Scarily Frugal

On the way to the hospital, Hilda spent the entire ambulance ride trying to convince us to turn back.

The thought of spending a lot of money for the trip was killing her. She couldn't accept the fact that we'd have to fork out so much money. Throughout the journey, she pretended to feel dizzy and nauseous, but no one in the vehicle paid her any attention.

At the hospital, the doctor did a thorough examination and said, "It's a dual infection in the anal and urinary tracts."

Rufus' face turned pale upon hearing this. Stammering, he tried to explain, "B-But I haven't eaten anything unusual!"

The doctor went on, "This has nothing to do with food. It's likely caused by using unsanitary toilet paper…"

Hilda's grip on the edge of the table tightened.

"It could also be caused by sitting on a toilet for too long," the doctor added.

Upon hearing this, Hilda discreetly let out a sigh of relief. She then asked, "Is it serious?"

"It's not severe right now, but if left untreated, it could lead to intestinal infections," the doctor warned.

Ignoring the second part entirely, Hilda quickly interjected, "If it's not serious, let's just go home. Medical treatments cost an arm and a leg. It's a waste of money."

I asked the doctor anxiously, "What should we do?"

The doctor put away the medical report and said, "First, we need to perform a digital rectal exam."

I glanced at Hilda, who stood to the side. Her drooping right eyelid twitched. If the exam uncovered the truth, she'd be done for.

Her lips twitched, and she resorted to shameless slander.

She pointed at the doctor and exclaimed shrilly, "No way! We won't go for any such examination! You doctors are all greedy! You just want to profit from us ordinary folks unscrupulously!

"You push for examinations unnecessarily to earn money! Who knows how much these examinations really cost? My son's rear is perfectly fine!"

Then, she turned and pointed at me accusatorily. "And you! You insisted on coming here! What were you thinking? Are you hoping that something is really wrong with Rufus?"

Her voice was so loud that everyone waiting outside the room turned to stare. Their expressions were curious and judgmental.

The doctor, who was clearly insulted, grimaced scornfully. Still, he maintained his professionalism and said as calmly as he could, "The exam is a necessary procedure. Will you do it or not?"

Rufus couldn't decide. He'd always been a mama's boy. In the past, whenever Hilda said something wasn't a problem, he believed her.

But this time, we had a professional doctor weighing in on the situation.

He turned to me for advice. "Minerva, what do you think?"

I had intervened countless times to prevent situations like this in my previous life. Despite that, where had it gotten me in the end?

This time, I couldn't be bothered to help him.

"I agree with Mom," I said instantly, fully supporting Hilda's nonsense.

Rufus still looked uncertain.

I was afraid that he might value his life too much and agree to the exam, so I leaned in and whispered in his ear.

His expression shifted, and he firmly refused to go through with the rectal exam.

Pointing at the doctor, he shouted in disgust, "What the hell? You pervert! You just wanted an excuse to touch me!"

He then clutched his backside protectively and went on, "You're just a perverted gay man obsessed with butts!"

Inspired by Rufus' outburst, Hilda chimed in, "Exactly! Stay away from my son, you vile man!"

The doctor had never been this humiliated before in his life. His face was a deep shade of red. Despite his rage, his upbringing and manners didn't allow him to curse or run his mouth.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water while trembling with anger. He turned to me and asked, "What exactly did you say to him?"

I didn't respond.

All I had said was, "Only gay men are into butt action."

Who could've guessed Rufus would shout it out like that?

As we left, the people in the waiting area whispered among themselves. Their comments were harsh and mocking.

"I've never seen such shameless people!"

"That lady is something else. She did all this just to save a few bucks."

"They're so uncouth and uneducated that it's terrifying! Are they alright in the head?"

Hilda wasn't someone to be trifled with. She cursed the onlookers all the way out of the hospital. Somehow, she even managed to hold her own.

At long last, we got home. We had barely laid down for a moment before Rufus started groaning and whining. When he didn't feel well, he made sure no one else could sleep either.

He wouldn't ask for help; he'd just make noise until you couldn't ignore him. His selfishness was insufferable. Even Ralph, who was sleeping in the cradle nearby, was woken up by the noises he was making.

At that point, I knew I wouldn't get any sleep if I stuck around.

Rufus stared at me with a smug, provoking expression that said, "Your husband is sick. How can you sleep through it? Now that the baby's awake, you won't get to sleep anyway. Get up and take care of me!"

But I was still recovering after giving birth at that point. By then, I'd long seen him for who he was. He wasn't a man who was worth my time and dedication.

"It was your mom who said you weren't sick. Ask her to take care of you." With that, I picked up Ralph and headed to another room. "Since you woke the baby, we'll sleep separately tonight."

Rufus shouted after me furiously, but I ignored him. He tried to grab at me but didn't manage to do so because of the pain in his backside. All he could do was lie there and throw a tantrum in vain.

As I walked away, I heard Hilda comforting him. "She only cares about her son. Do you see which one of us treats you better now?"

Rufus was moved as he said, "You're the best, Mom!"

I chuckled to myself while thinking, "Your mom's the best, huh? Who was the one who let you use contaminated toilet paper and refused to let you get treatment?"

Like mother, like son—they were both equally ridiculous people.

Later that night, I heard a loud, buzzing rumble.

When I went to check, I found Hilda grinding chilies with the blender in the middle of the night. The moment she saw me, she rolled her eyes and turned her back on me without uttering a word.

I didn't ask what that was about. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

As expected, the master bedroom echoed with screams that sounded like a pig being slaughtered a short while later.