The Imperial Capital, First Hospital Pediatrics Department.
When Ann Vaughn arrived outside the ward, the mother of the child who had reportedly argued with Kenny was causing a scene.
"If he hadn’t roughly pushed my son, would my son have fallen into the water? Stop giving me all that nonsense! Bring the parents of that damned child over here! I want to ask how they teach their kid!"
"Mrs. Bellamy, the situation isn’t how you think, it was your child who first..."
"What’s wrong with my son?! My son is usually so well-behaved and sensible, and now you’re saying it’s somehow his fault? Anyway, I’m not letting this matter go easily!"
The woman referred to as Mrs. Bellamy had a plump figure, wore a dark purple fur coat, and carried a designer bag, her entire appearance meticulously put together.
But when she opened her mouth, her deafening voice could be heard throughout the entire floor.
Hearing this, Ann felt her anger rising, furrowing her brows as she approached and spoke to the troubled Teacher Ward on the side, "Teacher, how is Kenny doing?"
Teacher Ward breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Ann Vaughn, preferring her over dealing with Mrs. Bellamy, whom she feared more than the flowerpot-breaking Miss Vaughn.
"Young Kenny started with a high fever and was coughing badly, but he’s improving now. He’s inside, asleep with an IV drip."
A high fever... ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt
Ann Vaughn’s heart tightened, her red lips pursing firmly.
Ever since she made Kenny take his medicine on schedule, his fainting spells due to fevers had significantly decreased. Although it was a temporary fix, it was very effective in strengthening Kenny’s body.
That’s why at the start of winter, she always reminded Kenny to wear more clothes and keep warm to prevent colds and illness, ensuring previous treatments wouldn’t be in vain...
"The damned child who pushed my son into the water, is actually your son?!" While Ann was talking with Teacher Ward, Mrs. Bellamy scrutinized Ann Vaughn’s face in disbelief for a moment and then questioned with a frown, "Ann Vaughn, when did you have a son?!"
This person knows me?
Ann Vaughn turned her gaze to Mrs. Bellamy and then realized the face seemed familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
Mrs. Bellamy snorted coldly, "No, I’m not your aunt! If my brother and sister-in-law were here, they wouldn’t acknowledge you, the daughter who caused the Vaughn Family’s bankruptcy!"
It had been too long since their last meeting, and both Jade Shepherd and Howard Vaughn often took Cynthia out for family gatherings during holidays, never bringing Ann along, so Ann Vaughn knew very few relatives from both sides of her family.
Few of these meetings happened at Cynthia’s birthday parties or company anniversaries.
Moreover, relatives on both sides knew she was not favored in the Vaughn Family, so they never valued her as they did Cynthia Vaughn.
Upon hearing Mrs. Bellamy’s words, Ann’s eyes dimmed slightly, without a hint of reluctance, "Mrs. Bellamy."
After speaking, Ann turned to Teacher Ward and continued to ask, "On the phone, I didn’t get the chance to ask in detail, please tell me the whole story."
When Teacher Ward first mentioned on the phone that Kenny had fallen into the swimming pool, Ann’s thoughts became chaotic, and she couldn’t hear anything clearly thereafter.
Teacher Ward nodded, disregarding Mrs. Bellamy’s disdainful gaze, and recounted the events truthfully.
When she was called by the children in the class, Kenny and Ray Chambers had already fallen into the swimming pool, later learning from the children what had happened.
"According to the children, Ray wanted to play with Kenny’s small mirror, but Kenny refused. Ray insisted on taking it and tried to grab it. When Kenny would not give it to him, Ray said..."
Teacher Ward glanced at Ann’s face, swallowed, then continued, "He said that Kenny was a child with a mom but no dad, and asked why he was in the same school as the rest of us who have both parents. He said even if your mom wants you now, it won’t be long before you’re abandoned."
"The children said Kenny didn’t get angry at what Ray said, but somehow their argument escalated, leading to a scuffle where Ray accidentally fell into the water. Since he couldn’t swim, Kenny jumped in to save him..."
Ann Vaughn’s face turned cold, her eyes sharp.
Kenny saved that boy, Ray, yet his mother just kept ranting here. What kind of situation is this?
"Did my son say anything wrong??" Mrs. Bellamy’s face showed a moment of discomfort, then she snorted, "That child carries the Vaughn name, so he’s obviously an illegitimate brat, just like his mom, unwanted and unloved!"
The crisp sound of a slap suddenly echoed.
Mrs. Bellamy’s arrogant face was turned to the side, her left cheek bearing a stark red handprint, her contemptuous eyes... were stunned.
Ann Vaughn calmly wiped her hand clean with a handkerchief, her gaze at Mrs. Bellamy icy cold, "My son, Ann Vaughn’s son, is not someone you can talk about!"
"Ladies..." Teacher Ward was startled, having already expected that Ann Vaughn was not easily provoked, but didn’t anticipate her decisive fierceness!
This was the wife of Oceanic Transport Company’s general manager; wasn’t she afraid of retaliation?
"You little bitch, how dare you hit me?!" Mrs. Bellamy came to her senses, charging at Ann Vaughn with fury, "You wretched jinx, damned illegitimate child!"
Ann Vaughn gracefully dodged Mrs. Bellamy’s hefty lunge, yet the shameless insults disgusted her.
"You still dare dodge?!" Mrs. Bellamy’s face twisted with hatred as she turned and flung her handbag at Ann Vaughn’s face with a vengeance.
With the sound of something breaking, Mrs. Bellamy’s airborne handbag fell to the floor, followed by her belated shriek that pierced through the air.
"Ah!! Pain! My hand, my hand!!" Mrs. Bellamy fell to the ground, clutching her limp right hand and rolling in agony.
Teacher Ward looked on in horror, about to help Mrs. Bellamy up when she saw the icy, imposing man standing forward, his overwhelming aura rooting her to the spot.
This... this isn’t it. Cyrus, Cyrus...
The commotion caused by Mrs. Bellamy’s scream had startled Ann Vaughn. She couldn’t help but rub her ear and then looked at the man slowly withdrawing his hand, his expression calm, "Did you park the car?"
"Yes." Cyrus Hawthorne nodded slightly, taking a step forward that seemed to bypass Mrs. Bellamy, calmly asking, "How is Kenny?"
"They said he’s improving. I’ll go in and have a look first." Ann felt the tension snapping in her mind’s thread, ignoring Mrs. Bellamy’s endless screams, and turned to enter the ward.