Chapter 271
At the hospital, Wesley was making his rounds, and to his surprise, Joyce was there too. Tuff nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw her. Joyce gave him a sly smile and winked, not saying a word. But that little gesture spoke louder than words! Kayla had seen right through it.
“What brings you here, Miss Lambert?” Kayla asked, crossing her arms, her eyes cool and sharp—her aura was off the charts. “You know Dr. Lambert too, Kayla? She’s a specialist our hospital brought in to help with rounds,” Wesley said, shooting Joyce a look. Admiration was written all over his face.
“Is that so? Well, thank you for your help,” Kayla replied, her lips curling into a knowing smile. Joyce gave a slight nod. The air was crackling with tension. Tuff was so nervous that he made up an excuse to go buy something and slipped out to avoid the crossfire.
Wesley drew two more vials of blood from Gloria. “How are you feeling today, Mrs. Kingsley?” “Weak,” Gloria replied, looking even more drained than the day before. “That’s normal when you’re sick. You’ll feel better after the surgery,” Wesley reassured her. Gloria looked startled. “I thought it was just gastritis. Why do I need surgery?” “Well, we found some intestinal polyps. Since you’re already in the hospital, we can just take care of them while you’re here,” Wesley said lightly, pulling out a scan to show her. “Look here, Mrs. Kingsley. See these two little polyps? They’re not a problem right now, but it’s better to remove them sooner rather than later.” “Alright, whatever you say. I’ll go with your plan,” Gloria replied. She didn’t really get all the medical stuff, but she trusted her kids to make the right call. Besides, she just didn’t have the energy to worry about something so minor at the moment. She just held Kayla’s hand and asked, “Kayla, Tuff didn’t say anything, did he? Is his family giving you a hard time?”
“No,” Kayla replied, her heart skipping a beat as her sharp gaze flicked toward Joyce, ‘Maggie just came by this morning, and Mom already knows? Figures—it’s that big-mouthed Joyce again! She’s just asking for it!’ Kayla fumed inside. “That’s good to hear. I’ve always worried the Prescott family might look down on you because of that child,” Gloria said with a relieved smile. “Tuff really is a wonderful man.” “Yeah, he is. He indulges me in everything,” Kayla replied with a sweet, almost smug smile, purposely acting like Joyce wasn’t even there.
Joyce couldn’t stand what she was hearing. ‘Maggie is already here, and Kayla’s still acting all high and mighty?’ Joyce thought, feeling annoyed. ‘What on earth happened this morning?’ she wondered. ‘No way, I have to meet Maggie myself,’ Joyce decided.
“Mrs. Kingsley, you should get some rest. We’ll head out now,” Wesley said. “Okay,” Gloria said with a smile. Once the rounds were done, Joyce had no reason to stay, so she left together with Wesley.
Gloria asked anxiously, “Kayla, what are you going to do about that child?” “He’s not doing well mentally. He’ll have to stay in a long-term sanatorium,” Kayla replied. “What? How could that be?” Gloria exclaimed. Gloria was stunned. ‘He’s such a handsome boy. How could he have mental problems?’ she thought. “I really don’t know the reason either. Anyway, Mom, you don’t need to worry about it. With him staying at the sanatorium, it won’t affect our lives,” Kayla reassured her. “Alright then, I suppose,” Gloria said with a sigh. She felt a wave of regret washing over her. ‘Poor kid, having to shoulder the mistakes of grown-ups all on his own,’ Gloria thought.
Landon rubbed his temples, feeling just as helpless. He couldn’t tell his mom the truth, so he had no choice but to let Kayla take the fall for it. Thankfully, he, Kayla, and Tuff all knew what was really going on.
“Mom, did Lucia come by last night?” Landon asked. “Yeah, she did… Sigh, it’s a long story. Let’s not get into it,” Gloria sighed. She thought, ‘My own sister hates me, and my niece wants me dead. ‘How did my closest family, the ones I love the most, suddenly turn into enemies?’ Gloria didn’t get involved in how they handled it. She just left it up to them.
After staying with her for a while, Landon and Kayla were eventually shooed away by Gloria. Landon headed back to the office and asked, “Hey, Kayla, there’s a board meeting today. You coming to listen in?” “What’s there to hear? Not interested,” Kayla replied, casually scanning the room. She had way more important things to do. “Suit yourself. You’ve never doubted my money-making skills anyway,” Landon said, then walked off.
