Chapter 15: Willing to Harm His Own Sister for Someone Else’s Child Editor: Henyee Translations

Just then, Vincent Grant came striding over, holding a child, with Joanna Sherman by his side.

Cedric Grant followed close behind them.

Vincent Grant held the child with one arm, his other hand gently cradling the back of her head. He kept his head lowered, the very picture of cautious protection.

Two baby bottles were slung over Cedric Grant’s left shoulder—one for water, the other for milk.

In his arms, he clutched a thermos for hot and cold water, its strap slung over his other shoulder alongside the strap of a large cloth bag.

The large cloth bag was stuffed with diapers, wet wipes, burp cloths, and all sorts of other baby necessities.

He was so laden with items that he swayed with every step.

Joanna Sherman walked beside Vincent Grant, periodically reaching out to stroke the child’s face. To any onlooker, they looked like a blissful family of four.

"Cedric, give those things to me. I’ll carry them." Joanna Sherman said, apparently unable to watch him struggle.

"No!" Cedric Grant refused flatly. "I said I would take care of and protect my little sister!" He clutched the items tightly, as if afraid Joanna Sherman would snatch them away.

He was her son, after all. Sophia Shaw knew him all too well. He was afraid he would be useless, that Joanna Sherman would grow to dislike him.

So his affection for Joanna Sherman had already reached this point!

When Cedric Grant was a child, he had cared for her just as much. He was always afraid of tiring her out and did everything in his power to lighten her load.

For a time, she had believed she was the happiest mother in the world.

When did he stop caring about her?

It seemed to have started after Vincent Grant took him to a gathering where Joanna Sherman was present.

After returning from that gathering, his constant refrain of "Mommy this, Mommy that" turned into "Auntie Joanna this, Auntie Joanna that."

He began to give her the cold shoulder, and his gaze slowly grew critical.

When Cedric Grant’s affections first started to shift, she spent sleepless night after sleepless night, her hair falling out in clumps.

Her heart twisted in pain at the thought that the father and son were both smitten with the daughter of the woman who had bullied her since childhood, caused her mother’s tragic death, and to this day was still reviled and cursed as a homewrecker.

She had begged Cedric Grant not to get close to Joanna Sherman, but in return, he only grew more distant.

The past was too painful to revisit. Not wanting to create any more awkwardness, Sophia Shaw turned and led Ms. Archer out through a side door.

Just as they rounded a corner, a stunning figure seen from behind flashed past her eyes.

It’s someone she knew!

Her heart sank. She quickly handed Bun to Ms. Archer. "Wait here for me for a moment. I have to go see someone!"

With that, she turned and ran after the figure. She chased her around two corners before finally catching up.

"Seri!" Sophia Shaw cried out, her heart pounding with emotion.

The figure ahead stopped. When she turned back and saw Sophia, a look of disgust flashed across her beautiful face.

Then she turned and began to walk away again.

Sophia grew frantic. She ran over and grabbed her arm. "Seri, what are you doing at the hospital? Are you sick, or is it...?"

Sophia lowered her gaze, her eyes catching the name on the form in the woman’s hand. Her heart skipped a beat.

"What illness does he have? Can you take me to see him?"

"What business is it of yours!" Seraphina Vaughn shoved her away in disgust.

"Seri!"

Sophia, growing desperate, tried to follow her again.

Seraphina Vaughn shot her a venomous look. "If you want him to die, then keep following me!"

Sophia stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as Seraphina Vaughn disappeared into the distance.

Even though she was desperate to know about his condition, she ultimately lacked the courage to give chase. But her heart was consumed with anxiety.

After a long moment, she thought of Levin Sawyer.

"Levin, I just ran into Seri at the hospital. It looks like our teacher is sick. Is it... Very serious?"

Sophia heard her own voice trembling, so cracked and broken that the words barely held together.

It was only when Levin Sawyer told her their teacher was just in for a routine checkup that Sophia was able to piece her shattered heart back together.

After hanging up the phone, she found her fingers were still trembling uncontrollably.

Recalling the absolute hatred on Seraphina Vaughn’s face, she slowly covered her face with her hands.

Sophia Shaw walked back in a daze. Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. "What are you doing!"

