Chapter 4

In the hospital.

Eric's father was wheeled out of the operating theater and transferred to the ICU.

Mrs. Johnson again broke into tears, so Eric and Elly quickly comforted her as the surgery was successful.

The ICU was off-limits, so the Johnsons had to wait quietly outside until Mr. Johnson regained consciousness.

A loud voice startled Eric at that moment, causing him to jolt in his seat.

"Eric, you b*stard! You ruined my youth! I demand compensation!"

He hurried to the nearest window and peered down, only to witness Jasmine brandishing a megaphone and bellowing beneath a crimson banner that bore the words: "Eric, you scumbag! Compensate me for ruining my youth!"

"You dumped me after all the years I spent with you! You scumbag! Get down here right now!" Jasmine shouted through the megaphone.

A commotion was stirred in the hospital because of her.

Everyone was curious who Eric was to have offended a woman to such an extent. The crowd gathered behind Jasmine expanded so out of control that even the security guards could not hold them back. Moreover, some of the security guards even joined in to watch the show. They were curious to know who Eric was as well.

Elly furrowed her brows in the hallway. As a woman herself, she knew Jasmine would never resort to a public display if Eric did not wrong her. Furthermore, if things escalated, the hospital might hold Eric responsible.

Elly looked at Eric with suspicion.

"Elly…" Eric finally explained to her that Jasmine had been cheating on him with David.

Elly was flabbergasted. 'No wonder Eric was so furious at Jasmine previously.'

Elly sighed and said, "No matter what, it's better to solve this quickly before things escalate. It's inappropriate to cause such a scene in the hospital."

Eric nodded. He had to take the bull by the horns. Jasmine would eventually come up and cause more disturbance if he ignored her.

Jasmine's voice grew louder when Eric showed up. She rushed toward Eric and shouted through the megaphone, "Eric! I thought you were a coward! You're nothing but a man with no sense of responsibility!

"I'm almost 30 now! I've been with you for almost a decade, and you still can't afford to marry me! I just wanted to buy a dress, and you told me to leave, and you married another woman!? What did I do to deserve this?"

Jasmine then cried, "Eric, you're not getting away with this if you don't give me an explanation!"

The crowd pointed at Eric and whispered among themselves.

"The young man looks like a decent guy. Who knew he dumped his decade-long girlfriend to marry another woman? What a scumbag!"

"I'd be cursed for life if my future son-in-law turned out to be someone like him!"

A middle-aged woman pointed at Eric and scolded him, "Young man, you should be honest and upright with your actions!"

Eric was at a loss for words.

He found himself unjustly accused and branded as a vile and negligent man, while Jasmine conveniently played the role of the victim despite her own infidelity.

Eric's expression darkened as he looked at Jasmine and said through gritted teeth, "Exactly what do you want!?"

He never expected Jasmine to play the victim and garner sympathy, turning the crowd against him. Nobody would listen or believe him if he spoke the truth.

Jasmine crossed her arms and wore an indifferent expression as she said, "That's simple. As stated this morning, I want $13,000 as compensation, or else I'll ruin your reputation by making a huge scene and showing the rest of the world who you really are!"

Eric frowned and replied, "You know I'm broke!"

Jasmine sneered. "Then sign a promissory note! That will do. Didn't you receive your salary today? Give it to me, and you can pay the rest slowly. I need money to sustain myself now that I'm left alone."

She then turned to the crowd and said, "I spent a decade with him. It wouldn't be too much to ask for $13,000 as compensation, no?"

She appealed to the crowd, using them to her advantage, and most of the people nodded.

"My child, your youth was wasted. $13,000 is nothing!"

"Hmph! $13,000 is too small an amount to compensate for the youth of such a fine young woman!"

Eric was drenched in a cold sweat as he listened to the crowd's comments. Meanwhile, Jasmine grinned with immense satisfaction. She had successfully leveraged the power of the public to make Eric yield to her.

She would never let Eric slip away from her fingers, even if he had to use a lifetime to pay her off $13,000 and be together with David.

Eric found himself stuck in a difficult situation. He was disgusted by Jasmine's maneuver, but there was nothing he could do about it. The crowd would condemn him if he snapped back at Jasmine.

Meanwhile, a luxury Toyota Sienna minivan pulled up nearby when Eric was at a loss.

"Ms. Sylvia, we've arrived," the chauffeur said respectfully as he opened the door, occasionally glancing at the crowd from the corner of his eye.

Sylvia got out of the minivan and furrowed her brows upon noticing the commotion across the street. Her frown deepened as she saw Eric's name on the banner.

'Why is he here?' Sylvia thought.

Eric had not told Sylvia that his father was hospitalized. However, the lines were connected after she recalled how urgently Eric needed $15,000. Moreover, it would be impossible for two people of the same name to simultaneously appear in the same hospital. Hence, he definitely must be the Eric Johnson with whom she had gotten married in the morning.

The chauffeur quickly called out, "Ms. Sylvia, Mr. Sonnex is not in that building."

"I'll be back in a moment!" Sylvia strode off.

She saw Jasmine holding Eric back through the gaps in the crowd.

"Eric Johnson! Are you going to hand me the money or what? Sign a promissory note if you don't have the money! Moreover, give me all your salary you received today, and I'll back off. Otherwise, I'll continue to make your life a living hell!"

Jasmine had a determined look on her face as if she had nothing to lose.

Before Eric could utter a word, he sensed a whiff of fragrance.

Meanwhile, the crowd was shocked by a sudden, loud, resounding slap.

"How dare you ask Eric for money, you disgraceful woman!?"