The Season after You

Claire was known for her strong sense of principle and her strict adherence to rules and punctuality. Everyone knew she never made exceptions for anyone. Yet, when it came to getting married, she had stood Mark up eight separate times. The first time was because her friend from college, Ryan, returned after eight years living abroad, and she had to pick him up at the airport. The second time, Ryan slightly burned his finger while cooking, so she abandoned Mark on their way to the city hall just to check Ryan was all right. The third time, Ryan’s son fell ill, and she rushed over in a panic to drive the kid to the hospital. Now, this was the eighth time. Once again, she was a no-show. All she gave Mark was a rushed phone call, saying, “I have an emergency. I’ll be late.” Mark watched as everyone who came after him got married until the clerk behind the window tapped on the glass. “Son, where’s your fiancée? We’re closing soon.” Just as he was about to dial her number again, a text from Claire popped up on his screen. [I can’t make it to the city hall this afternoon. Let’s do this another day.] As Mark read the message, an indescribable pang of sadness hit him. He was about to put his phone away and leave when a new Instagram feed update caught his eye. It was a post from Ryan uploaded just moments ago. In the photo, Ryan was beaming at the camera. Right next to him stood Claire, holding his son in her arms and gazing up at Ryan with tender affection. The caption read, “Leo wanted to spend the day at the amusement park. A big thank you to Claire for keeping us company the whole time!” Chapter 1 Staring at the photo, Mark Stevenson felt a lump in his throat. As it turned out, accompanying Ryan Davis’s son to the amusement park was her so-called urgent matter. A sharp pain stabbed his chest, and a mixture of humiliation and rage made his entire body tremble. Just as he was about to call Claire Baker to confront her, he noticed the comment section under the post, where mutual friends had started teasing her. [After all these years, Claire still has a soft spot for Ryan.] Ryan quickly replied with a lengthy comment. [All these years later, Claire is still the kindest person I know. We agreed to meet at seven, but I overslept, so she stood downstairs waiting for three whole hours with zero complaints. Then, she took us out for some fine dining. I heard she drove down to the restaurant the day before just to get a reservation.] Someone immediately chimed in. [Is this really the same Claire Baker who canceled an intern’s qualification just because they were five minutes late on a rainy day?] [He’s the only one who can make her toss out all her rules. The rest of us shouldn’t even dream of it.] Right after that, her best friend chimed in. [Weren’t you supposed to get married to Mark today? You’ve stood him up seven times. You didn’t ditch him again, did you?] Ryan replied with a terrified emoji. [Oh no! I completely forgot Claire was supposed to get married today! Leo wanted to ride the Ferris wheel, and Claire insisted on staying with us. I’ll tell her to head back right now.] Directly underneath his comment, Claire’s reply appeared. [It doesn’t matter when we get married. It’s just a formality anyway. It’s no big deal.] Someone joked. [Honestly, you might as well just swap the groom out for Ryan instead.] Claire replied to that comment instantly. [Quit joking. Let’s not get Ryan in trouble.] Another person chimed in. [Um… Mark isn’t going to see these comments, is he?] Claire replied. [It doesn’t matter. It’s not easy for Ryan to raise a child on his own, so I should help out. Mark has always been generous and understanding. He’ll get it.] As Mark stared at the comments on the screen, his fingers, clenched around the phone, turned white. Over their six years together, even though she was assertive, rigid, and lacking tenderness, she always remembered all of his preferences. He, in turn, admired her independence, sincerity, and straightforwardness. She used to say, “I might seem cold and don’t know how to express my feelings, but I will fulfill every promise I make to you.” He had genuinely believed that was the full extent of her love. Yet, in the mere two weeks since Ryan returned, she had broken her promise to get married eight times. Compared to what she felt for Ryan, her so-called love for Mark was nothing but worthless. While he sat in the city hall waiting for her to show up, she stood outside Ryan’s building, patiently waiting for him to wake up. While he sat there on an empty stomach, she treated Ryan to fine dining—a meal he had once wanted to take her out for, only for her to dismiss it as too much of a hassle and too expensive. While he endured the staff’s stares and subtle whispers, she spent the day at the amusement park with Ryan and his son. At that exact moment, he suddenly found it all pointless. Someone tapped on the glass window in front of him once again. “Son, we’re