Everyone present understood Mimi’s implication.
Catherine glanced at her granddaughter. She knew deep down that Matthew had a hand in it, or they couldn’t have handled the hospitalization so quickly.
However, Clarissa merely smiled and debunked Mimi’s claims, “This has nothing to do with Matthew.”
Mimi chuckled sheepishly, befuddled. “Then it must have been my mistake.”
Clarissa did not elaborate further. Instead, she turned to speak to Gloria, who was currently bedridden, “Aunt Gloria, it shouldn’t be anything serious, but please have a good rest. Grandma, there’s no need to worry. Let’s go home for now.”
Just then, Gloria grasped Catherine’s hand before the older lady could respond.
“Mom, please don’t leave. Stay with me.”
Catherine regarded her daughter with affection. “Clary, I’ll stay and accompany your Aunt Gloria. Why don’t you head home first? I’ll go back later.”
Clarissa nodded in understanding. “It’s fine; I’ll stay here with you,” she announced as she took a seat.
She then said to Mimi, “I assume Uncle Jacob will pay me back for Aunt Gloria’s hospital bills. You should also buy some daily necessities, Mimi. Perhaps you can pack some of Aunt Gloria’s clothes and bring them here. This way, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and save some money. Also, you should remind Uncle Jacob to prepare the surgery fee for tomorrow.”
Silence fell upon the room after Clarissa finished her piece. She appeared nonchalant as if what she had said was within the norm.
While it was true that Clarrisa’s expectations were reasonable, Gloria’s family had wholly different notions.
The moment Mimi heard that, she was livid. Words of ire danced on the tip of her tongue, but she gritted her teeth and suppressed her fury.
Snapping out of her daze, Catherine immediately berated Jacob, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and withdraw the amount you owe Clary. You have no right to use her money. And don’t forget the surgery fee!”
“Mom, we… don’t have money.”
“Mom, you are well aware that we can’t afford it,” Gloria lashed out, evidently displeased. “Clary, can’t you have some compassion for me? It’s just a hospital bill and some additional charges – the fees are technically insignificant to someone as wealthy as you. Are you really so cold-hearted that you’d shun a relative in need? Don’t you remember how I coddled you when you were young? Even beasts show more gratitude than you!”
Despite that, Clarissa chuckled humorlessly. Gloria’s outraged shrieks had garnered the attention of other patients and their families.
They observed the commotion openly, intrigued but unsurprised. The hospital was a prime location to expose a person’s true colors, with people ranging from magnanimous philanthropists to merciless psychopaths.
Even so, they never expected to witness a dispute up close. At that, they pricked their ears to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Clarissa’s laughter died down. Just as she was about to speak, Mimi interjected, “Mom, don’t say that. We might not have the money, but it’s our responsibility to bear the costs. Clare worked hard to get her money, and it belongs to her. Don’t worry about it, Clare. Dad, why don’t you withdraw some money to pay her? If we don’t have enough, I’ll borrow from others.”
Mimi shot her father a look as she spoke. Gloria was indignant, but her daughter stopped her before she could protest.
Mimi’s antics made her seem like the textbook example of a girl who refused to let poverty crush her dignity – mature and resilient.
Clarissa scoffed internally. Mimi has only been in D City for a short while, but her acting skills have improved greatly. In addition to that, she has also become more manipulative and conniving.
Catherine, too, could see through their ploy and quickly defended Clarissa, “What are you insinuating? Are you trying to guilt-trip Clary into paying for you? How dare you have the audacity after doing all that-”
“Grandma, you can stay here and keep mom company while I go with dad,” Mimi interrupted, tugging her father out of the ward.
The room resumed its quiet state. Just then, an elderly patient decided to spark up a conversation with Catherine.
“You are really fortunate to have such beautiful granddaughters!”
Catherine’s plastered a smile and made small talk with her. They chatted about where they were from, whether they were originally from D City, and other customary, albeit trivial, topics.
Meanwhile, Clarissa was unbothered by others’ perceptions of her. She was on her phone, sitting quietly in a corner.
Mimi and Jacob soon returned. They passed the money to Clarissa, and she breezily accepted it.
“She’s growing more stingy by the second,” Gloria muttered with a huff.
Clarissa’s lips curled as her gaze swept over her aunt. Feeling uncomfortable, Gloria’s eyes darted around the room.
“Clare, don’t take it to heart. My mom does not mean ill. It’s just that we’re short on money lately. I hope that you understand our predicament.”
Clarissa had just pocketed the money when her phone rang. Her expression softened as she picked up the call and left the ward.
“Did everything go smoothly?” Matthew’s voice traveled through the receiver, sonorous and gentle.
“Yes,” Clarissa answered, sounding dispirited. “I shouldn’t have interfered; sticking my nose in their business did me no good.”
“What happened? Did they took advantage of you?”
“No, I can stand my ground now. It’s just that they tried to put up an act before me. It was so pitiful that I didn’t have the heart to tear it down.”
“Looks like someone has grown up a lot! Aren’t you a wily one?” Matthew teased.
