All Chapters of Engaged to the City's Coldest Woman: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"How is your dad doing?"The text from Sophia Wilson sat on the screen, a stinging reminder that arrived too late.I sat on the bench outside the operating theatre, still clutching a ballpoint pen. The plastic cap had cracked under my grip, its sharp edges biting into my palm.The nurse pushed the door open, keeping her voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Ellery, your father's out of immediate danger for now, but we'll need to keep him under close observation."I nodded.My phone vibrated again as a second text from Sophia popped up."Harrison is feeling better now. I'm heading your way."I stared at the words for a long time before replying concisely, "That won't be necessary."She called immediately after, but I didn't answer.By the time Dad was rolled into the ICU, dawn had already broken.I watched him through the glass window as he lay in the hospital bed with half of his face swallowed by an oxygen mask.My mind suddenly drifted back to the night of our engagement part

Chapter 2

The day Dad was moved to a regular ward, Sophia brought over a care plan.It was meticulously put together, outlining dosing schedules, physical therapy, dietary restrictions, and even the nursing shifts.She set the folder down on the nightstand. "I had a word with the head of rehab, and he's coming in for a consultation tomorrow."Dad had just woken up. The corner of his mouth was still drooping slightly, making his speech slurred. "Sophia… thank you for everything."Sophia leaned over his bed. "Don't worry about a thing, Mr. Ellery. Just focus on getting better."Her behavior was completely flawless. She was polished, attentive, and a perfect future daughter-in-law—that was, if one ignored the fact that Harrison existed.Around noon, Harrison showed up carrying a fruit basket. He was wearing a cream-colored sweater, looking incredibly pale with his hospital ID band still strapped to his wrist.The second he stepped through the door, his eyes locked onto Sophia."Am I interru

Chapter 3

Sophia's mother, Cynthia Burke, arrived at the hospital that afternoon.The moment she walked into the room, she tossed her purse onto a chair and spoke with a tone of familiar reproach."Conrad, your father being hospitalized is huge news. Why didn't you let us know sooner?"I was gently wiping Dad's fingers with a damp towel. "I did."Cynthia froze for a second, but she quickly recovered with a smile. "Well, Sophia has a demanding career, so you need to be more understanding. With a position like hers, she has a ton of patients counting on her to help them."I didn't respond.Dad lay in his bed, a hint of guilt flickering in his eyes. "Cynthia, I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble."Cynthia waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't say that. We're family."With that said, she reached into her bag and pulled out a booklet of wedding invitation samples."By the way, I had someone redesign the invitations. That dusty blue you picked before was just too drab and depressing f

Chapter 4

On the day of Dad's follow-up appointment, Sophia promised to accompany us to the post-op consultation.She said she would be there by 10:00 am.By 9:30 am, I was already waiting outside the rehabilitation department with Dad in a wheelchair.Dad seemed more spirited now. With his mouth still slightly askew, he asked, "Is Sophia busy?"I carefully draped a blanket over his knees. "Yeah, she's busy."10:05 am came and went, yet there was no sign of her.By 10:20 am, the doctor began calling out patient numbers.I dialed Sophia's number.The first time, it went to voicemail.The second time, she disconnected the call.On my third attempt, she finally picked up. It sounded quiet in the background, as if she were in a private ward."Conrad, something came up on my end," she said.I stared at the numbers flashing above the clinic door. "The doctor is waiting. You took the files with you."Fearing I might lose them, she had personally tucked them into her briefcase the night bef

Chapter 5

At 5:20 am, a heavy fog rolled across Greenley Port.The caregiver, Martha Hunt, followed closely behind with our luggage as I wheeled Dad onto the ferry.He still had no idea that I was taking him to an out-of-town rehabilitation center. Leaning back in his wheelchair, he slurred, "Conrad, where are we going?"I carefully tucked his scarf around his neck. "Just to a quieter place to recover."The cabin was mostly empty.Sitting by the window, I watched the distant city lights of Greenley slowly fade away into the distance. The moment I finally turned my phone back on, a wave of missed call notifications flooded the screen.There were 37 missed calls, all from Sophia.There was also a text from Cynthia. "Conrad, where on earth did you take your father? The wedding is in seven days. Stop acting like a child."Even Harrison had sent a message that read, "Conrad, Sophia has been searching for you all night. She's incredibly worried, so please come back home."I placed the phone f

Chapter 6

"No one is welcome here except visitors," I said.Sophia acted as if she hadn't even heard me, her eyes sweeping across my face. "You've lost weight."Hearing that in the past probably would've made me soften, but now it just felt redundant."Why are you here, Dr. Wilson?"The title made her flinch. "Don't call me that.""What should I call you then? My ex-fiancee?"Her throat bobbed. "I didn't cancel the wedding, Conrad. I just had them postpone it. Take a few days to calm down, and then we'll talk."I tried to push past her toward the room, but she extended an arm to block my path, keeping her movement restrained enough to barely stop me."Conrad, it's true that I handled things poorly that night, but you can't just end things on a whim."Looking her dead in the eye, I countered, "So, where were you when I was waiting for you outside the operating room?"Her face went pale. "I didn't realize it was that severe.""I told you it was.""You were so frantic over the phone. I

Chapter 7

Cynthia was rendered momentarily speechless."Drop the attitude, Conrad. Sophia spent the last three days completely rescheduling her surgery schedule just to accommodate you, and she's practically running on fumes. Stop throwing this little tantrum and just come home.""Even if she's running on fumes, she has Harrison to keep her company," I replied, keeping my voice flat."Conrad Ellery!" Cynthia hissed, her rage bubbling over. "Have you looked at your father lately? The medical bills are going to skyrocket. If you actually burn this bridge with Sophia, who do you think is going to foot the bill?"My hands went still.So that was how she saw it. To her, my engagement to Sophia was nothing more than a ploy to find someone to foot Dad's medical bills."You don't need to worry about that," I said."Don't act so high and mighty," Cynthia muttered. "The moment you can't handle it anymore, you'll be crawling right back to us for help."I hung up on her.Almost immediately, a text

Chapter 8

My hands went still. "What is it about?""An anonymous whistleblower filed a complaint against her," said Daniel. "They claim she repeatedly bent the rules to secure private rooms and specialist consults for Harrison, and they even presented evidence. The board is launching a full investigation."I said nothing.After all, I was the one who had compiled the list of evidence before leaving Greenley.It wasn't born out of a desire for revenge. I had simply reached a point where I couldn't care less about their reputation.Sophia called shortly after.Because I hadn't blocked her new number yet, I picked up.The second the call connected, she questioned, "Were you the one who filed that complaint?""Yes."Her breath hitched over the line. "Do you have any idea how much this is going to hurt my chances for the promotion review?""I do.""Conrad, you never used to act like this."It was always the same old line from her.I set Dad's pillbox down on the table. "I also used to th

Chapter 9

I stared at Dad's back out in the garden. "It's in the past now.""It's not for me," Sophia said, her voice sounding raspy. "Every night, I find myself thinking about the hallway outside the operating room. You were sitting there all alone, calling me, and I just told you that you were blowing things out of proportion."She paused for a beat. "Conrad, I didn't come here to beg you to take me back."I finally looked her in the eye.Her eyes were red, but she was fighting to keep her composure. "I came to apologize. I'm sorry."I had waited a very long time to hear those words. But by the time they finally came, they didn't mean anything anymore."I appreciate it," I said.Sophia looked as if she had just been stung.Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a small box and placed it on top of the picket fence. "I had the ring altered to remove the engraving," she said. "If you don't want it, you can just throw it away."I made no move to pick it up. "Sophia, stop giving me things

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