At the Nursing Home
When the car stopped at the nursing home entrance, ginkgo leaves were falling onto the windshield, golden like shards of broken gold.
I carried the insulated container into the third-floor VIP ward. The moment I opened the door, I heard my mom's weak cries.
"Shirley... it hurts... my chest hurts..."
My heart sank as I hurried over, my hand immediately reaching into my bag for the fast-acting heart pill.
The doctor had specially prescribed this medicine for me; each bottle was stored in a small silver box labeled "For Lily Clark's Use Only."
My fingers still chilled by the metal of the pill bottle, just as I was about to twist off the cap, a hand painted with bright red nail polish suddenly reached across.
That hand was incredibly forceful, slamming the pill bottle onto the ground and scattering tablets everywhere like white shards.
"Visitors are strictly prohibited from giving medication to the residents on their own!"
A sharp voice cut through the air. I looked up and saw a woman in a nurse's uniform standing in the doorway, her name tag reading "Head Nurse Linda White."
Her hair was pinned up perfectly, her makeup impeccable, and her eyes dripping with contempt.
"I've just issued a new rule: no medication can be administered without my permission!"
My mom lay on the hospital bed, her face pale as paper, her breathing growing increasingly labored, her hand gripping the corner of my shirt tightly.
"My mom has coronary artery disease, and she's having an angina attack right now. We have to give her medication immediately! Any delay could be deadly!"
My voice was trembling with panic as I bent down to pick up the bottle from the floor.
Unexpectedly, Linda White stepped forward and crushed the bottle under her high heel.
With a crunch, the plastic bottle was crushed out of shape, and the remaining tablets were ground to powder.
"Chest tightness is common in the elderly. Don't make such a big deal out of it."
She crossed her arms and looked down on me with utter contempt, her tone dripping with disdain.
"If everyone started playing favorites like you, could you really take responsibility for the chaos that would follow?"
I stared at the heel of her shoe pressing down on the medicine bottle and suddenly felt how ridiculous it all was.
I invested three hundred million to build Happy Nursing Home. From the design to the operation, I personally supervised every detail.
And now, my mom falls ill in the nursing home I built, and she doesn't even have the right to take emergency medication?
I was trembling with anger as I reached into my bag for my phone. When my fingertips touched the cold screen, I suddenly remembered to call the principal.
"Peter! You have three minutes to get to ward 302, or forget about being the principal!"
I shouted into the phone, but before I could hear a response, someone suddenly grabbed my wrist.
Linda White snatched my phone and, with a flick of her arm, smashed it against the wall with a loud crack.
The screen instantly shattered into a spiderweb of cracks; pieces fell to the floor with a soft clatter.
She crossed her arms and looked me up and down, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, still have the nerve to call and threaten the principal? Who exactly do you think you are?"
Her eyes scanned the cotton-linen dress I was wearing—the one I had custom-made by a designer because my skin is sensitive and I can't wear anything with synthetic fibers.
"Look at you, dressed so poorly. Can't afford our Happy Nursing Home's VIP fees, huh? Trying to put on a show and scam us?"
"I'm telling you, no way!"
My chest tightened with pain. Just as I was about to protest, I heard my mom let out another painful groan.
I turned to look at her; her forehead was covered in fine cold sweat, her lips were turning purple, and her breathing was growing shallow.
"My mom's condition is critical. You need to call the doctor immediately!"
I didn't have time to argue with Linda White; all I cared about was saving my mom.
But Linda arrogantly lifted her chin, her eyes shining with smug satisfaction.
"Doctor? Even if the doctor comes, they have to follow my orders."
"I said no medication, and there will be no medication! No one can change my decision!"
I stared at her utterly heartless face, a surge of fury rising straight from my core.
"Fine, if you won't call the doctor, I'll take my mom to the hospital myself!"
I reached out to support my mom, trying to lift her into her wheelchair—Happy Nursing Home was only a ten-minute drive from the nearest hospital, so we still had time.
Just as I draped my mom's arm over my shoulder, I saw Linda White signal toward the door.
Two tall male care assistants immediately walked in and grabbed my arms, one on each side.
They were incredibly strong; my arms ached from their grip, and I couldn't move at all.
Linda White came up to me, her voice dripping with smugness.
"Ms. Lincoln, the contract you signed with us clearly states that your mother must stay here for a full year."
"If she dies now, people outside will think Happy Nursing Home is abusing the elderly! Can you take responsibility for that?"
I looked into the malice in her eyes and suddenly realized—she just wanted to keep my mom here, forcing her to endure a slow, painful death.
