He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 99

Scarlett's heart instantly plunged into a chaotic panic. She quickly turned away, forcing herself to swallow down her overwhelming emotions.

A sickening, ominous dread began to rise in her chest.

Talia grew frantic. "Dad, Mom, what is it? Hurry up and tell us!"

Amelia and Timothy exchanged another heavy look. Timothy finally spoke, his voice steady and grave.

"When we went to Australia for our wellness retreat, we happened to run into your mother at the hospital."

"She tried to convince us she was just there on vacation and had caught a minor bug, but we could tell from her complexion that something was seriously wrong. Your mother and I quietly followed her."

"We caught her walking out of the specialist's office holding a fresh medical report. After pushing her for the truth, we found out she had just undergone a mastectomy in Australia for mid-stage breast cancer. Thankfully, the doctors managed to get it under control."

Scarlett's pupils shrank, absolute disbelief washing over her.

"Mr. Gray, are you saying my mom... has cancer?"

Timothy nodded slowly.

"Yes. By the time they caught it, it was already in the intermediate stages. You were heavily pregnant at the time, and she was terrified that telling you would put the pregnancy at risk. So, she used the excuse of going on vacation to travel to Australia and have the surgery completely alone."

"Your mother is far too stubborn. She didn't tell a single soul, choosing to face everything in a foreign country by herself. Even her lead surgeon was completely in awe of her resilience. He said she was one of the strongest women he had ever met."

Scarlett's body trembled violently. Her legs lost their strength, and she swayed unsteadily on her feet.

Her mother's sudden decision to vacation in Australia had caught her completely off guard.

By the time she had told Scarlett, she was already at the airport.

Like any expecting mother, Scarlett had desperately wanted her own mother by her side during labor and the difficult postpartum recovery period.

Talia began to cry as well, and Amelia's tears quickly followed. Amelia hurriedly tried to console Scarlett.

"We scolded her for it at the time. How could she keep something so massive from you? Going abroad alone for a major surgery... what if something had gone wrong? What would you have done?"

"But she practically begged us not to say a word. She said if you found out right after giving birth, and you rushed over there while still in recovery, she would never forgive herself."

"We sent her the photos of your baby. She spent every single day staring at pictures of you and her granddaughter, forcing herself not to reach out. She was terrified she would slip up on the phone and cause you unnecessary stress."

"She had some complications after the surgery and was even unconscious for a while. Thank God my husband and I happened to run into her, so we stayed to take care of her for a few days. Scarlett, you must never blame your mother. Her life has been far too tragic and far too difficult!"

Amelia and Timothy took turns recounting the grueling details of the past several months.

Scarlett felt as though a thousand arrows had just pierced her heart. An indescribable agony tore through her chest like a violent hurricane.

"Where is my mom right now? Is she still in Australia?"