My gaze was fixed on Caroline, and Antonio’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
“No way! Your brother isn’t omnipotent. What he said doesn’t count! Caroline took Carson abroad for a complete work–up. There’s no way there could be a mistake.”
Caroline was crying her heart out. Leaning into Antonio, she accused me of wronging her.
No matter what they said, I wasn’t going to let those kids go under the knife!
Carson, just coming to, heard me turn down the treatment and croaked at me, “You cheated and ditched us. But now you’re keeping the doctor from helping me when I’m sick? How can you be such a heartless. mom?”
Caroline hurried over and wrapped her arms around him. “Carson, don’t talk about your mom like that. She’s got her reasons…”
Carson shot back, “What kind of reason would make her leave us, and now she’s hoping I die from this sickness?”
Carson’s face was as pale as a sheet, his cheeks tinged with an unhealthy red from the outburst.
Duncan got a short fuse. If I hadn’t been there to stop him, he would’ve knocked the Kaufmans‘ heads together ages ago.
But seeing me getting dissed by my own son, he just snapped and let loose on Carson, “You ungrateful child! Your mom was worried sick you’d get bullied by your stepmom, so she had me bring presents to your teachers. Even the new library at your school was built with my money, just so the teachers would keep a closer eye on how you’re doing!
“If you weren’t my nephew, do you think your dad would’ve bought that villa I built?
“Sure, you’ve only got one kidney, but it’s working just as well as anyone else’s. The real issue here is HIV. That’s what’s messing up your kidney. My brother’s flying back in a few hours to get you checked out. Without his treatment plan, you’d be in serious trouble!”
Let alone Carson, neither Antonio nor Linda would swallow that story either.
They were all in disbelief, saying, “How could Carson have HIV?
“Caroline was the one who did all that for Carson, so what does it have to do with Grace?”
At that moment, saying I wasn’t heartbroken would be a total lie.
I tugged Duncan aside, telling him not to let these people get to him. They weren’t worth it.
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