Chapter 6

+25 BONUS

The next day, Chris checked out of the hotel. The hospital provided accommodation, and he moved in with his luggage. But while at work, he unexpectedly heard the names of Jessica and Michael.

"Ms. Wilder and Mr. Hall have such a great relationship. Did you see the news back then?"

"Yeah, I saw it. Ms. Wilder and Mr. Hall were childhood sweethearts. They were supposed to be together, but their families broke them up. Tsk tsk, it’s like a romance novel!"

"But… didn’t I hear Ms. Wilder is married?"

"So what if she’s married? Mr. Hall is too! Didn’t you see his daughter’s all grown up? But… they must be divorced now, otherwise how could they be back together?"

"Separated for years, married to other people and still reunited – what a melodrama. But Mr. Hall does seem gentle, and Ms. Wilder, too."

Chris stayed frozen at the doorway for a long time, not reacting until his roommate came back from fetching water and called out to him.

"Chris, what’s wrong?"

Coming back to his senses, he shook his head.

His roommate, seeing him holding a cup, shook the thermos. "Come in, I just got some water."

Chris walked stiffly back into the room. His roommate poured him a cup of water.

"Those young nurses just got off duty. Our hospital just received sponsorship from the Wilder Group. It’s natural they’d be curious about Ms. Wilder."

The hospital was sponsored by the Wilder Group? Chris slowly turned his head toward his roommate. "The Wilder Group? Jessica?"

"Yeah, you’ve heard too?" His roommate, eyes fixed on his phone while gaming, replied, "The Wilder Group just donated 40 million dollars worth of medical equipment. Big move!"

Chris took a few sips of water, feeling a little steadier. Just as he was about to head out, he heard his roommate say from behind, "Hey, you’re assisting with the professor’s surgery tomorrow. You’ve got steady hands – he said the files are in his office. Go grab them."

The dorm for their group of intern doctors wasn’t far from the back of the hospital. After thinking for a moment, Chris put on a coat and got ready to retrieve the case file.

Truthfully, he really wanted to see what Jessica looked like when she loved someone. Even after five years together, she never loved him. Since he never got her heart, he wanted to see how she loved someone else.

He entered the hospital through the back entrance, went to the professor’s office for the case file, then wandered aimlessly through the hospital.

The nurses all recognized him. Good-looking and handpicked by the hospital as an intern – what other intern gets to perform surgery on day one? Someone like that received a lot of attention in the hospital.

"Dr. Green, what brings you here? Covering another shift?" a nurse greeted him.

Chris hesitated for a moment before walking over and saying, "I came to get a case file. Can you check on a little girl named Jordan? She probably has a fever from bronchitis. Is she still getting an IV?"

The nurse was about to look it up, but the moment she heard the name, she stopped and looked up at him mysteriously.

"Dr. Green, you heard too?"

Chris looked puzzled.

Leaning forward, the nurse whispered, "That little girl seems to be Ms. Wilder’s daughter. You didn’t know? The Wilder Group invested in our hospital and donated medical equipment like it’s free."

She pointed with her lips. "She’s still in Room 512. Rich kids are different – just a cold and fever, and they’re getting IVs in a private ward. Should be done in about half an hour."

"Thanks."

Room 512 was on the same floor. A turn of the corner, and he could see it. Coincidentally, Jessica and Michael were right outside the room. Perhaps to avoid disturbing the child, the two adults were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the bench outside the private room, the atmosphere ambiguous.

"Here, just take it." Jessica stuffed something into Michael’s hands.

Michael looked a little panicked, instinctively trying to push it back. "No need, staying at your place with Jordan is trouble enough – I can’t take your car."

So she was giving her first love a car.

Chris let out a bitter laugh.

As expected, different people live different fates.

Chris never worked, just stayed home, maybe went out for groceries – he never even needed a car. It wasn’t until two years after they married that Linda gave him one, saying it was for getting around.

Seeing the concern in her mother’s eyes, Chris didn’t want to worry her. He couldn’t refuse, so he accepted it. But that same night, Jessica came home drunk and mocked him again.

"You’re nothing but a househusband. Look at you, you’re getting both money and a car. My dad drove that car for years, and you still take it? Are you a beggar or something?"

Jessica pulled out a card and shoved it into Chris’s pocket. "Stop always asking my mom for money. People will think I’m treating you badly if word gets out."

Chapter 7