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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Stubborn Hearts: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

10 Kabanata

Chapter 1 The Fifth Anniversary

Scenes from the past flashed through my mind one after another, and a surge of anger flared in my chest."Jeremiah, why weren't you this forceful back then?"I hurled the words at him and turned to leave.The moment I stepped out, the nurses swarmed around me."Dr. Holloway, do you know the new hospital director?"I shook my head."Hey, Dr. Holloway, Dr. Luthenstein is so young. I heard he graduated from Redmont Medical Academy, and he's still single."As soon as those words were spoken, several gossip-hungry nurses piled in, talking over one another.The noise grated on my nerves."That's enough. He's married. And divorced."Ignoring their stunned expressions, I picked up my bag and got ready to clock out."How do you know that so clearly?" a young nurse asked, hurrying after me.I sneered. Of course, I knew—because I was the ex-wife he had misunderstood.I didn't answer. I walked straight toward the elevator.I had warned myself countless times that I would never let th

Chapter 2 A Seat in the Corner

He never once tried to prove his love for us. Even our wedding rings were chosen by me.No matter how hard I tried, he was never willing to give me even a shred of genuine devotion. And a marriage carried by one person alone is already doomed from the start.Maybe our relationship was like that wedding photo hanging in the office. It should have been taken down a long time ago.I went to an apartment that my parents had left me. That night, I slept more peacefully than I had in years.At dawn, my phone dragged me out of sleep.I picked it up and saw several missed calls from Jeremiah.The moment I answered, his voice came sharp and impatient. "What stunt are you pulling now? Your office is completely cleared out. Didn't we agree to celebrate our anniversary together? I even prepared a gift. Where are you?"His aggressive tone only irritated me. I hung up and tossed my phone aside.I was already used to this—during my back-to-back ER shifts, on my birthday. On every day I needed

Chapter 3 The Truth I Finally Saw

I knew he had done it on purpose.Yvonne was wearing a champagne-colored gown. The moment Jeremiah sat beside her, her face bloomed into a dazzling smile.The two of them quickly began discussing a recent difficult case. As they spoke, they leaned closer without noticing, voices lowering, shoulders almost touching.Watching them laugh and chat, I was suddenly reminded of medical school. Back then, I used to discuss cases with him the same way.In those days, he listened patiently to every idea I shared. He celebrated every correct judgment I made as if it were his own.Now the light in his eyes belonged to someone else.I stood up, ready to leave, when Jeremiah suddenly called after me. "Queenie, we haven't finished eating."I let out a cold laugh. "Dr. Luthenstein, you and Dr. Zimmerman seem perfectly entertained. I won't interrupt."With that, I turned and walked away.Behind me, Marcus' mocking voice drifted over. "Dr. Holloway is still so aloof. No wonder Jeremiah would—"

Chapter 4 The Last Line I Would Not Cross

"You—""Dr. Luthenstein," I said, switching to a cool, professional tone, "we both have work tomorrow. You should go home and get some rest."He studied me in silence for a long moment before finally turning away.The instant the door closed, I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.The tears came before I could stop them.I hated myself for still hurting because of him.…Early the next morning, I went to the hospital as usual to do my rounds.The moment I reached my office, I heard the news that Jeremiah was taking Yvonne to an international medical conference.I opened a patient chart and forced my attention onto the words.Outside the glass walls, voices floated in anyway."I heard Dr. Luthenstein personally applied for this opportunity for Dr. Zimmerman…""Yeah, that's a top-tier international conference…""They really are a perfect match…"I snapped the chart shut and stood up, heading straight for the ER.Busy hands left no room for thinking. T

Chapter 5 No Going Back

I shook his hand off. "I don't hate you. I'm just tired. I spent three years wondering what I did wrong, Jeremiah. I wondered if a brilliant doctor like you was too good for me, or maybe it was my insecurity talking to me."I met his eyes."But now I understand. It was never me. It was you. You've never given me real attention, Jeremiah. Not once."That changed the look on his face. "What made you think that?""You've never cared about my feelings, not once in five years. Every time I ran into trouble and needed you, you weren't there. You were with Yvonne. Talking cases. Talking surgery. Talking about everything except me."He wanted to say something, but then his phone rang harshly. It was Yvonne. He hesitated, wondering if he should take it. I smiled bitterly. "Go. Your genius partner is calling.""Queenie…""Enough. That's Dr. Holloway for you." I picked up my purse and was about to leave, but he blocked the exit."You're leading that surgery," he said. "Orders from hea

