The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1994 I Feel Unsafe.

"Well, it will be better if you come with us, Cassie. We may need you if the situation arises. We have to be careful. We can't afford to let anything unexpected happen," the doctor requested. Unable to replace a single chance to avoid the situation, Cassie nodded her head reluctantly. She felt helpless in her heart, yet she had no choice but to follow the doctor's order.

Vicky was still furious and wild about the snake prank. She kept making complaints with insistence and determination. Vicky was ready to pull down the entire hospital to replace the troublemaker. She warned each staff member in the hospital about the unpleasant outcome that she would visit on them if the troublemaker was not found at once. She behaved as if her bottom line had been crossed, and she had been personally violated. She was hell-bent on punishing the person who had made her suffer. But no matter how much noise she made, the medical staff could only conduct their normal procedures to replace the culprit. On top of that, the absence of surveillance cameras around the VIP sickroom area made it more difficult.

"You guys must replace the person who broke into my ward and caused this damage to me. I know it must be someone who is working here! What he has done to me is malicious conduct. The person must be punished! And if you guys fail to bring the person to me, you all will have to bear the brunt of his misdeed! Mark my words!" Vicky shouted at the top of her lungs, pointing her finger at the Head of the medical staff. The middle-aged man felt humiliated by Vicky's rude behavior. In so many years of working in the hospital, he had never met such an impolite patient like Vicky.

Still, the man kept a diplomatic smile. He cleared his throat and defended, "Sorry, there must be some misunderstanding. Our staff will never do anything harmful to our patients. You can have my word!" "Really? I am appalled to see your attitude. Are you trying to tell me that I am lying to you? Let me make this very clear to you. You can't shrug off this responsibility so easily. Trust me; I will not let this pass at all. I am neither blind nor a fool!" Vicky kept shouting her lungs out.

She first glared at him and then smirked.

"Now, what is that smile for? And what do you mean to say that you are going to blame all of us?" The head finally blurted out. He had failed to contain his sense of humiliation after all.

Looking at the man's face, Vicky realized that he must be feeling disgraced. Vicky became quiet and looked straight at the man's face. Then, she curved her lips into a smirk again. After a few moments, she said with an arrogant tone, "You know what? You might be a doctor and the Head of the hospital staff over here, but for me, you are nothing more than a table waiter! Hospitals are no better than any other service industry, and the patients are the gods! As they say-the customer is always right! Your fame depends on us! What if I take this incident to the press? How will it look if this goes to the public, huh?" Though Vicky was extremely disrespectful in her words, yet there was a logic in what she had said that the Head could not rule out. He could do nothing but grow furious in his heart. He clenched his fists as a gesture of his retaliation to Vicky's rude words.

However, there was not much that he could do, and he knew it. Having spoken, Vicky rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes, pretending to doze off.

The Head of Department silently walked out of the ward, with a displeased look. It was beyond his wits to reason anything out with this woman. He had to report this to his superior.

In the meanwhile, Charles had arrived at the hospital.

At the gate, he came across Nick, and they had a short talk concerning the debacle that had just happened in the hospital.

"Now, Vicky still doesn't know it was Cassie who did it. There are no surveillance cameras on the VIP floor of the hospital, so Vicky could not replace anything. But Cassie still feels bad. She thinks she has caused trouble for her colleagues and her superior." Nick spoke to Charles and told him briefly about his girlfriend's trouble.

With a knowing nod, Charles patted Nick on the shoulder and said in an assuring manner, "Don't worry! I will handle this!"

Thereafter, Charles headed towards Vicky's ward.

David followed closely behind Charles. He couldn't help but make a demeaning comment about Vicky. Even though he was cautious to speak in a very low voice, it still reached Charles' ears. "Do you have something to say, David?" Charles asked in a stern voice.

"Vicky is such a disgusting woman. I feel so pleased to hear that Cassie has given her a hard time. I hope Cassie has put her back in her place!" David blurted, without holding back his thoughts. "Stop it! It is not the time for this yet. We have to focus on our plan! We have too much to take care of. Keep your focus!" Charles said frowning at David and then looked away from him.

Charles was in no mood to have a casual talk with David at the moment.

He was a discreet man, and only when he completely cleared his hands of the task he was doing could he put his mind at ease.

"I am sorry, Mr. Lu. I am fully aware of that. I will be cautious," David dropped his head immediately and apologized.

The door of Vicky's ward was open at the moment. When Charles and David reached the doorway, Vicky was busy exchanging threatening looks with the Head of Department. But the moment Charles appeared in front of the door, her frown gave way for a smooth expression.

"Charles, how come you are here at this time?" Vicky remarked looking surprised.

