Chapter 194 Visiting the Patient
In the hospital wing, Isabella searched room by room until a wave of relief washed over her face as she spotted the room number the nurse at the front desk had given her.
Just as she was about to push the door open, it suddenly swung outward.
“Isabella?” Mr. Cooper looked at her with a complex expression, his tone unfriendly, “What are you doing here?”
Isabella didn’t hold Mr. Cooper in high regard either.
“I'm here to see Marcus,” she responded. “How is he?”
“He hasn’t woken up yet.”
“Okay, I’ll go in to see him.”
With that, Isabella tried to step past Mr. Cooper and into the room.
“You think you can just walk in here?” Mr. Cooper blocked the doorway, barring her path. “Do you think I’m clueless about why Marcus is hurt, why he’s lying here unconscious?”
“It’s my fault,” Isabella replied. “If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be in this hospital. So, I’m here to see him.”
This encounter was something she’d managed to secure at the cost of thoroughly angering Sebastian.
And it would be their last.
Upon her return, she’d face a myriad of issues, as well as Sebastian's wrath.
But for the moment, Isabella pushed aside those worries.
Seeing Marcus was imperative.
"Now you're playing Mrs. Lawrence, huh? You’re really putting on airs," Mr. Cooper snorted. "Should the Cooper family roll out the red carpet and be grateful for your visit?"
"That's not what I mean. Uncle Cooper, please let me in," She pleaded.
"To the Cooper family, you're nothing but trouble; you’ve repeatedly dragged us into messes. Do us a favor and just go, and don't ever involve yourself with the Coopers again, okay?"
Isabella didn't dwell on the deeper meaning of his words.
Again?
There was only this one incident. Marcus got injured protecting her, and before that...it was the Coopers who had wronged her!
"I'm truly sorry for the harm that's come to Marcus... I won't cross paths with the Cooper family again. Uncle, please let me in."
But Mr. Cooper was having none of it and just shooed her away with a wave of his hand. "Scram, Isabella! You live your high-society life as Mrs. Lawrence, and we'll live ours. Okay?"
"I just want to..."
"Stop it with the 'just's. Let's call it even with Marcus's injury, and say we're square."
That comment finally registered with her.
"Square? The Cooper family owed her? Owed her what?"
Panic flickered across Mr. Cooper's face.
But he deflected, "Back when the Wallace family was thriving, you helped us out a fair bit. That's what I meant."
She wanted to argue, but Mrs. Cooper's voice carried from inside, "Who's making all that racket out there? The doctor said Marcus needs a quiet environment for rest. He's still under anesthesia, getting IVs and oxygen... Isabella?"
Mrs. Cooper peeked out from behind her husband and saw her.
"Auntie, I'm here to see Marcus," Isabella said softly. "Just five minutes, and then I'll leave."
Her face contorted with distress. "How dare you show your face here, Isabella? When will you stop bringing calamity upon our family? Marcus is our only child! If anything happens to him, I'll hold you responsible to my last breath."
Isabella couldn't be bothered with idle chatter. She knew full well that Sebastian wouldn't give her much time.
She rushed forward, "I need to see him. What did the doctors say? He isn't in critical condition, is he?"
"Do you have any idea how badly he's been hurt? That knife came dangerously close to hitting a vital spot! Luckily, the hospital had enough blood in stock; otherwise, he could have bled out!"
Mrs. Cooper babbled on as Mr. Cooper tried to intervene, while Isabella was desperate to get past them.
"Isabella, you better not show your face! Get lost!" Mrs. Cooper snapped. "You have no idea what Marcus has been through for you..."
"Enough!" Mr. Cooper cut her off sharply. "Stop talking nonsense! Get inside!"
Pointing her finger, Mrs. Cooper accused, "Isabella, you're nothing but trouble!"
As her anger rose, Mrs. Cooper shoved Isabella hard and raised her hand high, about to deliver a slap.
Seeing this, Mr. Cooper reacted with alarm, quickly reaching out to grab her hand.
Isabella didn't dodge; instead, she seized the moment to break past the couple and burst through the hospital room door.
"You're holding me back? My son got stabbed because of her. What's the big deal if I slap her? She deserves it!" Mrs. Cooper yelled.
Mr. Cooper hushed her, "Enough, don't make a scene. She's not someone you can hit right now."
"Because she married into the Lawrence family?"
"Yes, she's Mrs. Lawrence now. If you lay a hand on her, you're picking a fight with the Lawrences. We can't afford that."
Mrs. Cooper began to cry out of a sense of injustice, "She may have married rich, but my poor boy, who's been pining for her all this time... He's been through so much because of her."
Mr. Cooper patted her on the shoulder, murmuring words of comfort as he glanced back into the room.
Isabella was squatting beside Marcus's bed, oblivious to their presence.
Mr. Cooper looked away, sighing heavily, but then caught sight of a figure standing not too far off.
He was startled, "Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Lawrence..."
Sebastian looked over coolly and strolled closer, "Give her five minutes, then she leaves."
"Yes, Mr. Lawrence," Mr. Cooper replied obediently.
Without another glance, Sebastian turned and walked away.
At the bedside, Isabella gazed at Marcus, his face adorned with an oxygen mask. Her hands were raised uncertainly, not knowing where they should land.
"I'm sorry, so sorry..." she said, "It's all my fault; I've dragged you into this mess. It must hurt so much, such a deep wound, so much blood..."
"I've told you time and again to stop looking for me, to not meet up - to act like strangers. Whether I'm doing well or not has nothing to do with you! Live your life, go after your dreams."
"Why do you keep coming near me? Don't you have a fiancée? You're set to take over Cooper Enterprises, to be the one in charge. You have so much to attend to; wouldn't it be better to focus your time and energy on work?"
"Marcus, you're such an idiot! Are you happy now, getting yourself into this state? You're making me feel guilty; I’m worried sick about you! How can I ever repay you for this?"
"I made a run for it and told you not to follow. I clearly said I was being set up, so why didn't you leave? You think you're invincible or something...?"
"We broke up and called off the engagement... We're done. I'm marrying Sebastian, and you have a new fiancée. Isn't it better we keep it this way? Why do you still care about me?"
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