Watching Sandra’s face go through a whole emotional rollercoaster, Tiffany just rolled her eyes and left.
Whatever Sandra was cooking up. Tiffany couldn’t care less. As far as she was concerned, Sandra and Kenneth deserved each other it was a match made in hell, and she was all for it.
After breakfast, taking advantage of the weekend, Tiffany brought Eric along to accompany Thalia to the hospital. Thalia had been suffering from frequent headaches lately, and Tiffany wouldn’t be at ease unless they got it checked out.
Talk about a small world – the hospital they went to was the most famous one in Lovell City, owned by the Pauley family. As a century-old medical dynasty, the Pauleys wielded significant influence in town. And Sidney was the family’s youngest scion.
When they arrived, the hospital was a madhouse. The place was crawling with patients. Looks like they were in for the long haul – two hours minimum before they’d even get a chance to be seen.
“Mom, come and take a seat,” Tiffany said, helping massage Thalia’s temples. “You’ve got to learn to take it easy, fuel up right, and not sweat the small stuff. That’s why your head’s always giving you trouble.”
“Take it easy? As if! The Olsons are a total train wreck. Lucky we caught this supply chain mess before it blew up, or your dad would’ve been toast!” Thalia groaned.
Putting on a brave face for the kids, Thalia tried to change the subject. “This headache’s no big deal. Maybe we should just call it quits and head home.”
“Not a chance, Tiffany said firmly. “We’ve come this far, might as well go the whole nine yards and get you looked at.”
Eric nodded in agreement.
Thalia gave up trying to sway the stubborn siblings. She just smiled and went along with it.
After a long wait, it was finally their turn. Thalia stood up, ready to go in with the kids. But out of nowhere, three burly guys appeared and blocked the door, barring their way.
“Step aside and let our madam through. The rest of you, back off!” one of them barked, throwing his weight around.
Tiffany saw red in a heartbeat. “Oh yeah? And what if I don’t play ball?” she shot back, digging her heels in with her hands on her hips.
The bodyguard scowled at her. “Listen up, missy. You better scram before you cross the Hayes family. Trust me, you don’t want to see what happens if you don’t!”
Suddenly, a decked-out rich lady, Charlotte Hayes, came strutting out from behind the bodyguards with her nose so high in the air.
Rolling her eyes, she snapped, “What’s with all the talking? If these nobodies won’t scram, just kick them out,”
Thalia tugged on Tiffany’s sleeve and whispered, “Hey, Tiffany, let’s just go. We can wait a bit longer.
But Tiffany stood her ground. She could take a lot, but backing down for no reason would only encourage these jerks to push people around even more.
As soon as Charlotte barked the order, her bodyguards moved to shove Tiffany and Thalia out. But before they could lay a hand on Thalia, Tiffany sprang into action, grabbing two of the men’s wrists in a vise-like grip.
Tiffany twisted their wrists hard and fast. The men let out piercing yells that echoed through the hallway.
Tiffany kicked two of them away forcefully. As the last bodyguard lunged forward, Eric rushed in, shouting, “Tiffany, I’ve got this one!”
Eric lashed out with a kick, but being only eight years old, he was a bit of a wild card. His aim was off, but he still managed to nail the guy where it hurt the most.
“Ow!” The bodyguard’s scream put the others to shame, his voice cracking with pain.
Tiffany blinked in surprise, then ruffled Eric’s hair. “Nice shot, buddy!”
She then stepped in front of Charlotte, who was trying to slip away. With a saccharine smile that was more menacing than sweet, Tiffany asked, “Leaving so soon, Mrs. Hayes? I thought you were eager to see the doctor?”
Charlotte stumbled backward, her face a mix of fear and indignation. “You’ve got some nerve! Don’t you know the Hayes family isn’t someone to trifle with?”
That was true. The Hayes family was a big fish in Lovell City’s pond, going toe-to-toe with the Kelleys in the business world. They probably came here looking to stir up trouble with the Kelleys.
But Charlotte never saw this coming. She didn’t expect that Tiffany, a young, fragile-looking girl, could take down her tough guys so easily.
“Why would 1, Mrs. Hayes?” Tiffany smirked, watching Charlotte’s makeup crumble like a sandcastle.
Then she twisted the knife. “Look, you’re already over the hill. Why embarrass yourself? Why don’t you stay home and slap on some face masks? No need to come strutting around here unless you’ve got a real reason.”
Tiffany’s zinger hit Charlotte like a ton of bricks. She was steaming mad but couldn’t spit out a word. With all these onlookers gawking, she figured she’d better save face. So she huffed and puffed, then stormed off with her bodyguards trailing behind.
Thalia gave her kids a once-over, her face etched with worry. “Are you two okay?”
“We’re fine! Tiffany was awesome,” Eric said, looking at his sister like she was his hero.
This whole dust-up blew over without any more fireworks. But the hospital gave them the cold shoulder, saying they’d caused too much of a scene.
Eric wasn’t about to let it slide. He pressed, “Hey, what gives? The other guys started it. How’s that fair, huh?”
Thalia could see Eric was about to blow his top. She stepped in to cool things down, giving him a gentle tug. “Easy there, kiddo. We’re in the clear, but we did ruffle some feathers. Why don’t we hit the road and find another hospital?”
The guy in charge shook his head and said with an icy tone, “Just leave. If Mrs. Hayes comes back with her people, you’ll drag the whole hospital into this mess.” It was clear they were too scared to cross the Hayes family.
Tiffany shot the guy a look that could freeze hell over, then wordlessly steered Thalia out. There was no point making a big deal out of it now.
That’s just how the world works. To come out on top and avoid being pushed around, you need to be a big shot. Tiffany clenched her fists, determined to make it to the top.
Just then, a gentle voice piped up nearby. “Mrs. Kelley, would you mind if I examine you instead?”
All heads turned to see Sidney approaching, looking apologetic. “I’m really sorry. My team really dropped the ball there. Mrs. Kelley, next time, please come straight to me, okay?”