From Loser to Mighty

I proved it

A terrifying silence enveloped Grandma Maura's room. Grandma's body lay stiff, motionless. The medical monitor showed a flatline, her heartbeat at zero. The air felt heavy, filled with disbelief and intense horror.

Uncle Richard was the first to react. His face turned beet red, his eyes bulging. "You killed Grandma!" he roared, his voice cracking with rage and grief. Richard lunged towards Dave, his hands clenched into fists.

Aunt Sonia screamed hysterically. "Murderer! He killed Grandma! Catch him!" She collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Alex glared at Dave. "I'm going to finish you, you bastard!" He joined the charge, trying to attack Dave.

Doctor Albert checked the monitor. "Her heartbeat is zero. Mrs. Maura is gone." He regretted entrusting his patient's safety to someone he didn't know. He looked at Dave with a gaze full of hatred. "What did you do?! You killed her!"

"Grandma... No!" Karina stood frozen, looking at Grandma's bed, then turning to Dave. Without hesitation, Karina slapped Dave. "Dave, what did you do?! You said you could save her!"

Dave stood tall amidst the storm of anger. His clothes were soaked, but he didn't show an ounce of fear or panic. His face was calm, his eyes sharp. He ignored the shouts and insults directed at him. He knew what he had done. He knew this was part of the process.

"Calm down," Dave said, his voice low but clear, cutting through the uproar. "Grandma isn't dead yet."

Dave's words only triggered greater fury.

"Not dead yet?!" Uncle Richard grabbed Dave by the collar. "See for yourself! The monitor shows she's dead! You killed her with your poison!"

Dave easily brushed Richard's hand away. "That's not poison. That's an antidote. That reaction was a cleansing process. The poison in Grandma's body is being expelled. This is a critical phase, but she will be fine."

"Nonsense!" Doctor Albert snapped. "There's no cleansing process that makes a heart stop! You're just trying to cover up your crime!"

"You think we're stupid?!" Alex yelled. "You killed Grandma right before our eyes! You'll pay for this!"

The guards, whom Richard had earlier ordered to drag Dave out, now lunged at him. Dave dodged nimbly, only evading without retaliating. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

"I didn't kill Grandma," Dave said, his voice remaining calm and direct. "The poison had paralyzed her nervous system, making her unable to breathe and weakening her heart. The concoction I gave her works to bind the poison and remove it from the body. This process will make her body react, including convulsions and a temporary cessation of vital functions."

"The convulsions are a good sign," Dave continued. "It means my concoction is working. The stopped heartbeat is only temporary. Her body is cleansing itself. Give it time."

"Time?!" Aunt Sonia shrieked. In truth, she didn't care about her mother-in-law's death. It would be better if the old woman died so the company's assets could be handed over to her husband and son. But to save face and improve her image, she also had an opportunity to get rid of him, so she was very eager to blame Dave.

"Grandma isn't breathing! You're just stalling to escape, aren't you?!"

"You're a murderer!" Uncle Richard pointed at Dave. "I'll make sure you rot in prison!"

Karina looked at Dave, her eyes filled with accusation. "It was my mistake to trust you!"

"Karina, I told you. This is part of the healing process," Dave replied. "I can't explain it to you if you've already lost faith."

"Heal?!" Doctor Albert sneered. "From death? You think you're God?!"

"I never said I was God," Dave retorted. "But my knowledge goes far beyond what you can imagine. That poison is very subtle and dangerous. If I hadn't acted quickly, Grandma would have died slowly without anyone knowing the exact cause."

"You're just trying to cover up your failure!" Alex accused. "You knew you couldn't heal her, so you killed her so no one would know!"

"Enough!" Uncle Richard ordered the guards. "Drag him out! Don't let him stay here any longer!"

Two guards grabbed Dave's arms. Dave could have easily broken free, but he chose not to resist. He let them drag him a little, just to show that he wasn't going to run away.

"Oh my goodness, you guys really have a hard time believing me," Dave sighed. "Just wait a bit, Mrs. Winter's gonna be okay."

"No way!" Aunt Sonia shrieked. "Grandma's gone! You killed her!"

Aunt Sonia's reaction made Dave suspicious. She looked angry and sad, but on the other hand, Dave could kinda tell she was actually stoked. Her heartbeat felt different.

"Karina, look what you've done!" Uncle Richard blamed Karina again. "You brought this murderer into our house!"

Karina fell silent, unable to defend herself. She saw the angry, hateful looks from her uncle and aunt. "I thought Grandma would be safe because he said he could do it."

Alex scolded his cousin. "I can't believe how stupid you are. At a time like this, you're still falling for some loser's tricks!"

"Yeah, you idiot!" Aunt Sonia added. "What a waste that Grandma ever saved you and gave you a good education!"

Uncle Richard joined in insulting Karina. "I told Mom that taking care of that granddaughter was useless. But she never believed me," he said emotionally. "Now see for yourself what happened to her! The granddaughter she took care of even caused her to die in vain!"

"Uncle—"

"You'd better do some self-reflection after this too! Uncle Richard flared up, his gaze so sharp. Think about whether you still deserve to use the Winter name. Reflect on your mistake that killed Grandma!"

Karina, who was continuously cornered and blamed, could only cry. In front of all of them, she admitted her mistake and promised to atone for it all.

"Karina, don't listen to them!" Dave bravely cut them off. "Just wait a bit, Grandma will miraculously be fine!"

Doctor Albert looked at Dave with a skeptical gaze. "You're talking about miracles. This makes no sense in medical science."

"Your medical science is limited," Dave retorted. "There are things in this world that your science can't explain. This poison is one of them. And so is its antidote."

"You're bragging!" Uncle Richard sneered. "You just want to trick us!"

"I don't care what you guys think about me," Dave said, his voice firm. "I know what I'm doing. And I'm not leaving until Grandma wakes up. And if I can prove it, I want all of you to kneel before me and apologize to Karina!"

"You damn loser!" Uncle Richard felt played. "How dare you say something like that! Are you ready for the consequences?"

Dave just smiled. "If Mrs. Winter doesn't wake up in another 5 minutes, I'll do whatever you say. But if she does wake up, you all have to kneel before me and Karina!"

Alex laughed loudly hearing that. "Alright, this sounds like a pretty good challenge!"

They all watched intently.

"I have an idea for a fitting punishment for you," Alex said. "If my grandmother doesn't survive in another 5 minutes, I'll cut off one of your legs. And as for Karina, she has to agree to marry Mr. Markus, and hand over all her dowry to the Winter family as atonement for her mistake!"

Karina knew who Mr. Marco was. He was never serious about making her his wife. He was also cruel and terrifying. Karina had never known his true nature, but terrifying rumors about Mr. Marco were everywhere. She hoped Dave wouldn't be foolish enough to accept Alex's challenge.

"Alright, I agree!" Dave stunned everyone.

Karina flinched and was angry at him. "You don't know what you're doing! Don't you dare involve me and accept that challenge!"

Dave just smiled. "Relax, I'll take responsibility for all of this," he said. "Now, we just need 10 more seconds for your grandmother to wake up."

Right in the middle of the chaos, a faint sound came from the bed.

A sound of breathing.

Everyone fell silent. They turned towards Grandma Maura.

The breath was heard again. More clearly.

Then, Grandma Maura's eyelids moved slightly. Slowly, her eyes opened.

Karina's face lit up. "Grandma's awake! She's saved!"

Dave smiled triumphantly while everyone who had been visiting earlier could only freeze with wide eyes.