CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 84: WHY IS HEAVEN SO CRUEL?

Claire Yorick felt a pang in her heart.

"It’s okay, Luna. Lawyer Rhodes is very nice. She won’t mind these things. You can relax a bit."

Claire Yorick reached out, wanting to pat the little girl’s head.

Due to chemotherapy, the little girl had lost all her hair and always wore a fuzzy pink hat when going out. Claire Yorick knew that Matthew Willow had bought that hat for her, and the little girl cherished it like a treasure.

Claire Yorick felt a mix of emotions, her eyes stinging. Her outstretched hand paused in mid-air before gently coming down to pat the little girl’s hat.

"Don’t worry, Luna. Lawyer Rhodes will definitely help with your brother’s case!"

"Mm-hmm." The tension and anxiety on the little girl’s face faded away, revealing a smile. In a crisp voice, she said, "Thank you, Sister Claire and Lawyer Rhodes."

Talia listened to the conversation in the back seat and sighed heavily in her heart.

What a hard life they have.

Why do ropes always break at the thinnest part, and misfortune always finds those with the hardest lives?

Talia, with her strong empathy and sensitivity, felt a deep sadness when faced with such situations, her eyes even becoming wet.

She collected herself, adjusted her emotions, and turned to speak to the people in the back, "Claire, could you help Luna with her seatbelt?"

"Sure."

...

Matthew Willow and Luna Willow lived in the same hospital.

A regular public hospital, with four cramped beds in the small ward.

It was early winter, with cold winds blowing outside and low temperatures, so the ward’s windows were tightly closed.

As Talia entered, she caught the sour stench coming from the man’s bed by the door. Who knows how long it had been since he last bathed, and Talia almost couldn’t hold back a gag.

She frowned, suppressing her discomfort, and followed Luna further into the ward.

Matthew was lying on the bed at the innermost part.

The man was leaning against his pillow, staring out the window at the falling dry leaves, lost in thought.

"Brother," Luna called out, her voice crisp and clear.

Matthew immediately turned his head, "Luna, you’re here. Have you eaten?"

Luna nodded, smiling back, "Mm-hmm! I just ate."

She was lying.

She had snuck out of the hospital earlier in the morning to find Claire Yorick for help, and she hadn’t had time to eat yet.

She had to lie to keep her brother from worrying.

"Claire, you came too," Matthew greeted Claire Yorick with a smile.

After greeting, Matthew’s eyes shifted hesitantly to Talia’s face, "And this is?"

Claire Yorick replied, "This is a lawyer from our firm. You can call her Lawyer Rhodes."

Talia Rhodes nodded in greeting, "Hello. I’ve already heard about your situation from Claire. Can we talk more about it? I can help you seek compensation from your former employer."

Matthew’s expression was complicated, and he stammered, "I... I’m sorry, Lawyer Rhodes, I don’t have the money to pay for legal fees..."

The man gave an awkward smile, "As you can see, I’m in a situation where I can barely afford my medical bills, let alone hiring a lawyer... I’m really sorry to have wasted your trip."

Talia solemnly said, "It’s okay, Mr. Willow. You can pay the legal fees once you receive compensation from the other side. I’ll sign a full-risk contract for you."

Matthew looked puzzled, "What is a full-risk contract?"

Talia explained, "It means that if you lose the case, you don’t have to pay a single cent."

Hearing Talia’s words, Matthew’s eyes changed, "Can it really be like that?"

"Of course," Talia said seriously.

Matthew said, "Then... okay."

"Good," Talia nodded, "I need to ask you about some specific details of the case now."

Claire Yorick said, "Lawyer Rhodes, you go ahead and talk. I’ll take Luna back to her ward."

After understanding the situation, Matthew took out his phone.

"Lawyer Rhodes, that’s basically the situation. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask, or perhaps we can add each other on WeChat for easy contact."

"Sure," Talia took out her phone and opened WeChat, "I’ll scan you."

In their field, adding clients on WeChat was common.

After exchanging contact information, Matthew opened a food delivery app with a yellow icon.

His entire right hand was gone, with white bandages wrapped around the wrist.

Matthew struggled to swipe the phone screen with his left hand, choosing food delivery.

Talia glanced at it, "Let me help you."

Matthew smiled sheepishly, "Sorry to trouble you, Lawyer Rhodes."

Talia picked up Matthew’s phone and was suddenly stunned.

On the screen were all food options below ten yuan.

Talia looked at the interface.

Pieced-together meals.

She had never known there were meals this cheap.

Talia furrowed her brows slightly. At such a low price, even the cost couldn’t be covered, right?

It’s easy to imagine what kind of raw materials these meals used.

Seeing Talia frowning without moving for a while, Matthew looked puzzled, "What’s the matter, Lawyer Rhodes? Just choose anything under ten yuan."

Talia handed the phone back to him, "I suddenly remembered that I saw someone selling ready-made lunch boxes downstairs at the hospital. They’re also ten yuan each. Why don’t I go down and buy for you instead? It’s faster than delivery, and you can eat sooner."

"Ah? Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?"

Talia shook her head, "No trouble, it’s just downstairs. You wait here."

Talia left the hospital and walked into a roadside restaurant.

She took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to Claire Yorick.

[Has Luna not had lunch yet?]

Claire Yorick quickly replied.

[She probably hasn’t. She came to find me at around nine in the morning, and we haven’t had time to eat yet.]

[Okay.]

She ordered meals for three, all light and suitable for patients.

Suddenly thinking of something, she called to hire two caregivers.

Carrying the packed food back to the hospital, the two caregivers she hired had already arrived.

One was male, and the other female.

Talia handed one meal to the male caregiver, "This is for the patient in the inpatient department, 5th floor, room 503, bed 4. His name is Matthew Willow, and he’s the one you’re taking care of."

The male caregiver took the meal and nodded, "Got it."

Talia handed the other two meals to the female caregiver, "These are for the patient in the 6th floor, room 602, bed 3."

After doing all this, Talia also went to the hospital’s payment counter to pay the hospitalization and treatment fees for Matthew and Luna Willow.

Leaving the hospital.

Talia received a WeChat transfer from Matthew Willow.

[Lawyer Rhodes, you are a good person. Thank you for being willing to help my sister and me.]

[The nurse just told me that someone paid the fees my sister and I owed. Was it you? Thank you so much, really. Once I get compensation from the factory, I’ll pay you back.]

Talia felt troubled at heart and replied with a simple "Mm."

She didn’t accept the transfer.

The cold wind was biting, blowing through Talia’s hair.

She stood by the flower bed at the hospital entrance, unable to calm her emotions for a long time.

Claire Yorick stood behind her, wiping her tears and choking back sobs, "Lawyer Rhodes, the hospital just issued another critical condition notice for Luna. The attending physician said they still can’t find matching bone marrow. If it’s not found soon, Luna... she won’t have many days left... Why is her life so hard... She’s such a kind and lovely girl... she’s only eleven years old, how can heaven be so cruel..."

Claire Yorick’s tears flowed uncontrollably, crying until she couldn’t stop.

Talia’s eyes were also filled with warmth.

She stood in the cold wind, with her nose tip reddened by the chill, her heart stifled.

Luna was only eleven, and her life was running out.

Matthew had quit school early to work and earn money for his sister. Now, he was crippled and lost his ability to work. He had only just turned nineteen.

A long silence ensued.

Talia took out her phone and made a call.

"Help me contact an expert in leukemia treatment. Also, come to Eastgate Hospital on Minghua Road and arrange a transfer for a pair of siblings."