Chapter 176
“Whenever Miss Luna is home, she gets whatever she asks for. This time was no different–she suggested the trip, and the whole family went along with it p>
Her grandmother’s health had been poor for a long time, but no one in the family seemed to truly care, especially Luna.
Every outing was her idea, backed with some perfectly crafted excuse, and the rest of the family simply indulged
her.
This time, with her grandmother collapsing while the entire household was away.
If Irene hadn’t found her in time, Autumn didn’t even want to imagine the consequences.
She told herself not to get angry, but the breath she exhaled carried a sharp ache in her stomach.
Luna again. Could that woman not cause trouble for once?
On the anniversary of her mother’s death, she’d been the one behind the chaos.
Now, with her grandmother fainting, she was also the one who had pulled the whole family away from home.
No one in their right mind would believe it wasn’t intentional.
When Autumn stepped into her grandmother’s room, she saw the old woman lying on the bed in a hospital gown, eyes closed, motionless.
A nurse was inserting an IV line, and the sight brought tears spilling down Autumn’s cheeks.
Her grandmother was nearly ninety years old, and when she’d collapsed, not a single family member had been by her side.
If something truly bad had happened… what then?
This time, they’d been lucky. But what about next time?
People always said children and grandchildren were a safeguard in old age.
Yet here she was, ill, with no sons or grandsons around.
If paperwork had been needed for treatment, there wouldn’t have been anyone to sign. What if that delay had cost her life?
Autumn didn’t want to follow that thought any further.
Her heart ached like it was being pierced with needles, and more tears ran freely down her face.
She hadn’t cried when undergoing painful tests, when hearing the words “mid–stage cancer,” or when told the disease had begun to spread.
But now, seeing her grandmother’s pale face and still form, she broke down completely.
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She didn’t think of herself as sentimental.
She could accept whatever happened to her, but when it came to her grandmother, the ache came from the deepest part of her heart.
Sniffling, Autumn stepped forward, tucked the blanket more securely around her, then sat beside the bed and took her grandmother’s frail, aged hand in her own.
In just a few days, her grandmother seemed to have grown even thinner.
The weathered face, already marked by age, had almost no flesh left on it.
Just then, the attending physician knocked and stepped inside.
He was a young male doctor.
Autumn quickly got to her feet, anxiety spilling into her voice. “Doctor, how is my grandmother? What made her collapse so suddenly p>
The doctor glanced at the old woman, still unconscious on the bed, then sighed and motioned for Autumn to step outside.
She followed him out, and when they reached the rooftop terrace, she asked again, “Doctor, please–what’s going on with her p>
He frowned, clearly debating whether to tell her the truth.
The old lady had insisted he keep her condition private, but now that her health was deteriorating so quickly, he felt it was necessary for the family to know.
Gripping the chart in his hands, he began carefully, “Miss Lewis, your grandmother’s condition is worsening, and it’s possible p>
He never finished the words “her time is near,” because a voice called from the doorway, “Autumn, you’re here.
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Irene followed behind, holding her grandmother’s IV high, both of them moving in a rush.
The old woman hadn’t even bothered with shoes and was now slightly out of breath.
Autumn hurried over and took her hand. “Grandma, you’re not well. Why would you come out without shoes? Did something happen p>
The sight of her barefoot had startled her so much she thought there might have been an accident.
She quickly looked her over, checking for any sign of injury.