Chapter 402: Why haven’t I heard of it?

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Why haven’t I heard of it?

A moment later, the crisp sound of a slap echoed as Mrs. Morgan hit Julian’s arm.

Elara’s heart warmed slightly. ’It seems my sister-in-law still cares about me.’

But in the next second, Elara heard Mrs. Morgan scolding Julian: "How many times have I told you? No matter how much you dislike her, you have to put on an act. You can’t say things like that out loud!

Besides, she’s old enough to get married soon. Once she does, she won’t be around to bother our family anymore, so what are you so afraid of!

As for Rina, who knows how long she can last with that condition of hers? You should be nicer to her. She might be of great use someday, you know?"

Mrs. Morgan mumbled the last few words, so much so that not only Elara outside the door, but even Julian sitting right next to her, couldn’t hear them clearly.

"Mom, my wife isn’t here today—she went to visit her parents. She’s too reserved to bring this up, so I’ll just be blunt: we want to have a baby.

But you know what our finances are like. If things keep going on like this with Rina, forget having a baby—we might end up homeless." Julian leaned back on the sofa, his face etched with frustration. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a door crack open, and a small, pale face appeared in the gap.

Seeing that Julian had noticed her, Rina quickly tried to close the door, but she misjudged her strength and it slammed shut with a loud BANG.

Julian clicked his tongue in annoyance. ’It’s all this little brat’s fault! If it weren’t for her, our family wouldn’t be in such a miserable state!’

’He’s been married for years and he still can’t afford to have a child!’

’Why can’t she just die already! Why is she still alive, dragging me down!’

"That’s enough! Don’t go scaring the girl. She’s close with Elara. Be careful, or she’ll go tattling to her, and then you’ll be sorry!" Mrs. Morgan shot her son a look of utter disappointment. "Can’t you learn a thing or two from me? Look, I’ve kept up this act for over twenty years, and to this day, she still thinks I’m a wonderful sister-in-law. She always thinks of me first whenever she gets anything.

Anyway, in a little while, we’ll find an excuse to cut off her medication. I can’t let some little girl stand in the way of my future grandson."

Mrs. Morgan added after a moment of thought.

Did she feel any pity for Rina? Perhaps she once had.

But the endless trips to the hospital, the ever-thickening pile of bills, and the family’s dwindling savings had long since turned that pity into sheer annoyance.

Not to mention the immense stress the girl’s birth and subsequent illness had put on her own health. Besides, the girl wasn’t even close to her, and since she hadn’t raised her for very long, their bond was never that deep.

If she had a choice, Mrs. Morgan would much rather be helping her son raise a grandson than spending her days worrying about whether Rina would have another attack.

For the first time, Elara thought the house’s thin walls were a blessing.

She’d never imagined that coming back this time would allow her to overhear such a candid display of their true feelings. If she hadn’t, she would’ve never known just how much resentment they harbored toward her and Rina.

A thought suddenly struck Elara. ’If I hadn’t overheard this, and if the police hadn’t shown up to stop me... what would have happened after I told them I’d won the lottery?’

’Best-case scenario, they would have found all sorts of excuses to take the money from me, spending it on family expenses and Rina’s treatment.’

’Worst-case scenario? There might not have been any treatment at all. The money would have become start-up funds for Julian’s new family, or just gone into their savings.’

’And as for me and Rina?’

’Once they had squeezed every last drop of value out of us, what kind of end would we have met?’

Elara cast a grateful look at Sean Hughes beside her. If he hadn’t stopped her in time and helped her find a solution, she knew her fate would have been grim.

"Huh, why isn’t your aunt back yet? You don’t think something happened to her on the way, do you?

I’m going to go out and see." Mrs. Morgan’s puzzled voice drifted from inside. Elara and Sean Hughes quickly retreated back up the stairs, positioning themselves as if they had just arrived.

Mrs. Morgan opened the door just in time to see Elara and Sean Hughes walking up the staircase.

"Sister-in-law!"

In that brief moment, Elara had already gotten her emotions under control. For her own sake, and for Rina’s, she had to act as if nothing was wrong.

Driven by an intense sense of crisis, Elara composed herself with a speed she’d never known before.

Mrs. Morgan’s eyes shifted to Sean Hughes, who stood off to the side. A flicker of confusion crossed her face as she asked, "Elara, why did you come back with a police officer? Is something wrong?"

"It’s wonderful news! Come on, Sister-in-law, let’s go inside. I’ll tell you everything, and I promise you’ll be thrilled!

Oh, right, have Rina come out, too! This concerns her!" Elara took Mrs. Morgan’s arm and guided her inside, as affectionate as ever, as if she hadn’t overheard a single word just moments ago.

Mrs. Morgan didn’t suspect a thing. Though she was puzzled by Elara’s behavior, she went along with her and stepped inside.

A timid Rina emerged from her room. Her eyes brightened at the sight of Elara, but then the conversation she’d just overheard came rushing back, and she couldn’t stop herself from looking down at the floor.

"Aunt Elara, you rushed us all back home saying you had great news. So, what is it?

What kind of great news would require a police escort? Don’t tell me you won the lottery and brought an officer along for protection?" Julian asked, looking at Elara with the wide, familiar grin that he always wore when they spoke.

But his last sentence was laced with a hint of probing and hope.

If she hadn’t overheard the mother and son’s conversation, Elara would never have believed that this man, deep down, saw her and Rina as nothing but a burden.

Hearing his question, Elara took a deep breath. ’Here it is. The most critical part!’

’This is the battle that will decide the future for me and Rina!’

"This is the good news I was talking about." Elara took the documents from Sean Hughes and handed them to Mrs. Morgan and Julian. "Remember how much money the family spent the last time Rina was sick?

Well, ever since then, I’ve been researching official charity funds. I found one that seemed like a match and sent in an application. I heard back today—they said that given Rina’s condition and our family’s circumstances, they’ve approved her for a treatment spot.

The fund will cover the cost of her treatment and surgeries, but we’ll still have to pay for her daily medications and post-op care."

Rina, who had been keeping her head down, suddenly looked up, her face filled with disbelief.

’Does this mean... my sickness can be cured?’ she thought.

Julian frowned as well. He had spoken to doctors before; Rina’s heart condition was complicated and would require several operations. Combined with a potential heart transplant, anti-rejection medication, and other miscellaneous fees, the total cost was estimated to be around a million.

Even with official support, the remaining costs were far more than his little family could handle.

Besides, there was another very important question. ’Why have I never heard of this charity fund before?’

"Aunt Elara, how come I’ve never heard of an official program like this?"