Grief, Betrayals, and a Core of Blaze
"Mom, how about I help you go back and rest?" Natalie said, moving to stand by Ruby’s side. Ruby suddenly started laughing. She laughed and said, "Natalie, do you think your mother is an idiot? With so many people protecting me in the Stone family, I still let a nurse swap the baby right under my nose! The most outrageous thing is that I didn't recognize the child I carried for ten months! Don’t you think that’s ironic?" "Mom! Don’t be like that!" Flynn had seen Ruby having emotional breakdowns before. He was afraid Ruby’s state would frighten Natalie, so he quickly stepped forward and took Ruby’s hand. "Mom, it’s all in the past. She doesn’t blame you. You suffered from postpartum depression back then; you couldn’t control many things. Dad and I saw it all. We know you didn’t do it on purpose." "But don’t you find it strange? I didn’t recognize my own child! Even though Natalie was only a newborn, she was with me day and night! I saw her when I opened my eyes, and I thought of her when I closed them. So why, when my child was swapped, couldn't I recognize her? And why was I so sure that I was the one who suffocated my child?" Ruby looked directly at Natalie and Baron. Flynn thought Ruby’s mental state had deteriorated again and quickly said to Natalie, "Mom is in a state where she can’t handle stress. I’ll take her to see the family doctor." "I think Mom is right." Natalie spoke, looking at the regret and pain in Ruby’s eyes. Flynn was slightly stunned."What do you mean?" "My wife and Mom mean that she felt the child in her arms had died and she was so certain something was wrong. In any case, a mother, even if distressed, would never mistake her own child unless there was a mental health issue. But a mother, even if she suffered some stimulation, would never fail to recognize her own child unless her mental state was compromised at that exact moment." As Baron said this, Flynn was stunned. "How is that possible? Mom's condition at the time…" Before Flynn could finish, Natalie had already gotten up and returned to the computer, replaying the disc and searching for something. Her action stunned everyone, who then instinctively looked at the large screen in the screening room. Natalie dragged the mouse to a certain point and clicked play, and everyone saw the scene. When the young nurse entered Ruby’s room back then, she first gave Ruby an injection. Everyone at the time assumed Ruby needed a shot for uterine contraction after giving birth, so no one suspected the young nurse. It wasn't until Natalie zoomed in on the image that everyone saw the young nurse’s hand trembling as she gave Ruby the injection. Her face was terribly pale, and she didn’t dare to look Ruby in the eye. After the nurse gave Ruby the injection, Ruby’s eyes became hazy, and she seemed drowsy. The nurse adjusted Ruby's blanket, and it appeared as if some white powder was scattered near Ruby's nostrils from between her fingers. Ruby immediately closed her eyes and fell asleep. Natalie froze the image there, her expression grave and serious."What if the drug the nurse injected into Mom at that moment was a hallucinogen? Or, what if the white powder she sprinkled when covering Mom with the blanket was a hallucinogen? Wouldn’t that explain why, after seeing the child who had allegedly suffocated, Mom instinctively thought it was her own child?" Natalie's words caused everyone’s expression to change. Flynn, in particular, was filled with dread. "If that nurse had been crueler at the time and had sprinkled poison instead of a hallucinogen, then Mom might have…" Flynn couldn't finish the sentence. He felt foolish for thinking the Stone family was so powerful, and that his father had sent so many bodyguards to protect his mother and sister, only to fail to guard against a hospital nurse. Ruby’s whole body began to tremble. She had never understood why she had mistaken her own child. When Natalie was found, she felt intense self-reproach and guilt, blaming herself as a mother for not knowing her child had been switched. Yet, she also felt it was impossible, because the child had been with her day and night since birth. Even if she was emotionally unstable, she wouldn't fail to recognize her own child. Only now did she understand why. It was because someone had injected her with a hallucinogen! Therefore, this was a meticulously planned conspiracy! It was absolutely not a simple mix-up! "Get your father back!" Ruby’s voice trembled, and her face was frighteningly pale. Natalie grew concerned."Mom, this is only our speculation. Twenty years have passed; there’s no evidence left unless we can find that nurse from back then. But if this was a carefully calculated conspiracy, that nurse probably didn't survive. So, Mom, don’t be too upset. The fortunate thing is that I’ve returned, isn't it? And now we know that Xenon was coerced and did everything he could to find me. This is already our gain. Calling Dad back now might not help much."
Font
Background
Contents
Home