They Cuffed Me, I Destroyed Their World

Chapter 7

In the hospital, Adele's hand trembled violently as she signed the form.

Tears blurred her vision. Gritting her teeth, she clutched the nurse's sleeve and said, "Please, you have to save my son. I'll do anything..."

"We will do our best." The nurse comforted her. "Professor Steve Finn, the lead surgeon for this operation, is the best surgical expert in our city. With him here, the success rate is very high."

Adele's heart settled slightly. She sat on the bench outside the operating room, her hands clenched tightly. She kept repeating to herself, "Charlie will be fine. He will be fine."

Just then, Steve, wearing a white coat, hurried over. The moment he was about to enter the operating room, a young nurse suddenly ran up and said urgently, "Dr. Finn! An important patient fell from upstairs and may have injured their spine. The hospital wants you to go treat them right away!"

Steve had just furrowed his brow when hurried footsteps sounded from the end of the corridor. Henry, in his uniform, stormed over with a scowl and wrenched Steve's wrist in a tight grip.

"Don't waste any more time. Dora is waiting in the emergency room. If something happens to her, no one can take responsibility!"

"Henry!" Adele abruptly stepped in front of Steve, her eyes blood-red as she stared at him. "Are you crazy? Charlie is fighting for his life in there! If Dr. Finn leaves, what will happen to Charlie? He is your nephew!"

Henry shoved Adele away and snapped, "There are plenty of other doctors. Find another one for Charlie! It's not like this is Charlie's first surgery anyway. What difference does it make which doctor does it? But Dora is seriously injured right now. She must have the best doctor!"

Adele clutched her back, cold sweat beading on her forehead from the pain, yet she stood straight again. "Henry! Have you forgotten why you wear that uniform? Have you lost all sense of right and wrong?!"

"Don't guilt-trip me!" Henry's gaze was ice-cold as he shot a sharp warning look at Steve. "Dr. Finn, choose which side you need to be on."

Steve looked at Adele's desperate eyes, then at Henry's unyielding attitude, and said helplessly, "Mrs. Sanchez, I'm sorry. I... I can't go against orders."

Steve was led away. The new replacement doctor hurried into the operating room. Adele slowly slid down to sit on the floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, and silent tears fell onto the cold, hard floor.

With trembling hands, she dialed Xavier's number, unable to believe he would disregard even his own son's life. But again and again, all she got was an endless busy signal.

Xavier simply would not answer her call.

Adele should have known. Who else could have pressured the hospital to prioritize the "important patient" if not her husband? Who controlled the entire local medical field?

Time ticked by second after second, every moment like a sharp knife cutting into Adele's heart.

She sat outside the operating room doors, her gaze fixed rigidly on that closed door, until she had no more tears left.

After an indeterminate time, the operating room light suddenly clicked off. Adele shot to her feet and stumbled forward, only to see the surgeon and nurses standing with their heads bowed, their faces etched with guilt and regret.

"We're sorry, Mrs. Sanchez. We did everything we could..."

"No, no..." Adele shook her head frantically, grabbed the surgeon's arm, her mind going completely blank. "You're lying! You have to be lying to me!"

The surgeon let her hold on, only saying softly, "We're sorry."

In that instant, Adele felt as if she had died too.

Her vision went black, and she crumpled to the floor unconscious.