Chapter 6 I'll See You in Court

• The woman said furiously, "You think I care about the money? What I want is the ring. No amount of money can convince me otherwise. Give me back my ring, or I'll call the police."
• "I'm sorry, but the ring is lost. Even if you call the police, finding the ring would not be possible. I can only apologize. If you involve the police, I would still only be able to pay you compensation," Ben explained logically.
• The woman replied emotionlessly, "Fine, one million. You must pay me one million now."
• "One million?" Ben widened his eyes in shock and said, "Don't lie to me. That ring could not have been worth one million."
• "That ring is worth one million to me, priceless. No amount of money can replace that ring. All I want is that ring, so give it back to me." The BMW woman sounded agitated.
• "I'm sorry. The ring is gone. Even if you threaten me with my life, I cannot get that ring back. Perhaps you can tell me where you bought it. I'll buy the same one for you as compensation," Ben said earnestly.
• "Hah, you think you can buy another ring to replace it? I don't want just any ring. That ring is like a charm to me. I feel comforted when I wear it as if he is still alive and has always been by my side." The BMW woman seemed upset.
• "But… That ring is lost. I don't have any way to get it back. I would have searched for it if there was a way."
• The BMW woman looked at Ben coldly and suddenly burst into tears. She turned to the wall, squatted in a corner with her back to Ben, and sobbed.
• "I…" Ben immediately panicked. He reached out, wanting to pat the woman but felt it was inappropriate. He also thought of saying something to comfort her but did not know what to say. It was unbearably awkward. Her sobbing left him stunned. It made him feel even worse than when he first realized he had lost the ring.
• The hospital's emergency exit was the staircase. Since most people use the elevators in the hospital, no one goes there. Ben and the BMW woman were the only ones there.
• The BMW woman cried mournfully. Ben could sense that she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
• As Ben was about to lose his mind from her sobbing, the woman suddenly stopped crying. She stood up with her back facing Ben and took a tissue from her bag to wipe her tears. Then, she turned around to face Ben again.
• She had now returned to her cool and dignified self. It was as if she was not the one crying just now.
• Then, she said coldly, "Nothing much can be done about the lost ring. I'm at fault too. If I hadn't panicked about rushing to the hospital, I wouldn't have given that ring to you. Of course, it's too late to say all these now. I don't care if you lost or hid the ring, but you must pay compensation for it. The ring cost eighty-eight thousand when it was bought. You must compensate that sum to me."
• "Eighty-eight thousand? It's that expensive?" Ben's heart sank as soon as he heard the price.
• "If you don't believe me, you can go to the store and ask them the price of a similar ring. I can also go home and find the receipt of the ring for you."
• "No, I believe you," Ben replied quickly. He sensed she was not the kind of person who would trick him. Furthermore, he was at fault.
• The BMW woman asked coldly, "You should pay the sum then. Will you be paying cash or by card?" One could see that she did not have any good feelings for him.
• Ben fell silent. He opened his wallet and took out all the bank notes and coins. Then, he gave them to her and said, "This is two thousand eight hundred eighty-three and fifty cents."
• The woman frowned and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"
• "This is all the money I have. I earned them yesterday, and I kept them to get the ingredients. What I mean is they are all the money I have. Please take them first. I… I will give you an IOU for the rest, and I promise to pay you in full. Can you give me one year? I promise I will pay you everything in one year. I will give you all the money I earn every month."
• Hearing Ben, the woman sneered and said to him, "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you. I have your number on my phone. I will investigate your background and sue you in civil court. I'll see you there."
• After saying that, the woman strode past Ben and left toward the patient's room. She was frostily cold and did not touch the money Ben offered her.
• "I…" Ben turned around and watched her walking away. He felt dismayed and wanted to say something but did not know what to say.
• Ben squatted in a corner. It was the exact spot where the BMW woman had cried just now. He took a cigarette from his pocket and began to smoke. Then, he searched for the contact he named 'BMW woman' in his phone and sent a message: 'I would like to apologize again. I did not mean to lose your ring, and I hope you can forgive me. About the ring, I will pay you in full. However, please give me some time because I can't gather that much money on such short notice. If possible, I hope you will allow me to pay in installments, and I am willing to pay according to the bank's interest. But if it is unacceptable to you… You can sue me. I am willing to bear all consequences. My name is Ben Walton, and my ID is …'
• After sending the message, Ben took a photo of his ID card and sent it to her too.
• Then, he stood up and continued smoking as he walked down the stairs. He did not bother to take the elevator but walked down level by level.
• "I'm already owing so much money that I cannot finish paying. It doesn't matter that I've added another debt. It's alright. The debt won't kill me." Ben mumbled to himself as he walked. It sounded like he was mocking his fallen state.
• "Some things are just not meant to be. I've been through the worst in recent years. This is nothing." Ben sneered at himself and mumbled as he walked out of the hospital.