closing up for the day. You’ve been here eight times now. Next time, make sure to double-check the time with your fiancée so you don’t end up waiting all by yourself like a fool.” Mark lifted his head and let out a self-deprecating smile. “I’m done waiting.” With that, he walked out of the city hall, pulled out the wedding ring, and tossed it straight into the trash. Since getting married was just a formality anyway, why marry at all? Chapter 2 Mark walked aimlessly down the street. After a while, a honk sounded beside him, and a car pulled up in front of him. Claire stepped out of the car and asked, “Why aren’t your calls going through?” Mark glanced at his phone. “Dead battery.” “Get in,” she said, asking no further questions. “Have you been waiting long? I really had something urgent to deal with today,” she continued. “I don’t have any surgeries scheduled tomorrow morning, so I’ll go with you to get married then.” Mark looked out the window at the receding streetscape as he replied, “It’s fine.” Claire seemed to recall something. “Oh, right, tomorrow is Saturday. Let’s make it another time then. The wedding is still a while away, anyway.” “Did you go to the amusement park?” Mark couldn’t help but ask, still unwilling to let it go. “Did you see Ryan’s Instagram post? Then you should understand. He just returned to the country, and it’s very difficult for a man to take care of a child alone.” When she mentioned Ryan, her face softened with a gentleness he had never seen before. “You met Ryan the day he came back, didn’t you? He’s a bright, cheerful, and slightly clumsy child in a man’s body. Once you get to know him better, you’ll like him.” Mark found it ironic. Ryan was two years older than him and had a four-year-old child, yet in her eyes, he was still just an innocent college friend. Lost in her memories, Claire continued on her own, “Back in college, Ryan and I found an injured stray dog, and he felt so sorry for it. We eventually adopted that dog together, but less than a year later, the dog died. It was the first time I saw him, usually so cheerful and talkative, with bloodshot eyes, saying he would never get a pet dog again. I’m surprised he can take care of a child so well now.” Listening to her count another man’s stories like treasured memories, Mark quietly clenched his fists at his sides. “Stop talking,” he interrupted her. “I don’t want to hear it.” Claire glanced at him, looking somewhat surprised. “What’s wrong? Are you upset?” “Yes. Let’s call off the wedding.” After a moment, Claire nodded. “That’s fine, too. I’m not too fond of formal affairs anyway. How about a destination wedding instead? Let’s go to the Swiss Valley. Ryan said it has nice scenery and it’s great for skiing.” Ryan, again. Mark’s heart sank. “Claire, let’s break up. I’ll step aside so you can be with Ryan.” “Mark.” Claire’s expression turned serious. “Don’t make groundless assumptions about Ryan. I only see him as a friend. Can’t you be a little understanding of how hard it is for a man to raise a kid alone? You know me: once the wedding date is set, it won’t change. As a man, you should be more mature about it. “Besides,” she glanced at him as she continued, “we’ve been together for six years. Can you bear to leave me?” Mark felt a dull ache in his chest. Because he had witnessed the pain his father suffered after his mother’s betrayal, he had developed a distrust of relationships. Yet, he found himself hopelessly in love with Claire, a woman of unwavering principles. He was afraid of following in his father’s footsteps, but just like his father, he was willing to give up everything for the person he loved. For her sake, he took on all the household chores, took care of her daily necessities, handled every little detail, and even gave up the opportunity to go abroad for further studies. That was why she was so sure he would be forgiving and understanding. In fact, it made her even more certain that after six years of devotion, he simply could not leave her. To think he believed she was the exact opposite of his mother, and that she would never betray him. He had forgotten that emotional infidelity was betrayal too. … Just then, Claire’s phone rang. She picked up, and her voice instantly softened. “Ryan, what’s wrong?” “Claire, I’m at a bar. Do you want to come hang out?” Claire had always detested noisy places like bars. Yet, she agreed without a second thought. “Okay, I’ll be right there.” After hanging up, she turned the steering wheel sharply and pulled over to the side of the road. “Mark, take a cab back. Ryan is at a bar, so I’m going to check on him.” Mark got out of the car, but before he could say a word, the car sped off into the distance. She was worried about Ryan, but she forgot that his phone was dead. She also forgot that a heavy rainstorm was coming. Thunder crackled in the sky, and the cold rain instantly drenched him, making it impossible to distinguish the rain on his face from his tears. Just