Not My Prince Charming

I couldn't help but flinch when the lights went out, and Jason immediately pulled me into his arms, speaking softly to calm me. "Don't be scared. I'm here."I had mild night blindness, so the dark terrified me. Jason whispered reassuring words as he reached for the candles.Just then, his phone rang again.The sound of Zara crying echoed loudly in the otherwise quiet room. "Dr. Gunn, the power's out at my place, and I'm really scared. I can hardly breathe right now."Without a second thought, Jason put down the candle he was holding and grabbed his car keys to head out the door. "Zara's not feeling well. I'll go check on her and be right back. You light the candle in the meantime."With the phone dead, I clumsily fumbled around for the candle and lighter he left behind, but the candle didn't even have a wick, making it impossible to light.In my panic, I bumped my waist hard against the table edge, and sharp pain shot through me. Just as I was about to fall, I caught myself w

On the other end of the phone, I could hear my mother loudly scolding, and Jason's mother, Caroline Gunn, hurriedly trying to explain. When I arrived at the hospital, it was just around mealtime, and Jason had reserved a private room. As I approached the door, I saw my mother standing with her hands on her hips, angrily shouting at both Jason and Caroline. "Is this how you treat my daughter?" she demanded.Caroline quickly waved her hands in defense. "Stacey, I only made a meal for the poor girl. She doesn't have any family, and her heart condition made me feel sorry for her. Please, don't misunderstand."My mother wasn't having it. She turned to Jason and snapped, "And you? You're taking care of patients and getting involved with them? If I hadn't shown up, how long would you two have kept hugging each other?"Jason rubbed his temples, trying to explain. "She just finished her treatment and was unsteady on her feet. I was just helping her."My mother was furious. "You two have a

I glared at him in fury. "Jason, what the hell is wrong with you? If you're sick, go take your meds!" He stared at me in shock, opening his mouth as if to say something but choked on his words. "You're really yelling at me for him?"I couldn't forget the first time I saw Zara. She was sitting in a hospital bed, letting Jason feed her. Choking back my own frustration, I told him to stop. There was a nurse right there, and it wasn't the doctor's job to spoon-feed the patient. But Jason simply shrugged me off, saying, "Quit throwing a fit. If you're sick, go downstairs to the psych ward and get checked."I ignored his hysterical yelling and apologized to Lucian before stepping out to hail a cab. Jason reached for the car door, his tone softening. "It's late, and it's not safe for you to be out here alone. Let me take you home." It was late, and if I went back to my parents' house, they'd likely wake up and start worrying about me. I was going home anyway, so a free ride wasn't t

A video he posted featured dim, yellow lights of the nightclub flickering, casting shadows on the scattered liquor bottles that littered the tables. On the stage, a singer in a revealing outfit sang with a carefree, confident air, radiating both charm and recklessness. Late into the night, I received a call from one of Jason's colleagues. "Wynter, you need to come see Jason. He's completely drunk, barely able to stand, and keeps calling your name. If you don't come, he won't leave." Another video soon popped up on my social media. There was Jason, curled up on the floor, his eyes swollen and red, staring at my photo on his phone. "Honey, please don't leave me... I don't want the divorce..." At that moment, I was at Marilyn's place, indulging in some old habits. I had a face mask on while watching a variety show and gossiping. I quickly searched for Zara's phone number and sent it to Jason's colleague. "You doctors really have a short memory. Didn't I already tell you? M