Chapter 175
The cup slipped from her hand, and most of the scalding hot water splashed all over Cecilia's chest and arms. Her thin hospital gown was instantly soaked through.
Cecilia let out a piercing scream and collapsed to the floor, curling up in pain.
I was startled, too. Some of the hot water splashed on my hand, and it hurt, but nowhere near as bad as what she got.
I immediately pressed the call button and rushed to the bathroom to get a wet towel to put on her burns.
The doctors and nurses arrived quickly and lifted her back onto the bed.
A large area on Cecilia's chest and arms was bright red from the burn, with blisters forming, especially near where her previous wound had been stitched. It looked really bad.
She was in so much pain that her face turned white, her whole body was shaking, and tears were streaming down her face.
While treating her urgently, the doctor asked what happened.
Cecilia sobbed, speaking in broken sentences: "I... I wanted to get out of bed... couldn't stand steady... accidentally... bumped into Ms. Brown's... water... It's not Ms. Brown's fault... it was my own carelessness..."
She kept saying it wasn't my fault, but the way she looked so miserable and in pain while still trying to defend me would make anyone think I hadn't held the cup steady and deliberately scalded her.
Even the nurse was giving me strange looks.
I watched Cecilia's performance coldly.
I knew very well she did it on purpose - deliberately getting out of bed, pretending to lose her balance, knocking over the cup, and getting herself hurt.
I was a bit confused, though. I wasn't clear on what her real goal was. She couldn't have done all this just to frame me, could she?
Just then, the hospital room door was suddenly pushed open, and Hestia stormed in aggressively.
"Cecilia, my poor Cecilia, what happened to you?" When Hestia saw the shocking burns on Cecilia's body, she immediately exploded.
She spotted me standing nearby and immediately turned on me.
"Sophia! Was it you? Did you do this?" she shrieked, rushing over to grab my hair. "You evil woman! Cecilia saved your daughter, and instead of being grateful, you dare to hurt her? You actually scalded her with boiling water! How can you be so vicious!"
I stepped back to avoid her hand and said sternly, "Don't make false accusations. This has nothing to do with me. It was an accident."
"Nonsense! If it wasn't you, did the hot water grow legs and run onto the bed to scald her? You must have deliberately thrown it at her!" Hestia wouldn't let up, lunging at me again and raising her hand to slap me. "Today I'm going to teach you a lesson on Indigo's behalf, you ungrateful, evil woman!"
I couldn't hit an elder, so I could only dodge again, using my hand to block her strike.
"Enough!" I raised my voice, looking at her coldly. "This is a hospital, not a place for you to make a scene."
"If you really suspect me, then call the police and let them investigate."
"But if you keep making a scene here, slandering and defaming me, then I'll call the police and report you for disturbing public order and assault!"
"You call the police! You have the nerve to call the police! I'm the one who should call them! To report you for assault!" Hestia was jumping up and down, cursing, her spit almost spraying in my face. "Where's James? Where is James? Get him here to see what kind of evil bitch he used to be married to!"
"Who are you calling names?" A cold voice came from the doorway.
James walked in quickly. He must have received a call from the hospital and rushed over.
Seeing the chaos in the room, his brow immediately furrowed.
"James, you're here just in time." Hestia rushed over to him like she'd found her savior. "Look at what she did to Cecilia. This vicious woman - she repaid kindness with cruelty. You have to stand up for Cecilia!"
James avoided Hestia's hand and walked to my side first, asking quietly: "Are you okay?" His eyes quickly scanned my slightly reddened hand.
I shook my head: "I'm fine."
Only then did he look at Cecilia on the bed and the doctor treating her, asking in a deep voice: "Doctor, what's the situation?"
The doctor replied: "Her injury hadn't healed yet, and now she's been scalded. New injury on top of old - we need to clean and dress the wound again, but the most serious issue is that it will probably leave scars."
Cecilia weakly lifted her head, looking at James with teary eyes, her voice trembling: "Mr. Smith, Hestia, please don't blame Ms. Brown... It really was my own carelessness... I'm useless, I can't even hold a cup of water properly."
As she spoke, she gasped in pain again.
Hestia immediately started yelling: "Cecilia, you're just too kind, still defending her at a time like this."
"James, look at what a good girl Cecilia is. Now your ex-wife has hurt her like this - are you just going to stand by and do nothing?"
James ignored Hestia's ranting. He walked to the bedside, looking at Cecilia with eyes as sharp as knives, as if trying to see through her pitiful appearance.
"Ms. Thorne," his voice was calm but carried an invisible pressure, "was it really an accident?"
Cecilia shrank back under his gaze, her eyes somewhat evasive. She lowered her head: "Yes... Yes, Mr. Smith, please don't blame Ms. Brown."
"Good." James nodded. "Hestia, you heard her. She said it herself - it was her own carelessness and has nothing to do with Sophia."
"James, how can you take that bitch's side!"
James's eyes turned icy: "Are the hospital security guards just for show? Don't they see someone making a scene here?"
The nurse immediately called security to have them escort her out.
"James, you wouldn't dare!" Hestia screamed in disbelief.
"Take her away." James didn't look at her again.
This time, the security guards weren't polite. Two guards, one on each side, half-forced the cursing and screaming Hestia out of the room.
The room finally quieted down, with only Cecilia's suppressed sobbing remaining.
James glanced at me, indicating we should go outside to talk.
James and I walked out to the corridor outside the room.
"It really wasn't me. She deliberately knocked over the hot water herself."
"I know." James's face was dark. He took my hand. "Your hand needs medicine, too. I'll get some for you in a bit."
I made a sound of agreement and sighed: "She's really ruthless with herself."
To achieve her goal, Cecilia dared to pour scalding water on herself.
"The more she does this, the bigger her goal must be," James said thoughtfully. "I'll have people investigate again, including everyone in her family."
James thought for a moment, then continued: "Don't come to the hospital to take care of her anymore. I'm afraid she'll pull some other stunt."
"I'll also make sure Aura doesn't get near her, in case she tries something with Aura."
I nodded.
We returned to the doorway of the room. The doctor had finished treating Cecilia's wounds. She was half-lying there, looking even weaker and more pitiful.
James walked in, his tone flat but leaving no room for argument: "Ms. Thorne, Sophia has been frightened, so she won't be coming to take care of you in the near future. I'll arrange for the best caregivers and medical team to look after you."
Cecilia looked at him and opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end just nodded gently, lowering her eyes. Her long lashes concealed the emotion in her eyes.