جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 80

“Come in, mia bonita. Welcome.” Dr. Aldrich stepped aside and gently waved me in.Well, mia bonita? To think that I almost freaked out when I called him love a day ago.I took in the beauty that was spread before me. The huge room looked like something from a dream. Soft golden lights hung from the ceiling, rose petals were scattered on the white bed, and there were two glasses and a bottle of wine on the table. A soft song was playing in the background, something slow and warm.My heart softened. The man was very romantic for his age, I must say. And if he was just trying, then he was doing it perfectly.“What is the occasion? Are we celebrating something?” I asked, stepping inside slowly, taking in all the beauty and appreciating his efforts.He stopped in front of me, and I looked up at him. He smiled, closed the door, and nodded. “I know I missed your first surgery. I wanted to be there,” he said. “But I thought I should do this at the very least to celebrate your victory today wi

The sun rose just as we closed our eyes. As they say, time really flies quickly when you are having the moment of your life.I woke up in a quiet room, the warm sunlight trying to push through the thick curtains. I was wrapped tightly in Dr. Aldrich’s arms, our legs tangled, my head resting comfortably on his firm chest. His breathing was deep and calm.I looked around at the scattered trail of our clothes on the floor. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and something deeper—our mingled desire, still clinging to the sheets. I breathed it in fully.I turned back to him. He was sleeping peacefully, like a child. If there was anything I wished to remain constant in my life, it was him.Slowly, I peeled myself away from his warmth, doing everything I could not to wake him. I moved carefully, not even breathing too loudly—holding my breath when needed. I did not want to disturb his sleep. When I reached the edge of the bed, I picked up my clothes, dressed quietly, and glanced at him

I stayed in the quiet room, alone.Crying, trying to push my mind to think of a possible cause for what had just happened.But I could not figure it out. My mind was blank.Tired from thinking. Tired of not getting any answers.No matter how hard I tried to figure out what could have happened, I could not think of anything that would result in something so fatal in just a blur.Everything happened too fast.Way too fast.One moment, she was stable. Talking. She even slightly smiled at me.She asked how she was, and I explained that she was doing fine. I asked her to rest for a quicker recovery, and she effortlessly obeyed.Then, just like that, the next moment, she was shaking. She was gone before I could do anything.The air felt cold, like the room had become a vacuum, sucking everything out of me. My confidence. My peace. My future.I could still hear the echo of the monitor's flatline ringing in my ears.Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Dr. Aldrich stepped in.His face was heavy,

I folded the last of my scrubs into the bag with a trembling hand, the fabric suddenly heavier than it had ever been. Maybe it was just me—maybe I was heavier. My body still moved like it had purpose, like I belonged here. But my heart? It was fractured in a thousand places, bleeding behind my ribs.The feeling of failure weighed so heavily on me. Shame washed over me like I was really guilty, even though I knew I was not. The fear of the possible doom that roamed within. The fear of what was to come. The chilling fear of what would happen the next time I stepped in the operating room. My raging thoughts were so overwhelming that I could not handle them.My white coat lay across my lap. I held it and stared at it for a moment. My name was still embroidered in clean blue thread on the chest—Dr. Leylla Rodgers. I ran my fingers over the letters slowly, as if memorizing them, because I did not know when—if—I would wear a coat like this again.The zip of the duffel bag closing was the lou

I stepped outside, holding back the tears. People aligned, as if they had been summoned to escort me out, even though nothing had been confirmed yet. I heard their whispers and felt their eyes.Morgan met me somewhere along the hallway, the look of pity so evident in his eyes. He took my stuffed duffel bag without asking anything. I did not object. I did not say anything. I think this was the moment I needed all the energy I could get.He helped me carry the last of my things to my car in silence. I appreciated his silence even more than his presence. I did not want to go over explaining what had happened again. The news was everywhere. Everyone had heard it.“I should drive you,” Morgan said quietly as I opened the driver’s door. “You are not okay.”I forced a weak smile, eyes sore and swollen from crying. “I am just fine. I will be,” I lied.“You know you are not. At least I know you are not, and you cannot lie to me,” he insisted, genuinely.My fingers tightened around the door han