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Novel Catalog
Chapter 68
The tension in the room was thick when the sound of a loud crash echoed through the intensive care unit. It wasn’t clear who had stepped on the wrong wire, but suddenly one of the monitors fell with a loud bang—directly onto the dean’s chest.
Coughing violently, the dean stirred from his pretended unconscious state. It was clear now that he could no longer maintain the charade. The heavy machine had forced him to react. He opened his eyes, moved his hand to push the equipment away, and shouted in a panic, “Hurry up and help me!”
Susan rushed to help him, her voice filled with panic. “Dad!”
The dean’s voice, full of energy and vigor, contradicted any signs of the frail, brain hemorrhage patient they had tried to portray. “It almost crushed me to death! If it had hit my face, I would’ve lost my life!” he yelled.
His voice had no trace of the fragility associated with his supposed condition. The momentary outburst was enough to expose the lie.
Susan quickly signaled him to calm down, and with a sudden change in demeanor, the dean flopped back down onto the bed, feigning weakness. “Oh… oh, it hurts, doctor… hurry up, call the doctor for me…”
Susan also played her part. “Dad, you just woke up. Take it easy!”
Gale watched them both with a calm smile. “Dean, you’re awake! That’s great! I was so worried!”
Turning her attention to Susan, Gale continued, “Susan said your condition worsened, but I didn’t believe it. Now you’re awake, there’s no need for surgery, and I don’t need to donate any more blood.”
The moment the words left Gale’s mouth, Susan and the dean exchanged a brief, wordless glance. They were caught off guard.
Gale’s smile widened as she added, “Keep those supplements you bought for yourself. Do you really think you can get rid of my child by pretending to be sick?”
The audacity of the father-daughter duo was almost laughable to Gale. She wasn’t one to be easily fooled. “Fools,” she muttered under her breath.
With that, Gale turned toward the door. “I’m going to call the doctor. Just wait a moment.”
As Gale left the room, the dean clenched his teeth in frustration. His plan had almost succeeded if only he had maintained the act a little longer. But Gale, clever and swift, had ruined it all by waking him up at the perfect moment.
Susan’s frustration mirrored his. But with Shawn still in the room, she couldn’t lash out. She glanced at him, her voice tentative. “Mr. Wood, my dad should be fine now…”
Shawn’s expression was cold, his eyes cutting into her like a sharp blade. His glare was enough to silence her.
Susan tried to act sweet, but when she moved to cling to his arm, Shawn shoved her away, his gaze turning colder. “Do you think I’m easily fooled?”
Susan’s face paled. “No, Mr. Wood. My dad was really sick!”
Shawn’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “It’s all been exposed by Gale. And you’re still pretending?”
The moment the dean woke up, everything became clear to Shawn. He had put the pieces together. “You exaggerated the situation to make Gale donate her blood repeatedly.”
Susan stammered, her facade falling apart. “I… I…”
“You can target Gale all you want, but don’t try to play tricks on me!” Shawn’s fury was evident. “Nonsense!”
Susan quickly scrambled for an apology. “Mr. Wood, I’m sorry! I didn’t hide it from you on purpose. I was wrong. I won’t do it again!”
Shawn, however, was beyond forgiving. His anger was palpable, and without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving Susan behind in her guilt and frustration.
“Mr. Wood!” Susan rushed to follow, but the door slammed shut before she could catch up, almost hitting her in the face.
Shawn didn’t even spare her a glance.
“Mr. Wood, don’t be mad at me!” Susan called after him, but he never looked back.
In the hallway, she turned to her father. “It’s over, Dad. We’ve shot ourselves in the foot…”
Outside the hospital, Gale was already waiting by the car. Shawn strode toward her, his eyes briefly flicking to her. “I see you got wiser.”