Chapter 25

Angela POV

Having decided to keep this baby, I felt more emotionally stable than I had in weeks.

After saying goodbye to Sophie, I told Peter, "Let's head home."

"Home?" Peter looked surprised. "But Mrs. Shaw, aren't we supposed to visit Mrs. Elizabeth today? It's Saturday."

The realization hit me like a physical blow. With everything else happening, I'd nearly forgotten our standing sanatorium visits.

"What time is it?" I asked, though I already knew we were cutting it close.

"Just past two, ma'am. Shall I inform Mr. Shaw?"

"No," I said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "He's probably busy with the quarterly reports. I'll go alone."

Peter's expression didn't change, but something in his eyes suggested he understood more than he let on. "I can have the car ready in five minutes."

"That won't be necessary." I reached for my own car keys. "I'll drive myself today."

It was one of the few things I'd kept from my life before the Wilson Bank collapse - a graduation gift from my father that represented independence rather than luxury.

The sanatorium's VIP wing was as luxurious as a five-star hotel, with its private entrance and elite security team.

"Mrs. Shaw." Dr. Thomas Carter's voice carried across the lobby. "Perfect timing. Elizabeth was just asking about you."

"How is she today?" I asked as the elevator climbed smoothly upward.

"Stable. Her numbers are exactly where we want them for the surgery." He paused, then added more softly, "She's been looking forward to your visit. You have a way of brightening her mood that none of us can quite match."

The words sent a fresh wave of guilt through me. In two weeks, Elizabeth would undergo major heart surgery. In two weeks, the countdown to my divorce from Sean would begin. And she had no idea about any of it.

"Angela, darling." Her face lit up as I entered, making her look years younger. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten your old grandmother today."

"Never." I bent to kiss her cheek. "I brought those macarons you love from Ladurée."

"Always thinking of others." She patted the seat beside her. "Now, tell me everything. How are you feeling? You look a bit pale."

I forced a smile, grateful that morning sickness had given me a reprieve today. "Just busy with work."

"You should rest properly, dear," her sharp eyes studied my face with motherly concern. "A healthy body makes it easier to conceive. I do hope you and Sean are planning for children."

I felt my cheeks warm with embarrassment, unsure how to respond. Before I could gather my thoughts, Elizabeth continued, "Speaking of which, where is Sean today?"

"He's busy with work," I said politely.

Inside, my thoughts turned bitter - he was probably with Christina right now.

And what were they doing? Perhaps trying to give Elizabeth the great-grandchild she so desperately wanted.

Elizabeth's expression suggested she didn't quite believe me, but she was too well-bred to press the issue. Instead, she gestured to the wheelchair beside her bed. "Would you mind taking me for a turn around the garden? The doctors insist I get some exercise, but they hover so terribly when I walk alone."

We went to the sanatorium's rooftop garden. Elizabeth seemed to enjoy the fresh air as we walked among the flowers.

"You know," she said as we paused by a burbling fountain, "I've been thinking about the future lately."

My hands tightened involuntarily on the wheelchair's handles.

"Oh?"

"Yes. About legacy, about family." She reached back to pat my hand. "About what truly matters in the end."

"Elizabeth-" I started, but she pressed on.

"Let me finish, dear. When Sean first proposed this marriage, I'll admit I had my doubts. Not about you - never about you. But about the circumstances." She sighed softly.

"I worried it might be too much pressure, too much expectation. But watching you these past two years... you've become more than just my grandson's wife. You're the daughter I never had."

Tears pricked at my eyes, and I blinked them back furiously. "I feel the same way," I managed, hating how my voice trembled.

"I know you do, darling. Which is why-"

"Grandmother?"

Sean's voice cut through the peaceful garden atmosphere like a knife.

I turned to find him standing at the garden entrance, impeccable in a charcoal suit - a stark contrast to his drunken state last night.

"Sean." Elizabeth's tone held just a hint of reproach. "How nice of you to join us."

I stepped back from the wheelchair, maintaining careful distance as Sean bent to kiss his grandmother's cheek.

The tenderness in his movements, the warmth in his voice as he greeted her - everything showed how much he truly loved his grandmother.

In front of Elizabeth, Sean tried to maintain our usual facade of marital affection. He stepped closer, one arm moving to wrap around my waist while he leaned in to kiss me - a familiar performance we'd enacted countless times before.

But today, the thought of his touch made my skin crawl. All I could think about was how he had spent last night in Christina's arms, drunk and vulnerable in a way he'd never allowed himself to be with me.

I smoothly sidestepped, pretending to adjust Elizabeth's blanket, putting deliberate distance between us. His eyes flashed with irritation at my obvious evasion.

I gave Elizabeth a small smile.

"Let me make you some tea."

She nodded, her eyes soft. "You're so thoughtful. Sean is lucky to have you. Marrying you was the best thing that ever happened to him."

I awkwardly chuckled, my gaze drifting toward Sean, hoping to escape his sight for a moment.

Then my phone buzzed in my pocket.

A text from Sean:

"What are you doing? This deliberate distance - are you trying to make grandmother suspicious?"