Chapter 84 ckened Hearts

What the hell was he expecting?

bThis /bwhole mess had sobered Stanley up a little.

“Mom, what are you even talking about?”

His head was pounding, and his stomach felt like it was on fire. He’d drunk too muchb, /band now bevery /bnerve in his body screamed in protest. Still, he tried his best to stay calm and adjust his tone.

It didn’t work.

Even that wasn’t enough to keep Martha

“You little bastard, still denying it?”

exploding.

“Do you have any idea how much damage Scarlett’s done to us?”

“And you still went to find her!”

“Are you trying to kill

anger?!b” /b

“I’m warning you–she could be starving in the street for all I care. You are not allowed to help bher/bb!/bb” /b

That was the moment Stanley finally, truly sobered up.

He stared at his mother,pletely baffled.

“Mom… did you misunderstand something?”

Martha’s face darkened like thunderclouds. She looked like she wanted to p him into next week.

“Misunderstand? What the hell could I possibly be misunderstanding?”

“Don’t tell me you

ididn’t /igo

see her.”

Stanley rushed to exin.

“I did go, but it was because-”

“Because what? Don’t think I didn’t know. You

were always soft on her when she lived with us!”

Martha cut him off, voice even sharper now.

“She humiliated us at that birthday banquet! We almost lost multiple projects because of her stunt!” “If your father and I hadn’t begged everyone under the sun, it would’ve been you on the street, not her!” “If it weren’t for the kidney Reba needs, I wouldn’t have tolerated that bitch living this long!” Reba hurried over to support/Martha, gently rubbing her back and holding her arm.

“Mom, we’ve lived with Scarlett for so many years. It’s normal to have some feelings. Stanley probably just ran into her while looking for me. Don’t be angry.”

b13:04 /bSat 2 Aug cu

Chapter 84 ckened Hearts

Martha let herself be helped back to the couch and bswept /bher bgaze /bbover /bbeveryone /bin bthe /broom

“I’mying it out for all of you right now.”

“Scarleit is nothing more than Reba’s kidney donor.”

“She’s cut ties with this family. She’s hard to control now. If any of you leaks this and lets bher /bbescape/bb, /bbdont /bbother calling yourselves Joyners anymore.”

Their father, Franklin, didn’t object. “Mm. Right now, Reba’s health is the priority.”

Reba lowered her eyes in guilt.

“I’m sorry. It’s all because of me…”

“It’s not your fault,” Oliver said quickly. “You’re our treasure. We’d do anything for you.”

“And besides, if it weren’t for her being a match, she’d never have enjoyed all these years of luxury and status. She should be thanking you.”

“It’s just a kidney, not a death sentence.”

He turned to Eugene.

“Right, Eugene? Losing one kidney just means she can’t do heavybor. We’ll give her ia /ipile of money and send her to study abroad–she’ll probably drop to her knees and thank us for our generosity.”

Eugene said nothing.

He just lowered his head.

Earlier today, Reba hade home from her university housing. She imed Stanley invited her back for a meal. When Martha casually asked her a few questions, Reba let it slip that Stanley had seen Scarlett on campus and might’ve exposed the kidney transnt n.

Martha had been so furious she couldn’t eat, insisting they all wait for Stanley to return.

No one had gotten dinner.

Eugene had wanted to say something–to tell them that Reba’s condition had improved, that she probably didn’t need a transnt anymore.

Kidney surgeries were risky. If her renal function had recovered, they should stick to conservative treatment. And hertest test results were already approaching normal.

But just as he was about to speak, Reba had started crying.

She wept about her tragic fate. About her health. About being a burden.

And just like that, the entire family had rallied around her, doting and protective.

He hadn’t gotten a single word out.

The frustration was suffocating

And the memory of Stanley’s visit to Scarlett kept resurfacing.

Chapter 84 ckened Hearts

The feeling of being pinned down by silver needles it still lingered.

It had shaken him so deeply that even if someone forced him into surgery right now, he wouldn’t dare iface /iScarlett again.

And besides…

John had been holding lectures at the hospitaltely. Justst night, he’d asked Eugene for a certain herbal supplement form. Eugene had casually dodged the question, but John had looked at him meaningfully and said something that still echoed in his mind:

Sometimes, people have ino /iawareness iof /iitheir /iiown /idarkness. iThat’s /iiwhy /ithe saying existsi–/iThose who bring it upon themselves will inot /ibe ispared/i.

“Eugene, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Oliver sounded annoyed but quickly turned back tofort Reba.

“Reba, I saw yourtestb report. You’re already fit for transnt.”

“But since you didn’t want to miss the Medical Exchange Conference, how about we schedule the surgery the day after the event?”

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