Amelia POV
I took a deep breath before knocking on the Chief’s office door.
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It was my first day back since the outreach, since the gala, and even though I told myself a thousand times that I was ready to face whatever came, my body didn’t seem to believe it.
“Come in,” his familiar deep voice called.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The Chief, was sitting behind his desk, reviewed a stack of patient files. When he looked up and saw me, his expression softened into a smile.
“Dr. Garcia,” he said, motioning toward the chair across from him. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said quietly, closing the door behind me before sitting down.
He folded his hands on the desk, studying me. “How was the outreach? I trust everything went smoothly?”
For a split second, my chest tightened, but I forced a small smile. “It was… successful,” I managed. “We got more support than expected, actually. Donations, sponsorships, all of it.”
He nodded, clearly pleased. “Good. You represented us well, I hope?”
“I did my best,” I said honestly.
He smiled again. “That’s all I ask for.”
I reached into my bag and pulled out an envelope. “Mr. Montgomery asked me to give this to you. It’s the cheque for the hospital’s development fund.”
Dr. Harris’s brows lifted slightly. “Ah.” He accepted the envelope, weighing it briefly in his hand before placing it on his desk. “That’s quite generous of him.”
“He believes in the project,” I said softly, avoiding his eyes.
“Well,” the Chief said, leaning back in his chair. “Please extend my gratitude to him when you see him next. His support means a lot.”
“I will,” I said, though I wasn’t sure when – or if I’d actually see Edmund again.
The chief leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “You look tired, Amelia. I hope you’re taking care of yourself.”
“I’m trying,” I ‘murmured, forcing another small smile. “I have a few ward rounds before I head home. I just wanted to drop that off first.”
He nodded approvingly. “Good work, as always. And, Amelia?”
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“Yes, sir?”
He smiled faintly. “Don’t let this place drain you. You’re one of the few who actually still care.”
I managed a quiet chuckle. “Thank you, sir. I’ll try.”
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When I stepped out of his office, the weight on my chest lifted just a little. Talking to him always did that, he had a way of reminding me why I loved this job, even when everything else felt like it was falling apart.
But the peace didn’t last long.
As I walked toward the elevators, I slowed when I heard two nurses talking near the nurses‘ station. Their voices were low, but loud enough for me to catch snippets of their conversation.
“…I swear, it’s her. The doctor from the video.”
“Oh my God, really? The one who was caught with that billionaire?”
“Yeah, the married one. And she walks around here like she’s Mother Teresa. Some nerves.”
I froze mid–step, my heart sinking.
They didn’t see me. I stood there, half–hidden behind a corner, every word cutting deeper.
“She fooled everyone,” one continued. “All that kindness, all that ‘I care about my patients act. Meanwhile, she’s sleeping with someone’s husband.”
“I saw the clip,” the other whispered. “She looked so proud of herself. I can’t believe the Chief still trusts her.”
My throat went dry.
It shouldn’t have hurt this much, the gossip, the judgment, but it did. Every word felt like a stone pressing down on my chest. I wanted to turn around, to walk away and pretend I hadn’t heard, but my feet wouldn’t
move.
Finally, I forced myself to take a slow breath, blinked back the sting in my eyes, and turned the corner before they could see me.
I walked briskly back toward my office, each step heavier than the last.
Inside, I shut the door quietly behind me and leaned against it, closing my eyes.
“Breathe,” I whispered to myself. “Just breathe.”
I pressed my palms against the cool wood and exhaled slowly. The hospital walls had always been my safe place, where my focus was on healing others, not defending myself. But right now, even here, I felt exposed.
After a few minutes, I pushed myself off the door and straightened my coat. “You’ve survived worse, Amelia,” I muttered, half to convince myself.
With one last deep breath, I reached for the door handle, ready to go back to the ward.
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But before I could step out, noise erupted down the hall, loud voices, raised tones.
I frowned.
“What now?” I murmured, pushing the door open and hurrying toward the sound.
It was coming from the lobby.
