In the hospital.
Upon hearing that his mother's condition had worsened, Martin rushed to the hospital. The moment he pushed open the door to
the ICU, his sister Diana slapped him hard across the face.
"Can't even keep your own bitch on a leash, letting it yap in front of Mom? How dare you?"
Martin could only look towards his bodyguard, asking, "What happened?"
"Ms. Serena."
The bodyguard was cut off before he could finish, as Diana snapped angrily, "Why are you so respectful of her?"
The bodyguard, clearly frightened, quickly corrected himself, "It was Serena. She cto visit Mrs. Florence with lots of gifts.
When Mrs. Florence told her to leave Martin, she wouldn't listen and even told your mom that her engagement party to you is set
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtfor this Friday at 7 PM. That's when Mrs. Florence's condition took a turn for the worse."
"Did you hear that?" Diana turned to Martin, fury in her eyes. "That troublemaker did it on purpose to aggravate Mom's condition!"
"The engagement party with her is indeed this Friday at 7 PM. | was planning to find the right tto cwith her to talk to Mom
about it, but | guess she con my behalf because I've been busy. She didn't say anything out of line, even brought gifts."
"She knows full well that Mom doesn't want her stepping foot into the Cooper family, doesn't support your marriage because it's
the reason Mom's heart condition landed her in the ICU, and yet she still tells Mom the tand place of the engagement. Isn't
that just flaunting it in her face?"
"She just brought things to visit, and happened to share the good news with Mom. Why do you always have to think the worst of
her?"
"Martin, stop playing dumb with me. Besides you, everyone in the Cooper family is against this engagement!"
At that moment, the bodyguard noticed that the patient on the bed was waking up, and quickly said, "Miss, Sir, Mrs. Florence is
waking up."
The siblings stopped their quarrel and gathered around the bed.
Florence slowly opened her eyes, and when her gaze finally settled on her son, she mustered all her strength, her voice filled with
sorrow and anger, as she tearfully asked, "Do you believe in your mother?"
Martin took her hand and said, "Of course, | do."
"She's a calamity. Leave her." Florence's voice was weak, and even her grip was feeble, but she clung to her son's hand, tears
streaming down her cheeks, "I will never agree to this engagement."
"Mom." Martin, somewhat helpless, was about to say something.
Florence angrily cut him off, "If you insist on engaging with her, then you are no longer my son!"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Martin saw his mother's desperate state and realized she had aged; not just her hair had turned white, but her forehead was lined
with wrinkles.
He remembered the "mission" given by the mysterious person.
If he were forced to do something to Arabella, the Collins family would never let him off the hook, nor would they spare the Cooper
family.
Not to mention the McMillian family backing Arabella.
His mother was old now, and he really didn't want to burden her or the entire Cooper family any further.
With these thoughts, he suddenly fell to his knees, apologizing, "Mom, I'm sorry, but | have to marry her."
He knelt back a couple of steps, leaving space, and then bowed three times, "Thank you for all the years you've raised me."
Florence's eyes widened, tears still on the brink, unable to believe that her son would sever ties with her over a woman.
Ansel, who had been sitting silently all this while, was so enraged by his son's declaration that he stepped forward and landed
several heavy slaps across Martin's face.