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Chapter 103: Can You Keep Your Mouth Shut?
Mark remained unfazed by Rebecca’s anger, delivering a clear message to her. “I have my reasons for doing things. If you don’t want to see Mae here, you can leave, Mom.”
Rebecca’s humiliation surged as her son practically ordered her to get out, insinuating she was unwelcome in Mae’s presence. Her frustration boiled over into an eruption of anger. The sight of Mae’s seemingly absent smile and her nonchalant demeanor only fueled Rebecca’s rage further.
Before she could retort, however, she was met with Mark’s stern gaze. His look silenced her before she could voice any more complaints. Mark’s admonishing gaze kept her quiet, her words swallowed back.
Seeing her subdued, Mark shifted his attention to Mae and instructed, “Go ahead.”
Mae appeared as if she had concluded a show, stretching slightly before standing up. She approached Jennifer, her tone indifferent, “Ms. Bleak, give me your hand.”
Jennifer hesitated, her eyes briefly meeting Mark’s determined gaze. It was clear that he would tolerate no resistance on this matter. Reluctantly, she extended her hand toward Mae.
Deep down, Jennifer held some hidden guesses, one that she didn’t want to acknowledge, and a slim hope that Mae would make a fool of herself.
As Mae placed her hand on Jennifer’s pulse, the latter’s skepticism persisted. To her, it felt like Mae was merely playing the role of a doctor for a TV show.
Jennifer couldn’t resist the urge to provoke, “Mae, I didn’t know you were knowledgeable in this field. How come you’ve never mentioned it before?”
Mae didn’t bother looking up, her focus locked onto Jennifer’s pulse. She deduced that the child’s condition was precarious and prone to miscarriage.
Seeing that Mae didn’t pay attention to what she just said, she began to feel irritated. What was the use of pretending? A lousy actress like her, attempting to play the role of a divine doctor, seemed utterly far–fetched to her.
She also has no idea as to why Mark bought her lies and brought her here to check on her.
She refrained from uttering her thoughts aloud, instead attempting to save Mae from
embarrassment. “Mae, how come you know so much but you haven’t told me anything? Aren’t we friends. Why haven’t you shared this knowledge to me before?”
Jennifer cast a sidelong glance at Mark, her question carrying a veneer of casual curiosity. “Mark, did you know about this? That Mae knows something about medicine?”
Mark, however, paid no heed, his attention solely focused on Mae’s results.
Jennifer felt increasingly awkward as Mark’s disregard became all too apparent. In contrast, Mae seemed wholly uninterested in her thoughts. It irked Jennifer to be overlooked so dismissively.
Mae, meanwhile, was initially disinclined to tend to Jennifer’s needs. She had no interest in putting on a façade, particularly now that she knew the child’s situation wasn’t promising. She was content to let Jennifer bear witness to her humiliation.
But now, with the realization of the child’s dire condition, her indifference transformed into a desire to assert herself before Mark. Did she really care about her appearance before him?
Mae lifted her head to meet Jennifer’s gaze, her expression devoid of a smile, and retorted, “Are we close enough for me to share such matters? I can barely stand Mark, so why would I confide in you?”
The implication was clear: Mark was her husband, yet he wasn’t privy to her medical knowledge. Jennifer was simply an outsider in comparison.
Jennifer keenly understood the undertone of Mae’s response, hearing the unspoken words behind her answer. She knew that Mae did not like her, but she did not think that Mae would be in Mark’s face so bluntly say it.
Momentarily caught off guard by Mae’s blunt retort, her expression stiffened, bordering on indignation. “I… I was just curious, nothing more.”
“Instead of pondering over why I’m knowledgeable on the medical field, perhaps you should focus on whether this child of yours can be saved. Can you just keep your mouth shut?” Mae coldly interjected, her attention returning to Jennifer’s pulse without missing a beat.
Jennifer felt a flush of anger surge at Mae’s dismissive attitude. She bristled at the notion of Mae, who was a terrible actress, patronizing her. The woman dared to act as a divine doctor, an act she found utterly preposterous.
