Chapter 9

Ben, seeing his plan work, started acting all high and mighty. With a smug grin, he said, "Dr. Brown, your husband, who just loiters around the hospital all day, makes us all pretty uncomfortable."

Anna's brow furrowed at his words. She looked up, her eyes icy, not bothering to hide her annoyance. "Ben, we're just colleagues. My husband's business is none of yours, so keep your mouth shut."

Ben was caught off guard by her frosty attitude. His face darkened as he queried impatiently, "Really? Do you honestly think that lazy troublemaker is a reliable partner? What else can he bring you besides headaches? Anna, you should've seen his true colors by now."

Anna's eyes turned even colder; she'd had enough of Ben's jabs.

"Ben, don't be so pragmatic. At least being with him makes me feel at peace."

Ben snorted, his expression stiffening for a moment before turning into a sly grin. "At peace? I heard your husband recently ticked off someone he shouldn't have. I doubt your peace will last much longer."

"Ben, what are you getting at?"

Anna's heart tightened, her eyes sharp as she tried to read between Ben's lines.

Ben's grin grew more smug, his eyes filled with mockery. "What else could it mean? Let me spell it out. He crossed someone he shouldn't have, and those people don't just let things go. Anna, do you still think he'll come back to you safe and sound today?"

Anna's heart pounded. She quickly pulled out her phone and urgently dialed Louis's number. But all she got was a cold automated message. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently switched off."

The calm message felt like a bucket of cold water, leaving Anna momentarily stunned. Her hands trembled slightly, and her unease grew.

She looked up at Ben, her eyes filled with suspicion and anger. "Ben, are you involved in this?"

Ben chuckled lightly, spreading his hands in a show of innocence. "Don't blame me. I just heard about it. Louis got into trouble he shouldn't have. As for who did it, I have no idea."

He paused, a hint of smugness on his lips.

Just as the tension peaked, the office door suddenly opened, and Louis walked in.

"Dr. Moody, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm perfectly fine."

Louis's gaze swept coldly over Ben, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

Ben's smug smile instantly froze. He hadn't expected Louis to show up here. After a moment of shock, he glanced coldly at Louis, trying to hide his panic. "What are you doing here? Are you here to whine to Anna about being bullied?"

Louis smiled faintly, turning to Anna as if Ben wasn't even there. "Anna, I just had the weirdest run-in. Some thugs tried to block my way, saying they were paid by some big shot to rough me up. But before they could do anything, they tripped over themselves. I was pretty shocked, wondering what went wrong. Maybe their boss gave them some faulty gear?"

Anna was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but smile.

Ben's face, however, grew darker, a flash of shock in his eyes.

Louis continued, still smiling, "Dr. Moody, who do you think would waste their time hiring a bunch of thugs to scare me? I wonder how much that employer got scammed for."

"I heard they got paid a full $100,000. Wow, that employer really went all out, and yet I didn't even get a scratch." Louis spoke leisurely.

Ben was seething with rage, his expression growing more twisted, and he gritted his teeth, "Louis, you're just a worthless freeloader. Stop making up stories. Don't talk nonsense; I didn't hire anyone to deal with you."

Louis chuckled lightly, waving his hand casually, "A bit harsh, don't you think? I never mentioned who it was. Why are you reacting so strongly? Feeling guilty?"

Ben paused, suddenly realizing he had given himself away. His face instantly darkened.

His fists clenched, his voice filled with anger, "Louis, stop pretending!"

Louis remained calm, chuckling, "It seems I misunderstood. But those thugs did say before they left that their employer was a gull and they wanted to work with him again."

Anna couldn't help but smile knowingly, her anger and worry gradually fading, replaced by disdain for Ben.

"Louis, don't get too cocky!" Ben's face was now dark and twisted, his voice a low growl.

"Louis, look at yourself. Anna is my goddess; she deserves a better man. But instead, she ended up with a worthless loser like you." He continued.

Louis raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on his lips, and said slowly, "I'm tall and strong, unlike you, barely 5 feet tall, shorter than a middle schooler. How dare you talk about me? And Anna and I got married out of mutual love. Besides, with your looks, even if you're bitter, you can only be jealous of me behind my back."

Ben stood in the office, his height of less than 5 feet indeed making him look somewhat funny.

Anna was amused by Louis's words, her expression softening slightly.

She turned to Ben, her tone cold but with a hint of protectiveness, "Ben, my marriage to Louis was my choice. I feel happy and at ease. There's no need to explain our relationship to you."

Ben, red-faced from their jabs, raised his voice. "Anna, wake up! He's a loser. Don't be fooled by him! What can a guy like him do besides drag you down? If I were you, I would have..."

Louis timely interrupted Ben's rant, smiling warmly but with a hint of mockery, "Don't worry, I'm a responsible man. I don't harm people; Anna feels secure with me. But you, always eyeing someone else's wife, should reflect on that."

Ben, feeling the sting of the reverse mockery, grew even more sullen. He stood frozen for a moment before finally growling, "Louis, one day I'll show you what a real man is. If you know what's good for you, let go of Anna, or don't blame me for being rude!"

"Seems like you've already been quite rude."