Kayla called Wesley. “Where’s Joyce’s office?” “Hey, Kayla, do you need to talk to her?” Wesley asked. “Yeah,” Kayla replied. “It’s right next to my office. I’ll go with you…” Beep, beep! Before he could finish, Kayla hung up on him. “What’s her deal today? Kayla’s being really rude,” Wesley muttered to himself.
Kayla marched straight into Joyce’s office. Joyce was on the phone, smiling as she spoke. When she saw Kayla enter with a fierce aura, she asked, “Miss Kingsley, do you need something?” “Please call me Mrs. Prescott, or Kayla. After all, you’re Tuff’s god-sister,” Kayla said coldly, fixing Joyce with a frosty stare. “It’s work hours right now. Do you need something?” Joyce deflected, still refusing to address Kayla properly. Her eyes were full of provocation, and she kept the call going. Kayla made her move right then and there, making sure whoever was on the other end of Joyce’s call could hear every word. “Are you really going to have this conversation with a third party listening in?” Kayla asked. Joyce just shrugged, totally unfazed. “It’s fine. Say whatever you want.” “Okay.” Kayla strode forward, each click of her high heels on the floor pounding like a drumbeat, sending tension rippling through the room.
Joyce smirked inwardly. ‘Oh? Is she about to blow up? Bring it on. Let the storm hit even harder!’ “Miss Lambert, you used to have a thing for my husband, didn’t you?” Kayla demanded, her presence fierce as she stopped at the desk, then, all at once, her aura pulled back. Joyce was caught off guard, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Miss Lambert, no matter what your intentions are, please don’t go messing with someone else’s family. Tuff chose me, so it’s time for you to step aside,” Kayla said, her voice low but powerful. Even though her voice was quiet, every word hit home. Joyce’s face turned red. “That’s not it at all. Tuff is just my god-brother, my family.” “So, what am I to you now?” Kayla pressed. Joyce stayed silent. “The Prescott family accepted me. You can’t even treat me like family? Is that how the Prescott family raises their kids—with no manners at all?” Kayla challenged. “When you’ve dealt with your little illegitimate child mess, then maybe I’ll start showing you respect,” Joyce replied coolly. She lifted her chin, locking eyes with Kayla, refusing to back down.
“Alright. When you finally accept who I am, maybe then I’ll see you as family. But right now…” Kayla said, her tone icy. Bang! Kayla suddenly slammed her fist down on the desk with a heavy thud, making Joyce jump in shock. For a split second, Joyce thought Kayla was about to hit her. She shot to her feet and backed away, panic flashing in her eyes. “Kayla, what are you trying to do?” “I’m warning you—stay away from my mom’s room. If anything about her condition leaks out, you’ll be the first one I come after!” Kayla’s voice was ice-cold, her gaze sharp as a knife.
The murderous vibe rolling off Kayla made Joyce freeze—she looked like she could actually kill someone. Joyce was both shocked and scared. ‘Tuff, seriously, how did you end up with such a she-devil?’ Joyce thought. Honestly, Kayla really wanted to give Joyce a couple of slaps, but since Joyce was on the phone with Maggie, she didn’t want to give anyone more gossip material. Once she’d finished her threat, Kayla was ready to walk out. But just as she was about to leave, an angry voice rang out from behind. “Kayla, are you out of your mind? Joyce is a professional doctor. Why are you threatening her?”
Kayla spun around, reached over to hang up Joyce’s call, and grabbed her chin. “So you really were talking to my mother-in-law, huh?” “Y–you knew?” Joyce stammered, her face going pale from the pain as Kayla’s grip tightened on her chin. “Please, those little tricks of yours? I saw through them the second I walked in,” Kayla said coldly. “So, you did all that on purpose just now,” Joyce said, realization hitting her. “Exactly,” Kayla replied. Joyce cursed inwardly, ‘Damn, what a she-devil—she actually had the guts to get physical right in front of her mother-in-law!’ ‘Isn’t she afraid the Prescott family will hate her for this?’ Joyce thought, stunned. “I married Tuff, not his whole family,” Kayla sneered, her lips curling mockingly. “Go ahead, stir up as much trouble as you want. If I lose, I’ll do whatever you ask!”