Chapter 75
+13)
Janice even complained to Lewis, “Lewis, I bought so many designer clothes, bags, and jewelry from Paris and London. Yet you insist on playing poor. Now I don’t even dare to give these to my beautiful daughter–in–law. If I do, the act will be exposed.”
Lewis could only reassure his mother. “There’s plenty of time in the future.”
“Then I’ll have to make it up to Doris later. But don’t make me wait too long.” Janice felt that keeping up the act was exhausting.
“Mr. Hartman, thank you.” Doris didn’t know what else to say besides expressing her gratitude. “You’ve helped me so much again.”
Ever since she married Lewis, she felt she had gained an advantage. But instead of helping him, she only brought him trouble. Peyton being able to stay in a private room meant that she would have a comfortable environment, which would also help her mood.
Otherwise, Peyton would have been forced to sleep in the hallway, which was drafty, noisy, and full of people passing by, making it an unpleasant place to rest.
“My second brother works at the hospital, so it wasn’t difficult to arrange.” Lewis didn’t want Doris to feel too burdened. “I’ve already asked him to cover the cost for now. Just let your mother rest easy.”
“I asked the nurse, and my mom is in a VIP deluxe private room. The daily fee is several thousand dollars. That’s way too expensive, and your money is hard–earned. I still have some savings–I’ll cover this myself.
“I already owe you too much, so please don’t argue with me about this,” Doris insisted.
“Doris, since my brother works there, we get a family discount–it won’t cost nearly as much. Your only job right now is to take care of your mother. Don’t think about anything else.” Lewis changed the subject. “I have a meeting now. I’ll come to the hospital after work.”
After work, Lewis had his driver, Hank, take him to the hospital, while a bodyguard parked his black Passat outside.
Lewis got out of the car, carrying the nutritional supplements and fruit that his secretary had prepared, and headed to the inpatient ward.
Doris had been taking care of Peyton at the hospital since last night. In the morning, Laura had offered to take over so Doris could rest, however, Doris said she had taken a few days off and had plenty of time.
Doris knew that Laura had already been struggling in the Webb family, so she didn’t want to add to Laura’s burden.
Of course, Laura knew that Doris was thinking of her, and she felt deeply grateful.
Today, Peyton’s test results were finally out. Jimmy and Laura were both here, but Rupert was still nowhere to be seen.
Frustrated, Doris phoned Rupert. “Where are you?”
“Traffic jam. Almost there,” Rupert replied impatiently.
“Why are you rushing him? He’s already on the way. There are so many cars on the road–safety comes first. Your mother’s already sick, do you want something to happen to your brother too?” Jimmy’s words no longer stirred any emotions in
Doris.
Doris turned her head and saw Lewis. “You’re here?”
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Lewis set down the bags in his hands. Doris stepped forward and lowered her voice, “Why did you buy more things again?
“It’s nothing expensive.” Lewis walked over to Peyton’s bedside and asked with concern, “How are you feeling
Peyton was awake. She looked at the well–groomed Lewis and gave a faint smile. “I’m alright. Thank you for coming to see
me.”
“You’re Doris’s mother. Of course, I should come.” Lewis lifted his gaze to meet Jimmy, who was sitting on the other side of the bed.
The moment Jimmy saw Lewis, he was reminded of their confrontation last night. His expression darkened with displeasure.
“Let’s go; the doctor is waiting,” Laura said as she walked into the room, and then noticed Lewis. “You’re here too, Lewis”
“Laura.” Lewis greeted her. “I came straight after work to see if there’s anything I can help with.”
“Medical treatment costs money. How much can you afford to contribute?” Jimmy interjected with a sneer.
Doris cut in before Lewis could respond, “Dad, if anyone’s paying, it should be us–the children. This has nothing to do with him.”
Jimmy scoffed, “If it has nothing to do with him, then why get married? A couple that can’t face hardships together won’t last.”
Doris pressed her lips together. They had indeed agreed to divorce after a year. She said, “That’s between the two of us. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Doris took Laura’s arm and walked out of the room. Lewis followed behind them. Jimmy got up and left as well.
The group made their way to the doctor’s office.
Peyton’s attending physician, Dr. Zain, took out the test results and calmly delivered the diagnosis. “Mrs. Reed has been diagnosed with stage II breast cancer.”
The devastating news struck Laura and Doris like a bolt from the blue. Their faces instantly went pale, filled with disbelief.
Doris’s eyes reddened, and she spoke anxiously, “Dr. Zain, my mom’s always been in good health. How could she suddenly have this disease? Could there be a mistake? Maybe the reports got mixed up? I’ve seen this happen in TV dramas. Can we check again, please?”
The more Doris spoke, the more desperate she became, clinging to the hope that there had been some mistake–a miracle waiting to happen.
“Doris, calm down.” Lewis held onto her.
“Ms. Reed, I am truly sorry about your mother’s illness, but our hospital is one of the top medical institutions in the country.
“Please trust in our expertise. We have double–checked everything, and errors like the ones you mentioned simply don’t happen here. I hope you will accept reality.” Dr. Zain’s voice was emotionless, as cold and precise as a machine.
His words pierced Doris’s heart. She leaned on Lewis to keep herself from collapsing.
Laura pleaded desperately, “Dr. Zain, please save our mother.”
“Right now, the best course of action is to surgically remove the tumor to prevent further spread. After surgery, she will need a recovery period followed by chemotherapy.
“This type of treatment is well–established, and with proper care and regular check–ups, the five–year survival rate is
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between 60% and 80%.
“Of course, there’s always the risk of recurrence. You and your family need to decide whether to proceed with surgery.
“If you choose not to, then we focus on palliative care–making the most of each day and keeping her as happy as possible. which can also help slow the progression of the disease. Dr. Zain presented the two options for them to consider.
Doris bit her lip in pain. “I agree to the surgery–as long as it keeps my mom alive.”
Laura glanced at their silent father. “Dr. Zain, I agree too.”
After a moment of silence, Jimmy asked, “Dr. Zain, how much will the surgery cost?”
“Treatment comes in stages. The initial treatment–surgery and chemotherapy–will cost between ten and sixty–five thousand dollars. For post–surgical care, it’s best to prepare extra funds, around one hundred thousand dollars in total” Dr. Zain gave an estimate.
“Alright, we’ll discuss it,” Jimmy said, displeased, and then pulled Doris and Laura aside.
They left the doctor’s office and returned to Peyton’s ward.
Rupert was already there. When he saw them, he asked, “What’s wrong with Mom?”
“Yeah, what did the doctor say?” Peyton also asked.
