CHAPTER 8 – CATFIGHT

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Due to Dr. Blaire's insistence, Monica and her family agreed to accompany him to their hotel for a victory party. He emphasized that it would just be a small gathering, unaware that Dr. Blaire's parents had prepared a surprise for their only child.

As soon as Monica entered the events room, they were greeted by a large crowd, all eyes on them. The De Guzman couple was visibly surprised by what they saw, as that evening was supposed to mark an agreement between their family and the family of one of the wealthiest individuals in the country, where their children would be betrothed to each other.

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GABRIELLA MONICA JIMENEZ POV

I'm still in shock with everything that's happening. We're here in front with Dr. Blaire, just the three of us, as Riley had excused himself to go to the bathroom for a moment. My nervousness escalates even further when I see Madam Olivia and Dr. Benjamin. Their stares at us are intense, scrutinizing us from head to toe. I almost wish I could disappear at that moment. I can't handle the embarrassment I'm feeling.

But what worries me more are Mama and Faith. They're equally lost, clinging to me for support. I can hear Faith crying softly.

"Monica? Why are we here? Everyone's staring at us. I want to go home, I'm so embarrassed," she whispers, holding onto me tightly.

But I can't do anything about it. Making a scene might make things worse for us. So, I just try to calm her down.

"Don't worry, we'll leave soon," I assure her.

I'm just waiting for the right moment for us to leave this place. Suddenly, Dr. Blaire is called to the stage.

"Can we please call on our new CEO, Dr. Blaire De Guzman?" the host announces, and Dr. Blaire immediately walks towards the stage.

And as soon as Dr. Blaire steps onto the stage, I see the opportunity for us to finally leave. But we're all surprised when two bodyguards suddenly block us, preventing us from leaving.

"Hey, where are you going? Just stay here!" one of them shouts, refusing to let us leave despite our pleas. The bodyguard reveals that it's Madam Olivia's orders, and when I look at her, she's grinning strangely, her gaze sharp.

I don't know what Madam Olivia wants from us, because while Dr. Blaire is speaking, the bodyguards instruct us to sit near where Madam Olivia and Sir Benjamin are seated.

And we can't do anything but obey the bodyguards as I'm really trying my best to avoid messing up the party.

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Meanwhile, while sitting next to Madam Olivia, I couldn't help but overhear the whispers around me.

"Olivia, I thought your son didn't have a girlfriend? But who is that girl with him? And it seems like he's also with her family. I'm getting confused, Olivia. Can you please explain what's happening?" said the lady beside Madam Olivia.

"No, Dorothy. You know what, don't believe everything you see. Do you really think my son would choose that girl? Oh my freakin' god, there's no way, Dorothy. Just look at her—her dress is so tacky. It's all wrinkled, and those heels! Did you see her heels? My god, they look like they're from a thrift shop. What a cheap girl indeed, which is why I see no chance of her being my son's girlfriend. Zero percent chance," and they laughed together. It seemed she was intentionally making us hear their conversation.

At that moment, Faith was already in tears from what she was hearing. The whispering and mocking of our attire continued, but I tried to calm her down. I even gave her my phone to help her relax a little.

Finally, Dr. Blaire finished speaking, but he remained on stage as the host called Madam Olivia to join him.

"Okay, good evening ladies and gentlemen. (Sigh!) I know all of you are in shock right now. Actually, I am too. But before anything else, I'd like to congratulate my son on becoming the new CEO of St. Rose Hospital. I'm so proud of you, dear. I know you deserve this position because you're very smart and dedicated to your work. But you know—as much as I am proud of you and I love you, please my son, if you are going to bring your muchachas again, can you please inform us? So that everyone is not confused. Your Dad and I almost called the police thinking beggars had gatecrashed our event, oh my god." Madam Olivia said, shaking her head. And everyone laughed.

I just bowed my head in embarrassment, tears slowly streaming down my face as Madam Olivia continued insulting us.

"What are you talking about, Mom? That's Monica! She's one of our nurses! Stop making fun of her!" Dr. Blaire whispered angrily to his mom, but she just laughed it off.

"Oh really? This girl in a red tacky dress is a nurse? Oh my god, I'm really sorry, I didn't recognize her because it's not obvious at all!" She suddenly moved closer to me. "I am sorry, Monica, for mistaking you guys for beggars. Because girl, oh my god, look at that cheap-looking dress. You are a nurse, so you better dress up properly. You're lucky the guard let you in—"

Madam Olivia was interrupted when Mama pushed her hands away from my dress. While insulting my dress, she had been holding onto it, which is why Mama Emma pushed her hands away.

"Let go of my daughter! Get your hands off her!" Mama shouted angrily.

Madam Olivia looked surprised and upset by what Mama did.

