Chapter 180
“What are you going to do with Mollie” I asked, cutting to the chase.
Linda, watching the car drive off, had a smile that didn’t touch her eyes. “She’s a Kaufman, our own flesh and blood. What do you think we’d do?
“I’ve heard you’ve gone completely wild ever since you split from Antonio.
“Since you’re Mollie’s mom, I’ll let you have a blast today!”
With a nod to her goons, she plopped onto the couch, flicked on the TV, and started munching on snacks. “Keep the noise down. I’m trying to catch my show!”
The thugs got the green light, grinning as they hauled me off to the basement.
Flashbacks of Caroline’s trickery, of being pushed into some stranger’s bed, hit me hard.
I fought back with all my might, but all I got was a bunch of hands all over me, touching where they shouldn’t.
Linda sneered, “Grace, you didn’t seem to mind when you were cheating. What’s with the innocent act now?”
“I didn’t cheat,” I shot back.
A kick to the back of my knee buckled me, forcing me to my knees.
Linda whipped out a custody transfer agreement. “Sign this, and you’re free to go. Don’t make a mess here!”
A creeping unease took hold of me.
Why the sudden interest in Mollie, the one they’d never given a second glance?
And where was Carson, the grandson Linda couldn’t stop bragging about? Not a peep about him all day.
I was in a real pickle. and Caroline wasn’t about to let this moment pass without a little gloating.
“Is Carson…”
The mention of Carson’s name made Linda’s face crumple with pain.
There was a hint of sadness there too.
Her phone, sitting on the coffee table, vibrated with a new text message. “Mom, has she signed the papers yet? We can’t wait any longer for the surgery!”
The word “surgery” jumped out at me.
“Carson is hanging by a thread. If Mollie donates a kidney to her brother, she can stay in the Kaufman family as a lady,” said Linda.
Back then, Carson was born with just one kidney.
I couldn’t just stand by. I struggled to get up and rushed toward the kitchen as fast as I could.
It suddenly made sense why these people had gotten so fond of Mollie suddenly. They had some big plans in mind.
If they really took Mollie’s kidney and put it in Carson, she might not make it off the operating table.
130
Linda, seeing me with a knife, wasn’t as scared and panicked as before. She said calmly. “A mother loves all her children the same. You can’t just think about Mollie and forget about Carson’s life! They’re twins and their kidneys are a perfect match from birth.”
How could Carson, who treated me like the enemy, be in such danger?
Tristan personally checked on him. His kidney function was just like anyone else’s.
I said. “Are you absolutely sure? My brother gave Carson the once–over just half a year ago. There’s no way he could be this sick out of the blue.”
After all, he was my own flesh and blood. Even though Carson was furious with me, cursing me out when he found out I turned my back on the family, the news of him being so ill just twisted my insides.
“You and your flings are nothing. Dr. Parrish is a big name. He’s the one treating Carson. There’s no way his diagnosis is off.”
If Carson was seriously ill, Tristan wouldn’t hide that from me.
Linda, seeing how much I cared for Carson, waved her hand, and her people took me to the hospital.
Antonio wasn’t happy to see me. “Mom, why’d you bring her here? Carson will be upset if he sees her!”
I didn’t have the time to think about how much Antonio hated me. ALLI could think about was protecting Mollie.
Caroline met me with a smile. “Grace, I knew you wouldn’t just watch Carson die. Your presence here is perfect. You should sign this surgery
form.
“Don’t worry. The surgeon is Dr. Parrish’s best student. The surgery is a sure thing!”
I blinked, making sure the surgeon was really Tristan’s student, and I was
blown away.
Tristan loved Mollie to bits. No way would he let her give up a kidney.
While I was still processing this, Antonio had me held down and made me sign Mollie’s surgery form.
I said no, but Antonio copied my signature and then took my hand to press my fingerprint.
As he was about to forge my signature on the custody transfer, Caroline was grinning from ear to ear.
“Grace, it’s all for your kid’s own good. Trust me. If I can treat Carson like he’s my own, I’ll treat Mollie just as well. Without the extra weight, you’re free to find a man however you like.”
Even then, Caroline had to get in a dig.
Antonio, not caring I was against it, forced me to sign when a voice I knew well shouted out.
“Stop!”