After arriving at the third door, Lily pushed the door open and gestured inside. "I'm not sure if this matches your taste. Look around and let me know it it suits you, or if you'd like to add anything"
The room boasted a chic, princess-like decor, brimming with feminine allure. However, it failed to resonate with Hazel's preferences
Feeling Lily's hopeful gaze upon her, Hazel reluctantly added. "It's alright-"
Before she could finish speaking, someone forcefully pushed her, causing her to lose her balance and stagger
"Out! This is my shady!" Alex's glare bore into Hazel with intense hostility, resembling a lit fuse ready to explode,
Lith found herself caught in the middle. She asked, "Hazel, are you okay? Alex, didn't we agree that this room was meant for your sister?" Alex's expected outburst lett Lily feeling flustered
The second and third floors of the mansion were fully occupied, leaving only the housekeeper's room and guest rooms on the first floor.
Given Hazel's status as a member of the Everett family, staying on the first Goot was out of the question. Thus, Lily arranged an agreement with Alex.
Alex agreed to share a study with Godeon, thereby vacating Alex's study for Bertout as her room.
"She's not my sister! I don't have a sister who showed up from the countryside!" Alex objected strongly, trying to push Hazel away again.
Hazel gracefully sidestepped his advance.
Caught off guard by her agility, Alex stumbled and collided with the foot of the bed Instantly, his pained cries echoed through the room. "What's wrong?What's going on?"Mildred's voice came from behind
Giselle had helped Mildred up to the third floor.
Alex canto Mildred and burst into tears. "Granda, help me! This hick just shoved me!"
Hazel stayed quiet.
"Don't worry, don't worry I'll handle this fairly for you" Mildred comforted him by parring his back, "Let me see where you're hurt."
Alex's face was a mess of tears and snot. He had a big bump on his forehead.
"Oh dear, how did you hurt yourself so badly? Will it affect how you look? Giselle exclaimed dramatically even harder at the mention of his appearance being affected
"Alex, let me see I'm sorry. It's my fault for not watching you closely enough." Lily anxiously tried to approach Alex, but Mildred pushed her away. "What are you waiting for? quickly, call the doctor!" Mildred scolded her, then glared at Her "we'll talk about this later!
Herz remained silent.
The mansion was in chaos. Everyone's attention was centered on Alex.
Watching Hazel being left on the sidelines filled Giselle with satisfaction. She saw Hazelas nothing more than a country bumpkin unworthy of Lily's attention
Alex sobbed in Mildred's arms in the living room downstairs. His putty, red eyes bugged at Mildred's heartstrings.
Mildred scolded Lily, selling her to urge the family doctor, and instructed Judy to fetch a hot pack. Before long, Judy returned with one
"Gina, stop crying. Applying this hot pack should help." Mildred reassured, preparing to apply the hot pack
But before she could, a stem voice cut in, "Don't use that. Use ice cubes instead"
Mildred turned to see Hazel standing on the staircase.
Hazel was still clad in her tattered, snug dress, with her bag sling over her shoulder. She had an air of confidence that made Mildred suddenly uncertain if she was a city dweller or from the countryside. "What makes you think you know better? Using a hot pack can boost blood flow and reduce swelling," Mildred retorted and glared at Hazel
Mildred carefully applied the hot pack over the sizable bump on Alex's forehead
"Ouch!" Alex winced and began to resist.
"You need to bear with it. Applying the hot pack over the swollen area is necessary for reducing the swelling," Mildred insisted.
She signaled for Judy to help in keeping Alex sell.
Lith sympathized with Alex but didn't dare oppose Mildred's instructions. She could only watch amdously.
In that instant, Mildred felt someone grab her hand. Her eyes sparked with anger when she realized it was Hazel. "What are you doing?" Hazel remained cold and repeated, "You should use a cold compress"
"Move aside! Don't meddle. I know what I'm doing. Why would I hurt my grandson? Mildred yanked her hand away from Hazel's grip.
She had seen Ariel, her friend, use this technique to ease swelling and bruises on her grandson before. There was no way she could be mistaken! Hazel stayed quiet.
Sering the opportunity, Alex squirmed out of Mildred's embrace and into Lily's. His face was covered in tears and snot. He looked utterly miserable. Mildred boiled with anger just as she was about to instruct Judy to bring Alex back to her, the family doctor Wilbur arrived.
