The Ex-Wife They Begged To Keep - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

The morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the Powell Villa, casting dappled light patterns on the floor.
In the dining room, Eliza was scooping spoonful after spoonful of steamed egg custard, trying to feed Leon. She coaxed gently, "Come on, Leon. Just one bite, just a little one."
Leon sat in his high chair, shaking his head and clamping his mouth shut, refusing to eat a single bite no matter what.
That egg custard smelled so gross. Leon wrinkled his nose in disgust. Just sniffing it made him feel sick.
Oliver, who was sitting nearby, was happily devouring the fried egg on his plate.
When he saw Leon refusing the egg custard, he quickly chimed in to back her up. "Leon, Mom specially had the maid make this just for you. Stop dawdling and eat. We need to get to school."
Leon shot a disdainful glance at Oliver's fried egg. "I won't eat it. I hate steamed egg custard."
Upon seeing that Leon remained unmoved no matter how she coaxed or pressured him, Eliza's expression darkened, and her tone turned authoritative.
"Leon, no more picky eating. Eggs are nutritious. You must eat them." Without another word, she shoved a spoonful of steamed egg custard into Leon's mouth.
Leon choked and coughed violently, suddenly spitting out the yellow egg custard. It splattered all over his clothes and the dining table.
Eliza scolded, "Leon, how could you do that? Spitting out the food you've eaten is extremely rude."
"Ellie, please. I'm begging you. I really don't want to eat the egg custard. I don't like it at all. Could you please stop forcing me?" Leon said.
Unmoved by Leon's desperate pleas, Eliza kept forcing spoonfuls into his mouth, her expression cold and unyielding.
Leon was forced to swallow the last spoonful of egg custard. His stomach churned with nausea.
Gritting his teeth against the urge to vomit, he slid down from the high chair and dashed back to his room, desperate to get away.
Before long, angry red rashes started breaking out all over Leon's body. His whole body felt unbearably itchy, and a dull ache began to throb in his tummy.
"Mom, my tummy hurts and I'm so itchy," Leon whimpered unconsciously, pitifully scratching at his arms in utter misery.
Just then, Victor came downstairs, ready to take Leon to kindergarten. Victor adjusted his cuffs as he spoke. "Leon, are you ready? Time for kindergarten."
"Daddy, I don't feel good," Leon said weakly.
Eliza emerged from the kitchen, her patience wearing thin. She snapped, "Leon, stop faking. Get moving or we'll be late for kindergarten."
Leon huddled in pain and whispered weakly, "Ellie, I really don't feel good. My tummy aches, and I'm itching all over."
Thinking Leon was just being dramatic, Victor snapped, "Stop the act, Leon. Move it, now."
Leon's symptoms grew rapidly worse. His breathing became labored, his small face flushing an alarming shade of red. Struggling weakly, he reached out his small hand, trying to clutch at Victor's sleeve. "Daddy, I-I can't breathe."
Victor, still convinced Leon was faking it, snapped, "Stop the act. Get to kindergarten now."
Just at that moment, Albert stepped into the villa. He entered the living room and looked around, finding no one. Then he heard Victor's stern voice coming from upstairs.
Puzzled, Albert hurried upstairs. As he reached the second-floor hallway, he saw Victor pulling Leon, who was pale-faced and gasping for breath.
Albert frowned. "What's going on here?"
Victor grumbled impatiently, "Dad, he's acting up again, refusing to go to kindergarten and faking a stomachache."
Leon's face flushed a deep red as he struggled for breath, his faint voice coming in broken gasps. "Grandpa, I-I can't breathe."
Leon struggled to stretch out his hand, desperately trying to clutch at Albert.
Noticing Leon's alarming state, Albert immediately bent down and gathered him into his arms.
The moment he touched the child, alarm shot through him; Leon's body was burning with fever, and his breathing was ragged and rapid.
Albert rolled up Leon's sleeve and gasped in horror. His arm was covered in angry red rashes.
Leon's complexion had turned alarmingly unnatural, his breathing labored and ragged. Albert instantly realized something was terribly wrong. "Leon, what's happening?" Albert cried out in alarm.
Leon could no longer utter a word, his face turning a terrifying shade of bluish-purple. His eyes fluttered shut as he lost consciousness.
"Quick. Get him to the hospital," he shouted. Without a moment's hesitation, Albert scooped Leon up and dashed out.
At the hospital, doctors were frantically trying to save Leon.
"Doctor, how is my grandson? Is he going to be okay?" Albert asked anxiously.
"The patient is in severe anaphylactic shock. His condition is critical. We're doing everything we can, but—" the doctor said.
Albert staggered, his legs nearly giving way beneath him.
After what felt like an eternity, the emergency room light finally went off. The exhausted doctor emerged, pulling down his surgical mask.
"The child is out of immediate danger, but remains in critical condition," the doctor said gravely. "This was a severe anaphylactic shock—had he been brought in any later, the consequences could have been dire."
He paused, then added, "From now on, be very careful with the child's diet and avoid any allergens."
Albert finally breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the doctor profusely. "Thank you, doctor. We'll be extra careful from now on, I promise. We really will."
"The child needs complete rest now, and the next 24 hours are critical—monitor his condition closely," the doctor instructed. "Once he stabilizes, pay special attention to his diet. It should be bland and easily digestible, strictly avoiding all potential allergens."
The moment the doctor finished speaking, Albert blurted out anxiously, "Doctor, can I see him now?"
"You may go in now, but please try not to disturb his rest," said the doctor.
Albert gently pushed open the emergency room door and approached Leon's bedside.
Leon lay motionless on the hospital bed, his face deathly pale and his breathing shallow and weak.
Albert couldn't believe how clueless Victor was. 'How could he mistake Leon's desperate cries for help as faking illness, nearly delaying his critical treatment?' he wondered.
Albert was seething with rage. He desperately wanted to teach Victor a harsh lesson. But with Leon's condition still uncertain, he had to suppress his anger and focus on caring for the child first.
Moments later, Leon's eyelids fluttered gently before he slowly opened his eyes. Dazed, he scanned his surroundings, his chapped lips slightly parted as faint, shallow breaths escaped him.
Seeing his grandpa keeping vigil by the bedside, Leon whispered weakly, "Grandpa?"
"Oh, Leon, you're awake," Albert exclaimed, tightly grasping his hand. "How are you feeling? Does anything still hurt?"
Dazed, Leon shook his head weakly as he thought, 'Mom would always pick me up after kindergarten, make my favorite meals, and play games with me.'
Now Leon understood. Whenever his dad wasn't around, Eliza and Oliver would always pick on him.
'Dad only likes Eliza and Oliver now. He doesn't love me anymore,' he wondered. For the first time, Leon felt the chilling fear of isolation.
Leon remembered how Serena used to shower him with unconditional love and care, and how he had believed Eliza and Oliver's lies and said such cruel things to her, a pang of regret washing over him.