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At first, I thought maybe two nurses were arguing, it happened sometimes when the stress had gotten to them. But as I got closer, the voices became clearer.
Then I saw her.
Vikki.
Standing in the middle of the hospital lobby in a designer outfit, dark sunglasses perched on her head, her hair styled to perfection, even her anger looked polished.
She was shouting at someone, but the moment her gaze locked on me, her expression twisted into pure
venom.
“There she is!” she screamed, pointing at me. “You thi
homewrecker?”
you can hide in your little white coat, you
The entire lobby went silent. Heads turned. Patients, nurses, intern
I stopped in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. “Vikki—”
everyone froze.
“Don’t you dare say my name,” she snapped, storming toward me. “Stay the hell away from my husband!”
Her voice echoed off the walls, and the crowd murmured, phones already being lifted to record.
“Vikki, please, not here,” I said quietly, glancing around at the staring faces. “You’re causing a scene.”
“Oh, I’ll cause a scene,” she hissed, jabbing a finger toward me. “You think you can play innocent? Pretend to care about sick children while you crawl into my husband’s bed?”
I felt the heat rush to my face, anger and humiliation burning together. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t I?” she spat. “He’s mine, Amelia! Mine. You’re nothing but a charity case he felt sorry for.”
I clenched my fists at my sides. “He doesn’t love you, Vikki.”
Her laugh was sharp, mocking. “And you think he loves you? Please. He never did. He told me himself, “You were just a charity case to him, Amelia, and that is what you will ever be.”
The words stung, but I held her gaze. “Then why are you here?” I asked quietly. “If you’re so sure he doesn’t love me, why are you so scared?”
That struck a nerve. Her nostrils flared. “Scared?” she sneered. “Of you? Don’t flatter yourself.”
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“I’m not trying to,” I said, my voice low but steady. “But you can’t scream your way into making a man love. you. Edmund made his choice.”
Her eyes flashed dangerously. “His choice?” she repeated, voice rising. “You mean the same man who came into a contract marriage with you to save your dying mother?”
The words hit me like ice water.
A collective gasp rippled through the small crowd gathering around us.
How on earth did she know that?
“Yeah,” she continued, stepping closer, her voice dripping with cruelty. “Didn’t think I’d mention that, did you? You think you’re better than me, but you begged him. You begged him to marry you, and he did, out of pity.”
“Stop,” I said through clenched teeth, my hands trembling. “You couldn’t even give him a child. You couldn’t give him anything. At least I gave him that.”
A wave of shock passed through her and her eyes began to water.”Amelia stop,” she warned, her voice shaking
now.
“I gave him something you never can,” I said, my voice trembling with rage. “We have a child together. You barren bitch.”
Something inside her snapped.
“Enough!” She shouted, stepping forward before someone caught her arm, holding her back. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”
I smirked, satisfied at the reaction she’d pulled from me. “Oh, I do. I know everything.”
she glared at me, her chest heaving. “You can lie all you want, but the truth doesn’t change. He never loved you, Amelia. He told me himself. He never did.”
“Well so much for never being in love with me when he is divorcing you to be with me,huh?”
Her expression shattered for a moment, the mask slipping just enough to show the raw fury underneath.
Then she smiled. But it wasn’t kind. It was cold. Dangerous.
“Well,” she said softly, almost too calm, “we’ll see if he still wants you if she’s gone.”
My stomach dropped.
“What do you mean by that?” I whispered, my voice barely steady.
She smirked, pushing past the nurses trying to hold her back. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
“Vikki!” I called after her, heart pounding. “What the hell does that mean?”
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But she was already storming toward the exit, heels clicking.
The doors slid open, and she was gone.
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For a moment, I just stood there, frozen, the hospital buzzing faintly around me, whispers rising again.
I didn’t even realize I was shaking until a nurse gently touched my arm.
“Dr. Garcia… are you okay?”
I nodded slowly, though I wasn’t sure I believed it.
Because whatever Vikki had just meant… it wasn’t an empty threat.
And deep down, I knew it.
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