Jennifer glanced at Mark, hoping for his intervention or support. However, Mark’s expression remained impassive, neither defending nor opposing Mae’s actions. His lack of response was a stark disappointment to Jennifer, her gaze shifting to Mae, brimming with a mixture of resentment and frustration.
Rebecca’s anger burned hotter as she witnessed Jennifer’s distress in Mae’s presence. She struggled to restrain herself, her eyes brimming with fury. If not for the presence of her son, she might have lunged at Mae, ready to unleash her pent–up frustration on her.
Jennifer’s gaze shifted to Mark, a plea for his support evident in her eyes. She longed for him to intervene on her behalf. Yet, throughout the entire exchange, Mark’s face remained impassive. Not a single crease formed on his forehead.
Jennifer’s disappointment and reluctance welled up, her lips pressed together tightly as she swallowed her unspoken protest. Her gaze, sharpened by bitterness, bore into Mae, her eyes laden with a sea of grievances she couldn’t voice.
Mae, just wait. I won’t let you revel in your arrogance for long. Pretending to be a divine doctor, is that your plan? We’ll see if you can truly save my child.
It took Mae a few moments to assess Jennifer’s pulse before she withdrew her hand and turned to Mark. “Her pulse is highly unstable, and there’s a risk of miscarriage at any moment. I can’t guarantee that I’ll save the child, but I’ll do my best.”
Rebecca seized the opportunity to undermine Mae, her disdain is evident in her scornful tone. “Are you trying to feign innocence? Everyone is aware that the child in Jennifer’s womb is currently in a precarious situation. Are you uttering these words to protect yourself and escape criticism?” Rebecca’s voice dripped with mockery, aiming to humiliate Mae with her spiteful words.
Mae didn’t even spare a glance at Rebecca; her attention was solely fixed on Mark. Her lips curled into a small, knowing smile as she spoke with an air of nonchalance, “Mr. Smith, if your mother continues her pattern of being unfit and constantly interrupting when others are talking, then I’m sorry but I won’t be able to stay here to accompany her.”
Mark’s eyebrows knitted together, his gaze piercing Mae’s face with a cold intensity. However, his
true emotions remained inscrutable at that moment.
“You’re planning to break your promise?” Mark’s voice held a low, pressing tone.
Mae’s smile grew more mischievous, and she didn’t hold back her “rogue” behavior, saying, “Well, I’ve already got what I wanted anyway. So, what’s the harm in breaking a promise?”
Her words seemed to challenge Mark, but she had the divorce certificate in hand. Even if she played the part of a rogue and backed out, Mark couldn’t do much to stop her.
Mark seemed to see through Mae’s intentions and couldn’t help but let out a frustrated chuckle. “Mae, you…you’re just…”
Mark struggled to find the right words to reprimand her, eventually settling for a muttered “bitch.”
Mae shrugged off Mark’s insult with indifference, raising an eyebrow and continuing her provocation, “Now, wouldn’t it hurt you to tell your mother to shut her mouth and stop talking?”
Her tone carried an air of detachment, showing she had no intention of sugarcoating her words. To Mae, Rebecca was now nothing more than an annoying former mother–in–law with no claim on her
anymore.
Rebecca, on the other hand, was incensed by Mae’s audacity. “Mae, you ungrateful little brat, you –”
She was about to unleash her anger on Mae when Mark’s voice cut in, taut with impatience and an underlying anger that was poised to erupt.
“Mom, leave the room.”
Mark’s words didn’t ask for her opinion. They were a command that dripped with authority, leaving no room for negotiation.
“Mark, can’t you see that Mae is being…” Rebecca began to argue.
“Get out.”
Mark’s voice remained steady, but it carried an overwhelming weight that couldn’t be ignored. Even as his mother, Rebecca couldn’t stand up to the pressure he was exuding.
With a final glare at Mae, Rebecca reluctantly complied, opening the door and leaving the hospital room. The tension that had enveloped the room seemed to diminish slightly with her departure, leaving behind a charged atmosphere between Mark and Mae.
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