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway, accompanied by labored breathing.
Peter rushed in, sweat pouring down his forehead, his suit jacket all askew.
"Stop!"
"What are you doing!"
He saw the shattered phone pieces and spilled medication powder on the floor, then looked at me, being held down, and his expression changed.
Desperate, I shouted, "Principal Peter, my mom's having a heart attack! Please call the doctor immediately!"
When I first admitted my mom to Happy Nursing Home, I clearly told Peter she's had coronary artery disease for ten years and must always have fast-acting heart pills nearby.
He confidently patted his chest and promised he'd assign someone to watch her closely, assuring me nothing would go wrong.
Before I could finish, Linda White quickly stepped forward and confronted Peter.
Her eyes instantly filled with tears, her voice cracked with sobs, and she looked utterly devastated.
"Principal, you finally made it!"
She pointed at me, her hand still trembling slightly, as if deeply wronged.
"She is causing trouble. The elderly woman clearly only had some mild chest tightness; resting a bit will be enough."
"But she refused to listen, insisting on giving the elderly random medication, and even said she wanted to find a doctor outside. Isn't that basically doubting Happy Nursing Home's professionalism?"
"I was stopping her for the sake of the elderly woman's safety!"
Peter frowned, scanning the mess on the floor before his gaze settled back on me.
There was no worry in his eyes, only resentment.
"Ma'am, shouting like this here is completely unacceptable!"
"Head Nurse White is an expert personally brought back from abroad by Mr. Shawn. All the rules she sets are to ensure the safety of medication for all the elderly."
"As a family member, how can you be so unreasonable, causing such a scene here?"
Mr. Shawn?
I froze for a moment before realizing he meant Harry Shawn—my husband.
A wave of nausea rose in my throat.
When I first set up Happy Nursing Home, it was partly so my mom would have a good place to spend her old age, and partly because Harry said he wanted to get into the eldercare business. I thought I'd help him out by handing over management.
But the people he hired treat my mom like this?
"My mom's life is at stake right now, and you're telling me about rules?"
I broke free from the care assistant's grip and stepped forward, my voice blazing with anger.
"I invested in building this nursing home, and this is how you treat the families of investors?"
I thought that once I revealed my identity, they'd at least back down and save my mom first.
But no sooner had I finished speaking than a sharp, burning pain slammed into my face.
Linda White slapped me so hard I almost fell over.
She pointed her finger at my nose and cursed me with the most terrible words.
"You built this? Who do you think you are, talking like that?"
"Let me tell you, this Happy Nursing Home belongs to my husband, Harry Shawn!"
"You cheap tramp, how dare you pretend to be the boss here? I think you've clearly lost your mind!"
"Husband? Harry Shawn?"
I stared at her, my head reeling as if struck by a heavy hammer, my thoughts spinning wildly.
If she's Harry's wife, then who am I?
All these years, Harry always acted so gentle and considerate around me.
He remembers all my preferences, brings me supper when I work late, and holds me, saying, "Shirley, I can't live without you."
Those vows and sweet words now feel like sharp slaps, hitting my face hard.
I stood frozen, still stunned, when suddenly someone kicked me right behind the knee.
Caught off guard, I crashed forward, my knee banging hard against the cold tile floor.
The pain was stabbing—I felt like my kneecap was shattering.
Linda crouched down and grabbed my face, her nails digging into my skin.
"B*tch! Sl*t!"
She cursed as she slapped my face repeatedly, each blow harder than the last.
"Tell me! Did you sleep with my husband?"
"Otherwise, how could a poor nobody like you ever get into our Happy Nursing Home!"
The pain on my face grew sharper, but then I noticed the watch on her wrist.
It was a silver watch—that custom piece I had made by overseas craftsmen for Harry Shawn's birthday last year, the only one of its kind in the world.
I remember it clearly; I handed the watch to Harry Shawn, and he held me, saying, "This is the only one I'll ever wear in my life—never taking it off."
I never expected him to put the watch on another woman's wrist.
Linda White kept yelling nonstop, and suddenly I opened my mouth and bit down hard on the back of her hand.
"Ah!"
She let out a piercing scream and suddenly shoved me away. I hit the ground hard.
Looking at the bloodstain on the back of her hand, her eyes turned as venomous as a snake's.
"You dare bite me?"
Just then, my mom suddenly struggled to sit up in her hospital bed, trying to get out of bed.
"Don't... don't hit my daughter..."
Her voice was barely audible, yet it instantly grabbed Linda White's attention.
