A Summer Love Worth Cherishing

Evan Shaw was famous for sticking to his principles. He was punctual, followed every rule, and never made exceptions. Yet when it came to going to City Hall to get married to Roxie Foster, he had stood her up eight times. The first time, his former underclassman, Sylvia Young, was returning after eight years abroad, and he had to pick her up from the airport. The second time, Sylvia accidentally burned her finger while cooking. The third time, Sylvia's son got sick. ... This was the eighth time. Once again, Evan didn't show up. He only called in a hurry and said, "Something came up. I'll be there." Roxie watched their number get skipped again and again until the clerk behind the window tapped on the glass. "Miss, is your boyfriend not coming again? We're about to close." Roxie was about to call him when a message from Evan came through first. "I'm still tied up. We'll get married another day." A bitter ache spread through her chest as she stared at the message. She was about to put away her phone and leave when a new post on Sylvia's social media feed caught her eye. Roxie froze. In the photo, Sylvia was smiling brightly. Beside her, Evan held Sylvia's son, Severin "Seven" Young, in his arms while gazing at her with unmistakable fondness. The caption read: "Seven wanted to go to the amusement park today. Thanks to my favorite senior for spending the whole day with us!" Looking at that picture, Roxie's throat tightened, heavy and raw. So this was the important matter that had kept him away. He had skipped their marriage registration to take Sylvia's son to an amusement park. Pain twisted through Roxie's chest. Hurt and anger burned through her so fiercely that her entire body began to tremble. She was about to call Evan and demand an explanation when she noticed the comments underneath the post. Several mutual friends had already started teasing them. "All these years later, Dr. Shaw still has the same soft spot for his favorite girl." Chapter 1 Sylvia Young quickly replied with a long comment of her own. "Evan's the best! We were supposed to meet at seven, but I overslept. He just waited downstairs for three whole hours. "He was worried Seven and I would wake up hungry, so he bought us some oatmeal ahead of time. Then he took us out for that Thai coconut seafood stew I'd been craving. "After all these years, he's still as sweet as ever." Someone immediately replied. "Are we talking about the same Dr. Shaw who once fired an intern for showing up five minutes late during a downpour?" "Sylvia's the only person who can make him throw all his rules out the window. Nobody else stands a chance." Then one of Evan Shaw's childhood friends chimed in. "Evan, weren't you supposed to marry Roxie at City Hall today? You've already stood her up seven times. Don't tell me you're doing it again." Sylvia responded with a horrified emoji. "Oh my God! I forgot Evan was supposed to get married today! "Seven still wants to ride the Ferris wheel, and Evan insists on staying with him. I'll tell him to go back right now." Evan's reply appeared almost immediately beneath hers. "We can get married any day. It's just a formality. Don't worry about it." Someone joked, "At this point, you might as well switch brides and marry Sylvia instead." Evan replied within seconds. "Don't joke about that. It'll only start unnecessary rumors about Sylvia." Someone else asked, "Uh... Roxie isn't going to see these comments, is she?" Evan replied, "It's not easy for Sylvia to raise a child on her own. Helping her out is the least I can do. Roxie's always been understanding. She'll get it." Roxie Foster stared at the comments on her screen as her fingers slowly tightened around her phone until her knuckles turned white. During their six years together, Evan had been old-fashioned, dull, and hopeless when it came to romance. He remembered everything she liked. Whenever she had cramps, he made her a cup of hot tea, and when they went shopping, he always brought a comfortable pair of shoes for her. He had once told her, "I'm not good at saying sweet things, but if I promise you something, I'll do it." She had thought that was simply how he loved. But Sylvia had only been back for two weeks, and Evan had already stood Roxie up eight times on the days they were supposed to get married. Compared to Sylvia, his so-called love for Roxie suddenly seemed laughably worthless. While Roxie waited at City Hall for him, Evan stood outside Sylvia's building for three hours, waiting patiently for her to wake up. While Roxie sat there hungry, he took Sylvia out for the Thai coconut seafood stew she'd been talking about for ages. It also happened to be the same meal he'd always dismissed as too much trouble whenever Roxie wanted to try it. While Roxie endured the City Hall staff's curious looks and whispers, Evan spent