Chapter 15 Throwing Away the Gift
"Doesn't get to ride in a BMW?"
Isabella, next to Noah, overheard and pouted, displeased.
"Noah, is that your relative on the phone? She sounds so rude. A BMW is nothing compared to a Rolls-Royce! Everyone knows that. How ignorant she is to say that?"
Raising his hand, Noah signaled Isabella to stop talking.
Isabella stopped obediently, though she was still a bit mad.
"I'll be there in a second," Noah said to Larry.
"OK. We're all here. Perhaps you can get some fruit or something for Daniel. Even though you don't think of him as your dad, at least keep it to yourself," Larry smiled.
Frowning, Noah didn't bother to argue with Larry. "I see."
After hanging up, he asked Isabella to go to Oceanbridge City Royalty Hospital.
As they were about to arrive, he said, "Pull over. I'll walk there."
Knowing that a Rolls-Royce would be too much, he didn't wanna attract too much attention. Keeping a low profile was his type.
"Sure, Mr. Anderson."
Of course, Isabella would obey his every order. She pulled over as she was told.
Noah got out of the car and entered the hospital, heading to Daniel's ward.
Daniel's relatives were still there, but some of them had left already.
"The loser is here!"
One of them blurted out at the sight of Noah. Hearing that, everyone looked over.
Daniel was lying in bed, obviously looking better. When he saw Noah, he snorted coldly and then withdrew his eyes as if Noah didn't exist.
"Daniel, how are you feeling?" Noah walked over to the bed.
Before Daniel could say anything, Sarah sneered, "We're flattered to see you here!
"Dad is hospitalized. You were late yesterday, and you reluctantly showed up today after I called you? How ungrateful!"
"Sarah is right. Noah doesn't care about Daniel at all."
"He's just the family's live-in son-in-law anyway. For him, they aren't his family."
"Larry is also Daniel's son-in-law, but he's so nice to Daniel. He even bought a gift for Daniel!"
Daniel's relatives were all pointing fingers at Noah.
Daniel looked at Noah. "You still remember me? You wouldn't show up unless I was dead, right?"
"You got me wrong, Daniel. I got something to do today," Noah explained.
"Something to do?" Daniel sneered. "You don't have a job. What could possibly keep you occupied? Is idling your days away more important than visiting me?"
Helpless, Noah knew he couldn't talk back.
Therefore, he decided to give in. "Sorry, Daniel. My bad."
Daniel snorted, "It is indeed. See the gift Larry got me? Don't tell me you came empty-handed."
"Of course not, Daniel. In fact, I got you something, too." Noah lifted the gift box.
"What's this?" Daniel eyed the gift box papered with many unrecognizable letters.
"Omega-3 fish oil," Noah answered.
"Omega-3 fish oil?" Daniel was skeptical. "It's such a big box. How many capsules of Omega-3 fish oil are in there?"
"2," Noah said truthfully.
"Such a big box for just 2?" Daniel looked at Noah as if the latter were a moron.
"Noah, are you an idiot? How much does Omega-3 fish oil cost? Cheap ones go for no more than 10 dollars each! Even the box is worth more than the fish oil inside it! Is your gift even worth 10 bucks?"
Everyone burst into laughter at Daniel's remarks.
"Noah is probably an idiot indeed. Of all things, he chose Omega-3 fish oil?"
"How much can it be? I've seen similar products online before. You can buy it with a couple of bucks!"
"What's he thinking?"
"Larry sent Daniel ginseng, and he got Daniel some cheap fish oil?"
"What a sharp contrast!"
While whispering, they looked at Noah with mockery and disdain.
Sarah glanced at Noah coldly. "Noah has disgraced us all."
"Larry!" Daniel called out. "Could you fix some soup with the ginseng you gave me? I'm thirsty."
"Sure, Daniel!"
Larry soon brought Daniel some steaming soup.
"It's good stuff indeed. See? It's rich and aromatic. How precious!"
With a spoonful of soup, Daniel praised it repeatedly, all while directing a disdainful glance at Noah.
"Noah, you're my son-in-law, too, but you're nothing like Larry. See the gift he got me? Expensive ginseng! And it's very nourishing!
"Do me a favor. Put that fish oil away. How much did you spend? Less than 20 bucks presumably, right?"
He said with great contempt.
Hearing Daniel's words, Larry straightened his back proudly.
"Daniel, it's the gesture that matters. Besides, Noah is jobless, and of course, he has no source of income at all. I guess 20 bucks is already all he got. He probably spent a lot of time convincing himself to spend that kind of money!
"Besides, the ginseng only cost me about a thousand dollars. It's not expensive at all."
"Noah, hear that? At this point, Larry is still generous enough to save you from embarrassment."
Daniel glanced sideways at Noah.
"Just learn more from him, OK? You'll be greatly benefited.
"Also, toss your gift away. I don't want it!"
With that, he waved his hand and brushed the gift box Noah had brought into the trash can.
His relative said, "Being poor is one thing while being vain is another. Of all things, Noah chose Omega-3 fish oil? And he wrapped it in such a fancy box? I guess he wanted us to think that the gift cost him a lot. Someone might think he got it from abroad!
"But every one of us knows him. No way he could afford something like that. Clearly, he wanna fool Daniel and us."
Someone echoed, "You're right! It's a matter of honesty."
"He'll do anything to maintain his false sense of pride!"
"Indeed!"
They started pointing fingers at Noah again.
Meanwhile, a smiling doctor entered the ward.
He was in his fifties, wearing a pair of thick glasses while emitting an authoritative air.
"Mr. Dunbar, hi."
Seeing him, Larry called out immediately.
It was Robert, the hospital's director.
"Mr. Crichton." Robert nodded respectfully towards Larry, eyes full of flattery.
Then Robert asked, "Mr. Wilson, how are you feeling?"
"Much better. Thank you very much, Mr. Dunbar," Daniel said while grinning.
"Don't say that. It's my pleasure to do something for Mr. Crichton!" Robert hurriedly said, looking flattered.