Chapter 6 To Another Hospital

"Or do you expect me to accept your affair with Yvonne?"He explained quickly, "It's not what you…""Enough." I waved him off. "I don't want to hear it. Every time you were alone with Yvonne, I trusted you to stay loyal. And what did that trust get me?"He tried to speak again, but Yvonne suddenly walked in. "Jeremiah, the patient's family wants to see you."I saw him turn to her again, and I thought this was ironic. "Go, Dr. Luthenstein. The patient's more important." Then, I walked away.The corridor's air was filled with the sharp scent of antiseptic. This would be the last time I breathed it in. I'd be going to a new hospital tomorrow.It was a larger municipal hospital in another city. I'd made up my mind to leave this place and the entangled web behind, so I returned to my office and started packing my stuff up. A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," I said.Yvonne came in and stood in front of me. Calmly, she asked, "You're leaving?""Yes." I didn't stop packing."

Chapter 7 Still Refusing

"Yvonne and I—""I said, no explanations!" I shoved his hand away. "I've been thinking, Jeremiah. If I'd never trusted you so much, maybe I wouldn't have been so heartbroken. If I'd seen the truth sooner, maybe I wouldn't have suffered like this."He looked at me, a storm of emotions in his eyes. "You thought that was the truth?"I picked up my purse. "It doesn't matter anymore." I was going to leave. "Goodbye, Dr. Luthenstein."Then, Marcus barged into the office. "ER just got a serious case! The patient needs to undergo surgery now!"I asked, "What's the situation?""Aortic dissection. It's an emergency."Jeremiah said, "I'll prep."Marcus shook his head. "The patient's family specifically requested Dr. Holloway. She saved his father."That stunned me. Now, there was no way I could say no. "On it," I said.Jeremiah followed me. "I'll assist."Once again, we were a team. This time, it was worse. Every single second of the surgery tested my skills. And when we hit a crit

Chapter 8 The Truth

One day, a familiar figure showed up in the corridor. Jeremiah stood in front of the nurse's station, flipping through medical records.A nurse whispered to me, "Do you know Dr. Luthenstein? I heard he's planning a partnership with us."I shook my head. Just when I was going to leave, Jeremiah called out to me, "Queenie."I stopped but didn't turn back. "What is it, Dr. Luthenstein?""We need to talk.""There's nothing to talk about."But Jeremiah was already standing in front of me. "Let's have lunch." It wasn't a request.I raised my head. "Dr. Luthenstein, we're—""Just think of it as a partnership discussion," he interjected.That was a reason I couldn't refuse. We met up at a restaurant close to the hospital. He looked as polished as ever, perfectly suited, carrying the effortless air of a man in control.Jeremiah asked, "How's life?""Good." I nodded. "What about Yvonne?" I blurted.Jeremiah put his fork down. "Do you really want to know?"I smiled. "Just making conv

Chapter 9 Sometimes, Don't Be Stubborn

My hand froze. "What?""I was leaving to study abroad. Mercenia. I wanted to settle things before I went.""Settle what?" I asked."My feelings." Yvonne smiled sadly. "But he said no. You're the only one for him, now and forever. That's what he said."My hand was starting to shake. "What?"Yvonne asked, "The full video is in the flash drive. Are you sure you won't watch it?"I quietly dressed Yvonne's wounds. She piped up, "It's in my bag. Just take it."I didn't. "No, thank you.""Do you hate him that much, Queenie? So much that you'd rather avoid the truth?"I stopped halfway through sorting out the tools. "No. I'm just tired. I've spent years living with doubt, fear, and insecurity. I don't want that life anymore."Yvonne sighed softly. "Do you know what kind of life he's been living? Every time he faced a difficult case, he wanted to talk to you. Every time he finished surgery, he turned around to share the moment with you. But you were already gone."Something stung beh

Chapter 10 A New Beginning

"But then Yvonne showed up out of nowhere and tried to confess her feelings before leaving for Mercenia. I turned her down, because you're the only one I love. You saw a moment that looked like an affair and believed it."My eyes stayed on his. "So, why'd you never explain yourself even once? You had three years."He smiled bitterly. "Because I was angry too. Angry that you trusted me so little and never gave me a chance to speak. But more than anything, I was angry at myself for not chasing after you immediately."My tears fell again, and he wiped them away. "Give me another chance. Let me court you all over again. I'll prove my love, and this time I won't let misunderstandings tear us apart. No more heartbreak."His eyes were full of hope, full of sincerity."It hasn't been easy for me either, Jeremiah. Every time I ran into difficult cases, it reminded me of the days we spent figuring out the patients. Every time I finished an operation, I wanted to share it with you, but you w

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