Chapter 3
Allen hurried ahead but paused, seemingly uncertain. He turned back to face her, his voice carrying a hint of hesitation. “Claire, you’re a doctor. It’s just a minor injury–you can handle it, right?”
Minor injury? He had just called it serious. Or maybe, in his world, her pain was always secondary to Evelyn’s.
Claire’s thoughts drifted to a summer evening long ago. She remembered nicking her finger while slicing a watermelon, a small scratch barely breaking the skin. Allen had been there then, immediately fussing over her, scooping her up and making her sit on the couch while he tended to her.
The contrast between then and now hit
Chapter 3
her with a sharp ache in her chest, and she blinked back tears that threatened to spill. She turned her head quickly, determined not to let him see her at her most vulnerable.
Her eyes fell on a coat missing a row of buttons, the worn fabric a cruel reminder of a night just a week ago.
That evening, the department had held a gathering. Claire had indulged a little too much, and since the venue was in a remote area, finding a cab at that hour proved impossible. After what felt like an eternity, she called Allen, her voice slightly slurred.
“Allen, I can’t find a ride. Can you come pick me up?”
He’d been out jogging with Evelyn. The sound of his heavy breathing came through the phone, tinged with impatience.
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# & Ponte
“I’m with Evelyn. It’s late, and she can’t go home alone. Wait two hours–I’ll drop her off first. Or get a cab and send me the fare. I’ll reimburse you.”
He didn’t even seem to hear her mention the difficulty of finding a cab. Allen was so preoccupied with Evelyn’s safety that he failed to consider the danger of Claire walking alone at night.
Claire had walked twenty kilometers in the dark, her mind clouded with exhaustion, when headlights from an Audi A8 finally sliced through the night.
“Claire, are you insane? Do you think I enjoy this? I circled the place you told me to go and didn’t see you anywhere!” Allen barked.
“I wasn’t lying, I-” Before she could finish,
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Allen’s anger erupted. He yanked her into the car, slamming the door behind her with force.
The faint clink of buttons hitting the floor was drowned by his furious tirade.
That night, Claire understood. She would never, in his eyes, be as important as Evelyn.
With a forced smile, Claire spoke softly, “I’m a doctor too. I can handle it. You shouldn’t keep your patient waiting.”
Her words wiped away whatever lingering concern Allen might have felt for her.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, the gesture so detached it almost felt like an afterthought. “Alright. I’ll head out now. I’ll come get you after work.”
Claire nodded, her response as indifferent as
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+5 Points
his kiss. Without another word, Allen turned and disappeared down the hospital corridor. Only then did she allow her head to tilt back, dabbing at the wetness in the corners of her eyes, listening as his footsteps faded into the distance.
In her heart, she counted how many times he had chosen Evelyn over her. By now, she had lost track.
As for Evelyn’s cheerful voice on the phone? Any doctor could tell she wasn’t sick. Yet Allen, bewitched as ever, rushed to her side without question, always at her beck and call.
Claire limped back to her office, the weight of her emotions heavier than her aching ankle.
Some colleagues, who knew her well, teased her as she entered, their playful banter a
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aire, you and Dr. Brown really need to take it easy! Don’t tire yourselves out too much!”
“That’s right, Claire. Dr. Brown is the backbone of our hospital. If you wear him out and he can’t perform surgeries, the director will be on your case!”
Claire forced a tight smile, waving them off. She lifted her pant leg to reveal the swollen, bruised ankle beneath.
“It’s nothing like that. Just twisted my ankle rushing to get here, she explained, her voice flat.
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