Chapter 3

Five minutes later, the front door opened.

Pearl came in from outside, breathing hard.

A flicker of panic crossed her eyes when she saw me, but she quickly regained her composure.

She looked at me with a smile on her lips.

"Sis, why didn't you tell us you were coming back!"

"And how did you—how did you just open the door and let yourself in!"

Her voice was soft, but it carried a hint of complaint.

The house belongs to my mother, so isn't it perfectly normal for me, as her daughter, to have a key?

I stared into her eyes. "Which hospital is Mom in?"

Her eyes darted around, and she wouldn't look at me.

"I'm asking you. Which hospital is Mom in?"

She licked her lips and lowered her head. "That was all Spencer's doing. I—I don't know!"

"Mom was hospitalized that long, and you, as her daughter-in-law, don't even know which hospital she was in?"

Pearl panicked.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Spencer's number.

Her voice was full of complaint. "Why aren't you back yet! Hurry up!"

"Your sister's asking which hospital Mom is in!"

Whatever was said on the other end, Pearl hung up.

When she looked at me again, her attitude was much tougher.

"How would I know? When we got married we agreed—whoever's parents they are, that person takes care of them!"

"Your mother didn't give birth to me or raise me, so what does her illness have to do with me?"

I nodded. "Fine. Then let's wait for Spencer to come back!"

Twenty minutes later, Spencer came back.

His back was soaked with sweat, and his forehead was covered in sweat too.

It was obvious he'd run the whole way home.

I sat with my legs crossed and stared into his eyes.

"Which hospital is Mom in?"

Spencer raised a hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Sis, why didn't you tell us you were coming back!"

I suddenly raised my voice. "I'm asking you. Which hospital is Mom in?"

Spencer swallowed hard. "Mom—Mom was discharged!"

"Discharged? Then why isn't she home?"

"Spencer, don't tell me you kicked Mom out?"

Spencer's eyes shifted away. "Sis, now you're going too far. What do you mean I kicked Mom out? She didn't want to live with us herself!"

"So where is she now?"

Spencer lowered his head, not daring to meet my eyes.

"The hometown."

"The hometown?!"

My voice shot up.

"Mom's in poor health, she's sick, and you sent her back to the hometown all alone?"

"Spencer, is there something wrong with you?"