CHAPTER 354: THE FEATHER DUSTER ALWAYS WINS

After Lin’s father and son left the Ramsy mansion, Albert Ramsy excused himself and took Zhou Ruyan back to her building, leaving Micah alone with his mother and sister.

Micah stood in front of the entrance, his gaze unfocused. He had no idea of the danger looming around him; his thoughts weighed heavily on him. Knowing he couldn’t do anything for his grandmother had dampened his mood completely.

Then came his mother’s voice, sharp, commanding, cutting through the stillness. "Aria, Lock the door!" Elina barked.

Micah jolted, snapping his head toward the sound. He blinked, bewildered. His mother stood a few feet away from him, holding something in her hand. It took him a moment to recognise it: that infamous feather duster she always liked to carry around whenever she meant business. Micah’s lips twitched. When did she even have time to grab that thing?

"Mum?" he said hesitantly, raising his arms defensively. His body went tense as he eyed the feather duster warily. "What is the meaning of this? I won’t run away, you know?"

"I don’t take my chances." Elina stepped forward, her lips curved in a thin, sharp-edged expression that wasn’t quite a smile. It sent a chill down Micah’s spine. "Sweetie, we need to talk."

Micah instinctively took a step back. "Sure, Mum. But... Can you put that down first?"

"I am afraid without this," Elina lifted the feather duster with deliberate emphasis, "your tongue won’t roll."

"No, no. I won’t dare."

Aria, who had been standing guard at the entrance, shifted lazily and took another bite of her apple, her eyes gleaming as she enjoyed the spectacle.

Micah glared at her. "Sis! At least call Dad and Older sister." His only hope was for them to stop Elina from going berserk.

Unbothered, Aria continued chewing leisurely before replying with her mouth half-full. "Already done. They will be here soon... with the doctor."

The crunch of her next bite sounded almost mocking.

"Micah," Elina said, her gaze fixed on him, "don’t you have something to tell me?"

Micah sighed deeply and, like a dejected puppy, turned to face his mother. "I’m sorry."

"For what?"

"I’m sorry I hid it from you; it was just a stomach bug anyway," Micah mumbled, shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh? Are you sure it was just a bug? Having two sister-in-laws working in a hospital, do you think I don’t know coughing up blood is a severe sign?" Elina retorted. "Want to downplay it? Did you think I was born yesterday?"

Micah cursed under his breath, the corners of his mouth tightening. He wasn’t in the mood to fight with his mother. The gloom of losing Zhou Ruyan was too much for him. "I had acute gastritis, and I was admitted to the hospital twice."

A collective gasp echoed in the room, even from Aria, who dropped her half-eaten apple with a dull thud onto the polished floor.

"Bring the car around front immediately!" Elina barked at the housekeeper.

"Mum! I’m fine now." Micah protested.

"I won’t believe a single word out of your mouth!" Elina snapped, voice trembling. "I need to see a full checkup of you right now." she threw the feather duster aside with force.

She had thought earlier that Micah had exaggerated his illness to the Lin family. But it appeared it was real. How could he hide it from them? Was it something more severe? All those awful scenarios filled her mind. A fear gripped her heart, like at any second, she could lose her son. Then came anger. How could he be so careless? Didn’t he realise how much this hurt them?

Micah saw the blood rush to Elina’s face. She swayed, clutching her head.

Aria was not any better. She fumbled frantically with her phone, her earlier smugness wiped clean. Her hands trembled as she tried to redial their father. Hearing that he had been hospitalised twice for throwing up blood... Aria felt a chill run down her spine.

"Mum? Are you alright?" Micah asked, shortened the distance between them, and grabbed Elina’s arm.

Elina clutched at him tightly. Her eyes were glossy, her lips trembling as though unspoken memories tormented her.

"I swear to god, I am alright. It wasn’t serious. I just had too much street food, that’s all. I’ve been careful since then." Micah rushed to reassure Elina. He was flabbergasted by his mother’s severe reaction. Even when he had been admitted to the hospital because of a concussion, she hadn’t acted this strongly.

Elina’s fingers trembled. A terror had clearly flooded her mind, one that seemed rooted in something deeper, like she had lived through this nightmare once before.

Micah felt utterly helpless. How could something as simple as gastritis throw off Elina this much?

The heavy sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the entrance. Jacob and Willow burst in, both slightly dishevelled from rushing back from the company. They must have driven recklessly to arrive so quickly.

"Honey!" Jacob cried, throwing his briefcase aside without care. He strolled toward Elina and cupped her shoulder protectively.

Willow entered right behind him, her sharp eyes immediately narrowing on Micah.

"I didn’t do anything!" Micah blurted out. "Aria is my witness!"

Jacob eased Elina down to the nearest sofa, his large hand rubbing her back in a steady circle. Aria hurried to fetch sugar water from the kitchen and rushed back while mixing the sugar cube into it with trembling hands.

Elina took a few sips from the glass before pointing at Micah. "Get him checked." her voice hoarse but firm.

"Okay mum, I’ll do whatever you say." Micah agreed readily.

The commotion died down after the family doctor arrived and checked on Elina first. He reassured Jacob and Willow that her blood pressure was high from stress, but she would be fine with rest.

Then his attention turned to Micah. He questioned him in detail about his signs and symptoms, his hospital visits, and the medications he’d taken. Micah answered honestly, though reluctantly, while his entire family sat around watching with hawk-like eyes.

At last, the doctor leaned back and offered his conclusion. "He’s already been taking care of himself. What he experienced was a peptic ulcer. It sounds alarming, yes, but he is stable now. With proper diet and rest, he’ll be fine."

The Ramsy family members sighed in relief, their shoulders relaxed. But Micah knew the feather duster would be waiting for him again, sooner or later.