Liberty said, “Auntie, I want to see if he can be rescued. Sonny is his son, and he has to give him a ride. Auntie, please stay with Mr. Lewis for now.”

Mrs. Lewis replied, “I’ll stay with Duncan. You go quickly. If you need help, just let us know.”

Liberty nodded and hurried out.

Once she was gone, Mrs. Lewis turned to Duncan and said slowly, “Look at Hank’s situation; that’s the consequence of cheating. Duncan, when you eventually marry and have children, you must remain loyal to your marriage and your family.

If you believe you can’t be faithful, then I hope you stay single for the rest of your life and don’t hurt other women. I may not have a daughter, but as a woman, I understand the pain of seeing my son with someone else. If you no longer love her, you can file for divorce. After that, you’ll be free to pursue whoever you like.”

Duncan replied coldly, “Mom, I’ll just make a call. You don’t need to worry about me ending up like Hank.”

“What nonsense are you saying? You can get better. Once you recover, you should pursue Liberty and marry her. If you become a stepdad, I won’t object, because, as you said before, marrying her is your choice. As long as you’re happy, I won’t interfere. Sonny is a wonderful child, and I like him. He will be my grandson, and I can accept that now.”

Duncan’s voice turned even colder, “Mom, don’t you think I’m being selfish? When I was doing well, you opposed my relationship with Liberty and our potential family.

Now that I’m disabled and can’t even stand on my own, you expect me to pursue Liberty and marry her, as if she’s just a free nanny for me. I won’t marry her. If she—”

“She doesn’t leave for a day and still takes care of me, Mom. You will pay her wages, and she doesn’t owe me anything!” He was adamant that Liberty should not be treated as a free nanny.

Mrs. Lewis was taken aback by her son’s accusation. After a moment, she confessed, “I’m selfish. I just want you to get better. You can say whatever you want; as long as you recover, you can marry whoever you want and go home. I don’t care anymore.”

She lamented, “I regret stopping you from looking for Liberty. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be in this situation…it’s all my fault!”

Duncan, tired of his mother’s self-reproach, interrupted her. “That day, I didn’t want to go to Liberty; I wanted to return to the company for an important meeting. Mom, your questioning made it seem like I was trying to go to Liberty, but that wasn’t the case.”

He was indeed pursuing Liberty, but he also had responsibilities at the company. He typically managed the most critical tasks, delegating others, allowing him ample time to pursue and support Liberty.

He believed that companionship was the longest form of love confession, and he planned to spend his life with her. Unfortunately, he was now disabled, and he knew that Liberty did not hold any feelings for him. Even if she did, he would refuse to burden her with his situation—Liberty deserved a better man.

“It’s my fault, no matter what,” Mrs. Lewis continued to blame herself. “All I want is for you to get well soon.”

Meanwhile, Liberty couldn’t overhear the conversation between the Lewis family. When she arrived at the emergency room, she saw Mr. and Mrs. Brown still waiting at the door. The couple stood together, with Mr. Brown tightly holding his wife’s hand, and Mrs. Brown returning the gesture just as firmly. They remained silent, united in their concern.

They comforted each other. Mrs. Brown continued to cry, her tears still glistening on her cheeks. “Uncle, Aunt,” Liberty softly called as she approached them. Upon seeing Liberty, Mrs. Brown quickly took her hand, eager to speak, but words escaped her; all she could do was weep.