anwhile...
lissa dragged herself back to the hospital after swallowing her pride after she ended up being turned down by Derek. In her tight grip were the money bills Derek had thrown at her face. She had to pick them up because, as much as she hated it, she needed them.
lissa barely entered the hospital lobby when soone from the admin departnt saw her and approached.
"Miss lissa?"
Her steps halted, her mind snapping out of autopilot. She slowly turned her head, gulping in horror as she stared at the sa person she had told to settle Lawrence’s account. The admin hadn’t said a word yet, but lissa could already feel her heart sinking deep into her stomach.
"I—" her lips quivered as she choked out, "about my dad’s bill..."
The admin smiled and nodded. "Miss lissa, I was just about to tell you that your mom already settled the account."
"Huh?"
"Your mother was here earlier. I inford her of the situation," the admin explained. "She settled everything. So you don’t have to worry—"
"Who said I am worried?" lissa snapped. Finally, she couldn’t control herself anymore. "Do you think I can’t settle the paynt today? Hah. Are you looking down on ?"
"Miss lissa, that’s not what—"
"Just because my bank is having a problem doesn’t an I have no money," she cut her off sharply. "Is this how you talk to your patients?"
"Miss lissa—"
"I will not stand being treated like this! Where is your manager?"
The admin frowned slightly. She only wanted to deliver good news to lissa, but before things could escalate further, Jasmine stepped in.
"I’m sorry about her," Jasmine’s voice cut through the tension. Both won turned toward her. Jasmine offered the hospital staff a slight nod. "My daughter is simply going through a lot. So, I ask for your patience."
The admin offered a short smile. "Yes, Madam Young. I’ll leave the two of you alone."
She didn’t linger even for a second, afraid lissa would snap again. anwhile, Jasmine watched the admin leave before facing lissa once more. This ti, Jasmine’s expression carried none of the devastation from earlier. The sharpness in her eyes had returned, her heart hardened with resolve, and her mind was clear.
"Daughter?" lissa scoffed. "Have you forgotten that I am not—"
SLAP!
The admin staff, who had fled earlier, jolted at the echoing slap. She turned around and saw lissa’s face twisted to the side, shock written all over her features. Every person in the hospital lobby stopped and stared.
"Isn’t that... lissa Young?" one patient, still on an IV, knitted her brows. "And that woman..."
"That’s her mom," another patient replied. "I’ve seen them here several tis."
"Wow." Another visitor sneered softly. "I thought she just disappeared and locked herself in her room... but it seems there’s a lot happening in that family."
"Serves them right. I heard the Youngs were exposed at her engagent party. And now they’ve offended not just NL Group, but also Summit Partners."
Jasmine glanced over her shoulder, unfazed by the murmurs. Being recognized was no surprise—this was a private hospital frequented by elites. Hence, the ridiculous hospital fees she had paid for Lawrence.
Slowly, she turned back to her daughter. Her eyes were cold and sharp.
"lissa, if you want to do this the hard way, I will give it to you," she uttered coldly. "Just like you, I have already lost everything. So, having an audience like this no longer affects . However, you’re the one always glued to your phone, checking every little thing about yourself."
She paused, exhaling sharply. "You choose."
"..." lissa pressed her lips together, biting the inside of her cheek as she glared. She didn’t answer, but the fire in her eyes didn’t fade.
Jasmine took that as a white flag. "Now, move like a good daughter. Let’s not embarrass ourselves further. Co with ."
She turned and walked away, but stopped when she noticed lissa still hadn’t moved. Glancing over her shoulder, she warned:
"Follow , lissa... or I will drag you out of here."
lissa’s shoulder trembled as she watched Jasmine continue walking. Jasmine had never treated her this coldly. If anything, she had always been like this to Lola, not to her. lissa clasped her fists until they shook, but in the end, she swallowed her pride and followed.
She had had enough humiliation for the day. The last thing she needed was more people talking about her online.
Jasmine led her to the hospital cafeteria and sat across from her. The handprint on lissa’s cheek was visible—a clear sign Jasmine hadn’t held back. Never in her life had Jasmine imagined she would raise a hand against her daughter. But now... she no longer had a choice.
"What?" lissa scoffed. "Are you waiting for to thank you for settling Dad’s hospital bill?"
She snorted. "Never, Jasmine Young. Never. Compared to the years you lived in comfort using my parents’ money, what you paid is nothing. If you expect to thank you—over my dead body. I hate you from the bottom of my heart. You ruined my life."
"This brat." Jasmine remained calm and collected despite lissa’s ridicule. "I’m not the one who ruined your life, lissa. However, I would have ruined you had your mother not done what she did."
Her voice sharpened as fury surged through her eyes, making lissa’s brows twitch.
"I am evil. I do not deny that," Jasmine continued. "But Loren Albert... she is the most evil of all. I’m not the one who ruined you. If anything, I am the one who raised you. I’m the one you called mother your whole life. So if you hate ... know that I loathed you more, because you remind of Loren."
Initially, it had been hard for Jasmine to accept the truth. She loved lissa all her life—raised her like her own. A DNA test couldn’t erase decades of being a mother. But with how lissa flipped... with how things crumbled around them... what Jasmine couldn’t accept was how lissa treated her as if she was the most horrible person in the world.
She would understand if it ca from Lola. But lissa?
Mike had been right.
lissa was an ungrateful daughter. She truly took after her mother... and her father’s foolishness.
"Had you listened to , none of this would have happened," Jasmine continued quietly, a glint flickering in her eyes. "You ruined yourself, lissa. And if we’re talking about parentage—Loren ruined everyone."
She lifted her chin.
"So I’m warning you, lissa Young. Do not make say you are not my daughter. Because the only reason you lived well was because of . Otherwise, you would not have the slightest chance against my daughter."
Little did lissa know, while she was here, getting intimidated by the woman who had raised her, Mike was already slipping inside Lawrence’s ward.
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