From the way my uncle spoke, it was clear—my mother’s family was far from ordinary. I couldn’t believe she had hidden this from me—and from my dad—for all these years. Still, knowing I had my uncle as backup made me feel slightly more at ease.

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, I anxiously waited outside the emergency room. Less than an hour later, my dad rushed in.

"What happened? How did your mom get into a car accident?" His fake concern made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, barely holding myself together.

"It was your so-called ‘business partner,’ Eden!" I snapped. "She ran my mom over and fled the scene!"

His brows furrowed as he scolded, "Calm down! Stop yelling! Your mom has spoiled you so much you don’t even have basic manners anymore!"

"Eden has no reason to hold a grudge against your mom. Why would she hit her on purpose? There must be some kind of misunderstanding! You better not go around making baseless accusations before we know the truth!" my dad said.

Misunderstanding? He and Eden had an illegitimate child out of their relationship. Yet, he had the audacity to talk about innocence?

I shot him a hateful glare. "Well, I’ve already called the police. It won’t be long before we find out exactly what happened!"

My dad scoffed and stepped aside to make a phone call.

I wanted to expose his hypocrisy right then and there—but what was the point? Even if I tore off his mask now, it wouldn’t change anything. I had no solid proof. Who would believe me?

Unless I could get my hands on undeniable evidence of his collusion with Eden, my words meant nothing.

Earlier, when I spoke to my uncle again, he told me to stay put outside the emergency room. He assured me he would handle my dad and Eden himself.

He also warned me not to completely fall out with my dad before he arrived. If pushed into a corner, my dad might do something desperate—and I was the one in danger.

The longer my mom remained in the emergency room, the more anxious I became. My palms were clammy with cold sweat.

Then, Eden arrived. The moment I saw her, I got instantly burned with rage. I clenched my fists, seething with the urge to tear her apart.

She walked up to me, her face a mask of innocence. "I already heard from your dad about what happened, but I wasn’t the one who hit your mom," she said smoothly.

"I was with my son all day—I didn’t go anywhere."

"My car was stolen last night. I even reported it to the police. I truly sympathize with what happened to your mother and I deeply regret it."

"Rest assured, once they catch the hit-and-run driver, I’ll make sure they pay a heavy price."

My dad quickly chimed in. "Thank you, Ms. Watson, for coming all this way. It was just a misunderstanding—please don’t take offense."

Eden smiled as if this were some casual inconvenience. "It’s no problem. My son happens to be hospitalized here too. I figured it was better to explain in person rather than over the phone."

Feigning surprise, my dad asked, "What happened to your son?"

Eden’s face clouded with sorrow as she let out a heavy sigh. "Kidney failure… Seeing him suffer at such a young age is tearing me apart."

My father sighed as well, shaking his head. "Life can be so cruel..."

Watching these two disgusting people put on a performance in front of me, I nearly lost it.

Yes, life can be cruel indeed—because if it were fair, it would have struck both of you down with lightning already.

Just then, the emergency room light flickered off.

The doctor stepped out. I rushed forward, heart pounding. "Doctor, how is my mother?"

The doctor shook his head and let out a weary sigh. "Her injuries are too severe. Even if we manage to save her, the best possible outcome… is that she’ll remain in a vegetative state."

It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. My entire world shattered in an instant.

Before I could process it, my father turned to the doctor, his face twisted in grief. “Doctor, no matter the cost, please—you have to save my wife! I’m begging you!”

The doctor’s expression remained solemn. "We've done everything we can. You should start preparing for the worst."

At those words, my father took a deep breath. His eyes turned red, as if he had just made some heartbreaking decision. "If that’s the case… we should let her go."

"I don’t want my wife to suffer. If she ends up in a vegetative state, she wouldn’t want to live like that anyway."

My entire body went cold. My dad didn’t even hesitate. The sheer audacity of his deceitful, disgusting act made my blood boil.

My rage erupted. “No!”

I spun to face him, voice shaking with fury. “Zane, my mother is still in the emergency room and you’re already in a hurry to let her die?! Is that what you want?!"

His expression darkened. In an instant, his mask slipped.

Before I could react, his hand flew through the air—a sharp, stinging slap across my face.