Respect Yourself

"What the hell are you doing here?!" the older woman asked.

Benjamin jolted, getting nervous by the clear display of aggression hurled his way. 

"Ignore her and come with me," Miss Anderson told Benjamin before she walked into the room and headed to the bed. 

"Where do you think you're going?!" The woman yelled at Miss Anderson, who continued to ignore her, and then she quickly shifted her attention to Benjamin.

"And you! What the hell are you doing here?!" She asked, glaring disgustedly at Benjamin. 

"M-my name is Benjamin—" Benjamin replied, placing his hand on his chest, but the woman quickly cut him off. 

"Do I look like I care what your useless name is?" She asked and Benjamin grimaced in embarrassment.

The woman, who was clearly Henry, Jessica, and Denison's mother, was more vicious than her children. 

"It's blatantly clear that a creature like you isn't worth a fraction of my energy, so get lost before you contaminate everywhere with your filth," she said.

"Benjamin, I said, come over here," Miss Anderson said, surprised to find him still by the door after she had already walked over to the bed.

Benjamin looked at the raven-haired woman, and before he could process a thought, the other woman picked up a book from the bed and threw it at him.

Noticing the book in his peripheral vision, Benjamin swiftly ducked, and it soared just inches above his head, narrowly missing him.

"Step one foot into this room, and you're dead!" The woman threatened, then she looked at Miss Anderson.

"And you, thief! What the hell do you think you're doing standing next to my husband?!" she demanded.

"Your husband? In case you've forgotten, he is also my father and I can see him whenever I want. I already told your children that, so don't make me repeat myself", Miss Anderson frowned.

"Don't make me laugh, you child of a succubus witch. I don't care if this house and everything in it is under your care, because as long as I'm alive, this room belongs to me and my husband! So get lost before your evil presence makes Sebastian's health even worse!"

Miss Anderson's frown deepened.

"This is the last insult about my late mother that I'll tolerate from you, Elizabeth. So, respect yourself and let me do what I came here for," she retorted.

Immediately, Elizabeth looked shocked.

"I should respect myself? A child like you dare tell me to respect myself?!" Elizabeth said with her hand on her chest.

She couldn't believe Miss Anderson's audacity to speak to her the way she just did.

"You heard me right, so stay where you are and behave yourself. I seriously don't have any time for your antics today, so stop it", Miss Anderson said, then she looked at Benjamin.

"Benjamin, come over here and start what you promised", Miss Anderson instructed.

Elizabeth's eyes shot wide, then she quickly looked at Benjamin.

"I said get lost, you brat! Don't make me lose my temper because I swear on everything I hold dare that you will regret it—" Elizabeth said, but the doctor interrupted her.

"Madam, please calm down. Yelling isn't good for the patient and if this continues your health may also be at risk too, so please find a way to—" the doctor pleaded, but the angry blonde woman cut him off.

"Are you telling me, Elizabeth Foster, and the person who pays you and your entire team of nurses what to do?!" Elizabeth frowned.

Immediately, the doctor gulped and the nurses shivered.

"Madam, please don't take offense to my statement. It was a foolish mistake on my part, and I should have known better than to overstep my boundaries," the doctor said, bowing his head.

"That's what I thought," Elizabeth said, casting a condescending look at the doctor and the nurses standing beside him.

Just then, Miss Anderson scoffed.

"All that talk, pretending to care about Dad's health, but the truth couldn't be any further from that," she said, prompting Elizabeth to glare at her sharply.

"What did you just say to me?" Elizabeth asked.

"Telling me to leave because my presence will worsen Dad's condition, yet getting angry at the doctor for asking you to be quiet since your yelling isn't good for his health, just proves what a raging hypocrite you are. But then again, that's something we've all known for years, so it's no surprise," Miss Anderson said.

"You conniving little—" Elizabeth said, but Miss Anderson cut her off. 

"Better listen to the doctor, if not for Dad's sake, then for yours, because being this toxic isn't good for your health," Miss Anderson said and Elizabeth gritted her teeth.

Watching from the doorway and witnessing the toxicity of the family, Benjamin wished he could vanish—regretting having to be there and blaming the system for it.

Tired of talking to Elizabeth, Miss Anderson looked at Benjamin and said "What are you still doing there? I told the captain that I'll have you for only a couple of hours, so come here and show why you deserve your freedom." 

Benjamin cleared his throat and was just about to step into the room when he suddenly froze upon noticing the look Elizabeth was giving him.

The woman's glare was relentless, as if she intended to pierce through him with her eyes alone, leaving him uncertain about whether to move or remain frozen in place.

Previously, he had been attacked by people who weren't much older than him, considering Henry—the eldest of the three he met outside—was only twenty-six, making him just eight years older than Benjamin.

For comparison, Miss Anderson was twenty-seven, so she wasn't that much older than Benjamin either.

On the other hand, Elizabeth appeared to be in her late forties, approaching fifty. However, she didn't look her age, having successfully fought off aging with a good diet, regular exercise, and all the luxuries her immense wealth provided.

Now, considering that she was more than twice Benjamin's age and even older than his mother, Lucia, he couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for the woman, which led to his hesitation.

"Benjamin!" Miss Anderson frowned.

Benjamin shifted his gaze between the two women, wondering who he should listen to, but at the end of the day, the system decided for him.

Watching the timer tick down filled him with impatience, and he had no choice but to discard those feelings of respect towards Elizabeth.

"I'm sorry, ma'am", Benjamin apologized to Elizabeth, then entered the room.