Louis spread his hands innocently, but there was a cold glint in his eyes. "I'm just a lowly life, not afraid of a bit more rudeness from you. Unfortunately, to be a real man, you might need to grow another foot first."

Ben's face twisted with rage, his fists clenched tightly, itching to pummel Louis, but he knew he wasn't a match for him.

Anna, standing nearby, spoke coldly, her tone carrying undeniable authority, "Dr. Moody, I hope you remember your place. My relationship with you is strictly professional. Stop meddling in my and Louis's private affairs."

Anna's words left Ben momentarily speechless, his face darkening with both anger and embarrassment.

The nearby doctors and nurses couldn't help but snicker quietly, making Ben's short stature seem even funnier.

Louis smiled at Anna, his voice gentle with a hint of teasing, "Honey, I safely brought your car back. I guess I can take a cab home now?"

Anna's lips curved slightly, her tone soft, "Go ahead."

"Alright!" Louis grinned, nodded slightly to her, and turned to leave the office.

Ben glared at his back, cursing inwardly, 'Bastard, such a worthless freeloader, living without a shred of dignity!'

Just then, Anna's phone rang. She picked it up, her expression quickly turning serious.

"Mom, don't panic. What happened? Tell me slowly."

Anna held the phone, cold sweat forming on her forehead, a sense of foreboding rising within her.

On the other end, Lucy's tearful voice came through, "Anna, I hit someone with my car. What should I do?"

Lucy couldn't hold back her emotions as she spoke.

Anna's heart sank, her fingers trembling, a bad feeling growing stronger, "You hit someone? Are you okay, Mom? Are you hurt?"

Anna tried to keep her voice calm, but her heart was already in turmoil.

Lucy replied, her voice filled with evident fear, "I'm fine, but I damaged someone's car."

Hearing this, Anna felt a slight relief but quickly grew anxious again, a sense of unease rising. "It's okay if the car is damaged. We can afford to pay for that. The important thing is that no one is hurt. Mom, don't worry too much."

"That's easy to say, but... but they want me to pay a million dollars!" Lucy's voice was tearful, almost incoherent with anxiety.

Anna's mind went blank, her voice trembling, "A million dollars? Mom, who did you hit?"

The compensation amount was beyond her imagination.

Lucy paused, her voice still choked with sobs, "I don't know, just... just someone really rich. I was driving a bit fast, and she was getting out of their car by the roadside. I couldn't stop in time and hit her."

Anna took a deep breath, her heart racing, "Mom, was the car they were driving very luxurious? What kind of car was it?"

"I don't know how to describe it, but there was a little golden figure on the front." Lucy's voice trembled even more.

"A golden figure? A Rolls-Royce?"

Anna's eyes widened, her heart in her mouth.

Lucy bit her lip on the other end, "Yes, it was a Rolls-Royce."

After saying this, Lucy choked up, and Anna could almost picture her pale face.

Anna forced herself to stay calm and continued to ask, "Mom, is the person hurt? How badly?"

Lucy paused, her voice filled with obvious fear, "It seems pretty serious, a lot of blood. She had a lot of bodyguards, and now they've surrounded me. I'm sitting in the car, too scared to move. Anna, tell me what to do!"

Anna felt a wave of dizziness; she couldn't believe Lucy had gotten herself in such a big mess!

"Mom, a million dollars... we can't come up with that kind of money all at once."

Lucy responded anxiously, "That's why I'm asking you for help!"

Anna sighed, knowing this was a huge amount for them, "Mom, we might have to ask Grandpa and Grandma for help. Maybe they can do something."

Lucy's face turned pale instantly, "No, we can't let your grandparents know! They'll kick me out of the family. It's all Louis's fault. I called him countless times to take the blame, but his phone was off. He can't even be found when it matters. Anna, please come quickly. I'm scared alone!"

After hanging up, Anna's unease grew stronger.

Lucy, though somewhat vain, would never cause trouble on purpose.

This time, it seemed like a major disaster.

The demand for a million dollars was beyond their family's means.

Even if they had to pay, Anna's family, even with her grandparents' status, couldn't easily come up with that amount.

For a moment, she felt her mind melting away, her hands trembling with fear.

After a while, she forced herself to calm down and quickly dialed Louis's number.

Louis answered, his voice slightly relaxed, "Anna, what's up? Is Ben bothering you again? I'll come over right away!"

"No... it's not Ben," Anna's voice was on the verge of breaking, "It's my mom... she hit someone."

Louis paused, his tone immediately serious, "What? Your mom hit someone? How bad is it?"

"Louis, come back first. The person is injured, and it's serious."

On the other end, Louis's voice turned grave, "How did this happen? Is the person badly hurt? Where are they now?"

Anna took a deep breath, a hint of panic in her eyes, "I'm still at the hospital. My mom called and said the person had bodyguards who have surrounded her... I don't know what to do."

"Alright, I'm coming back right now." Louis paused, lowering his voice, "Don't worry, I'll make sure she comes back safe and sound."

Louis hung up. He hadn't wanted to get involved in Lucy's affairs, given her usual prejudice against him. Letting her suffer a bit might have been a good thing.

But hearing Anna's tone, he knew Lucy might be in serious trouble.

Louis had no choice but to turn back.