the day at the amusement park with Sylvia and her son, Severin "Seven" Young. At that moment, Roxie suddenly felt exhausted by it all. Someone tapped on the glass in front of her again. "Miss, we're closing. You've come here eight times already. Next time, make sure your boyfriend can actually make it before you come. Don't sit here waiting by yourself again." Roxie looked up and smiled. "There won't be a next time." She walked out of City Hall, pulled out the box of chocolates she'd bought to celebrate afterward, and dropped it into the trash. If marriage was nothing more than a formality to him, then there was no reason for her to marry him at all. Chapter 2 Roxie wandered aimlessly through the streets. She had no idea how long she had been walking when a car horn sounded beside her. A car pulled over in front of her, and Evan got out. "Why can't I get through to you?" Roxie glanced at her phone. "It's dead." He didn't ask anything else. He opened the passenger door and helped her into the car. "Did you wait long? "Something really did come up today. I don't have any surgeries tomorrow morning, so I'll go to City Hall with you." Roxie looked out at the streets passing beyond the window. "Don't bother." Evan seemed to remember something. "Right, tomorrow's Saturday. We'll go another time then. The wedding is still a while away anyway." "You went to the amusement park?" Roxie finally asked, unable to let it go. "You saw Sylvia's post? "Then you should understand. She just got back, and raising Seven on her own isn't easy." The moment he mentioned Sylvia, his expression softened with a tenderness Roxie had never seen before. "You met her the day she came back, remember? She's sweet, kind, and a little scatterbrained. Once you get to know her better, you'll like her too." Roxie found it almost laughable. Sylvia was two years older than she was and already had a four-year-old son. Yet in Evan's eyes, she would always be some little girl who needed looking after. Evan continued, lost in his memories. "Back in college, Sylvia and I found an injured stray dog. She felt so bad for it that she started crying. She even gave it the chocolate she'd been saving for herself." He shook his head. "That silly girl didn't even know dogs can't eat chocolate. "We ended up adopting the dog together, but it died less than a year later. Sylvia cried her eyes out and swore she'd never have another dog. I never thought she'd grow up to be such a good mother." Listening to him recount every little detail about another woman, Roxie dug her nails deep into her palms. "I don't want to hear this," she interrupted. "And I don't like hearing about her." Evan glanced at her in surprise. "Are you upset?" "Yes. Let's cancel the wedding." After a moment, Evan nodded. "That's probably for the best. I never cared much for all that ceremony anyway. "We could have a destination wedding instead. Maybe Pellerton. Sylvia said it looks like something out of a fairy tale." Sylvia again. Whatever warmth remained in Roxie's heart disappeared. "Evan, let's break up. Then you and Sylvia can be together." "Roxie." Evan's expression turned serious. "Don't make baseless assumptions about Sylvia. She's like a little sister to me. Can't you understand how hard it is for her to raise a child on her own? "You know my principles. Once I've set a wedding date, you're the only woman I'm going to marry. You need to be more mature about this." Then he glanced at her. "Besides, we've been together for six years. Can you really live without me?" A dull ache spread through Roxie's chest. She had watched her mother fall apart after her father's betrayal, and it had left Roxie afraid of relationships. Yet she had fallen hopelessly in love with Evan precisely because he seemed so principled. She had been terrified of ending up like her mother, but in the end, she had done exactly what her mother had done. She had given everything for the man she loved. For Evan, she had learned to cook. She took care of the house and handled every little detail of his daily life. She had even given up her own career prospects. That was why he was so certain she would always be reasonable. So certain she would always understand. And most of all, so certain that after everything she had given him over the past six years, she could never leave. Roxie had believed Evan was completely different from her father. She had thought a man like him would never betray her. She had forgotten that betrayal did not have to be physical. An emotional affair was still an affair. ... Just then, Evan's phone rang. He answered, and his voice softened instantly. "Sylvia, what's wrong?" "Evan, I'm at a bar. Want to come hang out?" Evan had always hated loud, crowded bars. But this time, he agreed without hesitation. "Sure. I'll be right there." He hung up, turned the wheel sharply, and pulled