like that, he walked in the heavy rain all night, and his heart died right along with it. When dawn broke, he dragged his soaked body back home. The moment he opened the door, he saw Claire—who never cooked—wearing an apron and busy in the kitchen. Seeing his disheveled state, she looked a little surprised. “Why are you so soaked? You didn’t come home all night and didn’t even bother to call.” Just then, a young child holding his limited-edition action figure ran out from the master bedroom and slammed right into him. “Leo!” Ryan ran out of the master bedroom right behind the boy and blurted, “Why do you always run right up to all that dirt?” Chapter 3 Only then did Ryan seem to realize what he had just said, and he looked at Mark with a panicked expression. “Oh, Mark, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to imply that you’re filthy or anything… I saw that you were drenched, so I…” He looked frantically toward Claire. “Claire, please explain to him. I really didn’t mean it like that. I don’t want Mark to get the wrong idea.” Claire reached out and gently smoothed his slightly messy hair, reassuring him, “I know what you meant. How could Mark be mad at you? He’s not that petty.” Then, she turned to look at Mark and added, “Leo just put on fresh clothes, and you’re dripping wet. You’ll get him dirty. You have no idea how mischievous he is. I just bought him ten sets of clothes yesterday, and he’s ruined eight of them.” Claire, Ryan, and the child, Leo Davis, looked remarkably like a family as they stood there together. Mark, however, did not look at Claire. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on Ryan as he said, “Take off my shirt.” It was a custom dress shirt that his father had handmade specifically for his wedding, and now, Ryan was wearing it. Things in the room became tense. As if intimidated by his gaze, Ryan looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I… I’ll take it off right now.” After that, he turned to Claire for help, his eyes turning red. “But… my clothes got dirty last night, and Claire put them in the wash for me. They’re not dry yet…” Claire looked at Mark disapprovingly. “It’s just a shirt. What’s with that attitude?” The resentment and anger building within Mark all night exploded at that very moment. “You abandoned me on a road where I couldn’t even hail a cab last night, just to go hang out at a bar with your precious college buddy! My phone died, and I had to walk through a torrential downpour all night to get back! “And when I finally got home, I found my fiancée spending the night with another man, who’s wearing the dress shirt my dad personally tailored for my wedding! Tell me, Claire, why should I be nice to him?” Ryan quickly tried to explain, “Mark, please don’t misunderstand! I just drank too much last night, and Claire brought me back because she was worried about me. Nothing happened between us. We slept in separate rooms!” He turned to Claire, asking helplessly, “Claire, how can I explain this so Mark won’t get the wrong idea?” Leo suddenly hurled the action figure in his hand straight at Mark’s head. The toy scraped across Mark’s cheek, leaving a bloody cut. “You’re picking on my daddy! I’ll beat you up!” Claire, who had been feeling a little guilty, instantly turned cold. “Mark, don’t project your nasty thoughts onto everyone else! Besides, you’re a grown adult. Can’t you even handle a minor inconvenience on your own? Coming back and taking your anger out on an innocent guy like Ryan, do you honestly think you’re in the right?” Mark laughed out of pure frustration. “So the two of you just share an innocent and platonic friendship?” “Stop fighting,” Ryan said, looking thoroughly aggrieved. “It’s all my fault. I’ll take the shirt off and give it back to you right now.” As he spoke, he pulled frantically at the shirt with both hands and tore it wide open at the collar. Ryan immediately looked even more panicked. “I’m so sorry, Mark! I…” Claire instantly stepped forward to comfort him. “It’s fine. You didn’t do it intentionally.” Mark looked at the ruined shirt, his entire body trembling. Ryan definitely did that intentionally! He lunged forward and raised his hand to grab Ryan by the collar, but Claire caught his wrist in a tight grip. “Mark, what has gotten into you? It’s just a shirt. If it’s such a big deal, I’ll buy you a new one.” Mark’s voice trembled with rage. “My dad made this for me. How are you going to replace it?” His father was once a renowned bespoke tailor. However, his mother’s betrayal had left his father sick with grief and suffering from a heart condition that could no longer allow him to hold a pair of scissors steady. Yet, ignoring his declining health, his father had poured his heart and soul into secretly tailoring a wedding suit for him and Claire before their big day. And now, Ryan had ruined the shirt from that very outfit. “That makes it even simpler. Just get your dad to make another one. Besides, I