ICU Showdown: Do Me Dirty and I'll Do You In

Years after graduation, someone suddenly tags me in the class group chat. "Mr. Warren is gravely ill, Mira. Aren't you going to do anything? You really are heartless!"

I only realize what's going on when I click on the fundraising link in the chat.

Our high school homeroom teacher, Joseph Warren, has late-stage cancer. Thus, Lyra Fairfield, the class belle, is leading a fundraiser and patient-donor matching process.

"I'll donate ten thousand dollars. My husband is the director of Waverly General Hospital, and I've already asked him to arrange a VIP ward for Mr. Warren."

Right after I send that message, the group pounces on me.

"Mira, you contracted an STD back then and tried to pin it on Lyra. She didn't even hold it against you, and now you're trying to steal her thunder? You're unbelievable!"

"I can't believe you're still lying through your teeth during such a serious situation. You never change, do you?"

Lyra immediately defuses the tension. "Mira, I don't blame you for what happened in the past, but you really shouldn't impersonate the director's wife. I've already arranged the ward and surgery, and I'm donating another 100 thousand dollars to Mr. Warren!"

I'm this close to laughing out of sheer anger.

She's the one who scratched her name off the diagnosis report and framed me for having an STD all those years ago. I never even confronted her about it, and now she's playing the victim?

Lyra soon posts a photo in the group chat, showing off her husband's car. Yet, when I see the man in the passenger seat, I guffaw.

Isn't that my husband's driver? When did he start running a hospital?

After reading the messages in the group chat, I immediately called our family driver, James Lowe, and had him take me to the hospital.

However, he told me, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kensington. Something came up at home today. I've already asked Mr. Kensington for a day off. If you don't mind, I'll have Chris go with you instead?"

James had worked for us for a decade now. He had always been diligent and had never made a single mistake, which was precisely why I had no idea how someone like him ended up getting involved with a woman like Lyra Fairfield.

I was at a loss for words, but there was nothing I could do. Thus, I asked Chris Baker to pick me up instead and bought plenty of imported supplements.

…

By the time I finished the compatibility test for the donation drive, a crowd had formed at the entrance of the VIP ward.

Everyone swarmed Lyra, showering her with flattery.

"Lyra, you truly live up to your reputation as the class beauty. You're gorgeous, capable, and even snagged yourself a hospital director husband!"

"Mr. Kensington's so young, yet he's already the director. I'm sure his future is going to be bright!"

"Right? I heard that Mr. Kensington is a specialist in rare diseases. With him around, Mr. Warren will definitely be fine!"

"Why are you still calling Lyra by her name? You should call her Mrs. Kensington now. When's the wedding, Mrs. Kensington? We want to be there to congratulate you!"

Everyone crowded around Lyra, showering her with compliments and referring to her as Mrs. Kensington the whole time.

Lyra basked in all the attention, beaming as she handed out invitations to her wedding next month at The Summit.

When our former classmates heard that the wedding would be held at the largest hotel in the city, their eyes practically sparkled, and they started sucking up to her once again.

I rolled my eyes, ignored every single one of them, and walked into the ward with the supplements I had bought.

Lyra, however, spotted me right away. Her face was alight with joy as she called out, "Mira, you actually came!"

Because she called out to me, everyone else turned to face me, though their tone was clearly much less amiable.

"I can't believe she still has the nerve to show up. Back then, she contracted an STD because she couldn't keep her legs closed. Then, she erased her name from the report and pinned it on Lyra to avoid embarrassment."

"If Lyra hadn't shown us her test results to prove she was clean, we would've bought Mira's lies!"

"Someone as vile as Mira has no business visiting Mr. Warren. I feel sick just breathing the same air as her!"

Back then, a diagnosis slip for an STD had appeared in our classroom out of nowhere. Because Lyra and I had visited the infirmary at the same time, she pinned it on me.

Later, our homeroom teacher, Joseph Warren, had pulled me aside and told me the slip had actually been Lyra's. However, her family was extremely stringent, and if the truth had gotten out, she might have been beaten to death, so he had asked me to keep it a secret.

I had already been on my way abroad for school, so I hadn't bothered to explain myself.

That said, I hadn't expected Lyra to keep up the act for so long, making me take the blame until now.

Not wanting to waste my breath on this group of fools, I walked into the ward, set the supplements down, and turned to leave.

Yet, Lyra abruptly slapped me hard in the face. "You sure are shameless, Mira! How could you bring Mr. Warren supplements when you have an STD? Are you trying to infect him?

"After all these years, you haven't changed one bit. I can't believe you're still attempting to spread your STD to everyone around you!"