Chapter 7

It was the height of summer at noon, and the car was as hot as an oven. The leather surface of the seats was scorching hot, and any contact with his skin stung.

Mark fumbled for his phone and dialed Claire’s number, but she did not pick up. As the temperature inside the car kept climbing, his vision began to blur, and a loud ringing filled his ears.

Knowing that he would die in there if that kept up, he gritted his teeth and turned around, pulling off the seat headrest with all he had. Then, he smashed the metal prongs at the bottom against the car window.

Time after time, he struck the same spot with all his might. Eventually, the window shattered, and cool air poured into the car, helping him barely regain his senses.

He scrambled out of the car window, dropped onto the ground, and gasped greedily for fresh air. Only after a long while did he brace himself to stand up and realize the car was parked halfway up a winding mountain road. And on a nearby slope, an outdoor camping event seemed to be taking place.

At a glance, Mark caught sight of Claire holding an umbrella for Ryan with one hand while using the other to hold a bottle of water to his lips. Ryan took a sip and said something that made Claire, who was usually so aloof, smile.

Finding the scene simply absurd, Mark looked away and dragged his heavy legs down the mountain to hail a cab for the hospital.

Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Claire called. “Mark, why did you leave without giving me a heads-up? Also, what happened to the car window?”

Mark replied, his voice raspy, “Claire, just to hold an umbrella and hand water to Ryan, you locked me inside the car. Do you have any idea I almost roasted to death in there?”

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line.

“I’m sorry. I was in such a rush when I got out of the car that I forgot how hot it gets inside. I found out Ryan was setting up for an event. It was so hot out, and he was moving things around. I couldn’t just ignore him. What if he got heatstroke?”

Her matter-of-fact explanation made Mark laugh. She was worried Ryan would get heatstroke, yet she completely forgot that he himself was running a high fever and locked inside the car.

“Claire, I was just examined in the ER, and the doctor said it was heatstroke. If I were stuck in there half an hour longer, it would’ve caused irreversible brain damage.”

On the other end of the line, Claire’s breath hitched. “Mark–”

Without listening to another word from her, Mark hung up the phone. After that, he mustered up the strength to call a friend.

“Put my dad’s old house up for sale for me. The sooner, the better. I urgently need the money.”

Next, he flipped through his contact list, calling anyone who might know Dr. Sloan. He had to secure Dr. Sloan for Greg.

Early the next morning, Claire went to the hospital. Seeing Mark’s pale face, she looked sorry.

“Mark, I was inconsiderate. For that, I’m sorry.”

Mark looked at her and said, “Claire, I don’t need your apology. I’ll say it one last time: we’re over. All I want is for you to return my share of sixty thousand dollars from our shared savings and nothing else.”

Claire took a deep breath, hiding her annoyance. “Do you really have to throw a fit with me at a time like this? Stop acting so emotional. Must you get so blindly jealous over Ryan every single time?”

Mark did not have the energy left to refute her. He yanked the IV needle out from the back of his hand, flipped off the blanket, and got off the bed.

Claire acted quickly and held him back. “Where are you going? In your condition, you need to be hospitalized for observation for at least a week!”

Mark stared coldly at her hand resting on his shoulder. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten heatstroke. And if it weren’t for you and Ryan, my dad wouldn’t be lying in the ICU right now.”

Claire’s expression darkened. “Your dad getting sick was an accident. Why do you insist on pinning everything on Ryan? This isn’t like the old you at all.”

Mark snickered. “Fine, then tell Ryan to return the sixty thousand dollars to me right now, or you bring Dr. Sloan over to perform the surgery on my dad. Which one can you do?”

Claire bit her lip. “I’ve told you, that goes against the rules.”

Mark sneered. “Then get out of my way.”

With that, he pushed Claire aside and left the ward.

Over the next few days, Mark was busy running around, inquiring about Dr. Sloan’s whereabouts, taking care of Greg in the ICU, and calling family and friends to inform them that the wedding was canceled. As for Claire, she was also very busy handling hospital affairs and helping Ryan to push forward that five-hundred-thousand-dollar project.

Only on the evening of the fifth day of Greg’s hospitalization did Mark receive a call from his friend.

“Mark, I’ve got news! Dr. Sloan has arrived in our city! He’ll be attending a charity gala tonight!”