Chapter 572 And yet, despite the suffering she had endured from him, a part of her still screamed that he didnât deserve to die the way he did in Brandonâs hands.
No matter what kind of criminal he was, Jethro was still her daughterâs father. Lydia had always been softâ so much that some people might even call her a coward.
She was a quiet, servile woman who had always heeded her husbandâs beck and call. Perhaps it was also because she depended on him for everything. Now that he was gone, she, too, had lost any semblance of direction.
Lydia looked down at her daughter and closed her eyes in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks.
âIâm sorry, darling...â she slowly uttered to the child in her arms.
The baby, blissfully innocent and uncomprehending, waved her tiny hands and babbled at her mother.
Natalieâs heart sank deeper with every step she took away from the ward.
She was pulled out of her despairing thoughts by the ringing from her phone. She looked at the screen, her brows furrowing at the caller ID.
Why was Brandon calling her?
Sean must have told him about her visit to the hospital. Natalie didnât answer the call, afraid that Brandon would question her. She put the phone back inside her bag and pretended not to hear anything.
Just as she walked out the hospital gate, a woman wearing a blue baseball cap brushed past her. The stranger felt familiar for some reason. Natalie was about to take a second look, but she bumped into a man who was walking towards her.
âWhat the hell, woman! Donât you have eyes? You knocked my phone to the ground!â the man cursed angrily.
âIâm sorry.â Natalie apologized and picked up the phone, and then handed it to him. When she looked back again, the woman was gone.
Was she just seeing things? The womanâs side profile seemed to resemble Vivian.
On one corner, Vivian pressed her back against the wall as she gasped for breath. She then gingerly poked her head out from her hiding place to look at the gate of the hospital. Natalie had left.
Vivian stepped out from the corner. She had never expected to run into Natalie.
She remembered the forlorn look on Natalieâs face. It could only mean that Natalie wasnât able to persuade Lydia to appear at the press conference to clarify the truth.
Relief flooded Vivian. It was a good thing that she was one step ahead. She had already paid someone to pretend to be an employee from Jethroâs factory and tell Lydia that her husband was killed by Brandon before Natalie could get to her. It was easy enough to make up a story where Brandon had bribed the police to shoot Jethro and shut him up for good.
Lydia ate up everything like a fool.
âYou couldnât even deal with a woman and a baby. I didnât take you for this much of a fool, Natalie,â Vivian mocked as she walked into the general inpatient building.
âThereâs really nothing money canât fix.â Before entering the room, Vivian touched up her makeup and applied more perfume.
The plan was simple. She would make Lydia to change her mind later and then take the credit for saving Brandonâs reputation. There wouldnât be any complications.
Vivian stepped inside the room confidently.
Lydiaâs eyes shot to the door as another woman came in. She looked at her new visitor. The woman wore bold make up, and a strong scent of perfume came from her. Lydiaâs nose wrinkled at the overwhelming smell.
There were no cameramen following this woman. She wasnât dressed like a reporter either.
Lydia instinctively held her baby closer. âWho sent you here?â
âHello, Lydia. Iâm here to help you.â Vivian always had a smile on her face, to make her seem approachable.
As Lydia made no reply, Vivian walked right in. She held Lydiaâs hand kindly, saying, âAs long as you make everything clear for Brandon at the press conference, I can triple your compensation.â
Lydia felt sick for no reason. Maybe Vivianâs pungent perfume had caught in her throat.
She covered her nose and asked, âAre you from the Larson Group?â
But since Natalie had only just been there, Lydia had a hunch this woman wasnât from the Larson Group.
The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband ï¤Chatper 571 The Return Of His Unrivaled Ex-Wife (Joanna)
ï¤Chapter 1329 Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen ï¤Chapter 1187 âNot really. Iâm a philanthropist, I try to reach out and help the people in our society who are most in need of it. As for why I want this clarified for the Larson Group, it was them who established the charity I work for.â Vivian thought she was making a reasonable explanation. She carried on laying out the offer, âIf you donât like it here, I can arrange for you and your baby to live abroad, far away from any harassment, where your baby can grow up carefree.â
Lydia refused mercilessly. âI donât speak any foreign languages, and I donât want to live abroad at all. Besides, Iâm more than capable of working to support myself and my daughter. Thereâs no need to worry about me.â
Vivianâs mouth turned up in a half smile, but her heart was filled with scorn.
âLydia, I donât think Iâm wrong in saying you were a housewife when you were with Jethro, right? You donât know how to do anything else apart from house chores. How can you support yourself and a baby?â ɳÏÊÒ½Ê ÏÈ¥.ÆÏɱ Vivian s*tripped away Lydiaâs lie.
She was nothing like Lydia. She could not understand Lydiaâs pain at all.
Lydia trembled with anger. This woman hadnât come to help her after all.
She looked so arrogant with her delicate makeup, stinking of perfume. Had she come here deliberately to make fun of her?
Lydia looked away and saw herself in the mirror. She looked withered and fat. Her heart ached at the sight of herself.
Lydia held back her tears. She had only just realized how kind Natalie was to her.