I've Been There Before

Chapter 38: Wanted Respect

Ruby carefully raised her head and looked at Sheila, she didn't answer Sheila and instead asked her, "Sheila, do you like Mr. Cordon?"

Sheila immediately waved her hands, "Not me, I'm talking about the others. There are so many that are in love with Mr. Cordon:

The sternness in Ruby's faded away, she advised Sheila, "It's good that you didn't fall in love with Mr. Cordon, you see, with his status, he must be picky about his partner, the person who can be Mr. Cordon's girlfriend must be an outstanding person”

"Mr. Cordon is just playing around at the Royal Club, all the coquettish and flirtatious women wouldn't catch his eyes. Sheila, I'm not putting us down, but Mr. Cordon must have high-expectations, don't you go crazy along with the lascivious people, or you'll be the one hurting in the end.

After she finished her lecture, she looked at Sheila, Sheila's hung her head low and she was not saying anything. Ruby pursed her lips and held Sheila's hand,

"Sheila, I'm saying this for your own good. You see, I don't just tell anyone this, we are friends and I don't want to see you get hurt”

Sheila looked a bit awkward, "I know Ruby, I'm going back to work.” Even though Ruby probably said that for Sheila's own

good, Sheila's pride was still hurt.

Ruby didn't think much and left for the hospital.

She went into the ward and Grace was still unconscious, she puckered her lips, "Such a pain’

She talked to the doctor and the doctor mentioned that the wound on Grace's forehead looked bad, but it was actually not that bad, she only lost some blood because she was rushed to the hospital late. The real problem was Grace's fragile body, she wasn't very healthy.

It was the next day in the afternoon when Grace regained consciousness, her fever went down but her body temperature was still higher than normal.

She opened her eyes, her throat was parched, she said hoarsely, "Thirsty..”

The sound woke Ruby up, she rubbed her nose bridge and glanced at Grace, "Wait, said Ruby coldly. She then poured her a

cup of water.

Grace took the water from Ruby, she didn't say anything and finished the water quietly.

She didn't say anything even after she finished the water.

It was quiet in the ward, Grace closed her eyes, waiting for the other party to say something.

Suddenly.

"You hit your forehead on the door handle, it is going to leave a scar. But you seem to have quite a few scars on your forehead

already, it shouldn't be a big deal adding another to the count. Don't tell anybody about this, I've applied for some days off for you at the Royal Club, you should go back to work once your fever goes down. I paid for all the hospital costs, while you're warded, I will bring you three meals on time"

Grace was still not saying anything.

Ruby was getting angry, she thought that Grace was testing her patience, "Do you hear me? This whole incident was not just my fault, you are to blame as well.

Nobody spends the night outside of the apartment after getting soaked in the rain, that's why you got such a high fever,

otherwise, you wouldn't have stumbled from a slight touch from me:

Grace continued to stay silent.

Ruby couldn't help but raise her voice, "What do you want from me? I rushed you to the hospital, and if it wasn't for me, you'll

be long dead from the high fever. I also paid your hospital costs!"

"I'm just a university student, I'm working part-time during the summer break just to earn some extra income for my studies and my daily expenses. I don't have much money but I still paid the hospital fee for you. Yet you're still not letting this go, Grace, just name your price, how much do you want from me?"

Grace hung her head low and was still all clammed up.

Ruby was furious, “What do you want, just say it!”

Ruby was ready to pay a lot of money because Grace was known to be a greedy person, she wouldn't have let go of this

blackmailing opportunity.

Grace gave her a disdainful look.

She looked up slowly and looked at Ruby, her voice was hoarse and coarse, it was piercing, she said nonchalantly, "I want

you to apologize."

Ruby's eyes were wide open, she couldn't believe her ears, "You want me to apologize?" Her voice was piercing as she repeated herself, "You want me to apologize?”

It was unbelievable, to Ruby, apologizing to Grace was something shameful and absurd.

"Say it, how much do you want from me?" Ruby sneered.

Grace who was lying on the bed shook her head, she said slowly but surely, "I just want an apology from you.”

"You!" Ruby glared at Grace, she was boiling with anger, she said coldly, "What if I don't apologize, are you planning to tell ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

people about this incident? Making up stories as you go?”

Grace stayed quiet, apologizing after doing something wrong was common sense, was it not?

Ruby was too repulsed by it, was saying sorry to Grace something so hard to do?

Grace thought to herself, if it was someone else instead, would Ruby still act like that?

She sighed and heard Ruby sighed as well, she still stayed silent. She wasn't mad about not getting an apology, deep down she just wanted Ruby to respect her as a normal human being.

Even though she understood, since long ago nobody ever respected her as a normal human being anymore.

Caden Shaw... Such a powerful man, he could really just ruin a person's life if he wanted to, from head to toes, from inside to outside, completely destroyed.

She thought to herself remorsefully, she couldn't ask for anything nor that she should ask for anything, she wasn't entitled to receive ‘respect* from anyone anymore.

“Grace, even if I were to give you all the money I have, I would never say sorry to you. I can kneel down for money I can act like a bitch for money I can wag my tail to please any rich person, but Grace, if it's you, even if I did something wrong, you don't deserve an apology from me,’ Ruby waa vehement.

‘Tell people about the incident if you want to, but nobody will believe you, don't say didn't warn you. I’m a student studying at the S University I worked hard and studied hard, you're nothing but a greedy woman who would do anything for money. What do you think, would people believe your words or mine?”

Grace clenched her fist as she was being talked dawn, she treed to hold i1 in, tried to suppress the pain in her chest, Ruby had left the ward after saying all the horrible things, she slammed the door as she beft. Grace looked at the white ceiling sluggishly she let the pain eat away her body she felt powerless.

She thought she wouldn't feel pain anymore, she thought pride was nothing to her anymore.

“What's with me today” she muttered to herself, her voice gruff, It must be the fever’ ste answered to herself.

Grace knew very well that she wasn't looking for an apology, but she just wanted to be treated like a fellow human being.

A streak of pain flashed through her eyes, she just wanted Ruby to say sorry.

Was she asking for a lot?

“It's my bad, I asked for too much”

‘She put her head down, “I shouldn't ask for the impoesitte; it was as if she was persuading herself and coaxing herself, she said it to herself again and again as if she was trying to hypnotize herself, Don't ever ask for 100 much, don't ask for the impossible.”