"I cannot stand your insults against my daughter anymore! And who are you to talk like that? You may be rich, but everyone can see how uneducated and ill-mannered you are! You're such a disgrace, you stupid!!" Mama added.

Everyone was stunned by what was happening. Madam Olivia was triggered and spoke to Mama, visibly furious.

"Hey, you old btch! How dare you call me stupid and uneducated?! Maybe you want me to slap you with my diplomas and medals?! My god! I'm amazed at your audacity. You don't seem to know who you're talking to. You have no fcking idea who I am, idiot!!" she screamed at Mama, pointing and gesturing aggressively.

Two bodyguards held Madam Olivia back because it seemed like she wanted to hurt Mama. They immediately separated them, but Madam Olivia continued to shout and aggressively tried to get to Mama.

She managed to break free, heading straight for Mama. I saw her and hugged Mama tightly, protecting her from Madam Olivia.

"I'll make you see who you just called stupid!!" Madam Olivia shouted, her hand raised, heading towards Mama.

"Mamaaaaa!!" Faith and I screamed when we saw that Mama had been hit. It seemed to have gotten worse as her head slammed hard against the wall, causing everyone to panic.

Seeing Mama's condition, I couldn't hold back anymore and rushed towards Madam Olivia.

"You'll pay for what you did to my mama!!!" I grabbed her hair, pulling her to the floor, and we both fell. She grabbed my hair too, but my entire body felt numb with rage. All I could hear was her screaming in pain.

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LORENZO MIGUEL SAMANIEGO POV

No f*cking way! This is exactly what I was anticipating. From the moment they walked in, I could sense that something bad was going to happen, and I was right.

Chaos erupted inside, and security personnel flooded the area. I rushed over, especially when I saw Emma, Monica's mom, hitting her head by Olivia. It looked serious as she lost consciousness from the impact against the wall. We could all hear the loud thud, which was incredibly alarming.

Fortunately, there were plenty of nurses and doctors around, so she received immediate attention. Just then, Riley arrived, tears streaming down his face, and rushed to Monica's Mom.. "Oh my God, what's happening here? Mama Emma, Mama Emma, wake up!" he cried, his voice trembling with fear and concern.

So much was happening. Some police officers had arrived as well. But wait? Where is Monica by the way? Then suddenly, I heard some shouting. The next thing I knew, Monica was lying on the ground, so I quickly ran towards her.

"Monica! Monicaaaa!" I shouted, and when I got closer, Blaire was holding her.

Seeing this, my anger flared. He was just tapping her and shouting uselessly, so I took Monica from him. "Move the hell out! Let go of Monica! Are you an idiot?!" I shouted at Blaire and pushed him in my frustration. He looked like he wanted to retaliate, but Jeric was there to stop him.

I gently laid Monica down and checked her pulse; she seemed fine. Dr. Charles assisted me and gave me a cloth with ice to help with her blood flow and quickly regain consciousness.

After a few moments, I felt Monica start to move, so I slowly helped her sit up. I supported her and decided to carry her since the ambulance had arrived, and they were already loading Monica's mother onto a stretcher.

However, as we were about to leave, the police stopped us.

"Wait, sir. We need to investigate Monica here because she was involved in an assault. Madam Olivia sustained some minor injuries, and we need a report from her for our investigation," one officer said.

So I was taken aback. Because they could clearly see Monica's condition, being carried by me, she was still weak from her earlier fainting spell and now they want her to go to the station just to give a report? It seems like these police officers are acting strangely. It's obvious that they're just following orders from the De Guzmans. It's really disappointing.

And speaking of De Guzman, I was surprised when Blaire suddenly appeared, and he was seething with anger. And he was like about to attack but was blocked by Jeric. "Who the hell do you think you are? And why are you carrying Monica? Put her down!!" he yelled.

And he was livid, forcefully trying to pull Monica down, who was still recovering from her earlier fainting spell. I quickly instructed Jeric to intervene and lead the enraged Blaire away from Monica's vicinity.

As I prepared to depart, the police once again obstructed our path, insisting that Monica accompany them to the precinct to provide an explanation for the altercation.

However, I pleaded with them, emphasizing Monica's fragile state and expressing concern that the ambulance might depart without us.

"Apologies, but Monica can't accompany you at the moment. Just look at her condition, she's still weak from what happened earlier. And why are you so insistent on taking her? Is it because the De Guzmans have ordered you to, and you're afraid of them? What if I told you that I have footage of the entire incident? It clearly shows who initiated the conflict. I'm certain those you're protecting will face legal consequences. So, if I were you, I'd step aside because we're in a hurry."

The police appeared stunned and unsure how to respond. As I navigated past them, I hastened towards the waiting ambulance, eager to ensure Monica received the care she needed without further delay.

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