over. "Roxie, take a cab home. That girl is at a bar, and I can't help worrying about her." Roxie got out of the car. Before she could say a word, Evan was already speeding away. He was worried about Sylvia. But he had forgotten that Roxie's phone was dead. He had also forgotten that she was afraid of the dark. A deafening crack of thunder split the sky. Cold rain came pouring down, soaking her in seconds. Soon, Roxie could no longer tell whether the water on her face was rain or tears. She spent the entire night walking through the storm. Her heart grew colder with every step. By dawn, she finally dragged herself home, soaked to the bone. The moment she opened the door, she saw Evan, a man who never cooked, wearing an apron and bustling around the kitchen. He looked surprised when he saw the state she was in. "How did you get this soaked? You were gone all night. Couldn't you at least call?" Before she could answer, a little boy ran out of the master bedroom clutching one of her rare collectible figures. He crashed straight into her. "Seven!" Sylvia hurried out of the bedroom after him. "Why do you always have to run up to every filthy thing you see?" Chapter 3 Sylvia seemed to realize what she had said a second too late. She quickly covered her mouth and looked at Roxie in alarm. "Oh, Roxie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean you were filthy... "I just meant you're soaked..." Flustered, she turned to Evan. "Evan, please explain for me. I really didn't mean it that way. I don't want Roxie to misunderstand and get mad at me again." Evan smiled and affectionately ruffled her hair. "I know what you meant. Roxie isn't going to be mad at you. She's not that petty." Then he turned to Roxie. "Seven just changed into clean clothes. You're soaked, and you'll get them dirty. "You have no idea how much trouble that kid gets into. I bought him ten new outfits yesterday, and he managed to ruin eight of them almost immediately." A man, a woman, and a child. Standing together like that, they looked exactly like a family. Roxie didn't even look at Evan. Her cold gaze remained fixed on Sylvia. "Take off my robe." The silk bridal robe Sylvia was wearing had been hand-embroidered by Roxie's mother. A pair of white doves had been carefully stitched into the fabric. Her mother had made it especially for Roxie's wedding night. And now Sylvia was wearing it. The room fell silent. Sylvia shrank back as if Roxie's stare had frightened her. She bit her lower lip, looking hurt. "Roxie, I'm sorry. I... I'll take it off right now." Her eyes reddened as she looked to Evan for help. "But... my clothes got dirty last night. Evan washed them for me, and they still aren't dry..." Evan frowned at Roxie. "It's just a robe. What's with the attitude?" All the hurt and anger Roxie had held in throughout the night finally exploded. "Last night, you dumped me on the side of a road where I couldn't even get a cab because you had to rush to a bar for your precious Sylvia! "My phone was dead, and I walked through a storm all night just to get home! "And when I finally get back, I find my fiancé spent the night with another woman, and she's wearing the bridal robe my mother made for me! "Evan Shaw, tell me, what kind of attitude do you expect me to have?" Sylvia's eyes filled with tears. "Roxie, please don't misunderstand! "I just drank too much last night. Evan was worried about me, so he brought me back here. "Nothing happened between us. We slept in separate rooms!" She turned to Evan in tears. "Evan, what am I supposed to say so Roxie won't misunderstand us?" Suddenly, Seven hurled the collectible figure in his hand at Roxie's head. It scraped across her cheek, leaving a thin streak of blood. "You're bullying my mommy! You're a bad woman!" The trace of guilt on Evan's face disappeared. His expression turned cold. "Roxie Foster, don't project your filthy thoughts onto everyone else! "You're a grown woman. Can't you handle one little problem on your own? You come home and take your anger out on Sylvia when she hasn't done anything to you, and you still think you're in the right?" Roxie laughed bitterly. "So the two of you are completely innocent? Just a perfectly pure friendship?" "Stop fighting." Sylvia wiped at her tears. "This is all my fault. I'll take the robe off and give it back right now." She grabbed the fabric with both hands. Rip! The silk tore open at the shoulder. Sylvia's eyes instantly welled with tears. She looked even more panicked than before. "I'm sorry, Roxie. I..." Evan immediately took off his jacket and draped it over Sylvia's shoulders. "It's okay," he said gently. "You didn't do it on purpose." Roxie stared at the torn robe, trembling from head to toe. It was obvious that Sylvia had done it on purpose. Roxie rushed forward and raised her hand to slap her, but Evan caught her wrist