I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 26

Rachel was shocked. “Your uncle? Julian? Haven’t you been out of touch for years? How did you run into him?”

I explained what had happened. “I saw him at my mom’s grave today. He was so devastated that he had a heart attack. I had to rush him to the hospital just to save him.”

Rachel thought for a moment. “Do you think maybe your dad never told them? And that’s why they didn’t come to the funeral? Maybe it wasn’t because your grandfather’s family is cold-hearted.”

“I think you’re right,” I said, mulling it over.

She stuffed another bite of food into my mouth. “Where’s your uncle now?”

“At the hospital. His heart is in bad shape and he needs surgery urgently. So,” I took a breath, “I called Steven just now. If I go with him to a family dinner, he’ll give me a million-dollar settlement when we divorce. That’ll be enough to pay for Uncle Julian’s surgery.”

Rachel gave me a surprised, pained look. “Zephyra, you seem different.”

I smiled. “How so?”

She considered it carefully. “You just seem… more mature, more composed than before. You used to be so carefree, you’d get tricked and still be happy. Now, you’re keeping track of every little thing. And most importantly… not only have you decided to divorce him, you’re actually willing to play games with Steven to get what you need.”

When it came to Steven, I had always given freely, without expecting anything in return. Even when we were breaking up, I never wanted to take a dime from him or have any lingering ties. But this time, I was demanding a million dollars. It wasn't something the old, love-struck me would have ever done.

I lowered my head and smiled, handing her a chicken leg. “I guess I’ve finally grown a brain. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Rachel burst out laughing. “It’s a great thing! A brain is an excellent thing to have. My dreams of getting rich are all on you now.”

I met his gaze in the mirror. “Larry, is there something you want to tell me?”

Caught, Larry asked sheepishly, “Ma’am, have you and Mr. Lancaster had a fight?”

My eyes flickered. “Why do you ask?”

Larry sighed softly. “You haven’t been home lately, ma’am, so you wouldn’t know. Mr. Lancaster has been having terrible stomach pains, but he refuses to see a doctor. He just pushes through it. It’s painful to watch.”

I knew about his stomach pains. He had called me in the middle of the night asking where his medicine was. But… I frowned in confusion. “Didn’t he have a female doctor over last night? I wouldn’t exactly call that ‘pushing through it.’”

“A female doctor?” Larry’s face lit up with understanding. “Oh, you mean her. She showed up on her own last night, ma’am. Mr. Lancaster didn’t call her. The person Mr. Lancaster was waiting for… it wasn’t her.”