never really liked that over-the-top dress shirt your dad made anyway. Now that this shirt is ruined, it’s a good excuse to swap it out for a different set when we get married.” With that, Claire flung his hand away. “We’re getting married soon, and I don’t want to argue with you. You should take a moment to calm down.” Mark stared at her. He could not believe those words had come from her mouth. He let out a disappointed laugh. “For his sake, you stood me up at the city hall eight times. For his sake, you threw me out in a rainstorm. You even let him wear the shirt my dad made for me for our wedding and sleep in our bed. “And now, because of him, you’re trash-talking the suit my dad spent an entire year making for us. Claire, what on earth makes you think I’m still going to marry you? This wedding is off!” At that moment, the front door swung open. Mark’s father, Greg Stevenson, stood at the doorway, looking shocked. “Mark… what do you mean the wedding is off?” Chapter 4 Yesterday, Greg wanted to check in with his son to see if they had finally gotten married. Yet every time he called Mark, the call went straight to voicemail, and Claire was not answering her phone either. He worried about them all night. So early that morning, he rushed over to their place. Little did he expect that as soon as he arrived at the front door, he would hear Mark call the wedding off. His eyes swept over the room to Mark, drenched to the skin, with cuts and bloodstains on his face, and then to another man, who wore the dress shirt he had made for his son. He also saw Claire shielding that man and his child while treating Mark coldly. It was painfully clear to him now why they had failed to get legally married time and time again. The color instantly drained from Greg’s face. Clutching his chest, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the floor. “Dad!” Mark lunged forward to check on Greg, who was lying on the ground. Greg’s eyes were tightly shut, his face was deathly pale, his breathing was rapid, and his hand was tightly gripping the fabric over his chest. Seeing that, Claire rushed over to examine him. “Call an ambulance, now!” The ambulance arrived quickly, and Greg was wheeled into the emergency room. Before long, the attending doctor hurried out holding a medical chart. “The patient underwent a coronary bypass surgery years ago. His relapse is critical, and we must perform a secondary open-heart surgery immediately.” The attending doctor looked at Claire, who was standing beside Mark. “However, the extensive chest adhesions make the surgical risk extremely high. No one at our hospital feels confident doing this surgery. Currently, Dr. Sloan is the only surgeon in the country qualified to perform this surgery. Unfortunately, Dr. Sloan has been booked out for at least the next three months. The patient simply cannot wait that long.” Just as Mark was starting to lose hope, the doctor suddenly said to Claire, “Dr. Baker, if I remember correctly, you’re Dr. Sloan’s favorite student. All you have to do is ask, and Dr. Sloan will surely make time in his personal schedule to fly over and lead the surgery.” Mark turned to look at Claire. “Claire, please contact Dr. Sloan to save my dad, okay? I’m begging you…” Claire looked down as she said, “That goes against protocol.” He looked at her in disbelief. “That’s my dad lying in there!” Claire sighed. “Mark, the hospital has its rules, and Dr. Sloan has his schedule. If I make an exception for you today, what about the other patients waiting in line? It wouldn’t be fair.” Mark’s voice turned raspy. “You want to talk to me about fairness? If it weren’t for you and Ryan, my dad wouldn’t have suffered a heart attack!” She frowned, her tone turning stern. “What does this have to do with Ryan? You’re not making sense. Besides, one thing has nothing to do with the other. As the director of the hospital, I can’t break medical ethics. I’ve told you many times. Stop letting your emotions cloud your judgment.” Mark’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared dead at the face before him. “So no matter what, you refuse to help, is that it?” “Yes. That is a matter of principle for me.” Exasperated, Mark chuckled bitterly. “Fine. I don’t need you. I’ll figure out a way myself.” To his surprise, Claire nodded. “You can contact Dr. Sloan yourself, but don’t use my name. Also, since your dad is sick, he probably won’t be able to attend our wedding, but we can’t change the wedding date. After all, my schedule is set and cannot be disrupted.” Mark shook with rage. Greg’s life was hanging by a thread because of her, yet not only did she refuse to save his life, but she was actually worrying about not delaying her schedule? What were he and Greg to her, really? Seeing the situation, the attending doctor hurriedly interjected, “Well, the priority right now is to perform an IABP to keep him alive and buy more time. Dr. Baker, the patient’s blood pressure keeps dropping. No