"Today, I had a relatively free day at work. And just as I was passing by, I thought of you. So I decided to drop by and spend some time with you." Charles walked inside the ward in a very cool manner and stopped by Vicky's sickbed. Then he turned his head toward the Head and asked, "What happened?"

"Well, ...Ms. Ruan..." the Head of Department stammered, trying to explain the situation.

"Charles, I am so scared. I don't know who, but I am sure that one of the medical staff in this hospital tried to hurt me. And although all I am asking is to replace the offender, they have even refused to admit that their staff could be at fault. Charles, you have to stand up for me!" Vicky yelled before the Head of the Department could proceed with his explanation. Having the upper hand so far in the event, she decided to be the first person to narrate her part of the story. Then she pouted her lips and started crying to play the victim card in front of Charles and win his sympathy.

"What? I am appalled to hear that such a thing happened in this hospital? Doctor, I think you have to take responsibility for this!" Charles displayed a disappointed look. He cast a stern glance at the doctor, ordering him to take action at once to replace out who the culprit was.

The senior medical practitioner was dumbfounded to hear Charles sing the same tune as Vicky.

"You... You are just the same kind! Disrespectful and impolite!" the doctor said angrily. There was a rush of blood in his face. He felt enraged by Charles' reckless judgment.

Charles didn't feel insulted, but David found it difficult to tolerate such a remark from the doctor. As far as he was concerned, no one should have the nerve to talk like that to his boss, especially to his face. "Hey, doctor! Watch your words! Do you know who you are talking to? If you utter a single word to insult my boss again, we will sue you!" David glared at the doctor.

Threatened by David's menacing eyes, the doctor controlled the anger in his heart. He looked bewildered as he reflected in his mind about what David had just said, 'Sue me? These guys must be crazy! What do they want to do to me? Wait, is this man the CEO of the Shinning Company? Oh, damn it!'

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. I was just..." The man immediately put on a remorseful look and apologized.

"Just what? Did you think of me as a man with no manners? Okay, here is what I want to know, Vicky claims that she is scared because someone was trying to hurt her. Someone among you intended to hurt her. Is that true?"

"No! That is not true!" the doctor denied the charges with a firm look.

"Are you sure of what you are saying?"

"Yes. I swear to God!"

"Well...Okay. Doctors won't lie! I believe you!" Charles said as he looked into the doctor's eyes.

The doctor felt even more confused to see Charles swap sides so easily. He didn't know how Charles got convinced so easily. It seemed that he wanted to settle the matter instead of stretching it further. 'Why did he do that? What did he intend to do?' the doctor pondered.

"What? Do you have something else to tell us?" Charles asked.

"No, I will take my leave now." The doctor immediately pulled himself out of his thoughts and left the ward.

Vicky didn't say a word through the whole conversation between Charles and the doctor. But she felt a surge of rage in her heart when Charles let the doctor go away that easily. Seething with rage, she turned to Charles, "What have you done? Why did you let him go? Charles, you don't love me, right? You don't care about my feelings. Even if I die in this hospital, you won't give a damn!" Vicky started to sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Vicky, be reasonable! We don't have the evidence to prove your claim. You can't just hold the entire hospital accountable for no reason!" Charles tried to convince Vicky. He remained unmoved by her tears. Heart of heart, he didn't give a damn about Vicky's pitiful look. The only woman who could make Charles' heart go mellow was Sheryl. All the tenderness in his heart, his deepest concern and care was for Sheryl. And he couldn't allow any other woman to share that space.

"But I was intimidated by someone. I feel a lack of safety in this hospital. And my mental state is disturbed to the extent that words fall short to explain it."

"Perhaps, but any accusation needs to be backed with solid evidence. If you don't have any, there's no point for you to go against the medical staff. Remember that you are still recovering, and you need their help. You are still a patient over here. So don't be so irrational. You know I am very busy, and I can't come by every day to see you. You have to get along with people here, okay? Promise me that you will!"

Charles stared at Vicky, as he persuasively spoke to her. Every word from Charles' mouth made Vicky feel cared for and comforted.

"Okay, I will obey you." Vicky nodded her head, deciding to move on from this matter.

"You know, I am so pleased to hear that. Now, Vicky, your recovery is the priority. So there is nothing you should worry about, apart from your own health. Put yourself at ease and have a good rest. It's time for me to go back, but you must call David anytime you need any help from me." As thoughtful and concerned as Charles sounded to Vicky, he did not mean a single word he said. All of it was mere pretense and deliberated as a false reciprocation of her affection. Finishing his words, Charles got ready to leave the ward without turning or even a backward glance.

"Charles, can you come to see me tomorrow?" Fixing her gaze at Charles as he walked towards the door, Vicky called out to him from behind his back with an expectant look.