From Loser to Mighty

Shameless

Grandma Maura's eyes fully opened, staring at the room's ceiling with confusion.

"Grandma!" Karina shrieked, tears of happiness flooding her cheeks. She grabbed Grandma Maura's hand, clutching it tightly. "Grandma's awake! She's alive!"

Uncle Richard, Aunt Sonia, and Alex approached the bed, their faces deathly pale, now mixed with forced relief. They, who had just been wailing and mourning Grandma Maura's "death," now had to quickly switch to joyful expressions.

"Mother, thank goodness you're awake!" Uncle Richard said.

Aunt Sonia quickly wiped away her tears, forcing a wide smile. "Oh, Mother! We were so worried! Thank God you're back!"

Alex, who was moments ago ready to beat up Dave, now stood stiffly, trying to put on a relieved face. "Grandma, we were all so worried about you."

Doctor Albert, with a disbelieving face, examined Grandma Maura. He held her wrist, checked her pupils, and listened to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. "This is a miracle!" he muttered, more to himself. "All her vital signs are back to normal! Even better than before!"

Since Grandma Maura's condition had improved and Doctor Albert felt he was no longer needed there, he quickly excused himself, apologizing for his incorrect diagnosis.

Grandma Maura slowly moved her head, looking at Karina. "What happened? Why are you all gathered here?"

"Grandma, we're gathered here because you were in critical condition just now," Karina replied, bending down to kiss Grandma's hand.

Grandma Maura turned to Dave. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, and slightly suspicious. She looked at Dave, then at the other faces around her, still filled with tension.

"Who is this man?" Grandma Maura asked, her voice dominating, even though she had just "died."

Karina looked at Dave, then back at Grandma Maura. "He's the one who helped you. He's the one who injected that concoction."

Dave nodded. "Yes, Grandma. I healed you."

Uncle Richard quickly interrupted, sensing an opportunity to take Dave down. "Mother, don't listen to him! He's a stranger who knows nothing! He accused you of being poisoned, and tried to do something crazy! We were all so worried! Doctor Albert did his best!"

"That's right, Mom," Aunt Sonia chimed in, looking at Dave with disgust. "He's just some weirdo trying to profit from our difficult situation! He even injected something unknown into your body!"

Grandma Maura observed Dave from head to toe. She saw his simple clothes, his face that clearly wasn't from high society. She saw no signs of the greatness or medical expertise she was familiar with.

"So, you're the one who injected something into my body?" Grandma Maura asked Dave, her voice showing no gratitude at all, instead sounding cold. "What was it? Who do you think you are, daring to do that to Mrs. Maura Winter?"

Dave remained calm. "I am the one who could heal you, madam. That concoction was the antidote to the poison in your body."

Grandma Maura snorted. "Poison? Nonsense!"

"Exactly, it's just nonsense!" Alex immediately added. "Doctor Albert clearly said there was no poison in your body, but he deliberately made it up, and by chance, a miracle happened."

Uncle Richard pointed at Dave angrily. "He's just a fraud! He must have used some kind of magic or something! He endangered you!"

"Grandma, he made us all think you were dead!" Alex chimed in, his face reddening again. "He caused chaos here!"

Grandma Maura looked at Dave with a dismissive gaze. "So, you think you can heal what the best doctors in this city can't? Who do you think you are? Some witch doctor from the jungle?"

Dave was unfazed. "I don't care what you call me. I only know I saved your life. All of you accused me of killing Grandma. You insulted me, threatened me, even told guards to drag me out. You wanted me to rot in prison. Now, Grandma is awake. This is proof that I didn't lie. This is proof that all of you were wrong."

"I'm not apologizing for what I did," Dave continued. "I only did what I had to do to save Grandma. But you doubted, accused, and insulted. You didn't even care about Mrs. Maura who was dying, you only cared about the inheritance."

Uncle Richard, Aunt Sonia, and Alex's faces flushed. They couldn't deny the fact that Grandma Maura was alive again, but they refused to admit that bitter truth.

"Watch your mouth!" Uncle Richard snapped. "We are her family!"

"Hypocritical family," Dave retorted bluntly. "You all deserve a lesson."

Dave looked at Uncle Richard, Aunt Sonia, and Alex one by one. "Kneel."

Their eyes widened. "What?!" Uncle Richard exclaimed.

