You’ll Fall for Me, Today or Tomorrow novel Chapter 226

Everyone present understood Mimi’s implication.

Catherine glanced at her granddaughter. She knew deep down that Matthew had a hand in it, or they couldn’t have handled the hospitalization so quickly.

However, Clarissa merely smiled and debunked Mimi’s claims, “This has nothing to do with Matthew.”

Mimi chuckled sheepishly, befuddled. “Then it must have been my mistake.”

Clarissa did not elaborate further. Instead, she turned to speak to Gloria, who was currently bedridden, “Aunt Gloria, it shouldn’t be anything serious, but please have a good rest. Grandma, there’s no need to worry. Let’s go home for now.”

Just then, Gloria grasped Catherine’s hand before the older lady could respond.

“Mom, please don’t leave. Stay with me.”

Catherine regarded her daughter with affection. “Clary, I’ll stay and accompany your Aunt Gloria. Why don’t you head home first? I’ll go back later.”

Clarissa nodded in understanding. “It’s fine; I’ll stay here with you,” she announced as she took a seat.

She then said to Mimi, “I assume Uncle Jacob will pay me back for Aunt Gloria’s hospital bills. You should also buy some daily necessities, Mimi. Perhaps you can pack some of Aunt Gloria’s clothes and bring them here. This way, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and save some money. Also, you should remind Uncle Jacob to prepare the surgery fee for tomorrow.”

Silence fell upon the room after Clarissa finished her piece. She appeared nonchalant as if what she had said was within the norm.

While it was true that Clarrisa’s expectations were reasonable, Gloria’s family had wholly different notions.

The moment Mimi heard that, she was livid. Words of ire danced on the tip of her tongue, but she gritted her teeth and suppressed her fury.

Snapping out of her daze, Catherine immediately berated Jacob, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and withdraw the amount you owe Clary. You have no right to use her money. And don’t forget the surgery fee!”

“Mom, we… don’t have money.”

“Mom, you are well aware that we can’t afford it,” Gloria lashed out, evidently displeased. “Clary, can’t you have some compassion for me? It’s just a hospital bill and some additional charges – the fees are technically insignificant to someone as wealthy as you. Are you really so cold-hearted that you’d shun a relative in need? Don’t you remember how I coddled you when you were young? Even beasts show more gratitude than you!”

Despite that, Clarissa chuckled humorlessly. Gloria’s outraged shrieks had garnered the attention of other patients and their families.

They observed the commotion openly, intrigued but unsurprised. The hospital was a prime location to expose a person’s true colors, with people ranging from magnanimous philanthropists to merciless psychopaths.

Even so, they never expected to witness a dispute up close. At that, they pricked their ears to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Clarissa’s laughter died down. Just as she was about to speak, Mimi interjected, “Mom, don’t say that. We might not have the money, but it’s our responsibility to bear the costs. Clare worked hard to get her money, and it belongs to her. Don’t worry about it, Clare. Dad, why don’t you withdraw some money to pay her? If we don’t have enough, I’ll borrow from others.”

Mimi shot her father a look as she spoke. Gloria was indignant, but her daughter stopped her before she could protest.

Mimi’s antics made her seem like the textbook example of a girl who refused to let poverty crush her dignity – mature and resilient.

Clarissa scoffed internally. Mimi has only been in D City for a short while, but her acting skills have improved greatly. In addition to that, she has also become more manipulative and conniving.

Catherine, too, could see through their ploy and quickly defended Clarissa, “What are you insinuating? Are you trying to guilt-trip Clary into paying for you? How dare you have the audacity after doing all that-”

“Grandma, you can stay here and keep mom company while I go with dad,” Mimi interrupted, tugging her father out of the ward.

The room resumed its quiet state. Just then, an elderly patient decided to spark up a conversation with Catherine.

“You are really fortunate to have such beautiful granddaughters!”

Catherine’s plastered a smile and made small talk with her. They chatted about where they were from, whether they were originally from D City, and other customary, albeit trivial, topics.

Meanwhile, Clarissa was unbothered by others’ perceptions of her. She was on her phone, sitting quietly in a corner.

Mimi and Jacob soon returned. They passed the money to Clarissa, and she breezily accepted it.

“She’s growing more stingy by the second,” Gloria muttered with a huff.

Clarissa’s lips curled as her gaze swept over her aunt. Feeling uncomfortable, Gloria’s eyes darted around the room.

“Clare, don’t take it to heart. My mom does not mean ill. It’s just that we’re short on money lately. I hope that you understand our predicament.”

Clarissa had just pocketed the money when her phone rang. Her expression softened as she picked up the call and left the ward.

“Did everything go smoothly?” Matthew’s voice traveled through the receiver, sonorous and gentle.

“Yes,” Clarissa answered, sounding dispirited. “I shouldn’t have interfered; sticking my nose in their business did me no good.”

“What happened? Did they took advantage of you?”

“No, I can stand my ground now. It’s just that they tried to put up an act before me. It was so pitiful that I didn’t have the heart to tear it down.”