Chapter 2
The emergency room at Central City Hospital was filled with the sharp scent of disinfectant.
The air was heavy with anxiety and suffering.
I moved calmly through the sea of wailing families, like I didn't belong there at all.
A nurse caught sight of me and rushed over.
"Are you Michael Bennett's family?" she asked.
She looked me up and down, a puzzled look in her eyes.
Maybe it was because I was so calm, and my neat clothes made me stick out like a sore thumb here.
I didn't confirm or deny it.
"Where are they?" I asked.
"Both of them are in the ER. They're in really bad shape!" the nurse replied, urgency in her voice.
"Especially the man, his leg's been crushed, and he's bleeding from a main artery. If he doesn't get surgery right now, he'll lose his leg for sure!
"The woman's not much better, she's got multiple broken bones and could be bleeding internally!"
She shoved a stack of papers into my hands.
"You're family, right? You need to pay now! The surgery deposit is 30,000 dollars! Hurry!"
I looked down at the bill.
The words "30,000 dollars" jumped out at me, almost like a slap in the face.
I could almost see Michael and Emily's smug faces smirking back at me from the paper, and hear Emily's earlier words.
"If you don't divorce me, I'll beat you until you do!"
"I'm having a son."
"It's time for you to cough up that pre-marriage house."
I laughed.
The nurse froze, startled by my sudden laughter.
"Why are you laughing? Hurry up and pay! If you don't, it'll be too late!" she urged.
I looked up at her.
"Nurse, you've got it wrong," I said.
"I'm not family."
I didn't raise my voice, but every word was clear.
A few nosy onlookers turned to stare.
The nurse grew flustered. "If you're not family, then what are you doing here? We checked his call log, you were the last person he called!"
"Oh," I nodded. "He just finished beating me and tried to force me into a divorce."
I rolled up my sleeve, revealing the ugly bruises on my wrist.
Then I pointed to the red, swollen mark on my cheek that still hadn't faded.
"After he assaulted me, he and his mistress left together."
"And then they were hit by a truck."
I told them what happened, my voice flat, like I was just narrating someone else's story.
The hall went quiet all of a sudden.
All eyes were on me.
There was shock, sympathy, and even curiosity in their eyes.
The nurse opened her mouth, but couldn't find anything to say.
"But...but saving lives comes first!" she insisted, still trying to persuade me.
"Of course, saving lives is the priority," I replied.
I calmly took out my phone from my bag.
With everyone watching, I scrolled through my contacts.
I stopped at a certain number.
"Mrs. Bennett."
I hit the call button.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Hello! Claire! You jinx! Did you put a curse on my son? If anything happens to him, I'll skin you alive!"
Mrs. Bennett's voice screeched through the phone, sharp and nasty.
I put the phone on speaker.
Everyone in the hall could hear her.
I could practically see Mrs. Bennett's screeching face right there in front of me.
I could just imagine the way her face was all twisted up.
I actually laughed instead of getting angry.
"Mrs. Bennett, don't worry," I said, keeping my voice calm.
"Michael's in the ER at Central City Hospital right now.
"The doctor said if you don't pay up, he's going to lose his leg.
"You'd better bring the money over."
There was a three-second silence on the other end.
Then Mrs. Bennett started screaming even louder.
"What? He's going to lose his leg? Claire! You heartless witch! Are you seriously refusing to pay? Listen, Michael is your husband, and it's your job to save him! If you don't cough up the money, you're basically letting him die on purpose!
"Where's the money? Didn't you take all the Bennett Family's money? Hurry up and pay already!"
As I listened to her accusations, my smile only grew wider.
"Mrs. Bennett, you've got it wrong again," I said, my voice calm and steady.
"First, sure, all the money is with me. But why should I spend a dime to save a guy who just beat me up and tried to take my house?
"Second, he cheated on me and knocked up his side chick. Weren't you always desperate for a grandson? Well, your precious grandson is in the ER, fighting for his life.
"Oh, and by the way, that side chick's name is Emily Grant.
"You know her, don't you?"
The whole hall went dead silent after I finished speaking.
Everyone's faces were a mix of shock, disbelief, and pure drama.
On the other end of the line, Mrs. Bennett sounded like she'd been stunned into silence.
After a long pause, she finally managed to get a word out.
"You what nonsense are you talking about!"
"I'm already in the hospital," I said, my voice cool and detached.
"I can't wait to see, are you going to save your precious son first, or your precious grandson?"
I hung up.
I handed the bill back to the nurse, who was still staring at me in shock.
"Go ask his mother for the money," I said, my voice icy.
"Or maybe his mistress's family. Either way, don't come to me."
I turned around, ready to find a spot and watch the drama unfold.
Just then, a doctor came rushing out of the ER, looking like he was in a hurry.
He spotted me right away and headed straight for me.
"Are you family?" he asked.
There I went again with that question.
I was starting to get irritated.
"I'm not," I replied coolly.
The doctor hesitated, but didn't waste any time.
"The guy inside is bleeding out, and we're almost out of type A blood! You're his wife, right? If your blood type matches, hurry up and come with me, we need your blood, it's the fastest way to save him!" the doctor said.
I looked at the doctor's anxious face.
And all of a sudden, I couldn't help but think that this world was such a freaking joke.