Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
In the hospital environment, wealthy patients often underestimated the nurses, considering the nurses more upright than nightclub hostesses. However, they were oblivious to the fact that some nurses leveraged these opportunities to enhance their earnings through less transparent means.
To those affluent individuals, five million was trivial, barely the expense of a fancy dinner or an evening at a high-end club. For them, paying this sum was preferable to risking a scandal or wasting time over prolonged disputes.
Hearing Charli’s words, the manager promptly chimed in, “The amount is reasonable. Let’s settle it this way. I’ll make sure Charli keeps it a secret since then.”
Both the manager and Charli found this resolution satisfactory.
Luis’ suspicion was spot-on. The manager and Charli had a covert relationship and often employed tactics like playing good cop, bad cop.
Since the manager couldn’t sustain Charli’s lavish lifestyle, he had advised her to strategically extract money from wealthy patients.
They were meticulous in selecting their targets, usually opting for those with secrets to hide, like extramarital affairs or sensitive medical issues, capturing incriminating evidence, to potentially use for blackmail when needed.
Their operations were infrequent, helping them to avoid detection.
On this occasion, Charli had laid the trap, knowing the manager was on duty, essential for ensuring a smooth operation.
However, they hadn’t anticipated meeting a tough nut to crack.
“Yes, it indeed isn’t much,” Luis remarked casually, standing with one hand in his pocket, observing the situation.
The manager was on the verge of celebrating Luis’ apparent acquiescence when Luis added, “Probably enough for being sentenced for about fifteen years.”
A tense silence enveloped the room.
Frustrated and feeling mocked, Charli challenged him, “What do you mean? Do you enjoy playing with people?”
Attempting to play the mediator, the manager intervened, “Mr. Stevens, please think twice. It does bad to your friend if this escalates. I’ve convinced Charli, despite her distress, to settle for a modest sum. It seems your friend also prefers a quiet resolution.”
Aware of Luis’ connections to the hospital’s director, the manager had initially been apprehensive. Yet, with Charli having already taken action, he felt compelled to support her. If the situation escalated, he feared Charli might implicate him. Thus, he was determined to protect her interests, ensuring there were no mishaps.
Their experience told them that the VIP wards, like regular wards, lacked surveillance cameras except in corridors, giving them an advantage in the absence of direct evidence or witnesses.
Cap?tulo 992:
The vulnerability often attributed to women could also play in their favor, potentially drawing public sympathy more readily than it would for men. In a potential dispute, it was unclear who would be more disadvantaged, especially given their position which could elicit public support.
The manager persisted, “Mr. Stevens, I advise you to stay out of this. Without cameras here, how can you be so sure of your friend’s innocence? This occurred under my supervision, and given your ties with the director, rest assured, I will handle this discretely. But Charli is just a young nurse. She deserves some compensation.”
How about I give you some time to discuss with your friend? I’ll talk to Charli about reducing her demands. She’s already faced humiliation, She’s unlikely to stick rigidly to her initial request.
The manager was smooth in his approach, clearly adept at handling such situations.
Luis raised his eyebrows. “It seems you’re quite practiced at this sort of thing. Very well. Let’s conduct a thorough investigation. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m a friend of the hospital director, I wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters!”
Seeing that Luis was unmoved by their tactics, the manager’s tone turned frosty. “Then I won’t mediate this matter for you. As for Charli threatening to go public with her grievances, I can’t stop her. A desperate young girl might do something drastic, like threatening to jump off a building, and then your losses would involve not just money but the reputation you businessmen hold dear!”
While saying this, the manager gave a covert wink to Charli.
Catching the signal, Charli began theatrically wailing about climbing out the window to jump.
Luis watched Charli theatrically approach the window, moving slowly and crying loudly, more to frighten others than to take any genuine action. He couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “What’s the matter? Can’t reach the window? Should I bring a chair for you?”
Charli shot Luis a furious look, her anger intensifying. Enraged, she clutched her chest and yelled, “You all… You just want to see me dead! The rich like you think you can do whatever you please, treating others like they’re expendable…”
Luis cautioned, “Don’t harm yourself too much, or you’ll end up blaming us, and remember, no one has laid a finger on you.”
Charli was left speechless. Finding that her dramatic display had no effect, she begrudgingly dragged a stool over and made a show of sitting down, continuing her theatrics.
Meanwhile, frowning at the situation, Cornell called out in a deep voice, “Matteo!”
Matteo immediately entered from outside. “Mr. Clement, what do you need?”
Assuming Luis’ presence would ensure the situation was handled smoothly, Cornell was surprised to see Luis seemed more interested in teasing the troublemakers than resolving the issue.