before the blow could land. "Roxie, what the hell is wrong with you? "It's just a robe. I'll buy you another one." Roxie's voice shook with rage. "My mother made that for me. How exactly are you going to replace it?" Her mother had once been a renowned embroidery artist. After Roxie's father betrayed her, years of grief had taken a severe toll on her health and damaged her heart. Eventually, her hands became too unsteady to hold an embroidery needle. Even so, before Roxie's wedding, her mother had ignored her own failing health and secretly spent countless hours making that robe for her. And now Sylvia had destroyed it. "Then that's even easier," Evan said. "Just have your mother make you another one." He let go of Roxie's wrist. "We're about to get married. I don't want to fight with you. Go calm down." Roxie stared at him as if she had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. "You stood me up at City Hall eight times because of her. "You abandoned me alone in a storm because of her. Then you let her wear the bridal robe my mother made for me and sleep in the bed that was supposed to be ours. "Evan Shaw, what makes you think I still want to marry you?" "The wedding's off!" At that moment, the front door suddenly opened. Roxie's mother stood in the doorway, staring at her in shock. "Roxie, what do you mean, the wedding's off?" Chapter 4 Roxie's mother had called the day before to ask whether Roxie had finally managed to get married at City Hall. But Roxie's phone had been off no matter how many times she called, and Evan hadn't answered either. Worried sick, she had spent the entire night awake and rushed over first thing that morning. She never expected to hear Roxie call off the wedding the moment she reached the door. Her gaze swept across the room. She saw her daughter soaked to the bone, her face streaked with tears. She saw another woman wearing the bridal robe she had made for Roxie. And she saw Evan standing protectively beside that woman and her child while glaring at Roxie. Suddenly, she understood why Roxie had failed to get married at City Hall again and again. There was nothing left to misunderstand. All the color drained from Mrs. Foster's face. She clutched her chest, swayed, and collapsed. "Mom!" Roxie rushed to her side. "Mom, don't scare me!" Her mother's eyes were shut tight. Her face was deathly pale, her breathing rapid, and one hand gripped the fabric over her chest. Evan hurried over and crouched beside her to check her condition. "Call an ambulance. Now." The ambulance arrived soon afterward, and Mrs. Foster was rushed into the ER. Not long after, the attending physician hurried out with her chart. "She had coronary bypass surgery years ago. Her condition has deteriorated badly, and she needs another open-heart surgery as soon as possible." The doctor looked at Evan, who stood beside Roxie. "But she has extensive internal scarring from her previous surgery, which makes another operation extremely high-risk. No surgeon at this hospital is willing to take the case. Right now, the only person in the country capable of performing it is Dr. Chandler. "Unfortunately, Dr. Chandler is booked for at least the next three months. Your mother can't wait that long." Just as despair overwhelmed Roxie, the doctor suddenly turned to Evan. "Dr. Shaw, I almost forgot. You were one of Dr. Chandler's favorite protégés. If you personally ask him, I'm sure he'll make time to fly in and perform the surgery." Roxie turned to Evan. "Evan, please. Call Dr. Chandler and ask him to save my mom. Please?" Evan lowered his eyes. "That would be against protocol." Roxie stared at him in disbelief. "My mother is lying in there!" Evan sighed. "Roxie, hospitals have procedures, and Dr. Chandler has a schedule. If I ask him to make an exception for you, what about all the other patients waiting for him? That wouldn't be fair." Roxie's voice choked. "You're talking to me about fairness? If it weren't for you and Sylvia, my mother wouldn't have had another heart attack!" Evan frowned, his tone turning stern. "What does this have to do with Sylvia? Can you stop being unreasonable? "And these are two separate issues. As the medical director, I can't be the one who starts breaking medical protocol. "Grow up, Roxie. Stop letting your emotions control everything." Eyes red, Roxie stared hard at the familiar face in front of her. "So no matter what I say, you refuse to help?" "Yes. It's a matter of principle." Roxie was so furious that she laughed. "Fine. I don't need you. I'll find another way." Evan actually nodded. "You can contact Dr. Chandler yourself, but don't use my name. "Also, with your mother sick, I assume she won't be able to attend our wedding. But we can't change the date. I've already arranged my schedule around it, and I can't disrupt everything now." Roxie trembled with rage. Her