Chapter 3

Ten minutes later, the two hastily ended their secret meeting.

Celine turned to Marcus. "Go tidy up the bed. Alex isn't stupid. Don't leave any traces."

Marcus nodded. "Considering he's been funding our daughter all these years, I won't be too hard on him."

"But only if he's obedient," Celine added coldly.

Hiding in the shadows, listening to their conversation, a chill ran down my spine.

All these years of marriage, she always claimed she had health issues and couldn't get pregnant.

I felt sorry for her, not even wanting her to try IVF.

I never imagined she had already had a child with someone else behind my back. She wasn't infertile; she just didn't want to have *my* child!

Then, Celine urged Marcus, "You need to get to the hospital quickly.

You have to handle Alex there. If all else fails, have Dad fake his death. Alex is such an idiot, he'll believe anything."

Half an hour later, Marcus arrived at the hospital empty-handed.

He asked me, his face anxious, "How's Uncle Arthur? Auntie said he was doing really badly. Is it true?"

I deliberately raised my voice to attract the attention of those around us. "My father's still being examined! How could you curse him like that?"

Marcus awkwardly glanced at Brenda, then said with a wronged expression, "Auntie, I didn't mean it.

Please put in a good word for me with Alex. My family relies entirely on my salary. If I lose this job, they'll all starve."

Brenda's eyes widened. She glared at me, yelling, "Alex! When you're not home, Marcus takes care of us. He's like my own son!"

"If we're talking about who's closer, he's far more important than you!"

Brenda accidentally blurted out her true feelings.

What surprised me even more was that Marcus even suggested transferring Arthur to another hospital.

From a distance, I saw the attending doctor from that hospital already waiting at the entrance. Even though only her eyes were visible, she looked incredibly familiar.

I couldn't help but stare a little longer. It wasn't until my gaze fell on her name tag that I understood and smiled.

It was Marcus's sister, Maria.

Maria stopped us outside the examination room. She busied herself inside for a while, then had the nurses push my father-in-law into the operating room.

I asked, my face full of urgency, "Doctor, why is he going straight to surgery?"

"Is it serious? I know a lung cancer specialist in New York who can fly over for the surgery."

Maria looked down, avoiding my gaze. "There's no time for that. His condition is progressing very rapidly."

"We need to operate and remove the lesion now. I suggest you, as the family, resolve his worries first, give him some hope to live."

Marcus also chimed in, sounding worried. "Alex, Uncle Arthur will definitely want to see Celine when he wakes up. You should go quickly."

I scoffed inwardly. "I've already arranged for a rescue team. We'll have results in an hour. We just need to wait."

Marcus looked agitated. He subtly shot Maria a meaningful glance.

Maria understood and turned to enter the operating room.

To my surprise, Maria emerged just half an hour later, her face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry, we did our best. The patient's will to live was weak. He didn't make it. He left with regrets."

Even at the end, she didn't forget to cast blame on me.

I asked to see Arthur one last time, but Maria refused without hesitation.

"His illness is contagious. You cannot see him."

I pondered for a moment, then pulled out my phone and called the funeral home.

"My father-in-law has passed away. Please send someone immediately to pick him up."

"His illness is contagious, so I need the fastest cremation and funeral plan. The burial plot should be the most prestigious. Money is not an issue."

I deliberately spoke loudly. "Even if it bankrupts me, I want him to have a grand send-off!"

Brenda, who had been trying to snatch my phone, lunged at me, hitting me and cursing.

I dodged her slaps and pressed the doctor again. "Is it still contagious after death? Are the organs contagious?"