one is more qualified than you to complete the IABP insertion. What do you think…” Mark hated how heartless Claire could be. However, for the sake of Greg’s life, he could only suppress his fury and plead, “Claire, save my dad.” Claire nodded. “Understood. Get ready.” … Inside the ICU, Claire was taking a pair of sterile gloves from her assistant when suddenly, a phone rang. Claire had set an ironclad rule that during a procedure, all medical staff’s phones had to be switched off. Her expression darkened as she turned to look at the surrounding staff. “Whose phone is that?” The assistant felt around his pockets before pointing toward Claire’s waist with an awkward look on his face. “Dr. Baker, it seems to be yours.” Claire froze. Having to work unexpectedly and get changed in a rush, she had forgotten to put it on silent. Frowning, she reached into her pocket, intending to decline the call. However, as her gaze swept over the screen, her finger paused. Claire, who had never stopped a life-saving procedure even when top officials called in an emergency, turned around while holding the phone and walked right out of the operating theatre. Chapter 5 Seeing Claire step out of the operating theatre, Mark hurried forward. “Why are you out? How’s my dad?” “I have an urgent call to take. Just a second.” She answered the call, and Ryan’s voice echoed through the phone. Her expression instantly shifted. “Ryan, don’t panic! I’ll be right over!” As soon as she hung up, she walked away. Mark grabbed her arm, asking, “Where are you going?” “Something urgent came up on Ryan’s end. I have to go there right now.” “What will happen to my dad if you leave?” Claire pried his fingers off her arm. “There’s an entire medical team watching over your dad. Nothing will go wrong just because I’m absent. Have the attending doctor step in for now. I’ll take a quick look and come back right away.” With that, she turned around and walked briskly into the elevator. Mark ran after her, but the elevator doors shut right in his face. “Claire! Come back!” The doors to the operating theatre opened once again, and the attending doctor stepped out, looking around. “Where’s Dr. Baker? The IABP hasn’t been inserted yet!” Mark muttered weakly, “She left.” The doctor’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “She left? The patient could go into cardiac arrest at any moment! How could she leave right now? This is ridiculous. She’s usually the strictest about procedure and rules. What’s gotten into her today? This is the first time I’ve ever seen her abandon a patient on the operating table.” Mark choked up. “She said to leave it to you… Doctor, please save my father…” The doctor gritted his teeth and replied, “I’ll do my best.” As he watched the doctor step back into the operating theatre, Mark slid down against the wall and onto the floor. Two hours passed before the doctor finally pushed the doors open and walked out. “The IABP insertion was successful, and the patient’s condition has stabilized for now. However, we must get Dr. Sloan to perform the surgery within a week.” Mark took a deep breath. “I understand. I’ll find a way to contact Dr. Sloan.” The attending doctor shook his head. “Dr. Baker really is something. It’s just a phone call. How would that be a breach of ethics? Besides, you two are getting married soon. How could she–” A bitter sorrow washed over Mark as he said, “We’re not getting married anymore.” The attending doctor sighed. “You should handle the admission procedures first. Between the surgery cost and the subsequent ICU care fees, you’ll need to prepare around fifty thousand dollars. Pay the money as soon as possible so the hospital can arrange the follow-up treatment and medications.” Fifty thousand dollars. Mark clutched the receipts tightly in his hand. Fortunately, he and Claire had accumulated some cash savings, so he immediately took a taxi home to retrieve it. However, when he opened the safe where they kept the cash, it was nowhere to be found. He clearly remembered putting it right there. How could it be missing? He even searched every possible place they could have kept it and still could not find it. Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the doorway. Claire walked in and asked, “What are you looking for?” Mark turned around, his face pale. “Where’s our cash savings?” Claire set down her bag. “Ryan was short on cash with the project he’s launching since coming home, so I lent him some money to tide him over.” Chapter 6 Mark’s head spun. They had one hundred thousand dollars in cash savings from money they had saved together. He remembered the day they decided to start saving together; Claire had said with rare tenderness, “Mark, this is for our future family. I will keep it safe.” Yet now, without even letting him know, she had given it all to Ryan. Then again, since they were not getting married anymore, the savings had lost their meaning anyway. It was only right that they took back