15 The Siblings Meet

Nora frowned. Before she could answer, a gentle but anxious voice reached them. "Are you trying to drive me to my grave, Henry?"

On the hospital bed, a gentle middle-aged woman wearing a hospital gown struggled to get out of the bed. Her hair was all shaved, and she looked frighteningly skinny due to her illness. Her cheeks were sunken, but it nevertheless couldn't hide her gentle personality.

She was Irene Smith, her aunt.

Nora took a couple of quick steps forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She held her hand and greeted, "Aunt Irene."

Irene looked at Nora up and down for a moment. Then, her eyes turned red. "You look so much like your mom after you've slimmed down, Nora."

Her voice trembled as she spoke. "You've had such a hard time outside all these years."

During the five years when she lived abroad, Henry had never given her a single cent. It was instead her aunt who always sent her some money as living expenses.