Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I had no clue when I dozed off, but when I woke up, it was already broad daylight.

Maybe it was 'cause the bedroom window was wide open all night, letting in that chilly breeze, that I felt kinda woozy when I got up.

Bella, who was a coach at the biggest Taekwondo gym in Starlight City, told me to take a day off. I was like, "Sure," 'cause I was worried Ethan might show up at the hospital looking for me. While checking my phone, I saw the avatar of "Cat Who Loves Fish" blinking.

Ethan: [Emily, I won't bug you these days. No need to hide from me. I'll give you time to chill.]

I had blocked Ethan's number yesterday but totally forgot he was still on my Facebook friends list.

After some back-and-forth, I just couldn't bring myself to delete him, especially after seeing all the sweet stuff in our old chats. Those days in Greenfield Village still felt so real.

I figured he'd keep his word, so I decided to head to work like usual. But as soon as I walked into the hospital, something felt off. Docs were running around like something big was about to go down. When I got to the hotline center, Lisa grabbed me and shoved a lab coat in my hands. "Emily, throw this on quick. We gotta gather in the lobby in ten minutes."

Before I could even ask why, Lisa had already dashed off.

We usually didn't rock lab coats 'cause we didn't deal with patients directly, so the hospital didn't make us wear 'em. The special dress code today meant something major was up.

I threw on the coat and made my way to the outpatient lobby.

People were flocking to the lobby from all over. As I ran, my legs felt like jelly, and I got dizzy. Then it hit me I hadn't eaten anything since noon yesterday. Weirdly, I wasn't even hungry. After a bit, I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Arthur.

Arthur, in his lab coat, was coming down from upstairs with everyone else. He saw me too, his eyes lingering on me, but he didn't stop.

He reached me just as I was about to turn away and grabbed me. "Why do you look so pale?"

I turned back and sneered, "Mr. Miller, congrats. Talented folks like you bounce back quick. But are you really worried about me? That's rich."

With that, I shook off Arthur's hand and headed to the lobby.

Everyone was already lined up in two rows, leaving a path in the middle. The nurses at the front were holding flowers, all eagerly looking towards the entrance.

'Is someone important coming or what?' I wondered as Lisa yanked me into the line.

"Lisa, what's the deal? Why all the fuss?" I couldn't help but ask.

Lisa replied, "Grace Hospital snagged a young hotshot with a fat paycheck. He studied abroad, and every hospital was fighting to get him. It wasn't easy for Grace Hospital to land him, so we're throwing this big welcome shindig to show how much we value him."

I glanced back and saw Arthur standing diagonally behind me, looking totally uninterested.

Arthur was a proud and competitive guy. He was also new to Grace Hospital, and now he had to welcome another hotshot. Bet he was feeling a bit salty.

As we waited, I started feeling dizzy.

The women around me couldn't keep their excitement in check and kept chatting.

"I heard the new doc is not only young and capable but also super handsome."

"Wonder which department he'll be in. If I could work with him, I'd never be late or leave early again."

"Don't get your hopes up too high. A guy that awesome probably already has a girlfriend."

That comment was like a cold shower, killing everyone's buzz. But then another woman squeezed in and excitedly winked at them. "I just got the latest scoop. That handsome guy is still single."

Hearing this, everyone's excitement shot up again, and they eagerly looked towards the entrance.

I stood at the back of the line, totally uninterested in the gossip. 'A new doc who's capable and handsome, just like Ethan. But so what?'

I didn't know how long we had been waiting when suddenly there was a commotion at the front of the line, with applause and girlish squeals.

At the end of the path, I saw a tall figure in white walking in, flanked by two others in lab coats, backlit by the light.

"So handsome!" people kept exclaiming.

I tried to get a clear look at the handsome guy, but my vision was all blurry. Everything had double images, and my legs felt like they were stepping on clouds.

I knew I was about to collapse, but I tried to hold on. I reminded myself not to mess up at such a crucial moment. I vaguely saw the white figure getting closer, and my head felt heavier.

Just as I was about to fall, I reached out to grab Lisa's coat, but I didn't even have the strength for that. As I fell, I saw Arthur stepping forward, but someone caught me faster than he could. Before I could see the person's face clearly, I blacked out.

When I woke up, I found myself lying in a single room.