their respective money. “Claire, I don’t care who you lend your money to, but I need you to give me back my share of sixty thousand dollars.” Claire walked to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and took a sip. “I lent everything from our savings to him.” Mark rushed forward, grabbed the glass from her hand, and smashed it on the floor. The glass shattered into pieces. “That’s for my dad’s medical fees! Call him right now and demand it back! If you don’t get that money back, what am I supposed to do? Sell the house and the car?” Claire frowned, displeased that he was losing his temper. He was never like that before. “I’ve mortgaged the house and the car to the bank,” she said. “Along with the money from our savings, I put together five hundred thousand dollars for him.” Mark was shocked. He looked at the woman whom he had been in love with for six years in disbelief. “You mortgaged our house? Ryan knows my dad is in emergency care! He did this on purpose!” The house belonged to Mark, but after they got together, he added her name to the deed. At the time, she had said, “Honestly, there’s no need to put my name on the deed. I don’t care about material things like that. What I care about more is spending every day of my life with you.” She had insisted on paying for part of the renovations, and out of respect for her, he agreed. He loved her so much that he wanted to give her everything he could, so he bought her a car. He never imagined that she would hand it all over to another man just like that. Claire’s expression turned grim. “Mark, watch your words. Ryan’s project is vital to him. Without this money, the project falls through, and years of his hard work will be wasted. It’s not easy for a single father to make a living. Stop being so selfish, will you? “I understand that your dad is sick, but you can take out a loan from relatives and friends or sell the old house your father lives in. There’s always a way to solve this. Once Ryan’s cash flow frees up, he’ll pay you back.” Mark slammed his fist against the wall, his knuckles instantly turning into a bloody mess. “Claire!” He pointed toward the door and said, “Go to the hospital right now. I need you to use your position as the hospital director and guarantee an emergency financial clearance for my dad’s surgery. Otherwise, I’ll take legal action!” Claire looked at his bleeding hand and frowned slightly. “That’s impossible. The hospital has a clear policy prohibiting special exceptions for anyone with large outstanding balances. If I make an exception for you, the system becomes meaningless. “However, I can help you apply for public assistance. If we follow the proper procedures, you should hear back within fifteen to thirty business days. But I can’t guarantee that your application will be approved.” Mark gritted his teeth so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth. Greg’s surgery had to be performed within seven days, and she was putting Greg’s life at risk! Mark’s chest heaved. A sudden bout of dizziness hit him before his vision went dark and he passed out. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in the passenger seat. Claire had one hand on the steering wheel. “You have a high fever. It’s probably because you got caught in the rain yesterday. I’m driving you to the hospital. Don’t worry about the medical fees. Without violating my principles, I’ll think of another way.” Mark felt weak, and his body ached from the fever. He turned his head away, not wanting her to see his bloodshot eyes. “Claire, how could you do this to me? You know that my dad is all I have left…” Claire sighed and reached out, wanting to touch his forehead, but he ducked away. “I’m sorry, but Ryan sounded so helpless on the phone. I couldn’t just ignore him.” Mark closed his eyes in despair. It felt as though a gaping hole had been torn open in his chest, leaving it empty and cold. With her, Ryan would always come first, and Mark did not have the strength to argue anymore. Dazed and semi-conscious, he fell asleep again. When he was woken up by the stifling heat, he had no idea how much time had passed. However, the driver’s seat was empty, and Claire was nowhere to be seen. The car was suffocatingly hot. Gasping for air, he struggled to push himself up and reached to open the car door, only to find the doors locked. He was trapped inside the car. Chapter 7 It was the height of summer at noon, and the car was as hot as an oven. The leather surface of the seats was scorching hot, and any contact with his skin stung. Mark fumbled for his phone and dialed Claire’s number, but she did not pick up. As the temperature inside the car kept climbing, his vision began to blur, and a loud ringing filled his ears. Knowing that he would die in there if that kept up, he gritted his teeth and turned around, pulling off the seat headrest with all he had. Then, he smashed the metal prongs at the bottom against the car window. Time after time, he struck