When His Mistress Lied

My phone vibrated in my bag as I was picking strawberries for my daughter. The screen displayed the three characters "Cara Shane"—she was my mother-in-law's distant niece. I answered the phone, but before I could say a word, I heard her crying and shouting on the other end. "Sabrina, hurry! Come to the downtown supermarket right now!" "Cara, what happened? Take your time and tell me." I gripped the phone tightly, feeling an inexplicable tightness in my chest. "Your mother-in-law... someone attacked her! She was pushed down the elevator shaft!" Those words hit me like a thunderclap, and the strawberry box in my hand fell to the floor with a loud thud. I didn't have time to pick anything up; I grabbed my bag and rushed into the supermarket, my heels clicking sharply on the concrete floor. My mind went blank, the words "my mother-in-law is in trouble" repeatedly running through my head. When I arrived at the supermarket, a crowd had already gathered near the elevator, with police tape separating the onlookers from the scene inside. I pushed through and saw my mother-in-law lying on the cold floor, her face pale and blood still trickling from her forehead. Standing nearby was a man in a black jacket, hands in his pockets, wearing a look of complete disdain. Cara Shane grabbed my arm, her voice trembling: "It was him! His mother had a few words with your mother-in-law, and he lost it! He even pushed your mother-in-law down!" I was shaking with anger, about to rush over and confront him, but the security guard beside me held me back. "Madam, please calm down. The doctor will arrive any moment now." The ambulance siren grew louder as the medical team rushed over carrying a stretcher, carefully placing my mother-in-law on it. I followed the ambulance to the hospital, tightly holding my mother-in-law's cold hand all the way. "Mom, hold on, you'll be okay." I kept repeating this, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. At the hospital, my mother-in-law was rushed straight into the emergency room. When the red light came on, it felt like the entire world had stopped. I pulled out my mobile phone, trembling as I dialed my husband Marcus Stafford's number. The phone rang for a long time before he finally answered with an impatient voice: "Hello? What is it? I'm in a meeting right now." "Marcus! Mom's in trouble! She's in emergency care at the hospital! You have to come right away!" I tried to keep my voice steady, but it still cracked with sobs. "Mom? Which mom?" Marcus Stafford's voice faltered. "Which mom? Your mom! Hurry up and bring the money. The doctor said the surgery needs to happen immediately, and it's very expensive!" I was so anxious I almost cried. "My mom?" Marcus's tone suddenly turned cold. "All the family money has been invested in a fund, and it can't be withdrawn." I was stunned, unable to believe my ears. "It can't be withdrawn? That's your mom! She's waiting in the emergency room right now, needing to be saved!" "What can I do? The fund has a lock-up period. I can't just break the contract over this." There wasn't a trace of worry in Marcus Stafford's voice. "This is nothing? Marcus! That's our mom! How can you say that?" I trembled with anger. "Then what do you want me to do? Figure out how to make money yourself. Don't you still have a job?" After saying that, Marcus Stafford immediately hung up the phone. Hearing the busy signal, I collapsed weakly against the wall, tears falling like beads breaking loose. Strange looks came from the people around me, but I didn't care at all. All I knew was that my mother-in-law was still in the emergency room, waiting for money to save her life, while her own son refused to pay. The emergency room light stayed on for a full four hours before finally going out.