Chapter 138

Staring down a mob of angry, thuggish-looking people, Sophia Clark and her family had lost the bravado they’d shown when confronting Emily Blair. Now, their faces paled, lips trembling as they struggled to speak.
On the hospital bed, a middle-aged man hurriedly shoved his fried chicken drumstick into someone else’s hands, quickly wiping the grease from his mouth with the back of his hand. Without missing a beat, he flopped back onto the bed, clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
“Oh, it hurts—someone get a doctor! Oh, the pain!”
Everyone in the room could tell his act was laughably unconvincing. But Sophia and her family clung to it like a lifeline, immediately shifting the blame onto Emily Blair, Elizabeth Wilson, and the bystanders.
Sophia was especially furious, her eyes burning with resentment—she looked like she could grind her teeth to dust.
“This is all your fault! My dad’s having an attack right now! Get out of here!”
A wave of laughter rolled through the crowd. “What, do you think we’re idiots?”
“This is a gastroenterology ward. I saw your dad’s chart-he’s here for stomach problems. Why’s he clutching his chest and moaning? If his chest hurts, he should be in cardiology, not here!”
“At least try to make your little act believable. You’re just making fools of yourselves.”
The middle-aged man froze in embarrassment, quickly sliding his hand from his chest down to his stomach, then, after ensuring he was in the clear, resumed his exaggerated wailing.
Sophia clenched her jaw. “Dad!”
Laughter erupted again, sharp and unkind, stinging Sophia’s face like a barrage of slaps. She turned a blotchy shade of red and purple, caught between fury and humiliation.
“Forget the drama—just give the bed back to the elderly lady! How can you shamelessly hog her hospital bed like this?”
Finally, the middle-aged man couldn’t hold back and sat up, shouting, “What’s it got to do with you? I pulled some strings to get this bed, and you’re not taking it away from me!”
His words hit Sophia like a punch to the gut, confirming everything Emily had accused them of—that they’d used their connections to steal Elizabeth Wilson’s grandmother’s hospital bed.
The commotion drew the attention of doctors and nurses, who rushed over, trying to calm the crowd. But the people were too riled up; no amount of soothing words could quiet them.
In the end, Sophia shot Emily a venomous glare, grabbed her father, and stormed out of the ward.
But it wasn’t over yet. The group of aunts and uncles who had defended Emily and Elizabeth blocked the doctors and nurses, demanding that the bed be properly reassigned.
The medical staff nodded repeatedly, promising to sort it out.
With the troublemakers gone, Emily stepped forward with Elizabeth and bowed deeply to the crowd.
“Thank you, all of you. Really, if it weren’t for your help, we wouldn’t have known what to do.”
The aunt at the front waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. Anyone would have stepped in—we just couldn’t stand to watch them bully you girls.”
“You’re good kids,” she added warmly. “Take care of your grandmother, work hard in school, and make her proud.”
Elizabeth nodded earnestly, though worry still lingered in her eyes, shadowing her features.
After securing her grandmother’s bed, Elizabeth helped her settle in, while Emily went out to buy fruit as a small token of gratitude for those who had stood up for them.