the same spot with all his might. Eventually, the window shattered, and cool air poured into the car, helping him barely regain his senses. He scrambled out of the car window, dropped onto the ground, and gasped greedily for fresh air. Only after a long while did he brace himself to stand up and realize the car was parked halfway up a winding mountain road. And on a nearby slope, an outdoor camping event seemed to be taking place. At a glance, Mark caught sight of Claire holding an umbrella for Ryan with one hand while using the other to hold a bottle of water to his lips. Ryan took a sip and said something that made Claire, who was usually so aloof, smile. Finding the scene simply absurd, Mark looked away and dragged his heavy legs down the mountain to hail a cab for the hospital. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, Claire called. “Mark, why did you leave without giving me a heads-up? Also, what happened to the car window?” Mark replied, his voice raspy, “Claire, just to hold an umbrella and hand water to Ryan, you locked me inside the car. Do you have any idea I almost roasted to death in there?” There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. “I’m sorry. I was in such a rush when I got out of the car that I forgot how hot it gets inside. I found out Ryan was setting up for an event. It was so hot out, and he was moving things around. I couldn’t just ignore him. What if he got heatstroke?” Her matter-of-fact explanation made Mark laugh. She was worried Ryan would get heatstroke, yet she completely forgot that he himself was running a high fever and locked inside the car. “Claire, I was just examined in the ER, and the doctor said it was heatstroke. If I were stuck in there half an hour longer, it would’ve caused irreversible brain damage.” On the other end of the line, Claire’s breath hitched. “Mark–” Without listening to another word from her, Mark hung up the phone. After that, he mustered up the strength to call a friend. “Put my dad’s old house up for sale for me. The sooner, the better. I urgently need the money.” Next, he flipped through his contact list, calling anyone who might know Dr. Sloan. He had to secure Dr. Sloan for Greg. Early the next morning, Claire went to the hospital. Seeing Mark’s pale face, she looked sorry. “Mark, I was inconsiderate. For that, I’m sorry.” Mark looked at her and said, “Claire, I don’t need your apology. I’ll say it one last time: we’re over. All I want is for you to return my share of sixty thousand dollars from our shared savings and nothing else.” Claire took a deep breath, hiding her annoyance. “Do you really have to throw a fit with me at a time like this? Stop acting so emotional. Must you get so blindly jealous over Ryan every single time?” Mark did not have the energy left to refute her. He yanked the IV needle out from the back of his hand, flipped off the blanket, and got off the bed. Claire acted quickly and held him back. “Where are you going? In your condition, you need to be hospitalized for observation for at least a week!” Mark stared coldly at her hand resting on his shoulder. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have gotten heatstroke. And if it weren’t for you and Ryan, my dad wouldn’t be lying in the ICU right now.” Claire’s expression darkened. “Your dad getting sick was an accident. Why do you insist on pinning everything on Ryan? This isn’t like the old you at all.” Mark snickered. “Fine, then tell Ryan to return the sixty thousand dollars to me right now, or you bring Dr. Sloan over to perform the surgery on my dad. Which one can you do?” Claire bit her lip. “I’ve told you, that goes against the rules.” Mark sneered. “Then get out of my way.” With that, he pushed Claire aside and left the ward. Over the next few days, Mark was busy running around, inquiring about Dr. Sloan’s whereabouts, taking care of Greg in the ICU, and calling family and friends to inform them that the wedding was canceled. As for Claire, she was also very busy handling hospital affairs and helping Ryan to push forward that five-hundred-thousand-dollar project. Only on the evening of the fifth day of Greg’s hospitalization did Mark receive a call from his friend. “Mark, I’ve got news! Dr. Sloan has arrived in our city! He’ll be attending a charity gala tonight!” Chapter 8 At the charity gala, Mark was stopped at the entrance because he did not have an invitation. As he looked through the crowd inside the ballroom, he caught sight of Claire, whose arm was linked with Ryan’s. She was introducing Ryan around the room and conversing with Dr. Sloan. Watching the scene unfold, Mark suddenly felt as though the past six years of his life had been nothing more than a huge joke. … Finally, the gala ended. Mark rushed forward to stop Dr. Sloan, desperately pleading for the man to save Greg’s life. After a brief moment, Dr. Sloan recognized him. “You’re… Claire’s fiancé? We met a year ago. “What is that girl thinking?” Dr. Sloan continued, shaking his head. “Why didn’t she mention anything to me earlier? All she did was introduce me to that college friend of hers.” Mark forced a bitter smile. “She refuses to let me mention her name to you, so my dad’s surgery has nothing to do with her. Dr. Sloan, as long as you can save my dad, I’ll do anything you ask.” Dr. Sloan let out a weary sigh. “That girl is so young, yet so rigid. When a human life is on the line, she ought to show a little flexibility.