The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 86

My chest felt heavy with frustration. I sighed, "Did you really call just to ask about that?"

"Well, yes and no..." Lucille hesitated, uncharacteristically stumbling over her words. "This is your first business trip, isn't it? Can't a mother just show some concern?"

Knowing Lucille, this call was never going to be that simple.

"I'm really busy right now. If there's nothing else, I'm going to hang up..."

"Wait a minute, Selena," Lucille quickly cut me off, hesitating for a few seconds before adding, "It's about your father's contract at the care center. It's expiring soon, and honestly, the current facility is a bit average. I was wondering if you could talk to Ferris and see if we could upgrade him to a more comfortable place?"

A more comfortable place.

I repeated those words in my head, feeling a bitter, helpless laugh bubbling up inside.

The fact that the Sterling family was paying for my dad's medical care at Greenwood Care Center was already a massive favor. Yet Lucille was still unsatisfied and was actively trying to upgrade his lifestyle. She wasn't just treating Ferris like an endless ATM; she was actively making my life infinitely harder.

Asking for this kind of financial favor would be incredibly difficult even for a deeply loving couple, let alone asking a man who didn't love me at all.

My nose stung. Remembering the strict loan agreement I had signed with Ferris, I tactfully replied, "The current care center is perfectly fine. Please don't stir up unnecessary trouble."

"What do you mean, 'stir up unnecessary trouble', Selena?" Lucille's voice instantly spiked in anger. "I'm just thinking about your father! As his daughter, shouldn't you be showing some filial piety?"

I was suddenly at a loss for words.

Did showing filial piety mean sucking up to the Sterling family and shamelessly begging Ferris for handouts?

I muttered a random excuse and ended the call.

Standing in the middle of the bustling luxury mall, I watched the endless stream of shoppers moving back and forth like a human exhibition. Everyone had their own expressions and goals—laughing, looking tired, lingering, or rushing. It was so incredibly lively, yet my heart felt completely abandoned and isolated.

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