All Chapters of Took You Long Enough: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

The security door clicked. Key turned.I drifted near the ceiling, watching Delia Foster storm into my old apartment, clutching some fake agreement.She swatted at the dusty air, heels hitting hard. "William Wright, get your ass out here! Harlan's about to lose his license and you're still hiding?"I laughed—dry and bitter.Since that malpractice mess, we were done.Now she's back, trying to pin Harlan's screw-up on me again.Harlan Sloane. Her first love.Guess some bonds really do stand the test of time.Delia paced twice, eyes scanning the dust-covered couch and cobwebbed windowsill. Her lip curled. "What, you trying to vanish off the map? Where the hell does a disgraced ex-doctor even hide?"Harlan just texted—police are opening an investigation. You want him in prison? I'm giving you ten seconds. Get out here!"I watched her impatient face. Five years, and nothing had changed—still acting like the world owed her.Yeah, count all you want, Delia.I wasn't showing.Beca

Chapter 2

It felt like my soul got chained to Delia, dragged along behind her.The second she stepped in, Harlan pounced."Well? Did you find William?"She looked dazed. "No... they said he's dead.""Dead?!" He flinched like she slapped him, then grabbed her arm. "That's—no. He's just hiding. Probably made it up to mess with you."Delia frowned. Said nothing.Harlan slapped on a fake smile."Yeah, that's it. Still mad from five years ago. Doesn't wanna help. Maybe we just... drop it? I'll turn myself in..."She paused. Then nodded. "No. He's hiding. But we're not done. I'll find him—and he's taking the fall."Harlan's eyes got misty, voice cracking. "Delia, you're so good to me—""But," she cut in, hesitation creeping in, "if he's pulling stunts like this, he's pissed. Harlan, this is it. Once he goes down for you, we're done."I was so stunned, I almost forgot I was dead.Delia wanted to dump Harlan?Wild, considering how hard she fought me over him back then.We were barely a yea

Chapter 3

Desperate to find me, Delia went straight for Raine.I followed her car to Citadel Hospital.Muscle memory. For years, it was just home and hospital—on loop.Some routines outlive the person.She had a lead foot and a permanent frown, probably still stewing over Harlan.The car barely stopped before she bolted inside, straight to the inpatient wing."Check the room for Raine Wright.""Uh... sure." The nurse blinked and started clicking through the system.Then came a cold laugh from the side."Well, if it isn't Dr. Foster. What brings you to our humble little hole?"Delia turned—and just like that, her face dropped.Lena Wynn. Senior attending back in the day.She and Delia? Never exactly besties.Weirdly enough, Lena had quit right after the malpractice case too.Now, standing face to face, the tension snapped back to life.Delia gave her a once-over, scowl loaded. "That's none of your business."Lena folded her arms, smirk sharp. "Sure. Just funny—you had no time when

Chapter 4

"What did you say? Raine's dead? Three years ago?"The nurse nodded, tense. "That's what the system shows. Spring—three years back. Late-stage lung cancer... complications.""No. No way."Delia slammed the counter. Heads turned. She didn't care.Then—deep breath. Get it together.Hospital records? Solid. No way to fake that. She knew that better than anyone.She grabbed the nurse's wrist, her voice cracking. "How? This place has top-tier oncology. How could she die? And—"Her stomach dropped."I've been sending money to that card. Every month. Harlan said she was doing better just last week..."The nurse flinched but clicked fast through the screen. "Dr. Foster, that card was unlinked three years ago."And... her condition never improved. She was on cheaper meds most of the time."A guy came in, told us to swap out the imported drugs. Said it was to save money. Eventually, the payments stopped."Every word? A gut punch.That scumbag Harlan.He knew that money was for Rain

