THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 231

The moment Dr. Fairchild finished speaking, the faces of the three brothers—Warren, Willis, and Lyle—drained of all color.

Their wives, Jade, Kelley, and Stephanie, were equally stricken, struggling to keep their composure.

In the Richards family, things had always been different. There was no scheming, no hidden resentments between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. The matriarch, Hannah, was a true powerhouse—never one to meddle in trivial household matters, and always treating her daughters-in-law as if they were her own.

Now, hearing such devastating news felt like being struck by lightning.

Warren staggered, his legs nearly giving out beneath him. If not for Willis and Lyle catching him in time, he might have collapsed entirely. “Careful, Warren!” Lyle said urgently, steadying his older brother.

Warren forced himself to stand upright, clutching at his chest. “Dr. Fairchild, is my mother’s condition really… truly that bad already?”

“I’m so sorry,” Dr. Kelvin Fairchild replied, bowing his head. “Mr. Warren, I’ve failed you. My abilities weren’t enough.”

His abilities? That couldn’t be right. Kelvin was a graduate of one of the world’s top medical schools, a doctoral fellow with countless accolades and medical patents to his name. If he weren’t so renowned, the Richards family would never have invited him to oversee the hospital’s care.

Clearly, the problem wasn’t Dr. Fairchild’s skills—it was that Hannah’s injuries were simply too severe. Even someone of his caliber was powerless.

Kelvin continued, his voice heavy, “Mr. Warren, I urge you to notify the rest of the family as soon as possible. They should come if they want to see your mother one last time. If you wait… I’m afraid it may be too late.”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but everyone understood. Hannah only had days left—if that.

They all knew that everyone must face this day eventually, but the news was still impossible to accept. It all felt so sudden, especially since Hannah had always been in good health.

Lyle grabbed Dr. Fairchild’s hand, desperate. “Dr. Fairchild, you know so many people—there’s really no one who can save my mother? She’s the heart of this family. None of us are ready for her to go. And she still hasn’t seen my little sister and Freya. She can’t leave us yet!”

None of them could bear the thought of Hannah dying with regrets.

Kelley frowned. “But Dr. Oracle is like a ghost—no one’s seen him for ages. Even if we wanted to, how could we possibly reach him in time?”

Kelvin sighed. “That’s why I said, unless a miracle happens, your mother’s prognosis is very grim.”

Kelley pressed on, “But isn’t Dr. Oracle’s protégé, Professor Prescott, also renowned? Couldn’t we ask Professor Prescott to come?”

Professor Lawler Prescott—Dr. Oracle’s sole apprentice, and himself a giant in the field.

Kelvin shook his head. “Professor Prescott did inherit much from Dr. Oracle, but the Golden Needle technique is so esoteric, even he hasn’t fully mastered it.”

The hope that had briefly flickered in the room died out, replaced by a bleak, suffocating despair.