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Chapter 37 Ivy’s Dying Confession: A Legacy of Lies
I sat in my car outside the hospital, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles. turned white. My head was a storm of emotions–grief over pushing Damien away, uncertainty about his true intentions, and dread about facing my toxic family again.
“Get it together, Hazel,” I muttered to myself, blinking back tears. “You survived without Damien Sterling before. You’ll do it again.”
But the ache in my chest suggested otherwise.
I’d received the call earlier that morning–Ivy was critically ill, and they needed me to sign the share transfer documents immediately. The timing couldn’t have been worse, but maybe throwing myself into this final confrontation would distract me from thoughts of Damien.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my designer handbag containing the jade bracelet and stepped out of the car. The hospital’s antiseptic smell hit me as soon as I walked through the automatic doors. By the time I reached the private wing where Ivy was staying, my resolve had hardened.
When I entered the room, I was greeted by the full assembly of people who had made. my life miserable–Harrison Ashworth standing rigid by the window, Eleanor hovering near the bed, and Julian sitting beside Ivy, holding her frail hand.
Ivy herself looked worse than I expected. Her skin had a grayish tinge, and her once–lustrous hair lay limp against the pillow. Despite everything, seeing her in this state sent an unwelcome pang through me.
“You came.” Julian stood up, his expression a mix of relief and wariness.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I said coldly.
Harrison cleared his throat. “The lawyer is waiting outside with the documents. I’ll call him in.”
While he stepped out, I deliberately avoided making eye contact with Ivy, focusing instead on a spot on the wall. Eleanor glared at me as if I were somehow responsible for her daughter’s condition.
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“You could at least show some compassion,” she hissed. “She’s dying.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I replied evenly. “Despite everything she’s done to me.”
The lawyer entered with Harrison, carrying a folder of documents. “Miss Ashworth, these papers transfer your shares back to your father’s company. Once signed, you will no longer have any liability for the company’s debts.”
I skimmed through the pages, looking for any hidden traps. Since Harrison’s arrest, I’d become much more cautious about legal documents.
“Would you like some time to read through everything?” the lawyer asked.
“No need. My own lawyer has already reviewed the draft.” I pulled out my phone and quickly confirmed with a text message that the documents matched what had been. previously approved.
When I received the confirmation, I took the pen and signed each page with quick, decisive strokes.
“Now the bracelet, Julian said, extending his hand.
The tension in the room thickened. I’reached into my bag and pulled out the jade bracelet that had caused so much grief. The green stones caught the sterile hospital light, somehow still looking beautiful despite everything associated with it.
“Are you sure you want to trade a family heirloom for freedom from a failing company?” I asked, my voice steady despite the emotion threatening to break through.
“Just give it to her,” Harrison snapped: “It’s what she wants.”
I placed the bracelet in Julian’s palm, watching as his fingers closed around it. “Happy now?” I asked.
Julian avoided my eyes as he turned to Ivy. “I have it,” he said softly to her.
Ivy’s dull eyes suddenly brightened with an intense, almost feverish light. “Put it on me,” she commanded, her voice weak but demanding.
Julian obliged, gently fastening the bracelet around her thin wrist. It hung loose, emphasizing how much weight she’d lost. But the smile that spread across her face was triumphant.
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Finally” she whispered, stroking the jade with her fingertips. “It looks so much better on me than it ever did on you, Ha
I stared at her, amazed that even on her deathbed, her pettiness remained intact. “If you’re satisfied, I’ll be going now.”
“Wait.” Ivy’s voice was stronger now. “Don’t you want to know why I’ve hated you all these years?”
Something in her tone made me pause. Julian looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t. want to hear what was coming.
“I always assumed it was because you’re a spoiled, entitled person who can’t stand not getting her way,” I replied coldly.
Ivy laughed–a harsh, rattling sound that triggered a coughing fit. Julian helped her sip some water while Eleanor shot me a venomous look.
“You’ve always thought you were better than me,” Ivy continued when she could speak again. “The poor, mistreated daughter whose mother died tragically young. The talented one. The one everyone protected.”
“Protected?” I almost laughed. “By whom? Certainly not by my father or you or your mother.”
“You never knew the truth, did you?” Ivy’s eyes gleamed with malicious delight. “Your precious, perfect mother wasn’t so perfect after all.”
My stomach knotted. “Don’t you dare talk about my mother.”
“Oh, but I think you should know.” Ivy pushed herself up slightly, wincing with the effort. “Your mother was the home–wrecker, not mine.“”
The room went still. Harrison suddenly seemed intensely interested in the view outside the window. Eleanor’s expression was unreadable.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
“Mom?” Ivy looked to Eleanor, who nodded slightly.
“Your mother,” Ivy continued, savoring each word, “stole Harrison from my mother when she was already pregnant with me. She knew my mother was carrying his child, and she still pursued him, convinced him to marry her instead.”
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I shook my head violently. “That’s al My parents were married for
years
before-
“Before what? Before they had you?” Ivy’s smile was cruel. “Ask your grandmother. Ask her about the affair her precious daughter had with a married man.”
My mind reeled. This couldn’t be true. My mother had been kind, gentle, loving–not someone who would destroy another woman’s family.
“You’re making this up,” I said, but my voice lacked conviction.
“Your mother knew exactly what she was doing,” Ivy continued, her voice growing weaker. “She took my father away when I needed him most. She’s the reason I grew up without a father for my early years. And you wonder why I’ve always hated you? You’re the product of her selfishness, living the life that should have been mine.”
I turned to Harrison, whose back was still toward us. “Is this true? I demanded.
His shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing.
“Tell her,” Eleanor urged. “After all these years, she deserves to know what kind of woman her mother really was.”
Harrison finally turned around, his face haggard. “It’s complicated, Hazel.”
“Complicated?” My voice rose. “Either my mother knew you were married with a baby on the way, or she didn’t. Which is it?”
Before Harrison could answer, Ivy began coughing violently, blood speckling her lips. Julian pressed the call button for the nurse, his face pale with alarm.
“Ask your grandmother,” Ivy gasped between coughs, her eyes locked on mine with at fierce, vindictive gleam. “Ask her about February 14th, twenty–seven years ago. Ask her what your mother did to my family.”
The medical teamr hed in, pushing us aside as they
hed in, pushing us aside as they tended to Ivy. Through the chaos, I backed toward the door, my mind spinning with Ivy’s accusations.
Could it be true? Had my entire understanding of my mother–my hero, my role model -been built on lies?
I stumbled into the hallway, barely aware of Julian following me.
“Hazel, wait,” he called.
22:57
475
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I turned, numb with shock. “Did you now about this?”
He hesitated just long enough for me to know the answer.
“How long?” I demanded.
“Ivy told me during our honeymoon,” he admitted. “But I didn’t know if it was true or
not.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me? Even after everything?
Julian had the decency to look ashamed. “I didn’t want to hurt you more than I already had.”
I laughed bitterly. “How considerate.”
As I walked away, Julian’s voice followed me: “Are you going to ask your grandmother?”
I kept walking, my steps quickening until I was almost running toward the exit. The question echoed in my head with each footfall: Would I confront my grandmother about a potential family secret that might destroy the one pure, untainted memory I had–the love of my mother?
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