Chapter 3
The air in the hospital room was thick with tension.
Joyce and Charles stood there, locked in a silent standoff.
Finally, Charles was the first to break.
He took a deep breath, his voice softening. "I'm sorry. It was my fault back then.
"But Selina is sick now. She needs the best care.
"And she also needs... a father."
"She doesn't," Joyce cut him off without hesitation. "She has me, and that's enough."
She pulled open the door, gesturing for Charles to leave. "Dr. Carter, if you're done with your visit, you can go now.
"My daughter needs to rest."
Charles stood there, giving Joyce a deep, lingering look.
His eyes were filled with pain, regret, and a determination she couldn't quite understand.
He didn't say another word, just turned and walked out of the room.
Joyce leaned against the door, her body instantly relaxing.
She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart pounding out of control.
They'd been ten years apart. She thought her heart had long since become calm.
But seeing Charles again still sent a tidal wave of emotions crashing through her.
She walked over to the window, gazing down at the bustling city below.
After ten years, the city had changed, and so had they.
There was no going back.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number popped up: [I'm waiting for you at the café downstairs. Joyce, I'm not letting this go.]
Joyce deleted the message.
She wasn't going.
There was nothing left for them to talk about.
Charles had long been erased from her plans for the future.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was Selina's illness.
*****
That night, Selina came down with a fever again.
Joyce didn't dare to sleep all night, wiping Selina down with warm water over and over.
The nurse came in every hour to check on Selina's condition.
At three in the morning, Charles showed up.
He was in his white coat, with faint shadows under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink either.
He didn't say much, just gave Selina a thorough check and adjusted her meds.
Watching Charles work with such focus and professionalism, Joyce felt a storm of emotions swirling inside her.
She could hate him or blame him, but right now, she had to admit that he was someone she could rely on as a doctor.
*****
The next morning, Selina's fever finally broke.
She was much more energetic, insisting that she wanted some milk.
Joyce finally felt some of the weight lifted from her heart.
She headed to the hospital cafeteria to grab some breakfast.
As soon as she stepped out of the room, she collided head-on with a woman.
The woman was dressed in a Chanel suit, immaculately made up, and carrying a Hermès Birkin bag.
The perfume she wore was overpowering, filling the air around Joyce.
"Sorry," Joyce blurted out without thinking.
The woman looked up, giving Joyce a critical once-over, her eyes full of barely concealed superiority.
"Can't you watch where you're going?" the woman said, her voice sugary sweet but laced with venom.
Joyce didn't want to get involved in trouble, so she quietly stepped aside, making room for the woman to pass.
The woman marched right up to Selina's room and went to push the door open, ready to walk in.
"Miss, who are you looking for?" Joyce stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
"I'm looking for Charles," the woman replied matter-of-factly. "I brought him breakfast. The nurse told me he was in this room all night."
Joyce thought, 'It sounded like they were pretty close.'
An inexplicable twinge of feeling swept through her.
"Dr. Carter isn't here right now," she said.
"Not here?" The woman frowned, sizing Joyce up. "Who are you? Are you the patient's family?"
Joyce nodded.
"I'm Vanessa Stone, Charles's fiancée," the woman said, making sure to put extra emphasis on the word "fiancée".
She gave Joyce a once-over.
Joyce was dressed in a plain T-shirt and jeans, her face pale and tired from the long night, her hair a mess.
Standing next to the dazzling Vanessa, Joyce looked like a Cinderella beside a queen. There was no comparison.
Vanessa's eyes flashed with a touch of contempt. "Charles is too compassionate. He treats every patient like they're someone important."
As she spoke, she pushed Joyce aside and strode right into the room.
Then she saw Selina in the hospital bed.
The little girl had just woken up and was rubbing her eyes sleepily.
As Vanessa took in Selina's face, her expression changed slightly.
She glanced back at Joyce, sizing her up with obvious suspicion in her eyes.
Joyce felt uncomfortable under that gaze.
She walked over to the bed, calmly positioning herself to block Vanessa's view. "Ms. Stone, if you have nothing else to say, please leave.
"My daughter needs to rest."
"Your daughter?" Vanessa echoed, her eyes narrowing, like she'd picked up on something important.
Just then, Charles walked in from outside.
He spotted Vanessa and his brows knit together. "Vanessa, what are you doing here?"
"I brought you breakfast," Vanessa said, instantly switching to a sweet, gentle smile as she walked over and affectionately linked her arm with Charles's. "Charles, the nurse told me you stayed here all night."
She cast Joyce a meaningful look. "This lady must be the patient's family, right? You actually have a delicate look."
Charles felt himself tense up.
He subtly slipped his arm free. "Vanessa, you should go home. I have a lot to deal with here."
"Nope." Vanessa pouted, her tone sugary and coy. "I'm waiting to have breakfast with you."
She popped open the lunchbox, letting the rich aroma waft through the room. "I had the housekeeper make this for you."
She offered the lunchbox to Charles, her gesture so close and possessive that it left him no room to refuse.
Joyce stood off to the side, feeling like a total outsider, her gaze icy as she watched them.
She didn't say anything, just turned away in silence and went to pour some water for Selina.
She didn't want to see it, and honestly, she couldn't care less.