CHAPTER 18: CHAPTER 18: DAISY’S DAD, CAN YOU COME TO THE HOSPITAL?

Eventually, when Daisy finished stir-frying a plate of oddly cut cucumber and meat, her hand was burnt with a blister.

On the table were two dishes, the charred cucumber and meat slices.

And Tiana Linden’s perfectly cooked sweet and sour ribs.

"Daisy, it’s time to eat!"

Daisy loved sweet and sour ribs the most.

Especially the ones her mom made.

As she reached for the sweet and sour ribs with her chopsticks, Tiana Linden tapped her chopsticks away.

"Until you learn how to cook cucumber and meat properly, you’re not allowed to eat the sweet and sour ribs Mom made."

Daisy suddenly felt so wronged.

Her long lashes were wet, tears about to fall.

Tiana Linden sternly said, "No crying, eat the burnt cucumber and meat you cooked."

As for herself, she picked up the sweet and sour ribs. "From today on, you need to understand that if you want to eat something, you have to know how to make it yourself. If you want to get something, you have to work for it. No one is obligated to meet your needs, no one is obliged to help you."

While seemingly eating her white rice, Tiana Linden was actually watching Daisy’s injured little hand out of the corner of her eye.

Knife wounds, burns.

Shocking!

That night, while Daisy ate her own charred cucumber and meat slices, she couldn’t understand why her mom had suddenly become so strict.

When going to bed, she hid her grievance in her heart, looking at Tiana Linden longingly, "Mom, can you hold me and lull me to sleep? I’m scared."

Tiana Linden: "Daisy, the second rule of Mom’s new rules is, from now on, you sleep on your own, no more needing someone to lull you."

After saying this, she turned off the lights and went to the living room outside.

In the living room of the one-bedroom apartment, she laid a quilt on the sofa.

After midnight.

She tiptoed into the bedroom, watching Daisy sleeping peacefully.

All her limbs and bones were filled with guilt.

Holding Daisy, she choked with emotion:

"Daisy, I’m sorry!"

"Mom is not a qualified mom, Mom can’t grow up with you anymore."

"The road ahead will have to rely on yourself."

That night, Tiana Linden hardly slept at all.

...

The next afternoon.

Aiden Grant was still in the pharmaceutical research lab.

He held an emergency meeting in the conference room.

Looking at the many medical professors, he politely asked them:

"Professors, may I ask when will this batch of specific anti-cancer drugs be ready for clinical trials at the earliest?"

One of the gray-haired Professor Shelby, who has been following the Linden-Grant Pharmaceutical Group’s research on this anti-cancer drug project for more than twenty years.

He had the most authority, "President Grant, it will take at least two more months."

Two months.

He couldn’t wait that long.

His mentor was in the late stages of lung cancer and could live for only about a month.

A heavy oppressive atmosphere enveloped him and everyone present.

From his nose, he sighed at the helplessness of life’s illnesses, "From today, we will work in two shifts, day and night, working overtime."

The white-haired Professor Shelby spoke for everyone, "President Grant, to meet the release time, everyone has been working overtime for the past year, and in the final moments, we have to be extra cautious, we can’t afford any sloppiness. Shifts day and night lead to fatigue and increased errors."

Caring deeply for his mentor in the late stages of lung cancer, Aiden Grant stood up and bowed to everyone, "I trust you all, please, I beg of you!"

While walking out of the conference room, Aiden Grant received a phone call.

It was from an unfamiliar landline number.

Aiden Grant didn’t pick up.

The landline number called repeatedly.

Only then did Aiden Grant answer, and on the other end, a voice urgently asked, "Hello, are you Ginny’s dad?"

Ginny’s dad?

Daisy?

"Who told you I am Ginny Linden’s dad?" He clearly wasn’t.

Ms. Hayes on the other end, anxiously said, "Ginny’s dad, it’s the contact information left by Ginny’s mom. I understand that you both have separated, and Ginny is under her mom’s care, but her phone is always unreachable. Ginny has a cold and fever of 41 degrees, and she’s in the hospital now. Can you come to the hospital?"

The small, cute, sensible figure of Daisy immediately surfaced in Aiden Grant’s mind.

Even though he wasn’t Daisy’s dad, upon hearing that the school couldn’t contact Tiana Linden, he put aside his urgent matters and rushed to the hospital first thing.

Daisy was lying on the hospital bed, receiving an IV drip.

Beside her, Ms. Hayes was sporting a fishtail braid and appeared quite apologetic:

"Ginny’s dad, I’m sorry, we didn’t want Ginny to get sick at school either. But since this morning when Ginny was brought to school, she seemed off, her eyes were red and swollen, her voice was hoarse. Who would’ve thought she’d develop a fever in the afternoon?"

How could Tiana Linden be a mom like this?

Aiden Grant’s anger suddenly spiked, "Tiana Linden’s phone has been unreachable?"

Ms. Hayes shook her head.

Suppressing his anger, Aiden Grant politely said to Ms. Hayes, "Thank you, Ms. Hayes. You can go back, I’ll try to contact Tiana Linden."

After Ms. Hayes left, Aiden Grant sat on the chair next to the hospital bed.

Daisy hadn’t recovered from the fever yet.

At this moment, she was delirious, her eyes closed.

Her long eyelashes kept fluttering, quivering slightly.

Her small hand even reached out in the air, fearfully grabbing nothing.

"Mom, don’t."

"Mom, hold me."

This child seemed to have been frightened by something.

Even though her eyes were closed, her eyelids were visibly swollen from crying.

Aiden Grant looked at her.

This wasn’t his daughter.

But he especially liked children, especially girls.

He couldn’t bear to see a child suffering like this.

It must be because Tiana Linden didn’t take good care of the child.

She really wasn’t fit to be a mom.

At this moment, Tiana Linden was also in the same hospital.

On her way to the market, her weakened body had collapsed.

A kind passerby had dialed 911 and got her sent to the hospital.

Upon waking up and seeing herself on an IV drip in a hospital bed, she also noticed the many missed school calls on her phone.

It was only three in the afternoon.

She hadn’t missed the time to pick up Daisy from school, hadn’t she?

Could Daisy have gotten into some trouble?

Suddenly feeling a clawing anxiety.

Just as she was about to call back to inquire about the situation, a call came in on her phone.

"Tiana Linden, what kind of mom are you?"