What Are You Crying About, Doc?

Christie's POV

The moment I stepped back into the massive bedroom, all I could think of was Lyon.

He was probably on his way back now.

It was late. I didn't realize how much time had passed since I showed up, but it was late now.

It didn't look like I was going to leave this place today.

Well, I didn't exactly want to leave…. because Lyon? No!

What was I thinking.

“I'm a doctor. I'm here to do my job,” I said to myself.

I didn't sound convincing enough.

“Well, I was brought against my will but I must keep things professional.”

I nodded.

“I can't keep entertaining nasty thoughts about the man who literally kidnapped me.”

I walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, noticing the battery icon was a thin red line.

It was almost completely dead. I looked around the room for a charger, but I didn't see one.

Before the screen could go dark, a notification appeared. It was a voice recording from my mother.

I hesitated for a second, my thumb hovering over the play button. I knew nothing good ever came from her messages, but I needed to know if something har happened to the lab.

Who else would gladly break a bad news about my lab if not my mother?

I pressed play and held the phone to my ear.

"I hope you’re enjoying your little disappearance, Christie," Diane’s voice hissed through the speaker. She sounded out of breath, as if she had been pacing.

"Because as far as I’m concerned, you are dead to this family. The foolishness you’re perpetuating right now is the final straw."

I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the silk headboard. I expected the anger, but I wasn't prepared for what came next. Her voice dropped into a tone of pure disgust.

"You’re nothing but a cheap whore, Christie. Is that what you’re doing out there? Prostituting yourself in some motel while we have a respectable man from Paris waiting in our living room? How much did this stranger pay you this time?"

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The word 'whore' felt like a physical slap. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go down.

"I am going to tell Richard everything the second he steps off that plane," she continued.

"He’s coming home from his business trip in two days. I will make sure he knows exactly what you’ve been doing. This is the end for you, Christie. You won't be living under this roof a day longer."

The recording ended with a sharp click. A second later, the screen of my phone flickered once and went completely black. The battery was dead. I was truly cut off now.

Why did she keep doing this?

How much hatred was I going to bear before it was finally too much to swallow?

“I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry,” I chanted as I took deep breaths and tried to get my mind stable.

Richard was going to be fed a lie about me once again. This time,the allegations were so heavy I doubted I'd ever recover.

All these years of being his step daughter and he'd believed that I enjoyed all the privileges of being his daughter.

I didn't even do anything! I wasn't even here on my own accord. I just needed to save some dying woman.

I stared at the black screen for a long time. I thought about the scholarships I had worked for and the nights I had spent studying while Anna went to parties.

None of it mattered to Diane. To her, I was just a stain on her reputation. It didn't matter what I did.

I wasn't the chosen daughter.

I didn't even realize I was crying until a tear landed on the back of my hand. I tried to wipe it away, but more followed. I curled my knees up to my chest and let out a shaky breath, finally letting it go.

The sound of the heavy door clicking open made me jump. I wiped my face quickly with the sleeve of my lab coat, but it was too late. My eyes were red and my face was wet.

Lyon was standing by the door. He was breathing hard, and his hair was windblown as if he had been running. He held the small, insulated medical bag in his left hand.

He looked at me, and his expression shifted from urgency to confusion.

He took a step into the room and let the door swing shut behind him.

“What are you crying about, Doc?”