Chapter 4

I glanced at the news and swiped it away.

The prince from Seraphis and Unity Medical Center felt like it belonged to another world.

I went back to my novel, and the couple finally made up.

I yawned, turned off my phone, clocked out, and headed back to the hotel.

*****

The next day, the whole vibe in the hospital was totally different.

Everyone was rushing around, looking both excited and nervous. Anyone could see the excitement and nerves on their faces.

I strolled toward the Medical Records, clutching my mug.

On the way, I overheard two nurses gossiping.

"Did you hear? The prince is staying in the VIP ward on the top floor."

"Oh my god, a real prince."

"Security is insane. The whole floor is locked down."

"They've already set up a special team. Dr. Drew and Dr. Lane are both in there."

"They're such a power couple."

I walked right past them, not glancing their way.

My heart was calm as ever.

Power couple was used to describe Michael and me.

Now it was someone else, whatever.

I pushed open the Medical Records door. The familiar mildew smell hit me. It was oddly comforting.

I sat down and started my work for the day, sorting through old personnel files.

I flipped open a file. It was Michael, hired at twenty-five.

In the photo, he had a clean, bright smile. His eyes were bright.

That was the man I used to love.

I stared at the photo for a while. Then I closed the file and shoved it into the very back of the cabinet.

Out of sight, out of mind.

*****

It was lunchtime, and I headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

The place was buzzing. Everyone was talking about the prince.

"I heard his illness is serious."

"Yeah, it's some rare congenital heart disease."

"The Chief is freaking out."

"This is international news. If we pull it off, our hospital will be famous."

I grabbed a spot in the corner and quietly ate my lunch.

A tray slid into the seat across from me.

I looked up. It was the new intern, Vivian.

Vivian used to idolize me, always trailing behind, calling me Dr. Sutton.

Now, Vivian looked at me with sympathy and sadness.

"Dr. Sutton," Vivian called softly. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine. Let's eat."

Vivian hesitated, poking at her food. "Dr. Sutton, everyone in the department is saying..."

She didn't finish it, but I knew exactly what they were saying.

I smiled, "It's fine. Let them talk."

Vivian's eyes turned red. "I don't believe a word they say. Everyone knows how good you are. That paper was definitely yours."

I looked at Vivian.

She was probably the first person to stand up for me since everything went down.

"Thank you," I said. "But it's all in the past. Focus on your work. Don't worry about it."

Vivian nodded hard.

After lunch, I was about to leave.

Vivian called out to me again, "Dr. Sutton, what are your plans for the future?"

I turned back. "I don't have any plans. Working in the Medical Records is fine."

She looked at me, her eyes full of confusion.

She didn't understand why I wasn't fighting back and why I was so calm.

It was nice to be young. Young people still had the fire to get angry, to fight back against what they didn't accept. But that fire was long gone for me.

*****

That afternoon, I spotted Michael and Melissa through the window of the Medical Records.

They were coming out of the inpatient building.

A group of experts and hospital leaders surrounded them.

John was there, too.

He was fussing over them, making sure they were comfortable.

Michael looked full of confidence and energy.

Melissa nestled close to him, looking gentle and sweet.

They looked like a perfect match, like a couple made in heaven.

I looked away and continued sifting through the files.

All those moments of glory and defeat from the past were locked away in these manila folders. Mine included.

Before I was about to clock out, someone knocked on the door.

It was John's secretary.

He gave me a polite smile. "Dr. Sutton, Mr. Carter asked me to check in on you. He wanted to know if you're settling in alright. If you need anything, let us know."

I looked at him. "I'm getting used to it. Everything's fine."

The secretary got a soft rejection and looked a bit awkward. "Mr. Carter said you're still one of the hospital's heroes.

"Even though you slipped up a bit, the hospital will always remember what you've done. He hopes you can keep your spirits up."

I nodded. "Please thank Mr. Carter for me."

I looked down and went back to my work. It was pretty obvious I wanted him to leave.

The secretary left, looking awkward and a little embarrassed.

People didn't act all friendly for nothing. Either they were up to no good, or they wanted something.

I figured the prince's condition probably wasn't going well.

And sure enough, I was right.

That night, I was lying in my hotel bed, scrolling through my phone.

Someone had leaked a screenshot of a hospital's internal memo. [The prince's condition took a turn for the worse. The second consultation didn't go well.

[The expert team is holding an urgent meeting to figure out what to do next.]

There was a photo attached.

The atmosphere in the conference room was heavy, almost suffocating.

Michael sat at the head of the table, clearly in charge. He looked troubled, his brows tightly knit.

Melissa was right beside him, her face pale as a sheet. She was like a delicate flower on the verge of withering.

I turned off my phone and closed my eyes.

None of this had anything to do with me. I was the one stuck filing papers now.