Don entered the hospital room and looked sympathetically at Hannah as she lay weakly on the bed. He walked over to Hannah, pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. Hannah gave him a bitter smile.
“Hey, Don. I’m sorry for all the trouble.”
“What are you talking about? I promised Susan I’d take care of you,” Don sighed. “How are you feeling now? Any better?”
Hannah nodded weakly.
“The lab results are in. You’ve been food poisoned. It’s being investigated because the last place you ate was Abby’s family’s restaurant,” Don explained.
“The food was fine, Don.”
“Someone deliberately put a laxative in your food, Hannah.” Don sighed again. “Abby’s father is furious because the evidence points to the last meal you ate.”
“But how is that possible?”
“That’s why Abby’s father is investigating who did it.”
Hannah didn’t answer. She hadn’t suspected anyone.
“I’ve been really worried about you, especially since you’re pregnant,” Don continued.
This time Hannah was visibly shocked. Her eyes widened as she stared at Don in disbelief.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“You’re pregnant. According to the doctor, you’re about ten weeks along, Hannah.”
Hannah felt like this was some kind of cruel joke. She laughed softly, but also began to cry, her emotions swirling. Then she shook her head hard.
“This is impossible, Don. The doctors told me I could never get pregnant.”
Don furrowed his brow. “You think I’m kidding? I heard it from the doctor, Hannah. Why would I make something like that up?”
“But…”
“You should focus on getting better now,” Don said with a smile. “Susan will be here tomorrow. I had to tell her everything.”
“It’s okay,” Hannah nodded.
“Now get some rest.”
Don got up and left the room. He walked quickly down the hospital corridor until he reached the VIP waiting room.
Three people were sitting inside: Abby’s father, Thomas, along with Abby and Anne. Both daughters looked pale. As Don arrived, Joan also entered the room.
“No one knows how this happened?” Thomas asked, glaring angrily at his daughters.
Anne looked at Abby, who remained silent. Abby’s expression was neutral, but her eyes showed concern. Anne’s anxiety became more apparent as she turned to Don and Joan, who joined them.
“I need to check the surveillance cameras and possibly deal with the authorities if Hannah decides to sue the restaurant,” Thomas muttered.
Joan sat across from Abby and Anne. “I’ll talk to Hannah and ask her to handle this privately, sir.”
Abby scoffed. “If it’s money she’s after, we’ll know what kind of woman she really is.”
“Oh, she’s lethal,” Joan chimed in. “Hannah Harrison could cause us serious trouble. If she wanted to, she could take over the company, not just the restaurant.”
Thomas was taken aback by Joan’s comment. Don, meanwhile, looked worried because he had tried to keep Hannah’s identity a secret.
“What do you mean, Joan?” Thomas asked.
“Sir, Hannah Harrison owns Texco in Summerhill. Her husband is a rising billionaire, and they’re very influential. If anything happens to her, I’m sure her husband will be furious,” Joan replied.
Abby and Anne grew even paler.
“I did some digging on her, and well… the results were unexpected,” Joan added.
Thomas sat in stunned silence for a moment before turning to Don, seemingly looking for an explanation. Don remained silent, as if he had known all along.
“A billionaire’s wife working in our company,” Thomas muttered. “Don, you must have known who she really is, right? What’s her motive for being here?”
“She has problems with her husband, sir. I’m sorry, but I’ve been asked to look after her while she takes some time for herself,” Don admitted, somewhat truthfully.
“If her husband finds out, we’re done,” Thomas muttered.
Suddenly, Anne stood up and pointed at Abby.
“This was all Abby’s idea, Dad!” Anne screamed in fear. “She told the restaurant staff to put this stuff in Hannah’s food.”
Abby’s eyes widened in anger. She stood up and slapped Anne hard. “You bitch!”
Suddenly, the fight escalated. Abby slapped Anne repeatedly while her younger sister retaliated by pulling Abby’s hair. Don and Joan rushed to separate the two sisters as they attacked each other, now that they had been exposed for endangering Hannah.
Don restrained Abby while Joan pushed Anne back and motioned for her to sit down.
“Haven’t you two worked things out? Why did you do this, Abby?” Don asked angrily. “Please don’t cause any more trouble. This is enough.”
Abby remained silent, tears streaming down her face. Thomas sighed, looked back and forth between his daughters, and shook his head in disbelief.
“I will speak with my daughters privately. Tomorrow I will personally apologize to Mrs. Hannah,” Thomas said in an official tone.
Thomas stood and motioned for his daughters to leave the waiting room. Abby and Anne followed him out, looking defeated.
“Don, make sure Mrs. Hannah gets everything she needs while she’s in the hospital. I don’t want any more problems with her,” Thomas ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Don nodded.
“You all rest up. I’ll stay with Hannah. But I need someone to cover for me at the office tomorrow,” Joan said.
“I’ll take care of that, Joan,” Don replied. “Please look after Hannah for me.”
After a short conversation, Thomas and Don left. Joan then made her way to Hannah’s room. Joan was still in shock after learning that Hannah was pregnant and had marital problems.
But Joan didn’t want to jump to conclusions. She would make sure to talk to Hannah about it so there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.