This meant that from now on, no one would be giving Cara Preston money. She would have to fend for herself!

’How could this be! She was only eighteen, an age where she needed to be supported. She still had to study—how could she possibly find time to work and earn money?’

Seeing her daughter just standing there in a daze, Rona Langdon gave her a kick on the butt. "What are you spacing out for? Get to the hospital and find out what’s going on!"

Cara Preston mumbled a reply, gathered her things, and headed straight for the hospital.

Once Cara Preston was gone, Rona Langdon was left alone at home. The more she thought about the situation, the more unsettling it became, so she went out to talk things over with Alden.

Alden was far more worldly than Rona Langdon in these matters. "If your Preston really had a cerebral hemorrhage, even if they save him, he’ll be a burden. You’ll probably have to be by his side day in and day out. I’ve heard that many patients with this condition can’t walk and end up paralyzed. Even the ones who are a little better off, who can still walk, are often partially disabled. You’ll have to take care of his every need—feeding him, cleaning up after him... He might even become incontinent."

It was only then that Rona Langdon realized just how serious a cerebral hemorrhage was. A chill ran down her spine.

So she asked, "If a cerebral hemorrhage isn’t treated in time, does the condition get worse?"

"Of course it will!" Alden said firmly. "Normally, someone having a cerebral hemorrhage needs to be taken to the hospital immediately. The longer the delay, the worse it is for them. Even a mild case can turn severe if you wait too long."

Rona Langdon recalled the sight of Zachary Preston collapsing, and her blood ran even colder. The thought that what little money she had would be poured into the hospital for Zachary’s treatment made every fiber of her being ache.

She hurried away from Alden’s and called a former classmate, Walter Archer, who worked at the hospital. She asked him about cerebral hemorrhages, and his answer was almost identical to Alden’s.

After Rona Langdon hung up, she collapsed where she stood. ’If I had known,’ she thought, ’I should have stopped Vera Xavier when she came back to take Zachary away. At most, I would’ve just had to arrange his funeral, not spend all this money on his treatment!’

She paced around the room a few times, growing more and more anxious with every step.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Annoyed, she snapped, "Who is it?!"

A rather obsequious voice came from outside. "Excuse me, does Director Preston live here?"

Rona Langdon frowned and opened the door. Outside stood a heavyset, middle-aged man in his forties. He was holding a case of fruit, and his face was plastered with a fawning smile.

Rona Langdon looked him up and down. "He lives here. What do you want?"

"You must be his wife, ma’am? May I come in and speak with you?" the middle-aged man asked with a beaming smile.

Rona Langdon wasn’t surprised that someone had come looking for Zachary Preston. In fact, over the years, plenty of people had sought him out because of the power he held. However, Zachary had always been a man of integrity and never accepted bribes or engaged in backdoor deals.

Rona Langdon, on the other hand, had secretly accepted a few gifts behind Zachary’s back before. When he found out, he had berated her and forced her to return everything.

Rona Langdon glanced disdainfully at the case of fruit in his hands. Although the Preston Family lived on Zachary Preston’s salary, they never wanted for food or drink. A single case of fruit was hardly worth a second glance.