Chapter 481
After Charlene and Malvina left, Vesta just stood there, frozen in place, unable to
snap out of it for a long time.
She only came to her senses when Maureen Spencer, who had been waiting for
her at the restaurant, called to hurry her along after noticing she was running late.
Vesta hung up, walked into the restaurant, and was immediately met with
Maureen’s concerned gaze. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling alright?” Maureen
asked.
Vesta shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if all the energy had been drained from
her. She looked lost and distracted, her whole demeanor off in a way that
Maureen couldn’t ignore.
Maureen frowned, worry etched across her face.
…
Not long after Charlene got home from dinner, her phone buzzed with a message
from Thorne.
*Something urgent came up at Stonepine. After I get back, I’ll need to delay my
return to Starfall by a few days.*
Charlene read the message, took a deep breath, and felt her mood sink.
But she’d just broken a promise herself not two weeks ago, so no matter how
frustrated she was, she knew she couldn’t make a fuss about it—at least not this
time. If it happened again…
She tossed her phone aside and headed for the shower.
The next morning, Charlene returned to work at PrimeStar as usual.
Seeing her back in the office after a two-week absence, Gaylord grinned. “You’re
back?”
Charlene nodded. “Yeah.”
Since Gaylord had started at PrimeStar, Charlene had already taken several long
breaks. When Stewart said she had personal matters to handle, Gaylord had
wondered what could possibly keep her away for so long.
Now, he figured she must have been sorting out her divorce. After all, she and her
ex-husband had a child together, and custody battles could drag on for ages. He
couldn’t help but wonder if she’d managed to finalize the divorce this time.
After chatting with Gaylord, Charlene dove back into her work.
Three days later, instead of a call from Thorne, she received a call from his
mother, Claudia.
“My mother-in-law’s come down
with the flu, complicated by chronic
respiratory disease and respiratory
failure. She’s in critical condition at
Royal Oak Healthcare. She wants to
see you.”
Charlene didn’t have time for surprise. As soon as she processed the words, she
grabbed her bag and rushed to the hospital.
When she arrived, Tiffany
Henderson, Terence Henderson,
Claudia, and the Henderson family’s
longtime butler were all waiting
anxiously outside the ER.
Tiffany glanced at Charlene and pursed her lips, saying nothing. Claudia
remained silent as well.
Only Terence greeted her. “Charlene.”
Charlene paused, didn’t reply, and instead asked, “How is she?”
Terence answered, “They’re still working on her. No news yet.”
The butler, knowing she and Thorne hadn’t officially divorced, greeted her politely
as well. “Charlene.”
She acknowledged him with a nod after a moment.
The butler continued, “I’ve already contacted Thorne and Minnie. They’ve booked
flights and should be here soon.”
Charlene nodded again. In this situation, even Tiffany, who’d never liked
Charlene, had nothing to argue about.
With nothing left to say, silence settled once more in the waiting area outside the
ER.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly.
At last, the doors swung open.
Charlene, Claudia, and the others hurried forward.
“Doctor, my mother-in-law—”
“Doctor, my grandmother—”
The doctor pulled down his mask
and said, “She’s stable for now, but
her condition is still very serious.
Whether she pulls through will
depend on her own strength.”