mother was fighting for her life because of him, yet not only did he refuse to help save her, but he was still worried about his own schedule. Did she and her mother really matter so little to him? The attending physician quickly cut in. "Right now, the priority is placing an intra-aortic balloon pump to stabilize her and buy us more time." He looked at Evan. "Dr. Shaw, her blood pressure keeps dropping. No one here has a better chance of placing the IABP successfully than you. Can you do it?" Roxie hated Evan's coldness. But with her mother's life at stake, she had no choice but to swallow every ounce of anger. "Evan, save my mother." Evan nodded. "I understand. Get everything ready." ... Inside the ICU, Evan took a pair of sterile gloves from his assistant. Just then, a phone began to ring. Evan had always enforced one absolute rule during procedures. Every member of the medical team had to turn off their phone before beginning. His expression darkened as he looked around. "Whose phone is still on?" The assistant checked his pocket, then gave Evan an awkward look and pointed toward his waist. "Dr. Shaw... I think it's your personal phone." Evan froze. He had been called in so suddenly that he had changed in a hurry and forgotten to silence it. Frowning, he reached into his pocket, intending to decline the call. Then he saw the name on the screen. His hand stopped. Even urgent calls from hospital executives had never made Evan interrupt a procedure before. Yet this time, he picked up his phone, turned around, and walked straight out of the ICU. Chapter 5 Roxie was waiting outside the ICU when she saw Evan come out. She hurried toward him. "Why are you out here? What about my mom?" "I have to take an urgent call. Give me a minute." He answered, and Sylvia's sobbing immediately came through the phone. Evan's expression changed at once. "Sylvia, don't cry. I'm coming right now." He hung up and turned to leave. Roxie grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?" "Something happened with Sylvia. I need to go check on her." "What about my mom?" Evan pried her fingers from his arm one by one. "There's an entire medical team watching your mother. Nothing is going to happen just because I'm gone for a little while. "Have the attending physician take over. I'll go see what's wrong and come right back." With that, he strode into an elevator that had just arrived. Roxie rushed after him, but the doors slid shut in her face. "Evan Shaw! Come back!" The ICU doors opened again, and the attending physician hurried out, looking around. "Where's Dr. Shaw? We haven't even inserted the balloon catheter yet!" Roxie's lips barely moved. "He left." The doctor stared at her in disbelief. "Left? Your mother could go into cardiac arrest at any moment, and he left now? "What is he thinking? He's usually stricter about protocol than anyone. What happened to him today? "I've never seen him walk out on a patient in the middle of a procedure." Roxie tipped her head back, but the tears still spilled down her cheeks. "He said to leave it to you. Doctor... please save my mom." The doctor clenched his jaw. "I'll do everything I can." After he disappeared back inside, Roxie leaned against the hallway wall and slowly sank to the floor. Two hours later, the doors finally opened again. The doctor stepped out. "The IABP was placed successfully, and your mother is stable for now. But Dr. Chandler needs to perform the surgery within a week." Roxie's eyes were still red. "I understand. I'll find a way to reach Dr. Chandler." The doctor shook his head. "I really don't understand Dr. Shaw. It would only take one phone call. How is that violating his principles? Especially when the two of you are about to get married. I just don't understand how he could..." Bitterness rose in Roxie's chest. "We're not getting married." The doctor sighed. "Go take care of the admission paperwork first. "Between the surgery and the intensive care she'll need afterward, you should expect the total cost to be around seventy thousand dollars. "Try to arrange the payment as soon as possible so we can move forward with her treatment and medications." Seventy thousand dollars. Roxie's hand tightened around the paperwork. Fortunately, she and Evan had a joint savings account with more than enough money in it. She immediately took a cab home to get the account information. But when she opened the box where they kept their financial documents, the paperwork for the account was gone. She was sure she had left it there. Where could it have gone? Roxie searched every place she might have put it, but found nothing. Just then, she heard a key turn in the front door. Evan walked in and changed into his slippers. "What are you looking for?" Roxie turned toward him, her face pale. "What happened to our joint savings?" Evan loosened his tie. "Sylvia