Filed to story: Billionaire Bride’s Revenge (Vera & Howard)
She silently gave thanks for the swift downfall of her adversary.
With that thought, she resolved to visit Vera.
Sharon reached the hospital. She found the doors to the operating room firmly closed, marked by a forbidding red sign.
Jeff paced the hallway, wringing his hands behind him. As the doctor emerged from the operating room, Jeff approached him urgently.
“Doctor, how is my daughter? Why is she in shock again?”
Adjusting his glasses, the doctor’s expression was grave. “Her mental state has deteriorated sharply of late. Should this continue, she may not awaken.”
Jeff trembled and recoiled, struck by the gravity of the situation.
Vera was his only child. The thought of losing her was unbearable.
Sharon hurried to her husband’s side, grasping his arm.
“What has happened? Explain it to me clearly,” she implored, her voice tinged with panic.
Jeff’s complexion turned pale as he struggled with his words. “Vera suddenly fell into a coma. The doctor mentioned excessive stimulation.”
Sharon recoiled as if struck, taking a few steps back.
“How is this possible?” she whispered.
At that moment, the operating room doors burst open again, and Vera was wheeled out.
“Vera!” Sharon exclaimed, moving forward.
Jeff held her back with a gentle sigh. “Let her rest. We mustn’t disturb her too much.”
Sharon clutched Jeff’s sleeve tightly and wept. “Vera is my everything. What will I do if something happens to her?”
While Jeff offered a consoling pat on her shoulder, his attention shifted as he noticed Lily sneaking in. “Who are you?”
Taken aback, Lily’s eyes widened in alarm as she stammered, “I’m a friend of Vera’s, and I came to see her.”
Fury ignited within Sharon as she snapped, “How dare you follow me here? You’re to blame for my daughter’s suffering!”
Spurred by a resurgence of anger, Sharon seized Lily by the hair and struck her across the face.
“Ouch! Release me!” Lily cried out, retreating and shielding her face.
“You seem to have missed the point earlier. How dare you come after me! I’ll make you regret this!” Sharon threatened menacingly.
Sharon, imposing and quick to anger, yanked clumps of hair from Lily’s scalp.
The commotion drew a crowd, whose initially sympathetic looks turned to revulsion as Sharon’s insults flew.
Despite her screams, Lily couldn’t evade Sharon’s blows. She shielded her face and pleaded for mercy.
Blinded by rage, Sharon blamed Vera for her misery and vowed vengeance.
Enraged, Sharon kicked at Lily’s legs, cursing, “I’ll end you!”
Jeff observed Lily intently, a pang of recognition striking him-a feeling he’d never had with Vera.
Without a second thought, he stepped in front of Lily to shield her, enduring Sharon’s wrath. Wincing, he protested, “Enough! Remember where we are!”
With Jeff’s intervention, Lily managed to slip away, her face bruised and her appearance disheveled. Breathing hard, Sharon seethed. “You’re not getting away. Move, Jeff, or you’ll regret it!”
Jeff tried to calm Lily, urging, “Why wait? Go now!”
Realizing her peril, Lily clutched her handbag and fled.
The thought of further violence terrified her.
In a rage, Sharon attacked Jeff, scratching at his face. “Jeff Montgomery, are you stupid? How could you side with that woman? Do you fancy her as well?”
Pain shot through Jeff as he restrained Sharon.
“What are you talking about?” He scowled, a suspicion forming. “I’ve merely begun to suspect she might be my own.”
Jeff’s words ignited a fury in Sharon.
Ready to lash out once more, she seethed, “You disgraceful man! How could you father a child outside of our marriage? No surprise she pursued Vera’s husband. Clearly, she’s picked up your worst traits.”
Jeff, his face marred by scratches and blood, was both furious and exasperated as he shoved Sharon back. “Enough of your absurd claims! I’m being serious here.
Didn’t you sense a connection when you looked at her? I’ve never felt that with Vera.”
Sharon paused, her hand mid-air, struck by his words. Indeed, she had felt an inexplicable connection the moment she first laid eyes on Lily. She pondered this curious feeling.
Jeff continued. “You felt that connection, didn’t you? It might be dismissed as mere chance if it were only me feeling this way. But it’s not just me. You feel it too. This can’t be just a coincidence.”
Sharon, still hesitant, held up her hand, tangled with strands of hair freshly pulled from Lily’s scalp. “These strands are from that woman. Shouldn’t we confirm it with a paternity test?”
At the very least, she needed to unravel the mystery.
Jeff glanced toward Vera’s room and dismissed his thoughts with a shake of his head. “Forget it. It’s too far-fetched.”
Despite his dismissal, the undeniable connection lingered in his mind, unshakable, like a bond of blood. Parents had this innate ability to recognize their own children.
While Jeff wavered, Sharon reached a firm decision.
“Speculating gets us nowhere. We need to take the test-both of us. Let’s keep this from Vera, though. She… might not handle it well.”
Jeff paused briefly before nodding in agreement.
Together, Sharon and Jeff collected strands of their hair, combined them with Lily’s, and sent them off for a paternity test.
Sharon was conflicted, a strange turmoil rising in her whenever she thought of Lily.
“What if she really is our daughter?” Sharon pondered aloud.
Jeff exhaled deeply and settled onto a nearby bench.