Chapter 5: A different type of beautiful

It was business as usual for Elena.

Damien was barely home as always. He preferred spending his time at work rather than having a moment longer than necessary with his wife, and Elena had stopped expecting anything different from him. The mansion could have been filled with a hundred people and somehow still feel empty whenever Damien wasn't there.

She sat curled up on the couch, watching her favorite show, Fish Tank.

It had started as a simple way to shut out the silence of the mansion. At first, Elena had only watched it because she needed something playing in the background while she went about her day, but eventually it became an addiction. She waited impatiently for every new episode and watched it almost the moment it came out, sometimes losing track of time because the characters on the screen were easier to deal with than the people inside her own home.

The television continued playing as Elena reached for the glass of water beside her.

Her phone buzzed.

She glanced at it without much interest.

Then she saw the email notification.

Her heart skipped.

It was from Adrian's office.

She immediately opened it.

Dear Ms. Blackwood, you are scheduled to come for your first preoperative appointment today.

Elena read it twice.

It had taken a little longer than she expected, but a huge grin slowly settled across her face.

Today.

It was finally happening.

She stared at the message for another few seconds before placing the phone against her chest.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was doing something for herself.

Not for Damien.

Not for his family.

Not to satisfy anyone's expectations.

For herself.

She wanted to regain the confidence her husband had slowly stolen from her over three years.

She wanted to look into a mirror without hearing Damien's voice in her head.

She wanted to stop feeling like the least important person in her own life.

Elena stood from the couch.

She walked toward her bedroom with a determination she hadn't felt in a long time.

She slipped into her wardrobe and began looking through her clothes before finally pulling out a stunning black dress.

She held it against herself for a moment.

Black.

Elegant.

Simple.

Powerful.

It felt like a symbol of the person she was going to metamorphose into.

She dressed carefully, fixed her hair and looked at herself in the mirror.

For a moment, the old doubts appeared.

The familiar voice telling her she wasn't enough.

She pushed it away.

Today wasn't about Damien.

Today was about Elena.

She left the mansion.

The ride to the hospital was quiet, but unlike most days, the silence didn't bother her.

She was excited.

Nervous too.

But mostly excited.

When she arrived at the hospital, she stepped out of the car and made her way inside.

Normally, Elena became immediately conscious whenever she entered a room. She could feel people's eyes following her, and even when nobody said anything, she imagined she knew what they were thinking.

Today was different.

She walked through the hospital with practiced confidence.

She didn't lower her head.

She didn't rush.

She simply walked.

When she reached Adrian's office, she noticed him before he noticed her.

He was standing outside his office with his hands buried gently in the hair of a little child.

Elena slowed down.

There was something about the scene that immediately caught her attention.

The child was small, and half of his face was covered in severe burns. The skin looked painfully damaged, and a lateral straw for feeding had been placed where his nose should have been.

Elena's heart tightened.

She looked at Adrian.

He wasn't looking at the burns.

He wasn't treating the child like a patient everyone should pity.

He was simply talking to him.

Gently.

Like a normal child.

Elena approached them.

“Hi, Dr. Kane.”

Adrian's gaze rose to hers.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

There was something warm in his expression.

“Hello, Elena.”

She smiled.

Then she crouched to the child's height.

“Who is this cutie pie?”

The child looked at her.

“Malakai.”

His voice was soft.

Elena smiled wider.

“That's a beautiful name.”

The child looked at her dress, then back at her face.

“You look very pretty, miss.”

Elena froze for half a second.

Pretty.

The word landed differently this time.

There was no sarcasm behind it.

No hidden insult.

No backhanded compliment disguised as kindness.

It was genuine.

A little boy who barely knew her had looked at her and simply thought she was pretty.

“Thank you,” Elena said softly.

She felt something warm settle inside her chest.

Adrian noticed.

A small smile touched his lips.

“Well, Malakai doesn't compliment everyone.”

Elena looked at him.

“Then I must be special.”

Malakai nodded seriously.

“You are.”

Elena laughed.

Adrian laughed too.

For a few moments, the three of them stood there talking, and something about the interaction felt strangely natural.

There was no awkwardness.

No pressure.

No feeling that Elena had to prove herself.

Adrian made a small joke about Malakai being his most difficult patient, and the boy immediately protested that he wasn't difficult.

Elena laughed so hard that she had to cover her mouth.

Adrian laughed with her.

For those few moments, Elena forgot where she was.

She forgot Damien.

She forgot the mansion.

She forgot every cruel word that had been thrown at her.

Then the attending nurse arrived.

“Time to go, Malakai.”

The boy frowned.

“Already?”

“We'll see you again soon.”

Malakai looked at Elena before being wheeled away.

“Bye, pretty miss.”

Elena smiled.

“Bye, Malakai.”

She watched as the nurse pushed him down the hallway.

When he disappeared from sight, Elena's smile faded slightly.

“What happened to him?”

Adrian gestured toward his office.

“Come in.”

They walked inside.

The warmth that seemed to follow Adrian wherever he went was present here too.

His office was bright, comfortable and filled with medical models, photographs and neatly arranged files. Nothing about the room felt cold despite the clinical nature of his profession.

Elena sat down.

“I hope you don't mind me asking about him.”

“I don't.”

Adrian sat across from her.

“I met Malakai after he was rescued from a house fire.”

Elena's expression tightened.

“A fire?”

He nodded.

“He was lucky to survive. He's a sweet kid, but he wasn't exactly lucky with his parents.”

“What do you mean?”

Adrian's expression became more serious.

“Careless. That's the simplest way to put it.”

Elena looked down.

“That's horrible.”

“It is.”

He leaned back slightly.

“We're preparing to do grafting on his face. The goal is to help restore the damaged areas and make him look as remotely like the boy he used to be as possible. We're just waiting for him to heal properly before we begin.”

Elena nodded slowly.

She thought about the little boy's smile.

The way he had called her pretty without hesitation.

Such a small thing.

Yet it had meant so much to her.

“Such a shame that bad things happen to beautiful people.”

The words slipped out before Elena could stop them.

Silence followed.

She looked up.

Adrian was staring at her.

Not at the paperwork.

Not at the computer.

At her.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither of them looked away.

Then Adrian's voice softened.

“What is your story, Elena?”

His eyes remained fixed solely on her.