came back to start a new project and was short on cash, so I transferred the money to her to help her out." Chapter 6 Roxie's head buzzed. There had been about $140,000 in that account, money the two of them had saved together. She still remembered the day they opened it. Evan had held her hand and said, "Roxie, this is for our future together. I'll leave it in your hands from now on." And now he had handed it all over to Sylvia without even telling her. Then again, she and Evan were over. The account no longer meant what it once had. But some of that money was still hers. "Evan Shaw, I don't care what you do with your share. But give me back the $55,000 that belongs to me." Evan walked over to the water dispenser, poured himself a glass, and took a sip. "I lent Sylvia everything in the account." Roxie rushed forward and snatched the glass from his hand. It crashed to the floor and shattered. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her voice shook with fury. "That was my money! That's the money I need to save my mother's life! Call her right now and get it back! "I don't care if you have to sell the house today. Give me my money, or I'll see you in court!" Evan frowned, clearly displeased by her outburst. She had never acted like this before. "I already used the house and the car as collateral. "Between that and the savings, I raised about $700,000 for her." Roxie felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. She stared at the man she had loved for six years in disbelief. "You put our house up as collateral too? "Sylvia knows my mother is fighting for her life! She's doing this on purpose!" Evan's expression darkened completely. "Roxie Foster, watch what you say. Sylvia's project means everything to her. Without this money, the whole thing falls apart, and years of her work will be wasted. "She's just a young girl trying to make it on her own. Can you stop being so selfish? "I understand that your mother is sick, but you can borrow from relatives or friends for now. Or sell your mother's old house. There are ways to come up with the money. "Once Sylvia's cash flow improves, she'll pay you back." Slap! Roxie's palm struck Evan hard across the face. "Evan Shaw, do you even have a heart?" She pointed toward the door. "Go to the hospital right now. Use your position as medical director to guarantee the bill and get my mother approved for emergency surgery without the upfront payment. "Otherwise, I'm suing Sylvia too!" Evan wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "No. "The hospital has strict rules. We can't approve a large unpaid balance for one patient just because of a personal connection. If I make an exception for you, the policy becomes meaningless. "However, I can help you apply for public medical assistance. If we follow the normal process, the funding should come through in fifteen to thirty business days." Roxie clenched her teeth so hard she tasted blood. Thirty business days? Her mother needed surgery within seven days. At this rate, he was going to let her mother die. Roxie's chest heaved. A wave of dizziness hit her, her vision went black, and she collapsed. When she opened her eyes again, she was lying in the passenger seat of Evan's car. He drove with one hand on the wheel. "You have a high fever. It's probably from being out in the rain. I'm taking you to the hospital. "Don't worry about the surgery costs yet. I'll see if there's something else I can do without breaking any rules." Roxie's entire body ached from the fever, and she felt completely drained. She turned her face away as tears silently fell onto the seat. "Evan... how can you do this to me? "You know my mom is all I have..." Evan sighed and reached over to touch her forehead, but Roxie turned away from his hand. "I'm sorry. But Sylvia sounded so helpless when she called me crying. I couldn't just ignore her." Roxie closed her eyes in despair. It felt as though a hole had been torn through her heart, letting an endless chill pour in. Sylvia would always come first with him. Roxie no longer even had the strength to argue. Still dazed from the fever, she drifted back to sleep. She had no idea how much time had passed when the oppressive heat inside the car woke her. The driver's seat was empty. Evan was gone. The car had become unbearably hot. Roxie gasped for air and struggled to sit up, reaching for the door handle. It wouldn't open. The doors were locked. He had left her trapped inside the car. Chapter 7 At noon in the height of summer, the inside of the car felt like an oven. The leather seats were scorching hot, stinging wherever they touched Roxie's skin. She fumbled for her phone and called Evan, but he didn't answer. The temperature inside the car kept climbing. Her vision began to blur, and a loud buzzing filled her head. If she stayed in there much longer, she was going