Chapter 18

Anna's hands shook a bit, her face pale as she tried to defend herself, "These are my mom's personal statements! They're not true at all! I've never taken tips from patients' families!"

"But your mom said it," Mia shrugged, looking all innocent, "And a lot of people heard it. Who do you think they're gonna believe?"

"Anna," Ralph's voice got colder, "We have a recording. Your mom admitted it herself. Are you still denying it? If you have nothing to hide, how do you explain the luxury car she mentioned?"

"That car was borrowed! It has nothing to do with me!" Anna's voice was urgent, her emotions spiraling out of control, "My professional ethics have never been questioned. These accusations are baseless!"

Ralph didn't budge, his eyes full of doubt, "No matter how you explain it, the hospital's reputation is already damaged. Since things are unclear, I have no choice but to suspend you for now."

"Suspend me?" Anna was shocked, her voice a mix of anger and hurt, "Mr. Cook, I've always been diligent and never done anything unethical. Why not investigate further?"

"Anna, this is already giving you a chance." Ralph's tone was firm, his voice carrying authority, "Rumors don't come from nowhere. If you're innocent, gather your evidence. But until then, you must be suspended to reassure the patients. This is also for the hospital's sake."

The crowd started whispering, some looking at Anna with disdain.

Anna felt a wave of suffocation.

She knew these rumors shouldn't have happened, but she was stuck with a mom like Lucy, who would make up such lies just to show off.

"I accept the suspension." Finally, she forced out the words, her eyes filled with deep unwillingness, "But please clear my name as soon as possible."

"That depends on whether you can prove it," Ralph said coldly, then turned and left.

The hospital lobby was heavy with tension. The noise was mixed with angry shouts and low complaints from patients' families.

Anna stood in the center of the crowd, like a trapped lamb surrounded by angry families.

"Dr. Brown, you don't care about our children, only your own wallet!" A middle-aged woman with a flushed face shouted angrily, "We scraped together twenty thousand dollars for you, just for proper treatment. And what did we get? You didn't care at all!"

"Yeah, my mom too!" A young man echoed indignantly, "She was hospitalized for a month, we spent fifty thousand dollars, and you just transferred her without doing anything. All that money wasted!"

More families joined in, each describing their experiences of being extorted by Anna.

The accusations rained down on Anna like a storm, tearing at her dignity with every word.

Anna's lips were tightly pressed together, her chest heaving violently.

She tried to speak, but the questions never stopped, suffocating her.

At that moment, Ralph emerged from the back of the crowd.

He wore rimless glasses and a neatly pressed suit. He said with a stern expression, "Everyone, please quiet down. First off, on behalf of the hospital, I apologize to everyone. We're gonna dig deep into these issues and won't tolerate any misconduct. Every penny will be refunded."

As soon as he finished, the anger of the patients' families eased a bit. Their eyes shifted from Anna to Ralph, showing a bit of trust.

Anna couldn't help but snap back, "Mr. Cook! I didn't do any of these things! These accusations are completely made up!"

Ralph turned his head, looking at her coldly. "Anna, your defense will be recorded, but right now, the most important thing is to address the families' concerns. The facts will speak for themselves."

Anna felt a sharp pain in her chest like his words had stabbed her.

"Mr. Cook, I've worked at this hospital for years, and everyone knows my character. I have neither the reason nor the possibility to do such a thing!" Anna exclaimed, clutching her chest.

Ralph didn't respond directly to her but turned to the families, "Everyone, please follow me to the office to register the details. We'll handle this as soon as possible."

The families followed Ralph, leaving Anna standing alone, watching their backs with a complex expression. The onlookers whispered, their gazes like needles piercing Anna.

"I heard she was taking money for a long time. Got caught red-handed this time, huh?" one onlooker whispered.

"Didn't expect her to look so ethical, but she's so greedy behind the scenes," another person agreed.

Anna's cheeks burned, and her throat felt like it was blocked by a stone.

She wanted to defend herself but didn't know where to start against these baseless accusations, a sense of helplessness weighing her down.

Just then, Mia walked over, her high heels clicking, a smug smile on her face, "Anna, you really are something, taking so many tips. Even I didn't think you had it in you."

Anna glared at her, anger flaring in her eyes, "Don't talk nonsense! When did I ever take tips?"

Mia laughed, crossing her arms, her disdain obvious, "Nonsense? Anna, it's not me saying it, it's the patients' families accusing you. Do you think the whole world is framing you? Or do you think no one is as noble as you?"

Anna's face turned red with anger, but she was momentarily speechless, suddenly realizing there might be a conspiracy behind this.

Lucy lying for vanity was one thing, but she had never taken tips from patients' families. Where did these accusing families come from?

At this moment, Mia's tone changed, becoming sharply sarcastic, "But Anna, I can understand. After all, your useless husband Louis doesn't even have a proper job. It's inevitable you'd think of some crooked ways to support your family."

This sentence was like a thorn stabbing into Anna's heart.

Her lips moved, tears of humiliation welling up in her eyes, but she gritted her teeth and didn't retort.

Just as Mia was feeling triumphant, a voice suddenly interjected coldly, "Are you sure you want to speak so definitively?"

Louis walked out from the crowd.

He wore a simple shirt, looking no different from the onlookers, but his sharp eyes made Mia shiver involuntarily.

Mia adjusted her expression slightly, regaining her domineering stance, "Isn't this Anna's useless husband? What brings you to the hospital? Here to plead for your wife?"

