant, and the one person who understood her pain better than anyone else. Yet, despite her grief, she remained strong for the sake of the children and for Phil, who looked completely lost without Edith.
Life moved slowly after that.
After the funeral, Phil begged Cora to come stay with them. He spent months in silence, burying himself in work during the day and caring for Rebecca at night. Cora helped in every way she could, feeding the babies, calming them when they cried, and making sure Phil didn’t completely drown in loneliness.
Their bond grew naturally, not out of romance at first, but out of shared responsibility and mutual healing. They became partners in raising their daughters, partners in grief, and partners in rebuilding a peaceful home for the children.
It took two full years before Phil finally gathered the courage to take another step forward. By then, Rebecca and Vanessa had grown into playful toddlers who laughed together, fought over toys, and called both adults "Mummy" and "Daddy" without understanding the complicated truth behind those titles.
One quiet evening, after watching the girls play, Phil spoke to Cora with a calm seriousness she had never seen before. He asked her to marry him, not out of obligation, not out of pity, but out of respect, trust, and the deep bond they had built over time.
Cora took days to think before accepting. She knew their marriage would not erase the past, but it would give their children stability, love, and a complete family.
They agreed on one important promise: Phil would raise Vanessa as his own daughter, never treating her differently because of her father’s crimes, and Cora would love Rebecca with the same devotion as if she had carried her in her womb. But then, they'd make sure both children knew the other wasn't their biological parent.
And so, their new family was formed, not from perfect beginnings, but from pain, forgiveness, and the decision to protect the children from the darkness of the past.
Present time…
The atmosphere in the hospital room was tense. Rebecca sat on the bed, crying uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks, while Derek sat beside her, gently holding her hands and whispering comforting words, trying to calm her racing emotions.
Richard sat a few steps away, his eyes filled with pain and regret.
"If only I had known Phil would marry Cora and accept Vanessa like his own child after everything her father did," he said bitterly. "I would have fought harder. I would never have allowed it so easily."
He shook his head, his voice growing harsher. "Now look at everything. After all Phil suffered because of that man, he still chose to embrace his daughter. And today… it feels like blood is truly thicker than water. I just wish Michael had died in place of Edith then things would've turned out differently."
Rebecca wiped her tears slowly, her breathing uneven. She looked up at Richard with trembling eyes.
"Uncle Richard…" she called softly.
He looked at her immediately. "What is it, Rebecca?"
Her lips quivered before she finally spoke the words that made the room grow even colder.
"Michael is out and he might likely want to take revenge on me."