Chapter 4
The swelling on her
aple had worsened significantly. What had started as a minor injury was now a throbbing, painful mess, made worse by her stubbornness to walk earlier.
Dr. White, seated beside Claire, immediately called for a nurse. “Quick, go get Dr. Brown. His fiancée’s hurt–if we don’t do something, we’ll be dealing with his temper next.”
Panic surged through Claire. She tried to protest, but her voice caught in her throat.
“No, don’t-”
Before she could finish, the nurse was already gone.
Chapter 4
Frustrated, Claire pulled out her phone and sent a message to Allen:
“The team noticed I sprained my ankle. They sent a nurse to tell you. I tried to stop them, but couldn’t. Don’t worry about it.”
She hit send and stared at the screen, waiting for a response. But none came.
By the time the nurse returned, her face was stiff with awkwardness. She hesitated before speaking. “Dr. Brown knows, but… there’s a woman in his office. They’re talking and laughing, and it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to come over.”
Claire kept Added to the library bor, saying nothing, swallowing the rising bitterness.
“He… must be busy” she murmured, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. Even
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she wasn’t sure how she managed to speak.
Her phone vibrated just then. It was a voice message from Allen.
Claire opened it, her pulse quickening. But the calm, distant tone that met her ears did nothing to soothe the gnawing feeling in her chest. His words were flat, indifferent. “Okay.”
It felt as if every pair of eyes in the
department was focused on her, pitying her in silence.
“Dr. Taylor, could you step outside? A patient is asking for you” came the nurse’s voice from the front desk, a timely excuse to leave.
Grateful for the break, Claire rose quickly, limping toward the door.
The last time she had felt such an
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urgent need to escape had been at their engagement party.
Allen had shown up late, casually brushing off her frustration with a half–hearted excuse. “Sorry, something came up at the hospital. I got held up, he’d said, offering. no apology for the hours she had spent, awkwardly answering questions and dodging stares from guests–all of it alone.
For her, it had been a momentous occasion. For him, it had been nothing more than an inconvenience.
Later, she overheard hospital colleagues mentioning that Allen had left early, with a woman. Claire didn’t need to guess who that woman was. She knew it was Evelyn.
Now, she pulled on her white coat and limped out of the office, the familiar ache of
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disappointment weighing on her.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of work. It wasn’t until evening that she finally wrapped up her tasks.
As she stood to leave, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, reminding her that she had neglected to apply any medicine after leaving earlier. The injury had grown worse, swelling grotesquely.
With a sigh, Claire sank back into her chair, deciding to wait for Allen to pick her up, as promised, after his shift.
But minutes turned into hours, and still, no call. No text. Not even a glimpse of him.
By the time the hospital quieted and the night shift staff filtered in, Claire’s patience had worn thin. Determined, she made her
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way to his office, but each step felt like torture. The pain was unbearable, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
Defeated, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number.
He picked up immediately, his voice as calm
as ever.
“What’s up, Claire?”
For a moment, Claire hesitated. He had completely forgotten his promise to pick her up. The weight of it sank into her chest like lead.
Biting her lip, she swallowed her pride, trying to steady her breath.
“Allen,” she said, her voice low but steady. “You said you’d pick me up after work. I’m
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still waiting.”