Sorry My Step-Uncle, I'm Not Your Backup Plan novel Chapter 84

Lucy's heart ached with sympathy.

"It's all right, Teresa. Ms. Rodriguez is lovely—she won't mind any of that. Try to relax a bit."

Lucy reached out, intending to stroke the young girl's head.

Due to chemotherapy, Teresa had lost all her hair and wore a fluffy pink beanie whenever she went out. Lucy knew this pink hat had been bought for her by Mark, and Teresa treasured it dearly.

Lucy felt a complex mixture of emotions, her eyes stinging slightly. Her outstretched hand hovered in midair before finally descending to gently touch the girl's hat.

"Don't worry, Teresa. Ms. Rodriguez will definitely help with your brother's case!"

"Thank you," the young girl replied, her nervousness fading as she offered a bright smile. "Thank you so much, Lucy and Ms. Rodriguez."

Listening to the conversation from the front seat, Gabriella sighed deeply to herself.

Such a tragic situation.

Why did misfortune always seem to target those already suffering?

Gabriella had strong empathy and sensitivity. Encountering situations like this affected her deeply, and she found her eyes growing moist.

She composed herself, adjusting her emotions before turning to speak to the backseat passengers: "Lucy, could you help Teresa with her seatbelt, please?"

"Of course."

...

Mark was in the same hospital as Teresa.

It was an ordinary community hospital, with four beds crammed into a small ward.

Being early winter, the temperature outside was low, with cold winds blowing, so the ward windows were tightly shut.

As soon as Gabriella entered, she was hit by the sour odor emanating from the patient in the bed nearest the door. The man clearly hadn't bathed in days, and Gabriella nearly gagged.

She wrinkled her nose, suppressing her discomfort as she followed Teresa further into the ward.

Mark lay in the bed furthest from the door.

The young man was propped up against his pillow, staring vacantly out the window at the falling autumn leaves.

"Brother," Teresa called out brightly.

Mark immediately turned to look at her. "Teresa, you're here. Have you eaten?"

Teresa nodded with a smile: "Yes! I had something earlier."

She was lying.

She'd secretly slipped out of the hospital that morning to seek Lucy's help and hadn't had time to eat anything yet.

To prevent her brother from worrying, she had to tell a small fib.

"Lucy, you're here too," Mark greeted with a smile.

After acknowledging Lucy, Mark's gaze shifted to Gabriella's face, hesitantly asking: "And you are...?"

Lucy answered: "This is a solicitor from our firm. You can call her Ms. Rodriguez."

Gabriella nodded in greeting. "Hello. Lucy has explained your situation to me. Would it be possible to discuss it further? I believe I can help you claim compensation from your former employer."

Mark's expression grew complicated, and he stammered: "I... I'm terribly sorry, Ms. Rodriguez, but I can't afford legal fees..."

The young man gave an embarrassed smile. "As you can see, I'm struggling to pay the medical bills as it is. I truly can't afford to hire a solicitor... I apologize for wasting your time."

Gabriella responded seriously: "That's not a concern, Mr. Bormen. You can pay the legal fees after receiving compensation from the other party. I can take your case on a no-win, no-fee basis."

Mark looked confused. "What does 'no-win, no-fee' mean?"

Gabriella explained: "It means if we lose the case, you don't have to pay a penny. It's a conditional fee agreement."

Hearing this, Mark's expression changed subtly. "Is that really possible?"

"Absolutely," Gabriella replied earnestly.

Mark nodded. "Well... all right then."

"Good," Gabriella acknowledged with a slight nod. "Now, I need to ask you some specific questions about the case."

Lucy spoke up: "Ms. Rodriguez, you two carry on—I'll take Teresa back to her ward."

After gathering all the necessary information, Mark took out his mobile phone.

"Ms. Rodriguez, that covers the basics. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. Perhaps we should exchange contacts to make communication easier?"

"Certainly," Gabriella agreed, taking out her phone and opening her messaging app. "I'll scan your code."

For solicitors, exchanging contact details with clients was perfectly normal.