to die. Gritting her teeth, Roxie twisted around and yanked the headrest free. She gripped the metal posts and slammed them against the window. Bang! Bang! Bang! Again and again, she struck the same spot with everything she had. Crash! The window finally shattered. A rush of cooler air poured into the car, helping her barely regain her senses. Roxie climbed through the broken window and fell hard onto the pavement. She lay there gulping in fresh air. It took a long time before she managed to push herself to her feet. Only then did she realize the car was parked halfway up a winding mountain road. Not far away, some kind of outdoor camping event was taking place on the hillside. Roxie's eyes immediately found Evan. He held an umbrella over Sylvia to shield her from the sun with one hand while gently holding a bottle of water to her lips with the other. Sylvia took a sip and said something Roxie couldn't hear. Even Evan, who rarely smiled, curled his lips in amusement. The sight was so absurd that Roxie almost laughed. She looked away and dragged her leaden legs down the mountain one painful step at a time before finally getting a cab to the hospital. Not long after she arrived, Evan called. "Roxie, why did you leave without telling me? And what happened to my car window?" Roxie's voice was hoarse. "Evan Shaw, you left me locked in the car so you could hold an umbrella over Sylvia and feed her water. "Do you have any idea I almost died in there?" There was silence on the other end for two seconds. "I'm sorry. I got out in a hurry and forgot how hot the car would get. "I saw Sylvia's group setting up their event. She's just a young girl, hauling all that stuff around in the middle of summer. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. What if she got heatstroke?" Roxie suddenly laughed at how reasonable he seemed to find that explanation. He had been afraid Sylvia might get heatstroke. Yet he had forgotten that Roxie already had a high fever and was locked inside a sealed car. "Evan, I just finished getting checked out in the ER. "The doctor said I had severe heatstroke. Another half hour in that car could have caused permanent brain damage." Evan's breathing caught. "Roxie..." She didn't let him say another word. She hung up. Then, forcing herself to stay conscious, she called a friend. "Put my mom's old house on the market for me. I need it sold as fast as possible. I need the money." After that, she went through her contacts and called everyone who might have a connection to Dr. Chandler. She had to get Dr. Chandler to operate on her mother. Early the next morning, Evan came to the hospital. When he saw how pale Roxie looked, guilt flickered in his eyes. "Roxie, I didn't think things through. I'm sorry." Roxie looked at him. "Evan Shaw, I don't need your apology. I'm telling you again, we're over. Give me back my $55,000." Evan took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation. "Do you really have to pick a fight with me right now? "Can you stop acting like a child and getting jealous of Sylvia for no reason?" Roxie didn't even have the strength to argue anymore. She yanked the IV from the back of her hand, threw back the blanket, and started to get out of bed. Evan quickly pressed her back down. "Where are you going? In your condition, you need to stay here for observation for at least a week." Roxie looked coldly at the hand on her shoulder. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten heatstroke. If it weren't for you and Sylvia, my mother wouldn't be lying in the ICU." Evan's expression darkened. "Your mother's illness was an accident. Why do you insist on dragging Sylvia into everything? Can you be reasonable for once?" A mocking smile tugged at Roxie's lips. "Fine. Then tell Sylvia to give me back my $55,000, or call Dr. Chandler and ask him to operate on my mother." "Which one are you willing to do?" Evan pressed his lips together. "I've already told you. Neither would be appropriate." Roxie gave a cold laugh. "Then get out of my way." She shoved him aside and walked out of the room. For the next few days, Roxie ran herself ragged. She raced all over the city chasing every possible lead on Dr. Chandler. She kept vigil beside her mother in the ICU. She called every relative and friend one by one to tell them the wedding was off. Evan was busy too. Busy running the hospital. Busy helping Sylvia push forward the $700,000 project he had poured their money into. Then, on the evening of the fifth day after her mother was admitted, Roxie finally got a call from her friend. "Roxie, I found him! "Dr. Chandler is in town. He's attending a charity gala tonight!" Chapter 8 At the charity gala, Roxie was stopped at the entrance because she didn't have an invitation. Through the doors, however, she saw Evan inside with Sylvia on his arm, chatting happily with