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I happen to have a gap in my schedule tomorrow morning. I can perform the surgery on your dad then.” Mark thanked him repeatedly, and they agreed to meet at the hospital the next morning at eight o’clock sharp. When Mark returned to the hospital, he received a call from a friend informing him his family home had sold for seven hundred thousand dollars. The weight on his chest finally lifted. Greg was going to be saved! However, when eight o’clock arrived the next morning, Dr. Sloan was nowhere to be found. Mark dialed Dr. Sloan’s phone over and over again, but every call went straight to voicemail. The attending doctor was starting to get nervous. “Where is Dr. Sloan? The patient’s condition has deteriorated sharply. We need to operate right now. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late!” Just then, a young nurse passing by chimed in. “I saw Dr. Sloan earlier.” Mark turned around abruptly. “Where?” “Dr. Baker took him away.” Mark immediately called Claire, but just like the last time, she did not answer the phone. Without hesitation, he began searching the hospital floor by floor. Finally, through the window of the VIP lounge, he spotted Dr. Sloan. Just as Mark was about to rush inside, someone grabbed him from behind and yanked him back. It was Claire, and she dragged him to the far end of the hallway. Mark broke free from her grip, his eyes bloodshot with desperation as he shouted, “Claire, my dad is waiting for Dr. Sloan to save his life! How could you take Dr. Sloan away?” “Ryan is feeling some discomfort in his chest. He needs a comprehensive checkup to be sure.” Mark trembled with pure rage. “There are so many doctors in this hospital. Aren’t they good enough for you? I was the one who brought Dr. Sloan in to perform surgery on my dad!” “Dr. Sloan is the top cardiology specialist in the country. Only with him examining Ryan can I feel at ease,” Claire replied, her tone softened. “Mark, just wait a little longer. You’ve waited so many days anyway. What’s a few more hours going to hurt?” Mark stared at the woman standing in front of him, finding her terrifyingly unfamiliar. “You always talk about how principled you are, yet you refused to break the rules for my dad. So what do you call this?” “Special circumstances require special exceptions,” she stated plainly. After that, she summoned the hospital security guards over. “Keep a close eye on him. He’s not allowed to disrupt Dr. Sloan’s consultation. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be held responsible.” The security guards immediately stepped forward and pinned Mark’s arms behind his back. “Claire! Are you insane? Let me go! My dad can’t wait! Claire, I’m begging you…” Mark fought back frantically as he screamed in utter despair. Claire felt sorry for him, but she did not turn around. She simply walked away. In the VIP lounge, Dr. Sloan reviewed the electrocardiogram. “This young man is completely fine. Claire, you’re just overthinking things.” Ryan sat up from the bed, clutching his chest weakly. “But, Claire… my chest really hurts, and I can barely catch my breath…” Claire stepped forward and helped him down. “Dr. Sloan, please perform a more detailed evaluation on him. That’s the only way I can rest easy.” Dr. Sloan gave her a puzzled look. “Claire, you’re still planning to marry Mark, aren’t you?” Claire chuckled lightly, looking unbothered. “Of course. Since I’ve decided to marry Mark, he’s the only man for me for the rest of my life.” Ryan clenched his hand into a fist and pursed his lips in silence. Dr. Sloan nodded. “I agreed with your fiancé to perform the surgery at eight o’clock. Why did the schedule change?” Claire explained, “They went ahead to complete other pre-operative tests first. Once all the results are out, it’ll be easier for you to consult. I just wanted to use this break to have you check on Ryan.” Just like that, another four hours went by, and they did all the tests on Ryan. Only once the results confirmed that there was absolutely nothing wrong with him did Claire lead Dr. Sloan to the ICU where Greg was supposed to be. In the ICU, however, the hospital bed was empty. Mark and Greg were nowhere to be found. While Claire was confused, the attending doctor walked into the room. She asked anxiously, “Where are they?” The attending doctor looked at her with a mix of emotions. “The patient’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he… passed away two hours ago.”