SWNOVELS Chapter 422: Autopsy
Chloe felt a heavy oppression in her chest. After all her efforts, her lifelong dream of over twenty years was crumbling at this very moment. Slumped on a bench in the hallway, she wondered, was this simply fate? Was there really no place in the Chaucer family for her and her daughter?
Half an hour later, Joy Chaucer arrived at the hospital. She didn't first visit Bianca, who was already dead. What was there to see? In Bianca's eyes, she had always been nothing. Now, harboring resentment, Joy felt it was only fitting that Bianca was dead.
Joy first approached Chloe, asking, "Chloe, they say I'm your daughter, is that true?" She had always believed she wasn't really a Chaucer, just a puppet Chloe had brought back. Only at the end did she discover her true connection to the Chaucer family. She had killed her own aunt.
Looking up, Chloe heard Bianca's words echo in her ears; Bianca's illness was no accident. "Yes, I am your mother, and you are my biological daughter. I wanted you to inherit Falconer Holdings, so I painfully gave you up to be raised by your aunt, pretending to be her daughter. But even at this crucial moment, we have failed."
"No, how can I be your daughter?" Joy struggled to accept this. "Why did you lie before, telling me I was an orphan, not part of the Chaucer family? Why did you do this?"
"Joy, it was all for your sake. The Chaucer family rules say only the eldest daughter can run the company. You had to be Bianca's daughter to be eligible." Chloe took Joy's hands and looked around. Seeing no one nearby, she whispered, "Joy, tell me, what exactly did you do to Bianca? Did you poison her?" Hearing the word "poison," Joy turned pale and defensively said, "I didn't."
Joy wouldn't admit not only to poisoning Bianca but also Chloe. The food they shared was harmful, causing unnoticed damage to Chloe's health.
"Joy, I'm your mother, would I harm you?" Chloe pleaded urgently. "You must tell the truth. If something happens, only then can I help you. I won't blame you."
Now penniless, Joy only had Chloe, whose enterprise, though not as robust as Falconer Holdings, was still a leader in the industry with a net worth over ten billion dollars. Chloe was a lifeline Joy had to grasp. Even if Chloe wasn't her biological mother, Joy would have done whatever it took to make Chloe accept and help her.
"I... I gave her some food that when combined becomes toxic, damaging the body without detection. I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't know it would turn out this way. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Chloe finally understood. These days, Joy had taken to cooking herself, often instructing the maid specifically what to prepare while claiming it was her favorite.
"Mom doesn't blame you." Chloe, recognizing the ruthless streak in Joy, did not reprimand her but rather felt reassured. "That's my good daughter. Without being fierce, you can't stand firm. Joy, you did well. But from now on, we keep this between us. If something goes wrong, don't be afraid, I'm here."
With Chloe's assurance, Joy felt safe. She asked, "Mom, now that Bianca is dead and the company has been taken back by Meredith, what do we do? The board, those old fools, are all siding with Meredith, those turncoats."
"Don't worry. All that belongs to the Chaucer family, Meredith can't take it all," Chloe said with a fierce look. "Our immediate concern is to bury Bianca quickly, lest there be any complications. Even though Meredith is Bianca's daughter, I am still her aunt. The Chaucer family won't allow Meredith to reign supreme in this house."
In the ICU.
Meredith wiped her tears, preparing to lay her mother's hand back under the blanket for a peaceful departure, when she noticed the other hand was positioned oddly.
Meredith's heart tightened. She recalled leaving her mother well and suddenly harbored a dreadful suspicion.
Just then, Dr. Harrington entered. Meredith asked, "Dr. Harrington, after I left, who entered this room? Who first discovered my mother's incident?"