My Daughter Destroyed Me, But I Was Reborn

Chapter 1

With death knocking at my door, I finally accepted Jason Brown's proposal, ready to start a new life with him.

But then my daughter Hazel Scott snarled that we were "disgusting old perverts," spreading lies to rally an internet mob against us.

The blow was too much; Jason's heart gave out, and just like that, he was gone.

Soon after, I too breathed my last, burdened by guilt toward him and utter confusion about the child I'd raised.

Not until I was dead did I discover the ugly truth: the daughter I'd nurtured all these years had been seething with hatred for me.

When I opened my eyes again, there she was, pitching a fit about chasing some "soulmate." This time, I packed her bags in record time and shipped her off a thousand miles away.

After another collapse landed me in the hospital, Jason finally broke.

His weathered face lined with worry, he gently covered my hand on the bed while tucking in my blanket with the other.

"Emma Carter," he said softly, "getting hitched at our age might seem silly. But just this once... let me be young and foolish."

"You never held my bad heart against me. Now I'll fight for you, and we'll sell the shirts off our backs if we must to treat your illness."

"The kids are grown. These years we have left... I want to spend them with you."

Since my diagnosis months ago, I'd made peace with dying. Why waste money dragging out the inevitable?

Even knowing his feelings, I'd refused until now. The cold drip of the IV snaked into my arm, but my heart thawed.

After a lifetime of hardship, I found myself craving this fleeting warmth.

I opened my mouth to say yes, but fate had other plans.

Crash! The door slammed open. Hazel stormed in, yanking my grandson Leo with one hand while brandishing her phone like a weapon with the other.

"Everyone, check out this dirty old man!" she screeched to her livestream. "Halfway to the grave and still playing Casanova with my mother! Whose deadbeat dad is this? Can't even take care of his own family, now he's wrecking ours! He deserves to be struck by a car!"

I froze, then lunged too late. She shoved her phone right in Jason's face, her words turning vicious.

"You filthy old bastard! How dare you touch my mother while she's lying sick!"

Jason had spent his entire life as a kind, upstanding man. He'd never been subjected to such venom before. His face turned beet red as he shot to his feet, stammering in a panic to defend himself.

"Hazel, I'm your Uncle Brown! You can't just throw around wild accusations! Your mother and I, we're..."

Hazel didn't let him finish. "You're what? This is a shameless affair! You're so obsessed with my mom, I wouldn't be surprised if you killed my dad, you filthy old bastard!"

As her words grew crueler, I struggled upright, raising a shaking hand to slap her, but Jason caught my wrist.

"Mom!" Hazel shrieked, her voice like shattered glass. "You'd hit me over some man? I knew it! You're vile! Shameless! A disgrace!"

With that, she spun on her heel and stormed out, the door slamming behind her with a thunderous bang.

The fight drained out of me the moment she left. I collapsed back onto the bed, gasping. Jason rushed to my side, then clutched his chest, his face twisting in agony before he crumpled to the floor right before my eyes.

......