“What did you wish for just now?”
Gwyneth answered without hesitation, “Of course, I wished that Mommy could be with me every day. And I also wished for a baby brother.”
McNeil frowned slightly, unsure where she’d gotten that idea, and gently ruffled her hair.
“A baby brother? What for? So he can steal your toys?”
Gwyneth stuck out her tongue and shook her head.
“That’s what Violet told me! She said if she became my mommy, I’d get a baby brother to play with, and then I wouldn’t be lonely anymore. Now that I won’t be with Violet, I guess Mommy will give me a brother, right? That way, I’ll always have someone to play with.”
McNeil looked at her innocent little face and sighed, then leaned in to help her blow out the candles.
They each had a slice of cake. Gwyneth happily devoured hers, and when she was done, McNeil asked Xenia to take her upstairs to get ready for bed. He himself went out to the driveway, got in his car, and headed for the hospital.
By the time McNeil arrived, the emergency room light was still on. He waited more than two hours before the doctor finally came out.
“How is she?” McNeil asked, already used to Violet showing up at the hospital every now and then.
But tonight, with Victoria’s departure weighing on him, he was physically and emotionally drained.
“She was brought in just in time. There’s no immediate danger, but she needs to rest. She can’t keep pushing herself like this.”
When Violet was moved to a private room, it didn’t take long before she woke, blinking in confusion. The moment she saw McNeil, tears she rarely allowed herself to shed began streaming down her face.
McNeil’s brow furrowed.
“You know, you don’t have to work yourself so hard. V&S Group doesn’t rest on your shoulders alone. You have an entire staff—you need to learn to rely on them.”
Violet sniffled and looked up at him, all her bottled-up hurt finally spilling over.
“Is that what the doctor told you? That I shouldn’t overwork myself? But you know that work isn’t what’s making me sick.
Today, Victoria showed up at Winding Peak Lane with an entire crew and told me to hand over the house. I already told you about it when I called earlier.
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