Without even glancing at the manager and Charli, Cornell commanded coldly, “Take these two to face legal consequences, as they should!”
Matteo nodded and called out, “Come in.”
Two men dressed in black entered and first escorted the manager away.
When being led out, the manager shouted defiantly, “You! What right do you have to do this? What power are you misusing to bully people? I won’t go down without a fight!”
The manager attempted to frame the situation as an abuse of power by the elite.
Luis simply snorted. “You asked by what right? Take a good look at this.”
Both the manager and Charli turned to where Luis was pointing and noticed a hidden camera on the ceiling.
The camera was active and blinking.
The manager’s face turned a shade of purple, incredulous. “How can this be? You can’t have cameras in patient rooms!”
Cap?tulo 993:
Luis chuckled coldly. “We installed it after Cornell was harassed by the previous nurse. Yes, to guard against individuals like you. This camera has proven quite useful this time, helping the hospital to identify those tarnishing its reputation!”
As the manager tried to protest, he was briskly removed from the ward.
Charli, looking ashen, stammered, “I… I was just having a bit of fun with this gentleman…”
“Fun?” Luis echoed sarcastically.
“Yes, that’s it. Nothing more. Mr. Stevens, you’re a generous man. Please don’t lower yourself to my level. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it!” Tears streamed down her face as Charli knelt and edged closer to Luis, her expression one of desperation. “Mr. Stevens, I will follow your lead… Okay?”
“Don’t touch me,” Luis said with a look of revulsion. “You’re filthy.”
Charli’s complexion paled.
Before she could utter another word, Matteo swiftly escorted her out, sensing Cornell’s growing impatience.
With these two troublemakers being escorted away, quiet returned to the hospital room.
Ignoring Cornell’s darken expression, Luis pulled a chair over and sat down. “Feeling any better?” he inquired.
Cornell responded with a detached glance, his expression unreadable, “Boring.”
“Hey.” Luis chuckled, raising an eyebrow. “You think I’d entertain those two clowns if it wasn’t to distract you from other things?”
Cornell continued to leaf through his financial magazine, unresponsive.
Luis continued, trying to engage him, “Look at you. Either work or bury yourself in these financial updates. How do you expect to recover without any downtime?”
Seeing no reaction from Cornell, Luis reached over and snatched the magazine from his hands. “The company’s been running fine under Hector’s watch. He’s just holding the fort until you’re ready to take back the reins Cornell scowled slightly, but Luis was undeterred by his mood.”
Ignoring the frown, he pressed on, “If you’re so eager to get back to it, then focus on getting better. That way, you’ll give Hector and me a break. You wouldn’t believe how often he checks in about your progress.”
“I’m fine,” Cornell stated flatly.
“Fine? Luis retorted, visibly annoyed, “You call lying in a hospital bed ‘fine’?”
Seeing Cornell’s stubborn resistance to his advice, Luis grew frustrated. “And you’re not even doing your leg rehab exercises. Are you planning to stay bedridden forever?”
Cornell had been struggling with the rehabilitation following a new joint replacement in his leg. He was still unable to perform even basic leg lifts.
It wasn’t for lack of ability. Luis knew Cornell’s determination.
When Cornell truly set his mind to something, he could overcome any obstacle. It was just that Cornell seemed to have lost his zest for life, as if he was purposefully neglecting his own health.
As a longtime friend, Luis knew Cornell well enough to notice this change. This shift had started the day Cornell woke up from surgery and didn’t find Audrey by his side.
Though Cornell hadn’t spoken about it, some truths were self-evident.
Cap?tulo 994:
They were adults and knew each other too well. Audrey’s departure on the day of Cornell’s surgery spoke volumes. It was a clear signal that she had decided to let go of their relationship.
With his mobility restricted, Cornell was confined to the hospital, growing increasingly withdrawn and despondent. He showed no interest in anything, mechanically going through his routines, his only engagement being his work.
This ongoing scenario was frustrating for Luis, who found himself at a loss for comforting words. No matter what he said, it seemed Cornell barely heard him, continuing on in his own isolated world.
Cornell even resisted participating in basic rehabilitative treatments.
In this case, how long would this go on before he could leave that bed?
his best friend, Luis felt compelled to intervene. He couldn’t just stand by and watch Cornell potentially resign himself to a life in a wheelchair.
While sitting next to the bed, peeling an apple, Luis attempted to lighten the mood with some local gossip.
“The Maxwells sure hold grudges. They even retrieved Katie’s ashes that Katie’s stepmother had thrown away, brought them back to Aurora, and had a witch perform a ritual. It’s said to be a curse that condemns the soul to eternal suffering in hellfire, ensuring it never finds peace.”