"Kneel," Dave repeated, his voice louder. "And apologize to me for accusing me of being a murderer."

"Are you insane?!" Aunt Sonia shrieked. "We're not kneeling to someone like you!"

"I'm the eldest son of the Winter family, you know!" Uncle Richard pointed at Dave. "Who do you think you are, telling me to kneel?!"

Alex stepped forward. "Who do you think you are, telling us to kneel? You're just a beggar from the streets!"

Grandma Maura, who had been silently listening, raised her hand. "Enough!"

Everyone fell silent, turning to her.

Grandma Maura looked at Dave with a sharp gaze. "Young man, I don't know what you want. But I don't like your methods. I don't like you telling my family to kneel. They are my family. They are the ones who cared for me, they are the ones who worried about me. I will not allow a stranger to insult them in my own home."

Dave looked at Grandma Maura. There was disappointment in his eyes, but he showed no anger.

"Grandma, he's the one who saved you!" Karina said, trying to defend Dave.

"Karina, silence!" Grandma Maura snapped. "I know who cares about me. I don't need a stranger coming in and causing chaos in this house."

Grandma Maura turned to Dave. "I don't know what you injected me with, or how I woke up. But I'm not thanking you. I trust my doctors, and my family, more."

"Now," Grandma Maura said, her voice cold and firm, "I don't want to see you in this house again. Leave."

"You heard her?!" Uncle Richard said, pointing to the door. "Go! Now!"

"You've caused enough trouble!" Aunt Sonia added.

Karina looked at Grandma Maura, disbelieving. Then she looked at Dave, her eyes full of regret. "Dave, I..."

Dave shook his head, signaling Karina not to say anything else. He got it. Today, he'd let them get away with it because he didn't want Karina to get hurt even more. But when the time was right, he'd definitely settle the score.

Dave turned around and walked towards the door. The guards who had been holding him back stepped aside, clearing his path.

As Dave passed through the door, he paused for a moment. "Be careful, Grandma Maura," he said without turning his head. "The poison is out, but the person who poisoned you is still out there."

Uncle Richard scoffed. "Nonsense! Get out of here!"

After Dave left, they celebrated.

"Good riddance, that fraud is gone! Just causing trouble."

"Yeah," Aunt Sonia chimed in, her voice cheerful. "We're all so relieved Mom's okay. Now we can relax."

"Relax?" Grandma Maura said, her voice regaining strength. "We can't relax yet. Eager Group is on the brink of collapse."

The relieved expressions on Richard, Sonia, and Alex's faces vanished instantly, replaced by anxiety.

"You're right," Uncle Richard said, his face tensing up again. "The company's situation is critical. We need a huge injection of funds as soon as possible."

"That's why we need to finalize Karina's marriage plans immediately," Grandma Maura said, looking at Karina who was still standing by the bed.

Karina was shocked. Marriage? Now? After everything that happened?

"Marriage?" Karina asked, her voice choked. "Grandma, what do you mean?"

"Markus has waited long enough," Grandma Maura replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Your marriage to Markus must happen soon. It's the only way to save the company."

Karina looked at her grandmother, disbelieving. "Grandma, I don't love Markus! I don't want to marry him!"

"Love won't fill the company's empty coffers, Karina!" Uncle Richard snapped. "Our company is on the verge of collapse! If Eager Group goes bankrupt, we'll all be poor! Do you want to live on the streets?"

Alex nodded in agreement. "Markus is willing to inject a large amount of funds, but the condition is you have to marry him. If not, he'll withdraw his offer. You have to sacrifice, Karina!"

Karina felt cornered. "Sacrifice? You want me to sacrifice my entire life for money?! I can't!"

"You have no choice!" Grandma Maura said, her voice sharp. "Eager Group is our family legacy. You must protect it. You will marry Markus. Period."

Karina looked at the faces around her. No sympathy, only demands. They saw her as a tool, not a human being. Frustration and anger surged within her. She had just seen Dave kicked out for trying to help Grandma, and now she herself was going to be sacrificed.

"What about my feelings?!" Karina cried out, tears flowing again. "Don't you care at all?!"

"Feelings won't pay the bills, Karina!" Uncle Richard retorted, without empathy. "You need to grow up. This is for all of us."

Karina was speechless. She felt suffocated by her family's demands. She had just seen how hypocritical they were, and now she herself had to bear the consequences.