Dr. Chandler. As Roxie watched them, the past six years suddenly felt like one enormous joke. ... When the gala finally ended, Roxie rushed forward and stopped Dr. Chandler, begging him to save her mother. After a moment, Dr. Chandler recognized her. "You're... Evan's fiancée, aren't you? We met about a year ago." He frowned. "What's that boy doing? He was just talking to me inside. Why didn't he mention this? All he did was introduce me to his younger schoolmate from college." Roxie forced a bitter smile. "He told me not to mention his name, so my mother's treatment has nothing to do with him. Dr. Chandler, if you can save my mom, I'll do anything." Dr. Chandler sighed. "That boy has always been too rigid for his age. When someone's life is at stake, he should know when to bend the rules. "I happen to have an opening tomorrow morning. I can operate on your mother then." Roxie thanked him repeatedly, and they agreed to meet at the hospital at eight the next morning. As soon as she returned to the hospital, her friend called and told her that her mother's old house had sold for about $100,000. At last, the weight hanging over Roxie's heart lifted. Her mother could be saved. But the next morning, eight o'clock came and went, and Dr. Chandler still hadn't arrived. Roxie called him over and over, but no one answered. Her mother's attending physician was sweating with anxiety. "Where is Dr. Chandler? Your mother's condition has gotten worse again. She needs surgery right now. If we wait any longer, it'll be too late!" Just then, a nurse passing by spoke up. "I saw Dr. Chandler." Roxie spun around. "Where?" "Dr. Shaw took him somewhere." Roxie immediately called Evan, but he didn't answer either. She began searching the hospital floor by floor until she finally spotted Dr. Chandler through the glass of a private examination room. She was about to go inside when someone grabbed her hard and dragged her all the way to the end of the hallway. Roxie wrenched herself free from Evan's grip, her eyes bloodshot. "Evan Shaw, my mother is waiting for Dr. Chandler to save her life. What gives you the right to take him away?" "Sylvia's having chest pain. She needs a full examination." Roxie trembled with rage. "This hospital is full of doctors! Dr. Chandler came here because I asked him to operate on my mother!" "Dr. Chandler is the country's leading cardiology expert. I won't feel comfortable until he's personally examined Sylvia." Evan softened his voice. "Roxie, just wait a little longer. "You've already waited this many days. What difference will a few more hours make?" Roxie stared at the man in front of her and found him terrifyingly unfamiliar. "Aren't you the one who cares most about principles? You refused to break the rules for my mother, so what do you call this?" "Special cases call for special handling," he replied calmly. Then he called hospital security. "Keep an eye on her. Don't let her disturb Dr. Chandler while he's seeing Sylvia. "If anything happens, you'll be responsible." The security guards immediately stepped forward and restrained Roxie by the arms. "Evan Shaw! You bastard! Let me go! My mother can't wait! "Evan, please..." Roxie struggled desperately, crying out in despair. Her pleas made Evan's heart ache, but he didn't turn around. He walked away. Inside the private examination room, Dr. Chandler looked over Sylvia's EKG. "There's nothing wrong with this girl, Evan. You're worrying too much." Sylvia sat up on the examination table, pressing a hand to her chest. "But my chest really hurts, and I can't catch my breath..." Evan stepped forward and helped her down. "Dr. Chandler, please run some more detailed tests. I'll feel better once you do." Dr. Chandler gave him a puzzled look. "Evan, you're still going to marry your fiancée, right?" Evan chuckled, looking completely untroubled. "Of course.I've decided to marry Roxie, so she's the only woman I'll ever marry." Sylvia's fingers tightened around her clothes, and she bit her lower lip without saying anything. Dr. Chandler nodded. "But I agreed to operate on your fiancée's mother at eight this morning. Why was the time suddenly changed?" "They're doing some other pre-op tests first," Evan explained. "Once the results are all back, it'll be easier for you to review her case. "In the meantime, I thought you could examine Sylvia." Another four hours passed. Sylvia went through every test, and the results showed that there was nothing wrong with her. Only then did Evan take Dr. Chandler to the ICU where Roxie's mother was staying. But when they arrived, the bed was empty. Roxie was gone. So was her mother. As Evan stood there in confusion, the attending physician walked in. He immediately asked, "Where are they?" The doctor looked at him with a complicated expression. "Her condition deteriorated rapidly. She passed away two hours ago."