Chubby Mommy: Scheming Daddy, Surrender Now!-Chapter 223: Seeing My Daughter

Ruby Sullivan froze in disbelief, questioning her own hearing, "Dad, what did you just say? I didn’t catch it." She looked at her father expectantly, her voice trembling slightly.

"How come I didn’t see your sister?" Brandon Sullivan repeated, his murky eyes filled with confusion. His dry lips stammered for a moment before speaking again: "She... misunderstood." He then took hold of his younger daughter’s hand, visibly worried, "You’re back, and that’s good."

Ruby felt a pang in her heart. Back then, he must have heard Rhonda tell him about her elopement, probably worried even while unconscious.

She tried to muster a smile, "Yes, I’m back, it’s all in the past now." She sniffled, "Sister... she’s doing quite well."

Rhonda Sullivan had been placed in the rehabilitation area of Mercy Hospital. The drugs had caused irreversible damage, but Mercy’s environment was very good, and since she was related to Ethan Sterling, the nurses and doctors treated her with extra care. For her, it was the best outcome.

"That’s good, that’s good," Brandon Sullivan mumbled.

He became a vegetable due to a sudden stroke, narrowly escaping death was a blessing amidst misfortune. Although he’s awakened now, he suffered residual effects in his brain, struggling with speech. He only recognized his daughters, preferred to quietly watch the two little kids smile, and seemed to have forgotten everything else.

When Ethan Sterling spoke to him, Brandon’s expression turned stiff, deliberately looking away. Though he didn’t explicitly show it, it was clear that he wasn’t fond of his former son-in-law, Ethan Sterling. Ethan, knowing he was unwelcome, didn’t bother to get close to the old man.

Being unwelcome or not, some things had to be done. After bringing the old man home, Ethan immediately contacted the director of Mercy and arranged a large-scale expert consultation, but unfortunately, this was the best result.

In fact, Ruby Sullivan felt content with this. Having her father awake and remembering his most cherished younger daughter, it was enough.

But no one said father wouldn’t improve. Brandon Sullivan recalling Rhonda’s matter represented hope for Ruby Sullivan, even if just a flicker, it was enough to make her happy.

Ethan Sterling was in the study teaching two kids to read when Ruby Sullivan suddenly burst in excitedly, "Ethan, my dad remembered Rhonda."

Ethan’s brows lifted, "Do you want them to meet?"

"Yes, maybe my dad will remember more things, maybe he can return to how he was..." Ruby Sullivan couldn’t hold back her excitement, pouring out all her hopeful expectations.

Ethan knew it would be cruel to dampen her spirits at this moment, but given Brandon Sullivan’s condition, the chances of her wishes coming true were really slim.

He smiled, "Then I’ll accompany you to the hospital tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is Monday, do you have time?" Ruby Sullivan mentioned, not wanting to disrupt his work.

"It doesn’t matter." Ethan Sterling thoughtfully considered his schedule for tomorrow, but dismissed it lightly.

Although Mercy had nurses overseeing things, Ethan was still uneasy about the two going alone. Rhonda Sullivan wasn’t mentally stable now; if she were to have an episode, who knew what she might do?

Honey curiously asked, "Daddy, Mommy, where are you going tomorrow? I want to go too." Ever since coming home, she didn’t want to go to kindergarten, longing to be with her parents all day. Naturally, that wasn’t possible, making her especially cherish the time with them.

Ethan Sterling lifted his silly sweet daughter onto his lap, "Daddy and Mommy are taking Grandpa to the hospital tomorrow, but you can’t come along. Also, you have to go to kindergarten tomorrow."

Honey hugged her father’s neck, "I just want more time with you two."

"Be good," Ethan Sterling kissed his daughter’s cheek.

Honey snuggled in his arms, pursing her lips in slight disappointment, but said no more.

Seth Sterling glanced at his sister with concern, frowning, though he usually looked serious, so their parents didn’t notice anything different about him.

Since returning home, Ruby Sullivan’s mind had been occupied with Brandon Sullivan and work. While she still put her daughter to sleep each day and listened to her kindergarten stories, she paid much less attention to Honey’s behavior, not realizing Honey’s recent clinginess, assuming she was overly cherishing the present due to growing up with her and the recent family upheaval.

The next day, Ethan Sterling personally drove Ruby Sullivan and Brandon Sullivan to Mercy to visit Rhonda Sullivan.

Because Brandon Sullivan’s mental clarity wasn’t much better than Rhonda’s, Ruby wasn’t at all worried that Rhonda’s condition would agitate her father; she only hoped her sister’s face would trigger more memories for him.

They were led by a nurse to see Rhonda Sullivan, who was sitting in a row chair basking in the sun.

The nurse said she had been very calm since being admitted. Although she obediently cooperated with examinations and medication, she refused to speak, wandering the garden when not sleeping or sitting dazed in the sunlight.

"Dad, there’s your sister." Ruby Sullivan pointed to the person on the row chair.

Brandon Sullivan frowned looking at her, seemingly having trouble seeing clearly, and his steps became somewhat hurried.

Ruby Sullivan quickly followed suit, "Dad, don’t rush." Seeing this, Ethan Sterling hastened to catch up, eyes fixed on Ruby Sullivan, worried the father and daughter might stumble.

Seeing figures rapidly approaching her, Rhonda Sullivan instinctively tightened her coat and stood up, looking scared. Her dedicated nurse went over, taking her arm to reassure, "Rhonda, your father and sister are here to see you, are you happy?"

Rhonda Sullivan warily eyed the arrivals, her gaze sweeping from Ruby Sullivan to Brandon Sullivan, finally settling on Ethan Sterling. She stared at him, suddenly frowning, and charged forward, clutching his throat and shouting hoarsely.

The little nurse was terrified, rushing to intervene.

Ruby Sullivan stood frozen, watching as her father, usually slow, hesitated then also charged forward, shouting, "Don’t bully my daughter, don’t bully my daughter! Ahh!" The old man seemed crazed, used brute force to push the nurse aside and went to hit Ethan Sterling.

Ethan Sterling was throttled by Rhonda Sullivan, backing away. Brandon’s random slaps landed on his face, unavoidable, momentarily causing his eyes and nose to ache.

Ruby Sullivan, stunned nearby, rushed in to push the old man aside. Seeing she couldn’t move Rhonda’s hands, she bent down and rammed Rhonda’s waist with her whole body, managing to knock Rhonda to the ground.

Ethan Sterling clutched his throat, gasping, his face a shade of dark red.

Ruby Sullivan didn’t care about the old man sprawled on the ground, crawled up and rushed to Ethan Sterling, "Are you okay?"

In speaking, she unexpectedly cried out from urgency.