Chapter 37
“Mr. Simmons, we’ve examined your wife. Aside from the scratches on her cheek, there are no other injuries,” reported Dr. Smith, the top general practitioner at Novandria Medical Center.
“When will my wife wake up?” Eddy’s voice was tight with worry.
“Mrs. Simmons is extremely weak-her blood sugar is dangerously low. It appears she hasn’t eaten in two days. Once we replenish her nutrients, she should regain consciousness soon,” the doctor replied.
Two days without food or water?
Guilt crashed over Eddy like a wave. All this time, he’d assumed she was safe at the old manor, that the staff and his mother would take good care of her. In between dealing with the Yates Group’s affairs, why hadn’t he made time to check in on her, even once?
He looked at the doctor, his voice strained. “She was kidnapped before. It took her a long time to recover-she barely managed to put the trauma behind her. I’m worried this incident will trigger her again, that, her PTSD might come back. Please-run a thorough evaluation.”
“Of course. I’ll schedule a full examination for Mrs. Simmons,” Dr. Smith
assured him.
Hedwig arrived at the hospital just in time to catch this exchange. The scene pulled her back to a different time, when she herself had fallen ill and Vincent had spent sleepless nights at her bedside. The memory twisted painfully in her chest.
“Eddy, you need to take care of that cut on your hand,” Hedwig urged, stepping forward. “If you pass out from blood loss before Blanche wakes up, how are you going to look after her?”
But Eddy barely acknowledged her. His expression was ice-cold, his eyes fixed solely on Blanche.
Chapter 37
“Go home, Hedwig. Take care of Healy and Tia,” he said curtly.
There was no room for anyone else in his world right now-only Blanche.
Hedwig hesitated, her feet rooted to the spot, then quietly summoned a nurse to tend to Eddy’s wound.
Eddy endured the pain in silence as the nurse stitched his hand, never once taking his gaze off Blanche’s face.
A gentle arm wrapped around Hedwig’s shoulders. She turned and, recognizing Ingrid, collapsed into her friend’s embrace, tears finally breaking free. “Ingrid…”
They sat together in the hospital’s inner courtyard, surrounded by a sea of tulips-no other flowers in sight. This was Simmons Memorial Hospital, owned by the family. Years ago, when Blanche had been a patient here, she’d once mentioned how lovely it would be if the entire courtyard bloomed with tulips. Eddy had immediately ordered all other flowers to be cleared, making her wish come true.
“Hedwig, I heard what happened,” Ingrid said gently, handing her a tissue. “Let’s be honest-the best is yet to come. You’re Miss Simmons. Suitors would line up from this hospital all the way to the Eiffel Tower.”
Miss Simmons. The words made Hedwig’s heart sink. “My mother’s probably ready to throw me out of the house,” she muttered.
Ingrid’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No way. You’re her pride and joy.”
“Her pride and joy? Maybe, before Blanche came along.” Hedwig’s voice was thick with sadness. She couldn’t help but recall how differently Loraine had treated her compared to Blanche over the years.
For Hedwig, it was all rigorous discipline and endless expectations-elite tutors, lessons that stretched late into the night. But Blanche? She was allowed to do as she pleased, to follow her passions without constraint.
Hedwig was being groomed to become the next lady of a powerful family. Blanche, on the other hand, was just a guest—at least, that’s what
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Chapter 37
Loraine always told her.
Only after Blanche and Eddy married did Hedwig realize the truth: the day Loraine met Blanche, she’d already decided that this was her future daughter-in-law, the woman destined to marry the Simmons heir.
The revelation had left a bitter ache in Hedwig’s heart-a sense of being blindsided, somehow left out of her own family’s story.
But Blanche had always treated her with kindness, as if she were a true sister. Blanche’s own family had fallen apart-her parents divorced, her mother gone too soon. When Blanche married into the Simmons family, Hedwig knew she should look out for her, just as Eddy did. It was only natural for their mother to show Blanche a little extra compassion.
So, Hedwig had buried her feelings deep, pretending they didn’t exist. Now, remembering it all, she couldn’t help but feel like a fool.
She glanced at Ingrid, Blanche’s closest friend. For years, while Ingrid was married and living abroad, she and Blanche had been inseparable.
If anyone knew the real Blanche, it was Ingrid.
Does Blanche know about Eddy’s affair? Did she choose to keep silent to preserve her privileged life?
And after learning about Vincent’s betrayal, why hadn’t Ingrid helped her choose another path, instead of watching her spiral?
“Ingrid, did you know about my brother’s affair?” Hedwig asked, her voice trembling.
Ingrid nodded.
A cold dread settled in Hedwig’s chest. “And Blanche? Did she know?”
Ingrid’s eyes darkened. “Of course she knew. She chose not to confront your brother-she just wanted to hold her marriage together. You know how Eddy is-the golden boy, every girl’s dream. Laney isn’t stupid. Why would she give up someone like him?”
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The bitterness in Ingrid’s voice was unmistakable.
Go ahead, make a scene-maybe you’ll get your wish and see Eddy and Blanche divorced.
Rage flashed in Hedwig’s eyes. “So she knew everything. All this time, she’s made a fool of me!”
Just then, her phone rang. It was the detective returning her call.
Hedwig answered, her voice taut. “You said the woman in the photo-who is she to my sister-in-law?”
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