Chapter 5
Abby sat on the floor for ages, feeling absolutely defeated. She didn't snap out of it until a knock came at the door.
She patted her cheeks to shake herself awake, then opened the door to find the department head waiting outside.
"Abby, I know you're leaving soon, but you still have to do that college lecture this afternoon. It's your final task at St. Maria Hospital. Be sure to give it your best," the department head said.
It was only when she heard this that Abby remembered she'd actually put in for the assignment.
She'd only signed up because it was at Luke's school, and she'd landed herself in hot water.
She'd even made special arrangements with the university so the lecture would be held in the very classroom where Luke was teaching that day, so that she could give him a surprise.
But looking at things then, when it came to anything about her, Luke probably wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
Still, no matter what happened between her and Luke, this was the work she was truly passionate about.
Abby managed a brave, determined smile. "Alright, I'll head over now," she said.
When she arrived, Luke was still up at the podium. Abby slipped quietly into a seat at the very back.
She'd barely warmed the chair when a gaggle of girls up front started whispering and giggling.
"Did you see her? That's Professor Scott's wife. Isn't she drop-dead gorgeous?" one of them hissed.
Abby's fingers froze over her laptop, thinking they were talking about her.
She racked her brain, trying to remember if she'd ever set foot on campus before, when the girls' chatter drifted back to her.
"Okay, okay. You've said it like a hundred times! It's not her first time here anyway. She always takes the front seat at Professor Scott's lectures," another girl whispered.
"They're just perfect together. The way she looks at him, her eyes actually sparkle, and Professor Scott hasn't stopped smiling this whole class. Seriously, it's like we're watching a real-life romance show," a third girl gushed.
It wasn't just those girls. Even the whole place was buzzing, and it was all because of the people sitting up front.
Abby followed their gaze, and when she saw who was in the front row, her heart sank.
Right in the center of the front row, Flora was propping her chin up with her hand, her eyes glued to Luke as he stood at the podium.
Luke's face was as unreadable as ever, but Abby could see how his brows had relaxed, and there was a hint of softness in his gaze.
Abby watched in silence for a long moment, then let out a bitter, self-mocking smile.
So that was why Luke always refused to let me come to his school.
He couldn't make it official with Flora, so he went all out there, doing everything he could to let the whole campus know they were a couple.
As the words "Professor Scott's wife" spread endlessly around her, Abby felt nothing inside, just complete numbness.
She'd made up her mind to leave, so whatever happened with Luke didn't concern her anymore.
Abby slipped on her headphones and quietly buried herself in her lecture notes, refusing to even glance at the podium.
She waited until the classroom finally cleared out, then took off her headphones and made her way over to the podium.
A bunch of excited students crowded around the podium, all hoping to get a selfie with Flora.
Abby slipped past them and quietly plugged her USB drive into the port.
Just as Abby bent down to check the control panel, someone suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Abby, what are you doing here?" Luke blurted out.
Abby didn't even look up. She just yanked her hand free, refusing to respond.
Before Abby could say a word, a girl jumped in.
"Professor Scott, can you stand next to your wife so I can get a picture?" the girl squealed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Abby and Luke both turned toward the voice, and Flora was standing right beside the girl, her eyes full of hopeful anticipation as she looked at Luke.
Abby closed her mouth, swallowing back the words she almost let slip.
She glanced at Flora, then bowed her head.
Luke's chest tightened. He started to explain, "Abby, don't get the wrong idea. Flora and I are just..."
Abby cut him off before he could finish. "I know. I'm not misunderstanding. Go ahead."
Luke couldn't help but feel a stab of surprise at how composed Abby was.
Abby had never liked Flora, and lately, she'd been getting more paranoid and jealous than ever.
But today, she didn't make a scene at all. She was so calm that it actually unsettled Luke a little.
He was still racking his brain, trying to figure out what felt off, when Flora slipped her arm around his, yanking him straight out of his thoughts.
"Honey, come on. The students are about to riot," Flora urged, half-dragging him.
Luke fixed his gaze on Abby, waiting for some reaction, but she didn't even blink at the word "honey."
With his brows knitting in confusion, he was about to say something when Flora swiftly pulled him away, tossing him into the crowd for a round of student selfies.
By the time Luke finally finished dealing with the crowd of students, the bell rang. He quickly straightened his clothes and turned to find Abby.
But Abby cut him off. "I'm about to start my lecture. If you've got something to say, save it for later."
Luke was at a loss for words. Only then did he realize the classroom was already half-full.
Left with no choice, he just picked a seat and waited for her to finish.
Luke watched Abby up there at the podium, totally unshaken. She handled every question thrown her way professionally, and genuine admiration flickered in his eyes.
He'd always heard people say Abby was an exceptional doctor, but today was the first time it really hit him. She was truly brilliant.
The lecture lasted a full hour, and by the end, Abby's mouth was parched.
When there was a short break during the Q&A session, she reached for her cup, only to realize it was already empty.
She set the cup aside and listened carefully to the students' questions.
Once all the students had cleared out and school was officially over for the day, Abby finally started packing up her things.
She gave everything a quick once-over to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, then stepped toward the door, only to have Flora suddenly appear and block her way out.