Rich People Problems (Crazy Rich Asians #3)(92)

LEE AH LING


Head Housekeeper


At around 4:30 p.m., I went upstairs to give Su Yi a final update on tonight's menu for the party. When I went into the bedroom, Catherine was sitting by her bedside and I noticed that someone had opened all the windows and curtains. Su Yi usually prefers the curtains drawn in the afternoons, to protect her antique furniture from the setting sun, so I began to close them. "Leave them," Catherine said. I looked over at her and began to ask why, and that's when I realized that Su Yi was gone. You could just see that her spirit had left her body. I was so shocked, I panicked at first and asked, "Where are the doctors? Why didn't the alarms go off?" "They did. The doctors came in and I sent them all away," Catherine said in an unnaturally calm voice. "I wanted to be alone with my mother one last time."





PROFESSOR FRANCIS OON, MBBS, MRCP (U.K.), MMED (INT MED), FRCP (LONDON), FAMS, FRCP (EDIN), FACC (USA)


Personal Cardiologist


I had been entertaining Debra Aronson, the publisher of Poseidon Books, at home in my wine cellar when the call came. You see, I collect contemporary Chinese art, and Poseidon has been trying to woo me into doing a coffee-table book on my collection. When my associate Dr. Chia called with the urgent news from Tyersall Park, I immediately said, "Do not resuscitate." I knew it would be hopeless. There's been so much scarring to her heart, it would be pointless to try and revive her. It's her time to go. None of this came as a surprise to me. In fact, after looking at her stats the previous morning during that fabulous crepe breakfast, I was surprised that she was even able to get out of bed. Her heart rate, her blood pressure, her ejection fraction-everything was off the charts. But you know, I've seen this happen time and again. In the day or two before a patient passes, they can experience a sudden spurt of energy. The body rallies, as if it knows that this will be the last hurrah. The minute I saw Su Yi appear at the breakfast table, I surmised that this was happening. After all this time, with all the medical advances we've made, the human body is still an unfathomable mystery to us. The heart most of all.



       
         
       
        





ALEXANDRA "ALIX" YOUNG CHENG


Youngest Daughter


I was in the library with Fiona and Kalliste, showing Kalliste my Enid Blyton first editions, when the dogs started howling. It must have been around half past three in the afternoon. It wasn't just our pack of Alsatians that patrol the grounds, but it seemed like every dog within a two-mile radius was making restless, high-pitched yelps. I gave Fiona a look and she knew exactly what I was thinking. She left the library without a word and went upstairs to check on Mummy. By now the howling had stopped, but I remember feeling enveloped by a sense of dread. My heart was beating a mile a minute, and I kept staring at the door. I was somehow willing Fiona to not come back through those doors. I didn't want to hear any bad news. I was trying to focus on Kalliste, who wanted to know if she could have the entire Malory Towers series-they were her favorites too when she was younger. Then Fiona came back in and I just froze until she smiled. "All's well. Auntie Cat is with her," she whispered to me. I was so relieved, and we went back to the stacks. About an hour later, Ah Ling came rushing into the library to tell me to get upstairs. The look on her face told me everything. You see, the dogs knew all along. They could sense it coming.





CASSANDRA SHANG


Niece


I was in bed at Harlinscourt, reading the latest Jilly Cooper novel when my phone began to vibrate on silent mode. I recognized the number immediately-it was Deep Throat, my spy at Tyersall Park. (Of course you knew I had an inside source at that house. It would be so foolish of me not to.) At first, Deep Throat simply said, "Boh liao."* I said, "What do you mean boh liao?" Deep Throat was overly excited, but she managed to get it out: "Su Yi just died. Big fight upstairs right now. I must go." So of course the first thing I did was call my father. I said, "Are you at Tyersall Park?" He said, "Er, no." I think I caught him at his mistress's apartment-he was very out of breath. So I said, "You better head over there now. Something just happened to your sister."





LINCOLN "AH TOCK" TAY


Distant Cousin


Great-uncle Alfred called me. I think he was on his way to Tyersall Park. He said to tell everyone on my side of the family that Su Yi had just passed. But he didn't want any of us at the house tonight. "Tell your father to stay home, and I'll let you all know when to come. Tonight is just for the family." As if we're not part of the family, fucking bastard! Then he said, "Better start ordering the tents and folding chairs. We're going to need a lot of them." I was still at Irene Wu's house trying to acclimate the damn fish back into the tank, so I told her the news and she started to lose it. "Oh no! Alamak! How to face Astrid?" she cried, fleeing to her bedroom. I went back into the living room and when I saw Astrid sitting there pouring tea like Princess Diana, I realized the spoiled bitch didn't have a clue that her grandma had just kicked the bucket. Kan ni na, I had to be the one to tell her. Of course she was in total shock, but I don't feel sorry for her one bit. She's now instantly a million times richer than she already is.