Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Mrs. Kendrick Slaps Noelle Lockwood and Stands Up for Estelle

Rose Lowell froze for a second before it dawned on her—this doctor in the white coat was cursing at her!

She immediately started screaming, "Who the hell do you think you are!!"

The nurse used to work at the hospital under Old Mr. Kendrick and usually addressed Eleanor Vance as ’Mrs. Kendrick’. In her panic, she forgot to use a different title. "Mrs. Kendrick, I’m sorry, I really couldn’t stop them..."

Before Eleanor Vance could speak, Rose Lowell suddenly blurted out, "Mrs. Kendrick?"

As if she had just realized something, she raised her voice. "So you’re the Mrs. Kendrick who’s been protecting Estelle Lockwood!"

Laura Jennings immediately understood as well. "Aha! No wonder Dr. Vance refuses to treat Noelle. It’s because you and that bitch Estelle Lockwood put her up to it! Do you have any medical ethics at all!!"

The nearby doctors and nurses were so exasperated they almost had to laugh. Even the most important person in the world would have to register at the hospital, and an appointment with a specialist like Dr. Vance was nearly impossible to get. If everyone just cut in line, what would the real patients do? How on earth was this a matter of medical ethics?

Eleanor Vance smoothed her hair. "Medical ethics is a term specific to human society. It doesn’t apply in places outside of it."

What did that mean...

Rose Lowell didn’t get it at first. She furrowed her brow, thinking hard, before her eyes widened and she shrieked, "Are you saying we’re not human?!!"

Laura Jennings was also trembling with rage. "You’re just a doctor, do you have any idea who I am? You’re asking for a death wish!"

She raised her voice. "I am the wife of the Head of the Sloans! I’m the matriarch of the Sloan Family! Who do you think you are, picking a fight with me on my own territory!"

Eleanor Vance raised an eyebrow. "Everyone calls me Mrs. Kendrick. Do I really need to know who you are?"

The only thing this Laura Jennings had going for her was her title: wife of the Head of the Sloans.

That title might be enough to intimidate others, but as Mrs. Kendrick, Eleanor Vance was completely unfazed.

’Normally, she couldn’t stand comparing notes on who had ’married well,’ but since someone was shoving it in her face, she wasn’t about to just take it.’

"You... you..." Laura Jennings was clearly apoplectic.

"Mom, Auntie, please don’t get so worked up."

Just then, Noelle Lockwood stepped forward with a gentle, helpless expression. She bowed to Eleanor Vance, her tone sincere.

"I’m sorry, Mrs. Kendrick. My mother and my aunt are just overly worried about me. My right ear was affected during the fire, and although it had nothing to do with my sister Estelle... still... I’m truly sorry for causing a disturbance at the hospital. It’s fine, Dr. Vance can just see patients in order. You don’t need to give me any special treatment."

It was impossible to find any fault with her words.

Contrasted with the hysterics from Laura Jennings and Rose Lowell, Noelle Lockwood appeared all the more gentle and understanding. A nearby doctor was on the verge of offering words of comfort.

But Eleanor Vance cut in coolly.

"How timely of you to apologize, Miss Lockwood. Not earlier, not later, but only after your mother has thrown a tantrum and cursed out all of my ancestors do you finally step forward. If you were so eager to apologize, where were you a moment ago?"

"Furthermore, that fire had nothing to do with Estelle Lockwood. It was your agent and your fans who committed arson and assault. Ultimately, it has more to do with you than anyone. So don’t stand there and subtly imply it was Yara’s fault you were trapped in the blaze!"

Eleanor Vance heavily emphasized the word "your."

It suddenly dawned on everyone. That’s right—Noelle Lockwood had been standing quietly in the back the entire time. If she had wanted to stop them, she could have done so much earlier.

Waiting until after Rose Lowell had finished her tirade to offer a phony apology—who was she trying to fool?

And about the fire, Estelle Lockwood was the most innocent victim. Why was Noelle Lockwood trying to pin the blame on her? It had to be intentional.

Noelle Lockwood’s face turned a shade paler. ’This trick always worked before. Why... Why isn’t it working now...’

"I’m sorry, Mrs. Kendrick. I just froze up. I didn’t realize my mother would go to such lengths for me, I’m so sorry..." Noelle Lockwood said, tears streaming down her face.

