Judith Pierce scoffed, then stood up and walked right out.
Dylan Finch let out a slow, heavy breath. ’God, the pressure I was under speaking to her like that!’
He looked over at Chloe Reed, his expression apologetic. "Mrs. Reed, I’m sorry..."
"You’re right." Chloe Reed had calmed down by now. "I should go see him," she said, "but you also just said that no one is allowed near his room until he wakes up. So I’m leaving."
Dylan Finch was speechless.
’Did I just shoot myself in the foot?’
Watching Chloe Reed turn and walk away, Dylan Finch was so frustrated he wanted to weep.
...
The next day, Zachary Bowman sent Chloe Reed the proposal for his plan against the Reed Group.
After Chloe Reed read it, she was amazed by Zachary Bowman’s capabilities and confidently told him to proceed.
The effects were immediate. The Reed Group was once again thrown into internal chaos.
That evening, Chloe Reed came to the hospital after work to have dinner with her grandmother. Before long, a voice could be heard at the door.
"Let me in! I’m Chloe Reed’s father!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Chloe Reed’s expression faltered for a moment.
’Still, this was to be expected.’
The Reed Group was in turmoil, and since she hadn’t made any effort to hide her involvement, it was only natural that Charles Reed would trace it back to her.
Chloe Reed looked at her grandmother and said with a smile, "Grandma, I’m just stepping out for a moment."
"Alright," her grandmother replied, then added, "Be careful."
"I will."
Chloe Reed nodded, then stood up and left the room.
In the hospital corridor, Charles Reed stood with a grim expression, blocked by the bodyguards at the door.
Chloe Reed tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and retorted mockingly, "And you all weren’t like this before, either."
The air fell silent once again.
Chloe Reed glanced at her watch. "If there’s nothing else worth saying, I’m leaving. I have to get back to my grandmother."
Charles Reed sighed, his tone softening. "Actually, I didn’t know what your mother had decided to do. She only told me after it was done. I was shocked."
Chloe Reed raised an eyebrow. ’Is he trying to shift the blame now?’
’Autumn Linton is just a housewife. Could she have used his people without his silent approval?’
"Chloe, you’re my daughter. The Reed Group will be yours to inherit one day. You can’t destroy it," Charles Reed said with a sigh.
But Chloe Reed just asked, "Why isn’t she the one here talking to me?"
’Does Autumn Linton still not realize she was in the wrong?’
Charles Reed pulled a document from his briefcase and pushed it across the table to her. "I took your mother to get an examination," he said. "She’s been diagnosed with a mental illness. I’ve already had her committed to a psychiatric hospital. She’ll get the treatment she needs there, and once she’s recovered, she’ll go back to being the mother who loves you."

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce