Chapter 233
"Jason, how can you be so arbitrary?" Luke's voice was full of dissatisfaction.
Cora's impatient voice also came through, "I'm here to see Sue, do I need your permission? Move aside now, or I'll call the police!"
Jason said, "Go ahead and call them then."
Hearing things getting more complicated, I called Jason.
"Honey, let them in."
The hospital room door suddenly went quiet.
A moment later, all three walked in together.
Jason walked in front, looking grumpy.
"Honey, you haven't recovered yet. You should rest well. Those irrelevant people aren't worth your attention."
This successfully made Luke and Cora's faces change.
They were irrelevant people?
Luke didn't speak. Cora stood in front of the bed with her arms crossed, eyes half-squinted, looking at me with displeasure.
"I told you before to break up, but you wouldn't listen. Now you're happy lying in a hospital bed?"
I looked at Cora calmly, not feeling the slightest bit angry, "If you're here to kick me while I'm down, you can leave now."
My wound still hurt. I wasn't interested in playing out some fake mother-daughter drama with her.
Besides, we weren't that close anyway.
Sure enough, Cora was set off by my words.
Her eyebrows shot up as she raised her voice, "I came here out of kindness to see you, and this is how you treat me?"
My gaze swept over their empty hands, and I pulled my lips into a mocking smile, "Really? Coming empty-handed to visit a patient—that's a first for me. This is your kindness?"
"If it wasn't for you, would Luke have lost his job? Now he can't find work, can barely afford food, and you still expect us to buy you things? Sue, do you have any conscience at all?"
Cora frowned tightly and scolded sharply, "Bottom line, it's all your fault. Now arranging a job for Luke is the least you should do."
Hearing Cora's self-righteous words, I just found it ironic and laughable.
"So basically, you just want me to find him a job, right?"
Cora: "It's what you should do!"
Luke also spoke up, "Sue, now that you're married, you probably won't take care of Mom much anymore. I'll be responsible for Mom's retirement, but without a job I have no income. How can you expect Mom to feel secure about retirement? You're not going to have Mom move in with you, are you?"
Before I could speak, Cora jumped in, "I'm not going to her place. I just need her to arrange a job for you."
Jason walked past them and sat down by the bed.
His presence was cold as he spoke coolly, "When you're asking for favors, you should act like it. Right now, I don't see any sincerity from you."
Luke was a bit afraid of him but gathered courage to ask, "What kind of attitude do you want? We already came here on our own."
"People who want to see me could line up from here to outside the hospital. You think coming here on your own counts as sincerity?"
Jason pulled at his lips, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Luke's expression changed slightly as he opened his mouth, "But that's not how it works. We're family—why be so petty?"
"Do I need to remind you that Cora already cut ties with me as mother and daughter? How are we family now?"
I picked up the thread, asking calmly.
If this were before, I would definitely have been upset.
But now, I was just curious.
How could they be so shameless?
I always thought after what happened before, we'd reached the point of never seeing each other again.
Yet here they were, coming to find me. Even asking me to arrange a job for Luke? Even in dreams, that's asking for a bit too much!
Cora raised her voice, "Sue! Don't push your luck!"
"How am I pushing my luck? I'm just stating facts. Can't handle it already?"
I sneered.
Cora didn't expect me to be so unmoved now.
Her face darkened as she spoke through gritted teeth, "I don't care. We came to find you today to settle this matter!"
"No problem."
I nodded agreeably.
Luke's face relaxed into a smile, "Sue, wouldn't it have been better if you thought this way earlier? No matter what, we're family. It's only right that we help each other."
"This time you help me solve the job problem, and I won't let you down in the future."
I couldn't help but grumble internally.
Since childhood, haven't I suffered enough because of him?
I don't know who gave him the nerve to say these things so righteously.
"Honey..."
Jason wanted to say something, but I shook my head slightly at him.
"I can have my husband introduce you to a job, but I have one condition."
Luke frowned, his tone dissatisfied, "We've come this far, what conditions could there be?"
"First tell me if you'll accept it or not."
"Can you really arrange a job for me?"
I nodded.
After thinking for a moment, Luke nodded firmly, "Fine, I agree! Now can you tell me?"
"I want to cut ties with you all. I want Cora to write an agreement to sever our relationship."
I spoke word by word, my tone firm.
"Impossible!"
Cora refused without hesitation, looking at me with ill intent.
"What do you mean? You want to cut ties with me? Did I raise you all these years just to raise an ungrateful wretch?"
"Do you know what people outside will say if we really cut ties?"
I rolled my eyes, "And being a mistress and a homewrecker is glorious? Should people outside applaud you for that?"
"You!"
I waved my hand, cutting off Cora's words.
"Anyway, that's my only condition. If you agree, I'll have my husband arrange a job for Luke right away. If you don't agree, then go back. I need to rest."
I hadn't expected Cora and Luke to actually come to the hospital.
But they'd given me an opportunity.
An opportunity to completely sever ties.
I needed a legally binding agreement to cut family ties.
From now on, I'd have nothing to do with this family!
"Let's go!"
Cora was so angry her chest heaved. She grabbed Luke and turned to leave.
Luke looked at me disapprovingly. His lips moved, but in the end he said nothing and followed Cora out.
The hospital room became quiet again.
I slowly let out a breath.
Jason sat beside me, carefully avoiding my wound as he put his arm around me.
"Honey, if you don't want to deal with them, you can leave it to me."
I shook my head, "No, it's different. If I don't take a stand, they'll keep bothering you."
Jason asked, "Are you really going to arrange a job for him?"
I smiled, "I said I'd arrange a job, but whether he can actually do it—that's his own business."
Jason understood, "Got it."
I looked at him and suddenly thought of Victoria.
"Honey, what's going to happen to Victoria this time? She won't escape again, will she?"
Going through this kind of anxiety once was enough. I never wanted a second time.