"You're awake!" I turned my head and saw Lisa grinning at me. "Good to see you up. I don't know if you're lucky or unlucky, but you just became Mr. Foster's first patient since he got back to the country."

"Mr. Foster?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, the handsome new doc who just joined us!" chimed in a young nurse who had just walked in.

I didn't recognize this nurse, and I didn't think I had done anything to tick her off, but her expression seemed a bit sour towards me.

She swapped out my IV bag and, while scribbling down notes, said, "You fainted at the perfect time. Mr. Foster personally carried you up here. The first person Mr. Foster remembers at Grace Hospital is you. Staying in the hospital for two days is totally worth it."

Her words left me speechless. It was nuts they thought I was lucky to have fainted.

After the nurse left, Lisa gently said to me, "You should rest up for the next two days. Remember to take better care of yourself in the future."

Lisa's sisterly concern warmed my heart. Then I thought of the Mr. Foster the nurse had mentioned. 'Wait, the new doc's last name is Foster, and he's from abroad. Could it be Jason?'

"Is the new doc's name Jason?" I asked.

"Yes, it's me." A pleasant male voice came from the doorway.

I looked up to see Jason standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling at me in a lab coat.

I thought, 'The saying that clothes make the man isn't entirely true. Even a simple lab coat looks stylish on Jason.'

"Do you know Mr. Foster?" Lisa looked between me and Jason.

Jason walked in, nodding with a smile. "Yeah, we know each other."

After reminding me to rest well, Lisa went back to work, and Jason came to my bedside.

"Don't tell Ethan," I suddenly said.

Jason looked at me, smiling faintly. "I know you don't want him to know, so I haven't told him. Besides, he's on a business trip and won't be back for a few days."

I thought, 'No wonder Ethan said he wouldn't bug me these days; he's on a business trip.'

Jason glanced at the medical record at the bedside and then put it down. "Emily, I never expected you to welcome me in such a special way."

Since Jason had come in, the number of nurses passing by the door had noticeably increased. Their intentions were too obvious.

I remembered what the earlier nurse had said and couldn't help but smile wryly. "I didn't want to either. Now it seems I've become the enemy of all the women at Grace Hospital. You should visit me less often to avoid me having a hard time." "And," I propped myself up, "I don't think I need to be hospitalized. It's kinda a waste of medical resources."

Jason gently pressed my shoulder. "You should stay a few more days. Your health is too poor. You're a patient now, and you need to listen to the doctor."

Jason then gave a thorough analysis, persuading me to stay a few more days. Faced with his professionalism, I couldn't argue and had to lie back down obediently.

After Jason left, I looked out the window. It was dark, and the room was super quiet. I didn't want to think about Ethan, and maybe the meds helped me sleep because I soon drifted off.

When I opened my eyes again, it was still dark outside. I smelled alcohol and turned to see a figure standing by my bed, which startled me.

"What are you doing here?" I instinctively shrank back.

"I'm here to see you." The room was dark, with only the light from the hallway casting a faint glow on Arthur's back.

The same dark scene, the same person. It quickly brought back memories of the night I had a miscarriage.

"Emily, are you afraid of me?" In the quiet room, Arthur's voice was as soft as a ghost's, making it particularly eerie.

I thought about how badly Ethan had dealt with Arthur this time and wondered whether Arthur would do something even more insane.

I became wary. "Of course, I'm afraid of someone who could be so cruel as to kill his own child."

The room was empty except for the two of us, and he had been drinking. I didn't dare say harsh words, fearing I might provoke him. Arthur slowly sat down by the bed, his head lowered, and sighed in a defeated manner, "Actually, I regret it very much."

'Regret?' I sneered inwardly. 'His brief, tumultuous marriage to Vivian has cost him dearly, but he has been so ruthless in marrying her.' "There's no use crying over spilt milk," I said coldly.

Arthur was silent for a moment, then pulled something out of his lab coat. "I found this at home a few days ago."

It was the diary I had kept when I was pregnant. At that time, I had been very excited and attentive about my first child.

"Emily, you really loved that child, didn't you?" Arthur shamelessly brought up my child.

"You still have feelings for me, don't you? I don't believe you could fall in love with someone else so quickly." He suddenly grabbed my hand and continued to press.

I knew his failed marriage with Vivian had left him feeling defeated, and he was eager to regain his pride with me.

I was about to shake off his hand when I noticed a shadow on the floor at the half-open door.