Hi Ex, Your Uncle Is My Hubby Now - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

That same night, Oliver was jolted awake by a phone call. When he heard Henry had been admitted to the ER, he leapt out of bed, grabbed his car keys, and rushed to leave.
The noise startled his light-sleeping wife, Gwen.
Gwen opened her bedroom door and called out to Oliver, who was just about to leave. "Oliver, where are you going at this hour?"
"Mom? Did I wake you?"
Oliver quickly stepped over and lowered his voice. "It's Henry—he's in the hospital."
Gwen's tone didn't waver. "What happened?"
Oliver hesitated for a moment, gauging her expression. "Word is... his birth mother showed up in Eldraeth City and beat him so badly he ended up with a concussion."
Gwen had always resented Anika, the mistress who destroyed her marriage, but she had no real hostility toward Ruth, Liam's ex-wife.
She frowned in thought. "Ruth hasn't once come looking for Henry in all these years. That alone tells me she's not the type to chase wealth through her son.
"If she really laid hands on him, there's got to be more to the story. Don't rush in to defend Henry or make a scene. Get the full picture first, then decide what to do."
She didn't believe for a second that a mother who'd been out of her son's life for decades would just show up one day and beat him up for no reason.
Clearly, Henry had done something truly disgusting to push Ruth over the edge.
"Still... even if she was furious, giving him a concussion is a bit extreme," Oliver muttered. "Ruth really didn't hold back."
Gwen knew Oliver well and was worried he'd act on emotion instead of logic.
Her tone grew sharper. "Oliver, our family is at a critical turning point.
"Noah is now a police officer. Trent just turned seventeen and was accepted as the final disciple of the national art association president. He's bound for greatness.
"Your nephew Austin is already a rising star in medicine. Mathew is one of the brightest students at the law academy.
"If our kids keep doing well and stay out of trouble, it won't be long before the Jackson family becomes one of the top households in Eldraeth City. And the closer we get to the top, the less room we have for scandal."
She looked him straight in the eye. "So if someone in the family becomes a liability… do you understand what needs to be done?"
A chill ran down Oliver's spine.
He knew exactly what she meant—and what would be expected of him.
"One rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel," he said. "If my brother really crossed the line, I won't protect him."
Gwen nodded. "Good. I'm glad you understand."
With that, she turned and went back to bed.
Oliver walked out and got into his car, just as headlights flashed in his rearview mirror—Noah was pulling in, even though he was supposed to be working the night shift.
He rolled down the window. "You're not on duty?"
"Swapped shifts with a coworker." Noah frowned. "Where are you off to this late?"
Oliver told him about Henry being hospitalized.
Noah's face darkened immediately. "Funny. I ran into a friend who works at the neighboring police station. That's how I found out—Shelby isn't on a business trip. She's in detention."
"What?" Oliver was stunned. "She's not traveling?"
"Uncle lied."
Oliver's unease deepened. He had a bad feeling. "What exactly did she do?"
Noah's expression turned grim. "She doesn't deserve to be called a mother. She tried to have someone assault Irene. If Irene hadn't gotten lucky and been saved in time…"
"Unbelievable!" Oliver's face went pale with fury. He jumped out of the car. "Come with me—we're going to see your grandmother."
He wasn't heading to the hospital anymore.
He didn't need to hear it from Henry's mouth—he already knew the truth.
Henry must've gone to Irene's place to plead for Shelby's release, probably made a mess of things, and got himself beaten senseless by Ruth.
He thought, 'Concussion? He got off easy. Frankly, if Ruth had left him brain-dead, he'd still deserve every bit of it.'