Clarissa giggled. “Enough of that. I’ve been smart from the very start; I just couldn’t be bothered enough to play along with them. At the end of the day, we are related by blood. My grandma would be heartbroken if we actually broke ties, and I can’t do that to her. I can go against the whole world, but never Grandma.”
Matthew knew her best.
Hence, he replied with a simple “I’ll sort it out later.”
“There’s no need for that. Don’t come over,” Clarissa declined quickly.
Pouting, she mumbled, “They’re not worth a visit from you, and if you do show up, it’ll just make things messier.”
Matthew laughed with amusement. “Alright, whatever you say. I’ll be waiting at the entrance to fetch you and Grandma home.”
“Alright. Give me a call when you arrive, and we’ll head out. Just don’t come in!” Clarissa reiterated.
“Alright.”
Clarissa hung up and returned to the ward. At the same time, Gloria was in the midst of a conversation with Catherine when she noticed Clarissa. She paused to ask, “Clary, were you talking to your boyfriend? Matt is from D City, and yet he never came to visit even though I am hospitalized. How busy can he be? I heard that he has a huge business. Are we, your poor relatives, not worthy of his presence?”
“Mom, what are you rambling on about? Matthew is the president of a company – he must be drowning in work!”
Mimi figured that she had responded with tact, but Clarissa ignored her completely. “Indeed, he’s quite busy. He has no time to visit, and he won’t visit.”
“Clarissa, how dare you-”
“Enough!” Catherine cut her off and brought a hand up to rub her temple. Both parties fell silent.
“Grandma, let’s go.”
Clarissa approached her grandmother to hold her, but Gloria clung to Catherine. “Mom, please don’t leave. Stay here and keep me company.”
“Aunt Gloria, Grandma is old, and she needs her rest. Furthermore, your husband and daughter are here. You’re not a child anymore, yet you’re still begging for Grandma to stay. Do you not worry about her health at all?”
Try as she might, Gloria could not find the words to rebut Clarissa’s statement. She rolled her eyes at the younger lady, her distaste written plainly on her face.
Mimi spoke on behalf of her mother. Each line was adorned with praises as if her pretty words could offset the tense atmosphere. Everything she said and did was a result of careful strategizing with the aim of painting a perfect image.
Clarissa watched her performance indifferently, too disinterested to even comment.
The moment she received Matthew’s text, she left the hospital with Catherine. Mimi insisted on seeing them off and trailed behind them.
Clarissa knew all too well what intentions Mimi harbored.
Nonetheless, Clarissa could do nothing to stop her cousin, so she let her do as she pleased.
Matthew had parked right outside the hospital. When he caught sight of the two women, he immediately exited the car to help Catherine. Clarissa beamed when she met his eyes and prepared to get into the car.
“Long time no see, Matthew,” Mimi piped up.
They ignored Mimi’s enthusiastic greeting and acted like she did not exist.
Realizing that they were about to leave, Mimi hastily grabbed the car handle and leaned toward the window. “Are you guys leaving so soon? Why don’t you stay for a bit? By the way, Clare, is Grandma living with you? Where are you staying? Please tell me. I’d love you visit you more often and of course, Grandma too. Grandma, would you like it if I went to see you more?”
“No,” Clarissa rejected her bluntly. “Mimi, no one is watching us now, so you can drop the facade. Your acting skills have improved a lot, but the eyes are the windows to the soul, and yours remain insincere. Stop pretending, because I’m tired of watching your antics.”
“Clare,” Mimi called out, her smile appearing forced. “What do you mean? I never, I-”
“Move away. If you don’t, you can’t blame us for running you over. Start the car.”
The car started to move. Mimi ran alongside for a while before deciding that it was not worth risking her life.
She then let go and glared at the vehicle as it shrunk in the distance. A myriad of emotions brewed in Mimi’s dark eyes, but Clarissa had no concern for them.
After all, it was no more than a reflection of the foolish and malicious thoughts buried in her heart.
Upon arriving at Zen Highlands, Catherine prepared to retire to bed.
She pulled her granddaughter aside to talk to her before leaving. “Clare,” she said with a sigh, “I know that you’ve been hurt. Gloria and her family are cunning, so I can’t judge any of your choices. However, you have to understand that your aunt is my daughter. After your father passed, Gloria became my only child. If she were safe and sound, I wouldn’t intervene in your matters. But now that she’s sick, I thought I would lose another-”
The pain of a mother attending her son’s burial was too much to bear. Catherine was overwhelmed by the memories of that dreary day. Tears streamed down her weathered face, her heart bleeding for her lost son.
Clarissa enveloped the agonized woman in her arms and consoled her, “Grandma, I understand what you mean, which is why I refrained from lashing out. I know that she’s sick, and I won’t hold it against her. As for the hospital bills, I’m willing to help them out if they really can’t afford it, but I have to let them know that I’m not a pushover and that they shouldn’t take me for granted. I wouldn’t leave Aunt Gloria to suffer.”
“I know, I know.” Catherine returned the hug and murmured, “My dear Clary, it must have been hard on you.”
