All Chapters of Every Year Brings Spring: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

第1章

To celebrate my sister Diana's birthday, my fiancé Vincent had booked the most luxurious five-star hotel ballroom in the city.After the custom cake worth over thirty thousand dollars was cut, every single person at the party got a slice, including the cleaning staff.Everyone except me.Everyone gathered for a group photo, and the photographer took more than a dozen shots.Only then did Diana point at me below the stage and call out,"How come Natalie didn't come up for the photo?"Only then did everyone notice me in the corner."Nat, that was my fault. I forgot to call you over when we cut the cake. I'm sorry I upset you."Tears shimmered in Diana's wide eyes.Her lips gleamed with the season's newest gloss.Her whole face glowed, so delicate that even I felt sorry for her.Vincent hurried over with a slice of cake and held it out to me."Here, take mine. It's Di's birthday today. Don't ruin it for her."I knew he was only doing it to keep Diana happy.But this time, I didn't take th

第2章

I left the party early.Back home, I filled out the application and texted a photo to Dr. Evelyn Morrison, the hospital's deputy director.She replied almost instantly."Natalie, this program could take anywhere from three to five years, maybe as long as eight or ten. Your wedding is right around the corner. Have you talked to your family about this?"I didn't hesitate."Dr. Morrison, my calling is to save lives."It wasn't until close to midnight that Vincent drove Diana and my parents home.The moment he walked in and saw me, he remembered to ask,"When did you leave? You should've said something. I would've had the driver take you."I didn't answer.His seat had been right next to mine.I'd been gone for over three hours, and he didn't notice until the party was over.It was supposed to be a birthday celebration for both sisters.But the only star was Diana.As the younger sister, I was nothing but a ghost. An invisible extra.Seeing the look on my face, he tried to smooth things ov

第3章

Before I could look over the itinerary, I started my emergency-department shift and worked straight through until afternoon.A colleague came to find me."Dr. Ashford, the patient we just brought in says she's related to you."I hurried over and found Diana in a wheelchair, pushed by Gerald and Patricia.Patricia started in immediately."Natalie, the older you get, the less sense you have. How could you hold a grudge against your own sister? Getting upset over a birthday? You wouldn't answer her messages, and she twisted her ankle from worrying about you."I had no idea what she was talking about. I was completely lost.Vincent had just arrived, and the first thing out of his mouth was also a complaint."I brought you a gift first thing this morning. What more do you want?"Di sent you apology after apology in the group chat. Dozens of messages. You didn't reply to a single one. She's your sister. How can you be so petty?"Rosa Bennett, the head nurse in the emergency department, had h

第4章

The next morning, I came off the night shift and went straight to bed.I didn't wake up until the afternoon, hungry. I headed to the kitchen to find something to eat, passing through the living room on the way.Diana was trying on clothes in front of the mirror when she called my name."Nat, look at the wedding dress I picked for you. Isn't it gorgeous? Too bad you don't want it."But it's fine. Vincent said I could have this one. I picked out another one for you. He says I look good in it too."That was when I realized Vincent was also there.He gazed at Diana with adoring eyes."Di has such great taste. Every dress she picks looks stunning."I said nothing.Two wedding dresses. I hadn't tried on either one.He'd only seen Diana wear them and already decided they were beautiful.It never crossed his mind whether they would actually suit me.I choked down two slices of bread in the kitchen and headed back to my room for more sleep.Diana suddenly blocked my path and shoved a dress into

第5章

After they resuscitated me, I woke up in the middle of the night.The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Diana, right in front of me, sniffling and teary-eyed."Nat, I'm so sorry. The kitten was just so adorable. I couldn't bear the thought of it out on the streets all alone, so I brought it home."Weak as I was, I felt strangely calm and asked in a low, steady voice,"But you know I'm allergic to cat fur."Diana blinked through her tears, glanced at Vincent, then at our parents.Then she whimpered out an answer."I thought you'd give in to me, the way you always do. I was sure you'd agree to me keeping the cat."Vincent jumped in right away."You can't blame Di. She kept the cat in her bedroom upstairs. We had no idea your allergy could be triggered even when you weren't in the same room."Gerald and Patricia rallied to Diana's defense too."Your sister didn't mean to hurt you. Just give in to her!""You're getting married next month and moving out anyway. What's wrong with y

第6章

Diana's celebration finally came to an end.Vincent had Mark Cole, the family driver, take Diana and her parents home.He drove to the hospital himself.The head nurse told him Natalie had checked out that morning.He called her number immediately. Dr. Morrison answered."Natalie left the country. She was worried some of her former patients might still need help, so she left her old work phone with me."The words hit Vincent like a bolt of lightning. He stood there, phone raised, unable to speak.He texted Natalie and tried FaceTime. His texts never showed Delivered, and every call failed.He drove at reckless speed to the Ashford home."Di, open the door! I need to see Natalie!"Diana opened the door, looking confused."Isn't Natalie at the hospital?"He pushed past her without a word and went straight to the small room in the corner of the first floor.He shoved the door open, but the room was empty.The minimalist bedroom showed no trace of the person who'd lived in it, no hint of p

第7章

Two weeks later, I finished my pre-departure training at the Doctors Without Borders International Office in Geneva.I had half a day to rest before my flight to Yemen the next morning.My new colleagues and I spent it wandering the streets of Geneva."This is for you."A pale, slender hand held out a small carved wooden box.I turned around. It was Lucas Mercer, the doctor flying to Yemen with me the next day.We'd met three years earlier during a consultation in Washington, D.C.Since then, we'd regularly exchanged clinical insights online.Being assigned to the same team for this mission was pure coincidence.When I didn't take the box, Lucas opened it himself and explained,"I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off this necklace back at the antique jewelry shop. The owner said it's an eighteenth-century piece, handcrafted by a master silversmith."I couldn't help taking the necklace and examining it up close, though the words that came out were automatic."I'm not much of a jewelr

第8章

"Nat, you've been drinking? I thought you didn't like alcohol."Vincent saw the flush on my face and looked worried.He turned to his assistant and told him to go buy me a warm drink.I waved him off.The warmth in his eyes cooled slowly."It's been two weeks. Are you still upset? This time, I really do..."I sighed. He wasn't going to stop unless I laid it all out."Vincent, it was over the moment I canceled the wedding."He couldn't accept it. "Why? I promise I'll..."I stopped him with a shake of my head."That you know what you did wrong. That you promise. That next time will be different. You've said all of it countless times over the years."He looked at me earnestly."Can't you give me one more chance?"I turned the question back on him."You say you know what you did wrong. But do you really?"Anxiety flickered in Vincent's eyes. He answered carefully."I do. I shouldn't have kept ignoring your feelings. I should have put real thought into your birthday gifts. And I shouldn't h

第9章

Ten years later, Vincent saw Natalie on the news.It was the homecoming ceremony for the Doctors Without Borders team.The following day, Natalie gave a lecture at the medical school as the featured speaker, representing the doctors who had served in Africa.Vincent sat quietly in the last row.He watched her on the stage, poised and radiant, speaking with confidence and conviction.Her skin was sun-kissed, her eyes bright. She looked strong, healthy, and sure of herself.She spoke movingly of the dire medical conditions in the regions she had served.She reflected on a decade of triumphs and heartbreaks.The medical students in the audience were deeply inspired.Vincent's lips held a faint, steady smile. His eyes were warm.Amid wave after wave of applause, he finally understood what mattered more than any birthday party, more than any wedding.Being on this stage, the star of this lecture, was what Natalie had always truly wanted....After the talk, students swarmed me with question

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP