Chapter 3
The next second, Stan's slender, beautiful fingers played with the bow at my collar.
He said, "Would you be my gift? I saw online that it's supposed to feel amazing."
When you were young, love felt unbreakable.
And just like that, Stan took me to a small roadside motel.
The moment he pushed me onto the bed, I was scared out of my mind.
I held onto him like a drowning person clinging to driftwood. "Will we be together forever?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Yes," he replied.
"Will you marry me?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"I'm scared it'll hurt," I whispered.
"I'll be gentle," he promised.
But Stan was young and inexperienced.
He was reckless and impatient, and the pain was unbearable. I could only bite my lip to keep from making a sound.
When I woke up the next day, it was already noon, and I was sore and aching all over.
Seeing the marks on the sheets, I blushed, mortified.
Stan, on the other hand, just grinned at me. "Ramona, you're mine now. From now on, you belong only to me.
"I'll marry you as soon as I get back, alright?"
I nodded, counting down the days, waiting for him to return.
When Stan first went overseas, he called me every single day.
But after a while, the calls started to drop off, and sometimes he'd suddenly stop replying to my texts.
I figured he was just busy with school.
About six months later, while I was sleeping, Stan suddenly called me.
He sounded really anxious. "Ramona, my classmate's little sister is having her period and she's in a lot of pain. Is there anything I can do to help her?"
Just a couple days later, he called me again. "Ramona, my roommate's got a fever. How can I bring it down fast?"
I never questioned him, not even once. Every time, I patiently talked him through it step by step over the phone.
Because of the time difference, he always called me in the middle of the night.
I was already a nervous wreck, barely sleeping for years. I never once got a full night's rest.
As I snapped back to the present, it finally hit me.
For seven years, all the love and care he'd gotten from me. He'd given it all to someone else.
All that tenderness and thoughtfulness, he'd given it all to Maryann.
After pulling myself together, I wiped away my tears and drove off.
Just then, my phone pinged with the custom notification I'd set for Stan.
I opened it and saw just a sentence. [I'm sorry.]
I couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous it all was.
I spent seven years building a prison for myself because of him, and in the end, all I got was a single apology.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, a hard hit at the front of my car. I was so focused on Stan's text that I didn't hit the brakes in time and ended up rear-ending the car ahead.
My heart sank instantly.
I jumped out of the car in a panic, hurrying over to apologize.
The car door ahead slowly swung open, and a pair of red-soled dress shoes hit the pavement first.
Next, a tall, striking figure stepped out.
The man had sharp, icy features and wore a sharply tailored dark gray suit.
As he moved, a luxury watch glinted on his wrist.
All the composure I'd managed to gather fell apart again, and I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out.
"I'm really sorry, sir. I didn't brake properly," I choked out, my voice shaky. "Whatever the repair costs, I'll cover it."
The man stayed silent, just watching me as I sobbed and struggled to breathe, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
He said, "Miss, if memory serves, you were the one who ran into me, right?
"I haven't even said anything yet and you're already crying?
"If someone saw this, they'd probably think I'm picking on you in public."
As more people gathered around to gawk at the scene, I felt so embarrassed I dropped my head.
Then, the man suddenly reached out and pointed at my forehead. "Does it hurt?
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital first?"
It was only then that I realized my forehead had banged against the car window in the crash.
The skin was scraped, and blood was quietly oozing out.
"No need, sir," I replied quickly. "Maybe we should exchange contact info first?
"Whatever the repairs end up costing, I'll make sure to pay you back."
"Alright," he replied.
Seeing me step back a little, wary, the man stopped and didn't come any closer.
His long fingers fished a business card from his pocket and handed it to me. It said: Eugene Jones.
I didn't give it another thought. After politely saying goodbye, I got in my car and left.
Three days later, while I was working in the clinic, Maryann came by again.
This time, she was on her own. She stood there with her arms crossed, giving me a once-over.
Maryann said, "Dr. Dotson, I feel like the results from my last marriage checkup weren't quite right.
"Why don't you check me again?"
My brows furrowed, and I was just about to refuse.
Maryann suddenly closed the exam room door behind her.
She moved in, glancing down at my name tag. "You're Ramona Dotson, aren't you?"
With no one else around, Maryann dropped the act. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the girl Stan slept with when you were just eighteen, right?"
As a doctor, I kept my composure and politely reminded her, "I'm sorry, Miss Flynn, but I'm working right now. Please respect my working hours."
But Maryann just ignored me completely, acting like she hadn't heard a word.
She sneered. "Do you know what Stan said about you afterwards?
"He said you just lay there like a dead fish, didn't move at all, no fun whatsoever."
A wave of shock and hurt washed over me. I couldn't believe Stan had actually told Maryann about that.
Maryann continued, "Ramona, someone as loose as you actually gets to be a gynecologist? Isn't that just pathetic? Makes me sick, honestly."
Her blatant insults finally pushed me over the edge.
I shot back, "Maryann, what the hell do you want?
"Seriously, what century are you living in? Still pulling that slut-shaming crap?
"And a guy actually brags about something like that? Isn't that even more gross?"
When she saw me finally snap, Maryann just let out a mocking laugh. "Ramona, I'm here today to warn you. You better remember your place.
"A shameless woman like you, who threw yourself at Stan when you were barely an adult, isn't even worthy of stepping into the Fisher family home."
I was so furious that I shot to my feet, ready to ask her to leave.
But before I could even reach her, she suddenly went weak at the knees and fell hard to the floor.
The commotion instantly drew a crowd. And of course, Stan was among them, waiting just outside the door.
"Maryann, what happened?" Stan rushed over, his voice full of concern.