Filed to story: Snatched a Billionaire to be My Husband Book (Cora & Byron)
Flora’s outburst attracted the attention of those nearby, who now looked at Cora as if she were a slut who would sleep with anyone.
“Mom, please calm down,”
Cora pleaded, feeling utterly overwhelmed. She was at a loss as to how to handle the situation.
After all, Flora was her mother, her only remaining family.
No matter how miserable and heartbroken Cora felt, she had no choice but to endure it.
The one consolation she had was that Flora hadn’t discovered her relationship with Byron. Given
Flora’s current state, no one would know what she might do if that secret were revealed.
Finally, a nurse arrived and administered a sedative to Flora.
Flora lay on the hospital bed, muttering in a daze,
“This is karma. My retribution…”
“Cora, your mother’s mental state is not stable. Try not to provoke her any further,”
reminded Matt,
Flora’s attending doctor, after finishing his examination.
“I’ll be more careful next time,”
Cora said, visibly depressed.
Matt changed the subject.
“How’s your internship going lately?”
Aside from being Flora’s doctor, Matt was also Cora’s schoolmate and a surgeon at the First Hospital.
“It’s been going well. I’ve been learning a lot in the emergency room,”
Cora replied.
“That’s great! Professor Smith has high hopes for you to become the best surgeon in the cardiac surgery department. The prosthetic valve dysfunction replacement surgery you performed two years ago is considered a classic case, mentioned by every professor in the Department of Medicine.”
Normally, medical students who hadn’t graduated yet could only serve as assistants, even if they had the opportunity to observe surgeries under Professor Smith.
However, Cora possessed exceptional talent, and Professor Smith held her in high regard.
He had entrusted Cora to be the primary surgeon in the prosthetic valve dysfunction replacement surgery, taking a risk by allowing her to lead the operation.
Of course, Professor Smith was there to guide her every step of the way. If anything went wrong, he could intervene and correct it promptly.
As it turned out, Professor Smith’s faith in Cora was justified. She performed exceptionally well in that complex surgery, setting a new record as the youngest surgeon in the cardiac surgery department with outstanding results.
Matt served as the third assistant during that surgery and was always excited to talk about Cora’s exceptional performance ever since.
“Another genius doctor joined us lately, by the way. She skipped grades and obtained a master’s degree in junior high, then pursued medical studies abroad. I’m curious to know who between you and this doctor is better.”
The admission standards at the medical university Cora attended were much higher than those of typical universities.
Thus, upon graduation, Cora earned three qualifications: a doctoral candidate, a doctorate, and a professional doctor’s certificate.
Having skipped grades to become a medical student during her junior high years, Cora was a shining example that ordinary students like Matt Cohen admired.
Now, hearing about another straight-A student like Cora joining the hospital, it was inevitable for Matt and others to make comparisons.
But Matt did not know that being a doctor held no value to Cora’s mother.
When Cora decided to skip grades and pursue medicine, Flora was vehemently opposed to it.
It was only through the persuasion of her father and brother that Flora reluctantly gave in.
With the Lane family in dire straits and Cora unable to help due to professional constraints, she now blamed herself for not heeding Flora’s advice back then.
Thankfully, Matt noticed Cora’s pale face and promptly changed the subject.
Cora returned to the emergency room, where Sally intercepted her to share some gossip.
“Old Mr. Hansen has been experiencing heart problems lately, and he came to our hospital,”
Sally informed Cora,
“Eason the Dog and Mia visited him this morning. That jerk is surely good at kissing butts! I should’ve dumped the trash can on his head when I had the chance!”
“…
Eason the Dog?”
“Yes! That’s what I’m gonna call him from now on.”
‘No need to insult a dog!’ Cora thought.
But she didn’t pay much attention to that piece of gossip.
Even though Cora had slept with Byron, considering Byron’s relationship with Eason, it was impossible for Cora and Byron to become a couple.
Yet, while accompanying a patient to the ward, Cora met Mia, who wouldn’t let Cora bypass her.
“Cora, what are you doing here?”
“This is a hospital, not your home,”
Cora replied without even sparing her a glance, intending to leave.
But Mia continued to block her way.
“I’m warning you. Don’t use your position to get close to Eason!”
‘So this was what Mia was worried about?’ Cora thought.
She almost sneered.
“You should save those warnings for yourself. I would never involve myself in other people’s relationships. Unlike you.”
While Cora’s statement held true, it only fueled Mia’s anger even more.
Mia immediately shifted the conversation to a personal attack.
“I did those things because I loved Eason so much. I believe that the deities don’t see them as wrong, and that’s why they brought Eason to me. On the contrary, your family must have committed sins intolerable to the heavens. So they died, got injured, got imprisoned; your entire family fell apart-“
“Shut up!”
Cora exclaimed in anger, her eyes turning red.
This was a personal grudge between her and Mia. There was no reason for Mia to blame her innocent parents and brother.
But Mia persisted in rubbing salt into Cora’s wounds.
She couldn’t forgive Cora because even during her intimate moments with Eason last night, he called out Cora’s name.
“I must say, your family deserves everything they’re going through, especially your mother. She deserves to suffer severe burns and be confined to a sterile ward for the rest of her life.”
Losing control, Cora slapped Mia across the face.
With the resounding slap, Mia suddenly became teary-eyed and acted as if she had been wronged.
“Cora, I love Eason. So even if you hit me or humiliate me, I won’t leave him!”
As Cora wondered why Mia suddenly took this stance, she saw Eason rushing forward, pushing her away, and then embracing Mia, appearing distressed.
“Cora, I’m sorry for what I’ve done. But don’t blame Mia. She’s innocent!”
Eason pleaded.
Cora managed to steady herself. When she looked up, she saw Mia hiding in Eason’s arms, smirking triumphantly at her.
“How is she innocent?! She is a homewrecker, and she just cursed my mother!”
“Eason, I’ve never cursed her mother. You know I won’t even harm an ant!”
Mia quickly countered.
“Cora, I understand that you’re upset about our breakup, but you shouldn’t distort the truth because of it,”
Eason admonished.
It was at that moment that Cora realized how disappointing Eason, the person she had loved for years, truly was.
He continued,
“You embarrassed Mia at the restaurant owned by the Pope family yesterday. And now you’ve gone even further by slapping her. You’ve crossed the line. If you apologize to Mia right now, I can pretend that nothing happened. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what’s to come.”
Cora retorted without hesitation,
“You expect me to apologize to this bitch? Dream on!”
“You…”
Eason was furious, and he raised his hand.
At that moment, Cora believed she was about to be slapped and closed her eyes in despair.
However, after a tense pause, the anticipated slap never came. Instead, she heard Eason’s slightly panicked voice.
“Uncle!”
“Mr. Hansen!”
Cora exclaimed as she opened her eyes, realizing that Byron was right beside her. He was grabbing Eason’s hand, which was poised to strike her face.
Byron didn’t even spare a glance at Cora. Instead, he looked at Eason with coldness in his eyes.
“You want to slap her?”
Byron’s voice carried a dangerous edge.
“I…”
Eason stuttered, his demeanor weakening in the face of Byron’s presence. Fear coursed through him.
“Mr. Hansen! Cora slapped me, that’s why Eason wanted to slap her back for me,”
Mia quickly interjected, attempting to shift the blame away from Eason.