Beggar Husband is now a Quadrillionaire Heir

Chapter 5

Patricia collapsed. Her legs simply gave out beneath her, and she crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Her face had gone from pale to gray, and her hands shook violently as she stared up at Joshua in horror.

Joshua stood frozen for a moment, his mind processing what had just happened. Then it clicked. His old phone—the screen lag, the stuttering, his desperate tapping. In his panic, he must have accidentally typed extra zeros. He'd meant to pay one hundred thousand. He'd paid one hundred million.

"I..." Joshua raised his hand, his voice surprisingly calm despite the chaos. "I'm the Joshua Hart who made that transfer."

Robert Bernard's tablet nearly slipped from his hands. "You? You're the—" He looked Joshua up and down, taking in the worn jeans, the faded jacket, the scuffed shoes. "You transferred one hundred million dollars to this hospital?"

"It was an accident," Joshua began, but before he could explain further, another voice cut through the tension.

"What the hell is going on down here?"

Everyone turned to see Dr. Gerald Matthews, the hospital director, striding down the corridor. He was a distinguished man in his late fifties, his silver hair perfectly combed, his white coat pristine. His expression was thunderous.

Bernard rushed forward. "Director Matthews! This is the man—Joshua Hart. He's the one who transferred the one hundred million dollars."

Dr. Matthews stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened, then narrowed as he studied Joshua with sudden intensity. "You transferred one hundred million dollars to Mercy General?"

"Yes, but—"

"My God." Dr. Matthews' face went pale. His hands clenched at his sides. "You're here to acquire the hospital, aren't you? You're planning a hostile takeover."

"What? No—"

"Please." Dr. Matthews' voice cracked slightly, his professional composure slipping. "This hospital has served this community for sixty years. My father built it. My grandfather before him. It's not just a business—it's a legacy. If you want control, we can discuss terms, but please don't dismantle what we've built here. These people need this hospital."

"Director Matthews, stop." Joshua raised both hands. "I'm not here to buy anything. I don't want to acquire the hospital."

"Then why—"

"Because I was trying to pay for my mother's emergency surgery." Joshua's voice hardened. "One hundred thousand dollars. That's what I meant to transfer. My phone is old, it was lagging, and I accidentally added zeros. But I was trying to pay because your staff—" he gestured sharply toward Patricia, who was still collapsed on the floor, "—refused to treat her. They were literally dragging my dying mother out of her room to throw her onto the street."

Dr. Matthews' expression shifted from fear to confusion to mounting fury. "They were doing what?"

"It's true," Bernard confirmed, checking his tablet. "The transfer was labeled as payment for medical services for an Elizabeth Hart. Emergency surgery."

Dr. Matthews turned slowly toward Patricia, his face darkening. "Nurse Wilson. Get up."

Patricia struggled to her feet, tears streaming down her face. "Director Matthews, I can explain—"

"Explain?" Dr. Matthews' voice was ice. "Explain how you were expelling a critically ill patient? Explain how you violated every principle this hospital stands for?"

"She—she's been here for weeks without payment," Patricia stammered. "We have policies—"

"We have payment plans!" Dr. Matthews roared. "We have hardship waivers! We have a charity care program! I personally instituted those programs! I have waived or reduced fees for hundreds of families in this community, and you think I would ever authorize throwing a dying woman onto the street?"

Jennifer and Susan, who had been trying to edge away quietly, froze as the director's gaze swept over them.

"Were you two involved in this as well?" Dr. Matthews demanded.

Neither woman could meet his eyes. Their silence was answer enough.

Patricia dropped to her knees. "Please, Director Matthews. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I was just—I was following orders."

"Orders?" Dr. Matthews' eyes narrowed. "Whose orders?"

Patricia's voice dropped to a whisper. "Mark Sullivan. Mrs. Natalie Cavesh's personal assistant. He... he paid me a thousand dollars to make sure Mr. Hart's mother was removed from the hospital today."

The corridor went silent. Joshua felt rage explode through him like a physical force. His hands clenched into fists so tight his nails bit into his palms.

"Mark bribed you?" Joshua's voice was deadly quiet. "He paid you to let my mother die?"

"I'm sorry!" Patricia sobbed. "I needed the money! My rent was due and I thought—I thought it would just be one patient, one time. I didn't think—"

"You didn't think?" Dr. Matthews' face had gone purple with fury. "You took a bribe to violate your oath? To endanger a patient's life?"

"Please don't fire me," Patricia begged, her hands clasped together. "I have bills, I have a family—"

"You should have thought of that before you sold your integrity for a thousand dollars!" Dr. Matthews turned to the security guards who had just arrived. "Get her out of my hospital. You're terminated, Nurse Wilson. Effective immediately. I'll be reporting this to the state nursing board. You'll never work in healthcare again."

"No! Please!" Patricia's sobs became hysterical. "I'm sorry! I'll never do it again! Please, Director Matthews!"

"Security!" Dr. Matthews snapped.

Two burly guards moved forward, each taking one of Patricia's arms. She struggled, still crying, still begging, but they dragged her toward the exit. Her voice echoed through the corridor even as they pulled her around the corner.

"You two." Dr. Matthews turned to Jennifer and Susan, who both flinched. "I'll be reviewing security footage. If I find you were complicit in this, you're next. Get back to work. Now."

They fled without a word.

Dr. Matthews took a deep breath, visibly trying to control his rage. Then he turned to Joshua, and his expression softened. "Mr. Hart, I cannot apologize enough for what happened here today. This is unconscionable. Your mother will receive the absolute best care this hospital can provide, and naturally, I'll be refunding the one hundred million dollars immediately."

"No," Joshua said.

Dr. Matthews blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Keep the money." Joshua looked at his mother, still lying unconscious on the gurney. "But I have a condition."

"Anything."

"Use it to establish a fund. A fund to help patients from poor families who can't afford treatment. Make sure what happened to my mother today never happens to anyone else." Joshua's voice was firm. "Make sure no one ever has to watch their loved one being dragged out to die because they can't pay."