Chapter 131
Stella thought she’d feel relief or happiness the moment Lionel confessed, but instead, she felt really upset. Memories of her childhood with Lionel came flooding back.
Anna accidentally pushed her, and she scraped her knee. She ran to Lionel, and he was the first to grab his medical kit and clean her wound.
When she got burned by hot water, Lionel was more worried than anyone else. After that, Stella kept getting hurt without even realizing it, and every time, Lionel was the one who felt it the most.
Lionel once told her, “Poor thing, you’re always getting hurt. Maybe I should go to med school so you can come to me anytime you have
problems.”
Stella thought he was just saying it, but she never expected he meant it. When she found out he got into medical school, she was over the
moon.
But when he coldly drew her blood later on, she realized people really can change. Rowan was furious. Looking at Lionel, he knew that exposing this would affect not just Lionel but the whole hospital.
Northbridge Hospital was the city’s best, and now, with the story airing live, they could not keep the public’s trust. Lionel knew that too. He stepped forward and admitted his mistakes.
He bowed first and then said seriously, “That’s right. I don’t deserve to be deputy director, or director, or even a doctor. I got into med school because of her, but I used my skills to hurt her.
“At the crucial moment, I chose my family over her. I let her down. From today on, I am no longer a doctor.
“Everything I did was personal and had nothing to do with the hospital, I hope no one blames the hospital. The hospital didn’t know about my actions.
“I lied to them over and over and secretly harmed Stella. I’ve let myself down and everyone who trusted me. I’m sorry.”
He bowed again. When he stood up, he looked at Stella like he hoped his confession would ease his guilt or make her trust him more.
Stella didn’t say a word. Her eyes showed only mockery. He was wrong. Lionel had known he was wrong for a long time but refused to admit
- it.
Now he had no choice. Stella had more evidence that could expose even worse problems in the Quinn family. He had once chosen to protect the Quinn family, and he still chose to protect them.
Sure enough, questions started. “You said the Quinn family’s situation isn’t good lately. Mr. Quinn, can you tell us more?”
“Mr. Quinn, since you’re no longer working at the hospital, will you stay in medicine or take over the Quinn family business?”
“Mr. Quinn, what’s going on with the Quinn family? We want to know.”
Lionel just said, “I won’t work in medicine anymore. As for the Quinn family, no comment.”
He tried to leave, but reporters blocked him. Jordan looked at Stella, as if he were asking whether they should just let him go.
Stella said calmly, “Today didn’t go how I expected. I wanted him off the job, but I didn’t think he’d confess so easily. It’s frustrating.”
Jordan asked, “Do you have a backup plán?”
Stella said, “Yes, but it’s against the Quinn family, not him. Those two things alone are enough to take him down.”
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Jordan nodded. Lionel’s move was aimed at protecting the Quinn family. If he hadn’t admitted it early, it would have made things worse for
them later.
When it mattered, he only thought about protecting the Quinn family. Lionel walked out but glanced back at Stella. His eyes seemed to say a
thousand things, but Stella didn’t even look at him and just turned away to leave.
When she got back to the car, she saw people throwing vegetable leaves at him and even hitting him. She didn’t feel sorry for him at all.
It was nothing. The kind of pain she nearly died from was something Lionel would never understand. She still wanted to get revenge, but since they were at a hospital, she had to keep things respectful for now.
There would be plenty of time later. She wasn’t going to let anyone who hurt her off the hook. “Let’s go,” Stella said, not wanting to watch
anymore.
Jordan drove the car away. When Lionel got home, Hasan gave him a serious beating. Hasan said, “If you did something, why leave evidence?
“Now it’s even worse. We were counting on your reputation to help the family, but all you brought was bad news.
“Anna’s gone. Before she left, she told you she wanted to end the engagement. Tell me, do you want to see the Quinn family fall apart day by day?”
Erica, feeling sorry for Lionel, quickly hugged him. “Stop hitting him. Who could’ve known it’d end like this? And the company falling apart isn’t Lionel’s fault. Why are you taking it out on him?”
Deep down, Hasan knew she was right. The family’s turmoil wasn’t Lionel’s fault, but it felt like misfortune had them in its grip.
Lionel remained slumped on the floor, dazed, until Erica tugged at his arm. “Enough of this,” she urged. “Get up.”
Lionel glanced at Hasan, saw he didn’t say more, and stood up. Erica said, “Since Anna hasn’t gone public, we will. The Hayes family is heartless and ungrateful. We don’t owe them anything. Maybe this will help us save face.”
Lionel said nothing. Erica added, “If you don’t say it, I will. If people see Anna with another man, where does that leave our family’s reputation?”
Hasan sighed, “Fine, go ahead.”
Erica announced that Anna had officially ended her engagement with the Hayes family. After learning about the Quinn family’s troubles, she cut ties immediately. Then the Quinn family didn’t want a daughter–in–law like her.
Suddenly, Anna was in the spotlight. Everyone remembered the last time she teamed up with Troy against her sister. Now this. Anna was that
kind of person.
Usually, someone from the Hayes family would step in to defend her, but this time, no one did–well, no one except Stella, who spoke up.
She said she’d officially taken over the company since Fiona kicked her out of the Hayes family. Even though she still had the Hayes name, she wasn’t connected to Andrew, only to Desmond Hayes.
So whether it was Andrew or Anna, as long as it wasn’t Eleanor’s business, it didn’t involve her. That was why the Hayes family’s company stayed steady without any trouble.
Right now, the one having the hardest time was Anna. Her life with the Johnson family was complicated, filled with both good moments and difficult times.
It was good because Monroe, who had liked her for a long time, treated her well. But it was bad because no one else in the Johnson family treated her kindly.
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They all looked down on her. Now, with bad news following her and Monroe away, those who didn’t like her came around, ready to cause
problems.