Linda turned her head and stared daggers at my mom, her eyes full of cruelty.
"You old b*tch! It's because you gave birth to such a good daughter that I got hurt!"
"Today, I'm going to teach you an unforgettable lesson, you old hag!"
After saying this, she lifted her foot, clad in high heels, and kicked my mom hard in the chest.
My mom already had an angina attack, and when she got kicked, her body jolted; her eyes rolled back, and she immediately passed out.
"Mom!"
I jumped up like a madwoman, not knowing where the strength came from, pushed the two male care assistants aside, and rushed to my mom's side.
My hand trembled as I reached out to check her breathing, and only when I felt the faint airflow did I finally let out a breath of relief.
But her face was terrifyingly pale, her lips completely colorless, and her condition was worse than before.
I turned to look at Linda White, the murderous rage in my eyes almost spilling over.
I rushed over, grabbed her hair, and slammed her hard onto the ground.
Then I flipped over to straddle her, raised my hand, and slapped her face as I yelled.
"I'll kill you!"
"You dare lay a hand on my mom? I'll kill you!"
Linda White screamed as she was hit, wildly kicking and struggling to fight back.
Peter stood nearby, pale and trembling, nervously picking up the walkie-talkie.
"Security! Security, come quickly! Someone's attacking in the VIP area on the third floor!"
Before long, a group of security guards in uniform rushed in.
There were five or six of them; they grabbed my arm as soon as they reached me and forcefully pulled me away from Linda White.
I struggled to break free, but they were too strong. I was pinned to the ground, unable to move.
Linda White got up from the ground; her face was already swollen, blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and her hair was disheveled.
She walked up to me, lifted her foot, and drove the heel of her high heel hard onto my hand.
"Ah!"
Sharp pain shot through me; it felt like the bones in my hand were being crushed, and tears instantly welled up in my eyes.
“You b*tch! How dare you slap my face!”
She stomped and cursed, her eyes wild with madness.
“I'll ruin your hands today! Let's see how you hit anyone after this!”
I gritted my teeth, trying to bear the pain, and stared at her.
“Linda White, I'm Harry Shawn's lawful wife.”
“If he finds out you beat me like this and hurt my mom, he'll never forgive you!”
Linda suddenly burst out laughing, shaking with hysterics.
“Lawful wife? You?”
She bent down and, using her uninjured hand, tapped my face, her tone full of mockery.
"Here's some good news: Harry is already on his way."
"When he gets here, I'll make sure he erases you and your shameless mother completely from River City!"
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from the doorway, heavy with anger.
"Stop! Who dares bully my wife!"
It was Harry Shawn.
My heart skipped a beat as I looked up toward the door.
Harry Shawn strode in wearing a tailored suit, flanked by two black-clad bodyguards, his expression dark and grim.
The moment she saw him, the madness vanished from Linda White's face, replaced by a look full of hurt.
She broke free from the person holding her and threw herself into Harry Shawn's arms, her voice trembling with tears.
"Honey! You finally came! There's a crazy woman here pretending to be your wife!"
"She even attacked me. If you don't come now, she's going to beat me to death!"
She pointed to her swollen, red face, tears streaming down like beads breaking off a string.
"Look at my face—see what she's done to me!"
Peter quickly stepped over, nodding and eagerly agreeing.
"Yes, Mr. Shawn, this woman is way too wild!"
"She first caused a huge scene in the hospital ward, ignoring Head Nurse White's professional advice, and then even started hitting people—we couldn't stop her!"
"Look, Head Nurse White's face and hands are injured!"
Harry Shawn frowned as he listened to them, his gaze growing colder by the second.
He reached out, gently stroking Linda White's face, his voice filled with tenderness.
"Alright, alright, don't cry. I'm here now; no one will bully you anymore."
He lowered his head to soothe Linda White, his expression so tender, as if they were the real couple.
All along, his eyes never once rested on me.
I lay on the ground, watching the scene before me, my heart clenched by an invisible hand, aching so much I could barely breathe.
Harry Shawn comforted Linda for a while, until her sobs quieted a bit, then he finally turned to look at me.
I was held down by the security guard, my hair a tangled mess, face streaked with swollen red slap marks, wrists and knees bleeding—I was utterly humiliated.
He looked at me, his eyes completely blank, as if I were a stranger.
"Call the police."
He said flatly, his voice full of impatience.
"Call the police?"
Linda immediately lifted her head from Harry Shawn's arms, screaming and gripping his arm tightly.
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