Chapter 19

OLIVIA I helped Margareth sit on the sofa, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath. Given her age and a bit of extra weight, Margareth had chronic conditions like asthma and high blood pressure. “I’ll take you to the hospital now, Margareth,” I offered, my voice full of concern. Margareth gripped my hand as she struggled to breathe. “No need, Olivia. I’m fine,” she reassured me, her breathing slowly returning to normal. She turned toward Hannah, still crying. “I’m alright now, Hannah… Don’t be scared,” she said, her hand gently touching Hannah’s face in an effort to calm her. Although Margareth’s breathing improved, her face remained pale, and she slumped against the sofa, still panting heavily. I couldn’t bear seeing her like this, so I grabbed my phone from my bag, ready to make an emergency call to get her to the hospital for a checkup. But Margareth was stubborn—especially now that her son wasn’t around. She insisted she didn’t need to go to the hospital. Since her hus