Her eyes shifted as a thought struck her. ’Estelle Lockwood is Mrs. Kendrick’s adopted daughter. Since Mrs. Kendrick also dotes on an adopted daughter, maybe we can find some common ground?’

Noelle Lockwood said with a pointed tone, "Mrs. Kendrick, again, I’m so sorry. My mother was just worried... You might not be aware, but I’m not the Lockwoods’ biological daughter. I’m just a humble adopted daughter."

Rose Lowell burst into tears. "My poor, poor daughter!"

’...? Now she’s playing the victim? Is she crazy? You think you’re humble? What about the true heiress you drove out of her home? Was she not humbled enough for you?’

Trying to find common ground with Mrs. Kendrick, Noelle Lockwood bit her lip. "Mrs. Kendrick, you also have an adopted daughter. You probably know what it’s like... adopted daughters are often unpopular at home, constantly overlooked... I was always ignored before, which is why my mother is so frantic now that I’m hurt."

Rose Lowell caught on. "That’s right, Mrs. Kendrick! Estelle is your adopted daughter, and Noelle is mine. Let’s have some empathy for each other. Tell me, isn’t my Noelle pitiful?"

Mrs. Kendrick almost laughed at their logic.

The Lockwood Family had driven Estelle Lockwood out for Noelle Lockwood’s sake, and Mrs. Kendrick, feeling sorry for Estelle, had been the one to take her in.

So how could Estelle Lockwood be put in the same category as Noelle Lockwood, as some ’unpresentable adopted daughter’? Why couldn’t Estelle return to her own home and be acknowledged by her biological parents?

How could this mother-daughter duo have the audacity to spew such shameless nonsense?

Mrs. Kendrick scoffed. "Miss Lockwood, you and our Yara are a little different."

Noelle Lockwood had a bad feeling.

Mrs. Kendrick was already speaking: "For one, our Yara hasn’t changed her last name to Kendrick. Two, she hasn’t tried to seize the Kendrick family’s assets. And three, she hasn’t caused any trouble with my biological children."

"But on your end, Miss Lockwood, I hear that the Lockwood’s true eldest daughter came home, only to be driven away because you didn’t like her."

The gazes of the surrounding nurses shifted. Secrets of the wealthy were always juicy gossip.

So, not only was this famous star an adopted daughter, but she had also gotten jealous and driven the real heiress away.

An adopted daughter who drove out the real one and still had the nerve to call herself humble? She had to be crazy.

Eleanor Vance’s gaze was so intense it felt as if it could burn a hole right through Noelle Lockwood.

"Though you are both ’adopted daughters,’ our Yara has integrity and impeccable character. Not all things are comparable. If you don’t understand that, Miss Lockwood, I don’t mind teaching you a lesson."

Noelle Lockwood’s expression froze! She never imagined Mrs. Kendrick would be so utterly unsparing!

’Who is she to say I’m not presentable? Who is she to say I can’t compare to Estelle? So what if I despise Estelle Lockwood and think she should drop dead? Every man for himself!’

But Noelle Lockwood had to maintain her gentle, polite persona. She could only grit her teeth and force a stiff smile. "...I apologize, Mrs. Kendrick. I wasn’t thinking that far ahead... Thank you for your lesson..."

"Mm," Eleanor Vance nodded.

Normally, a person would have replied, "You’re welcome."

But Eleanor Vance replied without the slightest compunction: "You should be."

Noelle Lockwood was so angry she choked on her words.

The more Laura Jennings watched, the more she felt this was going wrong. They had brought Noelle here to see a doctor, not to have her be relentlessly criticized!

"Say whatever you want, you’re not Dr. Vance! Is the esteemed Mrs. Kendrick going to try and coerce Dr. Vance? I refuse to believe Dr. Vance won’t treat our Noelle. Our Noelle is so kind-hearted, I’m sure Dr. Vance is well aware of that!"

Having said her piece, Eleanor Vance gestured for security, ready to have the women removed.

But at that moment, she caught sight of a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Eleanor Vance paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

’Nathaniel Sloan... I wonder just how much of his professed concern for Estelle is real, and how much is fake?’

’If Nathaniel Sloan had to choose right now, what would he do?’