Louis smiled faintly. "I was just passing by and heard someone slandering Anna, so I couldn't help but take a look. You say Anna took tips. Do you have any evidence?"

"Evidence?" Mia snorted, pulling out a recording pen from her bag and pressing play.

Louis frowned.

Mia raised an eyebrow, smirking, "I really admire your mother. Honestly, even if you really didn't take it, with your mother causing such a scene, who would believe you're innocent?"

Louis's gaze shifted from the recording pen to Mia, his eyes sharp as knives, "Mia, when was this recording made? Did you record it?"

Mia felt a bit uneasy under his stare but maintained a strong tone, "What? Are you saying I fabricated this?"

Louis ignored her question and took out his phone, dialing a number, "Check this woman and see which patients' families she's been in contact with recently. Also, look into whether Ralph's records have any signs of tampering."

Mia's face turned pale, "What do you mean? What right do you have to check me!"

Louis said calmly, "I just find it strange that all the accusations are directed at Anna, yet no one is checking who first spread these rumors."

Mia's eyes flickered, then she forced herself to stay calm, "Go ahead and check. I want to see what you can find."

At that moment, Louis took a step forward, his gaze piercing, "Mia, have you been feeling unwell lately? A slight pain in your chest?"

Mia was taken aback, then impatiently waved her hand, "Don't change the subject. I'm perfectly fine."

"Really?" Louis's tone was casual but chilling, "But you don't look well. Have you been ignoring your health? Do you occasionally feel a swelling pain in your breast area? I suggest you get it checked soon before it's too late."

Mia's face turned ashen. She gritted her teeth, trying to stay composed, "Stop talking nonsense! My health is none of your concern!"

However, Louis's gaze grew even sharper, "If you keep delaying, it could be late-stage breast cancer."

Mia froze and forced a smile.

"You might think this has nothing to do with me, but since it involves Anna, I can't stand by. Shouldn't you be more concerned about your own health rather than targeting others?" Louis's words were like knives, continuously intimidating, "Is all of this your meticulous plan?"

Mia took a deep breath, refusing to back down, "Louis, you're just bluffing! You can't diagnose breast cancer just by a simple look! You're not a doctor. Don't act like you know everything!"

"Whether I'm a doctor or not doesn't matter," Louis smiled slightly. What matters is that I can see through a person's true condition better than you. Whether you're sick or not, a check-up will tell. Or are you afraid to face the results?"

Mia's lips trembled as she was stumped for words.

She instinctively took a step back, her previous arrogance gone.

At that moment, Ralph squeezed through the crowd, holding a stack of documents.

Waving the documents, he shouted, "Enough! Everyone quiet down! This is a hospital, not a marketplace!" His words made the crowd step back, giving him a path.

Ralph walked up to Anna, slamming the documents on the table in front of her, "Based on our initial estimates, you are suspected of taking tips from patients' families, totaling three hundred thousand dollars. These are all provided by the patients' families. I think you owe us an explanation."

This statement was like a bomb, silencing the crowd instantly.

Anna's fingers trembled as she flipped through the documents, finding signed receipts, transfer records, and even written testimonies from patients' families.

Her mind went blank. These "evidence" all pointed to her, and even she couldn't explain them at the moment.

"Mr. Cook!" Anna struggled to control her emotions, her voice trembling, "I have no knowledge of these so-called evidence! I have never asked anyone for tips!"

Ralph sneered, "The evidence is right here. Do you expect me to believe these receipts just dropped out of thin air?"

Anna opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words, "I don't know where these came from, but I definitely didn't do this!"

Ralph crossed his arms, looking at her with a mocking smile, "If that's the case, then you can explain it to Mr. Mitchell. He will decide whether you can stay at the hospital or if we should notify the police."

These words were like a thunderbolt, making Anna's face instantly pale.

She knew Ralph was deliberately pushing her to a dead end, and the patients' families were just tools he was using.

Just as she was about to despair, Louis calmly stepped forward, picking up the documents and casually flipping through a few pages. His relaxed demeanor made Ralph's expression change slightly.

"You are the hospital director, Ralph Cook, right?" Louis's voice was calm, "You have quite a collection of evidence. But has anyone verified the authenticity of these transfer records and receipts?"

Ralph snorted, "These were provided by the patients' families. They have no reason to fake them!"

"Really?" Louis looked up, his gaze meeting Ralph's, "Then why is there a transfer at a time when Anna was in surgery? Is she supposed to be taking money with her mind?"

This statement caused a murmur among the crowd.

Ralph's expression stiffened, quickly regaining his composure, "Maybe the family got the time wrong. This doesn't clear Anna of suspicion! And you are Anna's useless husband?"

"Call me what you want, I don't care." Louis showed no anger, looking at him with a faint smile, "Do you think a man who can protect his wife is useless?"

Ralph sneered, "Protect? With words? I heard you don't even get a proper glance in the Brown family. Why are you coming here to play hero today, trying to show us how capable you are?"

Louis remained unhurried, one hand in his pockets, his eyes playful, "Whether I'm useless or not is none of your concern. But your behavior of forcing my wife reminds me of a saying."

"What saying?" Ralph was stunned for a moment.

"Bullying under borrowed authority!" Louis said calmly.

Ralph's face darkened instantly, causing a stir among the crowd.

Though Ralph's position in the hospital wasn't high, he always acted with impunity, backed by someone powerful, and no one dared to confront him.

Louis's words, "bullying under borrowed authority," were a direct slap on his face.

"What did you say!" Ralph's smile vanished, anger flaring in his eyes.