Chapter 4

Vanessa's triumphant expression froze. "What ashes?"

The medical staff looked at her, surprised. "Adrian's mother passed away two days ago because she couldn't afford the medical fees."

Vanessa was speechless. It took her a moment to find her voice. "How is that possible? Adrian, you didn't use the money I gave you for your mom?!"

I bent down to sign the ash collection form. Damon frowned, then suddenly spoke.

"Vanessa, I suddenly feel a little discomfort in my heart. Could you please ask the doctor to check me? Adrian and I are both men, maybe I can comfort him properly."

Vanessa hesitated, then finally called out to me. "Adrian, you stay here. Don't move. Once I call the doctor, we can talk properly!"

As soon as she left, Damon's eyes filled with malice, and he deliberately knocked over my mother's ashes.

He whispered mockingly, "Adrian, you're truly a persistent ghost. I deliberately told finance not to give you the funds. Your mom died because you didn't know your place. And Vanessa even said she's giving your vacant position to me. If you're smart, you'll get lost!"

My pupils contracted. So Damon was behind my mom's death!

Furious, I didn't hesitate to slap him. But he immediately collapsed, curled up in the corner, looking pained and begging, "Adrian, don't kill me! I'm so sad your mother died too!"

Passersby, not knowing the full story, all assumed I was just venting my anger.

They had all seen Vanessa and Damon's official announcement video and were now righteously indignant.

"His own mom died, and he's bullying another patient to vent?! Where's security? Get this guy out of the hospital!"

"Don't you know that's CEO Vanessa's husband? The Sterling family has immense wealth, you just messed with the wrong person! It's not too late to beg for forgiveness now!"

My face was numb. I knelt down to pick up the shattered ceramic urn holding my mother's ashes.

The sharp edges of the fragments cut my fingers, leaving streaks of blood, but I didn't seem to feel the pain.

As everyone condemned me, Vanessa finally arrived with the doctor. They vied to speak, as if taking credit.

"CEO Vanessa, your husband is being bullied! Aren't you going to stand up for him?"

Damon, looking triumphant, weakly cried out, "Vanessa, I'm fine. I was just kindly helping Adrian with his mother's ashes, and I accidentally broke them. He didn't mean to push me or slap me. I'm okay, I don't think anything's broken."

Vanessa took three swift steps towards me. I didn't even lift my head, gathering my mother's ashes. I figured she'd just say a few words to me.

But to my surprise, the next second, she knelt directly in front of me, carefully cradling my hands and asking, "Does it hurt?"

She held my bloody hands, her eyes filled with heartache. Everyone present stared at each other, stunned. Damon was dumbfounded, even forgetting to feign illness, his eyes wide.

In the past, if he pretended to be sick, Vanessa would fuss like a chicken with its head cut off. But now, she was concerned about me, the 'unreasonable' one.