She snapped her head up just in time to see someone give Ms. Archer a hard shove.

Unable to keep her balance while holding the baby, she staggered backward, about to topple down the stairs with the child in her arms!

Sophia’s heart seized, the pain so sharp it was numbing! She lunged forward in the nick of time, catching Ms. Archer and steadying her.

The sheer terror of what had almost happened crashed through her, and she roared without thinking, "Why did you push her!"

"M... Mom?" the person opposite her stammered.

Sophia focused her eyes and saw that it was Cedric Grant.

Cedric Grant seemed to be frightened by her shouting and stood there in a daze. She quickly took Bun from Ms. Archer’s arms and checked her all over.

The baby had been jostled when Ms. Archer stumbled, and Sophia was worried she might have been hurt.

Only after confirming that Bun was unharmed did she take a deep breath, suppress the rage surging in her chest, and ask again, "Why did you push her?"

Cedric Grant looked at Sophia, a wounded expression in his eyes.

Only when she repeated the question did he glare at Ms. Archer. "It was her! She just rushed over and almost knocked into my little sister! If I hadn’t been fast enough to block her, my little sister would have been scalded by the hot water!"

Cedric Grant pointed to the child in the nurse’s arms, his eyes red with fury.

Ms. Archer felt deeply wronged. "I was just standing here holding the baby, I didn’t move. She’s the one who rushed out and ran into me. If I hadn’t dodged in time, that boiling water would have scalded Bun!"

"You’re lying!" Cedric Grant refused to believe her, growing agitated.

Sophia glanced at Ms. Archer. A large patch on the right side of her clothes was soaked. Across from them, the nurse holding the other child guiltily avoided her gaze.

Everything was clear in an instant.

Cedric Grant stood like a little lion, protectively shielding Joanna Sherman’s daughter.

The sight was both jarring and heartbreaking.

Sophia looked down at Bun in her arms. Thank goodness she’s still little, she thought. How devastated would she be to know that her own brother almost sent her tumbling down the stairs just to protect another child?

"Why don’t we check the security footage?"

Hearing Sophia suggest checking the footage, the nurse grew flustered and quickly blurted out, "It—it was me. I wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped into her. Before I could apologize, Cedric..."

The nurse didn’t finish, but Sophia already understood.

Cedric had been taught to be calm and steady since he was little, and he had always learned that lesson well. Except, that is, when it came to Joanna Sherman and her daughter.

He wouldn’t act so rashly, without even trying to get the facts straight, if his affection for them didn’t run bone-deep.

"I’m sorry," the nurse apologized quietly.

Sophia looked calmly at Cedric Grant. "You almost sent your own sister tumbling down the stairs just now. You should apologize, too."

Cedric Grant’s round eyes went wide, full of stubbornness and indignation. He was just trying to protect Auntie Joanna’s child, so why did his mom have to take it this far?

Why did she have to demand they check the cameras? Why did she have to defend some strange kid and throw his little sister under the bus?

After a long pause, he bit out two stiff words, "I’m sorry."

As soon as he said it, he immediately turned back to the nurse and began checking his little sister all over, from top to bottom.

Ms. Archer, who had of course recognized Cedric Grant, saw how he completely ignored his own sister while doting on another child. Her heart grew heavy as she looked at Sophia.

Sophia, too, pressed her lips into a tight line. It would have been a lie to say she wasn’t heartbroken.

Ms. Archer took Bun from Sophia’s arms, walked a few steps toward Cedric, and said, "Young man, this is your sister. Why don’t you hold her?"

Cedric Grant recoiled as if by reflex, jumping far back. The blatant disgust in his eyes was a knife twisting in Sophia’s heart. "I’m sorry, ma’am, but I only have one little sister."

Cedric Grant pointed to the child behind him.

"But..." Ms. Archer was at a loss. "This is your real sister."

"Mom, my little sister is hungry. I have to take her to get some milk." Saying this, Cedric Grant pushed the nurse ahead of him and disappeared into the nursery without a backward glance.

Sophia noticed that the back of his hand was bright red. He must have been scalded when he shielded Joanna Sherman’s child from the water.

He would willingly get himself burned to save Joanna Sherman’s child, but he wouldn’t even hold his own sister...