Chapter 5

Delia stormed in when she got home.Harlan, stretched out on the couch, perked up with fake surprise. "Delia? You're back? Any luck finding William?"She chucked her purse onto the coffee table. "What the hell happened to Raine?"He froze mid-sip, brow furrowing. "Raine? Thought she was doing fine. I've been sending her money every month.""Fine?" Delia laughed, sharp and bitter. She pulled up a photo on her phone and shoved it his way. Death certificate, plain as day. "She died three years ago. You switched her meds and unlinked the card. Don't play dumb."The date hit harder than her glare. Harlan went sheet-white.He set down the cup, suddenly all fidgety hands and guilty eyes. "Okay, okay—just let me explain. I didn't mean for it to go down like that. Research funding got tight, so I borrowed a little. Planned to pay it back once things took off...""Borrow?" Delia stepped in, eyes blazing. "She was William's only sister. The ONE thing he asked when he took the fall for you

Chapter 6

I couldn't even describe her face—it was like someone ripped her soul out mid-breath.She didn't even glance at her bag. Just bolted.Her heels clattered down the stairs, nearly rolling her ankle more than once.In the car, the first tear hit the steering wheel with a sharp tap. Then more. Fast. Relentless.She scrubbed at her face with one hand, the other yanking the wheel so hard she almost kissed the guardrail."No... no, it's not true. William can't be dead... he was strong. He could take anything..."I watched her from the passenger seat. Her eyes, red and swollen, locked on the road.Same eyes that once looked through me when I got canned from the hospital.Same eyes that rolled when I begged her to help Raine.Now they were crying.Too late for that, don't you think?She barely remembered to breathe before bursting into the café.The second she spotted Danny, she grabbed his arm, nails digging in deep. "Tell me it's fake. The death certificate—it's fake, right? He's

Chapter 7

Delia cried in that café till she ran out of tears. When she finally stood, her eyes were a mess.She stumbled to the door. Cold wind slapped her straight in the face.I followed as she wandered to the curb, looking like she forgot what planet she was on.Eventually, she pulled out her phone. Just stared at it like for a long time.Then she called him."Hello?" Harlan's voice was all fake sugar. "Delia, where are you? I've been looking everywhere."She took a deep breath."Harlan, come meet me. We need to talk." her voice hoarse"Talk about what? Did you find William?""You'll know when you get here." Click. No room for his lies today.She found a bench in a nearby park and sat down, zoning out at the fallen leaves.I drifted beside her. Whatever was left in her? Looked hollow.Harlan showed up not long after, rushing over.He smiled. "Delia, what's wrong? Did you find William? The police called again—""William's dead."Flat. No emotion.Harlan froze mid-step.For hal

Chapter 8

Delia holed up in her office for two nights, no sleep, just her and a mountain of dirt on Harlan.Altered charts, shady invoices, surgical notes from his latest mess—every page screamed guilty.Her phone wouldn't shut up. 'Harlan' flashed on the screen like a bad joke on loop.He clearly thought she was bluffing.The texts just got more pathetic:[Delia, where are you?][The police are checking the OR footage—do something!][I was wrong, okay? Don't abandon me!]Delia grabbed the phone, silenced it without even checking.Her eyes locked on a photocopy of Raine's medical record. In the corner, a picture—shy smile, same eyes as mine.Raine used to promise she'd bake Delia a cake once she got better.Delia's nails dug into her palm.I watched her sift through the evidence, tagging each file. Her face just kept darkening.Then she hit the deleted med records—Harlan's cover-up.Her hand stopped midair, shaking."So you were rotten from the start," she muttered, maybe to Harla

Chapter 9

After Harlan was dealt with, Delia didn't go to the hospital or home. She drove to our old place.Half the bulbs in the hall were dead, everything dim and gray.Her hand stalled on the key—Five years. She never thought it'd still fit.The lock clicked.Dust coated everything—thicker than she expected. Even a small draft kicked it up.Sunlight pushed through dirty windows, catching the floating specks.She stopped in the doorway, barely moving, like one wrong step might shatter the air.I hovered in the middle of the room, watching her ease inside.Her eyes landed on the couch—the one I'd spent three months' pay on.She'd wanted beige. Said it wouldn't show dirt.One night she'd crashed there after a late shift, then whined it was too hard.I laughed, said I'd swap it for a softer one once my bonus hit. But the fight came first."William, can't you be more understanding? Harlan just got back to the country. What's wrong with me helping him out?""Helping? You're making te

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