Chapter 2

I snatched the letter back.

Tara hid behind Ethan.

Ethan's face darkened. "Summer, you're too emotional right now. Take tomorrow off from the hospital."

I looked at him. "I'm the head of the lab. I don't answer to the ER doctors."

Tara's tears started flowing instantly. "Summer, I swear I wasn't trying to take your stuff. I simply love Ethan so much."

I laughed out loud. "You sure know how to love, so much you end up in my house."

Ethan said quietly, "Don't be so harsh."

Suddenly, my phone rang.

It was the dialysis center. "Ms. Hughes, your mother is experiencing chest tightness, and her blood pressure is unstable. Please come to the hospital right away."

I grabbed my bag and headed out.

Ethan followed me without thinking.

To my surprise, I actually felt a bit relieved.

The next moment, Tara doubled over, clutching her stomach. "Ethan, I'm feeling dizzy. I skipped dinner last night. Maybe my blood sugar's low."

Ethan froze in place. He gave me a look. "Take a cab. I'll take her to the ER. I'll be there soon."

I didn't say a word.

As the elevator doors closed, I saw him lift Tara into his arms.

In the cab, I called Ethan three times.

He never answered.

When I got to the hospital, my mom's face was ashen.

The nurse pushed the risk disclosure form in front of me. "Sign this. She might need emergency dialysis or resuscitation."

My hands were shaking so badly I couldn't write my name.

For eight years, Ethan always said, "From now on, I'll take care of your mom."

He told me not to be scared.

He promised he'd take care of everything at the hospital.

But when the day finally came, I was the one who had to sign.

Outside the emergency room, I pulled out my phone.

The first thing I saw on social media was a post from Ethan. In the photo, he and Tara were holding up their marriage certificates. The caption said: [Here's to the rest of our lives together.]

The post went up as I was calling him for the third time.

A bunch of people from the ER were hitting like.

Tara replied, [Thanks, everyone! Ethan's handing out wedding favors tonight.]

I stared at those words, feeling a cold chill slowly seep into my hands.

When my mom woke up, the first thing she asked was, "Where's Ethan?"

I closed my hand around my phone. "He's busy saving a patient."

"I know, doctors are always busy," Mom replied.

The lady from the next bed suddenly came over. "Isn't your son-in-law Dr. Brooks? He posted his wedding on social media, but the bride isn't your daughter."

She shoved her phone right in front of my mom's face.

I didn't have time to stop her.

When my mom saw the photo, her breath caught and she started gasping for air.

The monitor blared an alarm instantly.

I rushed out, shouting for a doctor.

The moment I reached the nurse's station, I saw Ethan. He was holding Tara's hand, handing out wedding favors to the ER staff. The table was piled high with boxes filled with sweets.

Someone joked, "Dr. Brooks, you really kept this under wraps!"

Tara blushed, leaning into Ethan.

When Ethan saw me, he frowned. "How could you upset your mom like this?"

I stood there, clutching my mom's critical condition notice.

At that moment, I really wanted to slap that paper right across his face.

But my mom was still inside.

All I could do was ask him, "Ethan, where do you get the nerve?"

The ER went dead silent.

Tara started crying again. She whispered, "Summer, don't blame Ethan. It's on me."

Ethan stepped in front of her protectively. "This is a hospital. Don't make a scene."

I stared at the wedding favors in his hand. Suddenly, I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it all was.

Right here in the ER, where people fight to save lives, Ethan was burying the eight years we spent together.