Checking on Alex, Wilbur reassured everyone, "It's not a big deal. Just use an ice pack and he'll be fine. Since Alex is taking medication for his nasal condition, I won't prescribe any medication now.".Wilbur frowned when he noticed Mildred holding a hot pack. "Don't use a hot compress right after a bump. It can make the swelling worse by increasing blood flow."
"Start with a cold compress immediately after the injury, and after 24 hours, you can switch to a hot compress and gently massage the area to reduce swelling and bruising."
"But remember, you must wait at least 24 hours before using a hot compress."
Mildred felt embarrassed and shot Hazel a nasty look. She couldn't believe Hazel, someone from the countryside, knew about medical care. Mildred chalked it up to luck.
She shoved the hot pack into Judy's hand and commanded, "Why are you still standing there? Go get some ice."
Mildred's demeanor suggested she wasn't the least bit embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Alex glared at Hazel with teary eyes. His resentful gaze seemed to hold her responsible for everything despite her efforts to help him earlier.
Hazel remained silent..
After Wilbur departed, Lily gently placed an ice pack on Alex's forehead. She whispered, "Hazel, how did you know Alex needed a cold compress"
"The roads up in the mountains are pretty bumpy, and when I was younger, I often ran into things. Whenever that happened, Grandma Catherine would soothe my bumps with cold packs," Hazel explained.
She cast her eyes downward. Her eyelashes were notably thick and long. Even though she spoke softly, her words were audible to everyone in the room.
Mildred had assumed that Hazel possessed medical knowledge, only to realize she couldn't afford professional healthcare and relied on home remedies instead.
"I'm sorry for what you've been through, Hazel," Lily said as she took Hazel's hand.
Whenever Lily thought about Hazel's struggles with affording doctors and resorting to home remedies when injured, she couldn't help but feel sympathy Hazel stayed quiet.
Mildred scoffed. "So, you pushed your own brother just to show off your rustic home remedies?"
"I didn't push him," Hazel replied calmly.
"You didn't? Alex wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for you pushing him. Do you think I'm foolish, or do you think Alex is?" Hazel chose not to engage in an argument.
Lily weakly defended Hazel, saying, "Mom, Hazel didn't push Alex. It was an accident. He tripped and hit the foot of the bed"
Mildred fixed Lily with a stem gaze. "Now you're taking sides because Hazel is your biological daughter. Isn't Alex your own son?"
Lily frowned her brows. "Mom, let's stick to what actually happened"
Mildred cut in sharply. "What really happened is Alex got hurt but Hazel didn't! Could she handle the responsibility if Alex had suffered a serious head injury?"
"Plus, that room was supposed to be Alex's study. You changed it to a bedroom without consulting anyone. Where will Alex study now? change it back immediately! "Alex is about to enter first grade. He's just as bright as Gideon and could easily make it into the top ten of the grade. We can't let him go without a proper study room!"
Mildred spoke with a note of pride in her voice.
Gideon had always been exceptionally bright. He graduated from college at 20 and ventured abroad to kick-start his own business.
While Mildred took great pride in Gideon's achievements, she also held Giselle in high regard. Although not a member of the Murphy family, Mildred had watched Giselle grow up since she was young Giselle was docile, performed exceptionally well in academics, and notably, she was engaged to Zyler. Every positive trait of Giselle seemed to overshadow Her who had been raised in the countryside. Despite Hazel being biologically related to the Murphy, she was considered insignificant.
"Then, where will Hazel stay?" Lily looked troubled. "We've already put Hazel in a compromising position regarding her reputation. We can't treat her poorly in terms of accommodations as well" "How have we treated her poorly?" Mildred asked with a hast of amuse over her head, so why be so picky?
Lily parted her lips as if to reply but then hesitated.
"Both guest rooms on the first floor are much nicer than her mountain shack, right?"
Mildred was always assertive. If Lily hadn't give birth to two sons for the Murphy and it Gideon hadn't shown early brilliance and promise, she might have faced pressure from Mildred to divorce him.
Lily found it difficult to argue with Mildred. The sea of Hazel enduring 17 years of hardship only to still not be fully accepted back home weighed heavily on Lily's. Suddenly, Hazel tagged at Lily's sleeve and turned to Mildred.
" If I make it into the top ten of my grade, will I get a nice room and my own study?"