The next morning, Dr. Vaughan indeed came to see Lance.
"You said my mother hired you to treat me?" Lance repeated Dr. Vaughan's words in surprise.
Dr. Vaughan nodded. "Yes, Mr. Mercer. When can I start your treatment?"
"Let's wait a bit." Lance was confused and couldn't understand his mother's intentions.
He picked up his phone and called her directly. "Did you find me a doctor?"
"Yes, Dr. Vaughan is an excellent physician, highly recommended by many. If you're not feeling well, you can seek his treatment. That Dr. Deanna is too young," Samantha replied with her prepared explanation.
Lance's face turned cold, but he restrained himself and spoke in a low voice, "Only Dr. Deanna can treat my condition."
"Why only her? If it's acupuncture, Dr. Vaughan is one of the best in the country. Besides, Dr. Deanna doesn't have as much experience as Dr. Vaughan," Samantha retorted, clearly dissatisfied and disbelieving her son's words.
To her, it seemed like her son was deliberately favoring Dr. Deanna.
Lance rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "If that's the case, do Old Hughes and Old Wright have less experience than Dr. Vaughan? Yet they trust Dr. Deanna."
Samantha was left speechless.
Lance saw this and decisively said, "I know what I'm doing. Please don't interfere in this matter anymore."
Hearing this, Samantha became immediately angry. "You know what you're doing? Do you think I don't know what's on your mind?"
She gritted her teeth and questioned him, "Tell me honestly, do you have feelings for that Dr. Deanna?"
Lance neither confirmed nor denied it. "That's my personal business."
"Personal business? Your marriage is not just your personal business. And that Dr. Deanna already has a child. I absolutely forbid you to become someone else's stepfather!" Samantha made her stance clear.
Lance's brows furrowed tightly.
He could see that his mother's biggest issue with Deanna was her having a child out of wedlock.
But he didn't want to reveal anything about the child just yet.
Thinking about it, he said in a deep voice, "I don't care. Besides, you don't need to worry about my marriage. I will never marry someone I don't love!"
With that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Samantha's reaction.
After putting down his phone, Lance looked at Dr. Vaughan apologetically. "As you can see, this is a misunderstanding. I'll have someone take you back."
Dr. Vaughan nodded in agreement, unable to say much.
Meanwhile, Deanna was on the way to have coffee with Julia.
Unexpectedly, as she approached the café, she saw Mia sitting with an elderly woman who exuded an air of nouveau riche.
Deanna recognized the woman as her nominal grandmother, but their relationship was not good.
When Deanna's mother was alive, this old woman often found reasons to make things difficult for Deanna's mother and never showed Deanna any kindness.
Initially, Deanna planned to pretend she hadn't seen them and walk past, but reality had other plans.
Mia also noticed Deanna entering from outside.
Seeing Deanna looking more radiant than ever filled Mia with uncontrollable anger.
This woman, whom they had once trampled into the mud, was now rising again and even starting to fight back against them.
No matter how she thought about it, Mia couldn't accept it.
Especially seeing Deanna's indifferent attitude now made Mia furious.
She glanced at the old woman beside her and suddenly had an idea.
"Deanna, stop right there!"
"What's the matter?" Deanna stopped and looked over coldly.
Mia raised her chin and spoke in a lecturing tone, "What do you think? Don't you know to greet your elders when you see them?"
Sienna snorted in displeasure to show her dissatisfaction.
Deanna looked at their expressions and laughed mockingly.
"How funny. Where are my elders here? Only my family members are my elders. Are you my family?"
As she spoke, she glanced mockingly at Mia and Sienna.
Their faces immediately turned sour.
Deanna didn't care and continued to mock them. "Or do you think that every stranger on the street should be recognized as an elder? If that's the case, wouldn't everyone around here be your elders?"
"Deanna, what nonsense are you spouting?!" Mia shouted angrily.
Sienna wasn't any better off; she pointed at Deanna in anger and scolded, "How dare you speak like that? Do you have any manners?"