\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
William was always so busy that he could rarely spare 30 minutes for her. Now that they were finally face-to-face, it was the perfect time to bring up the divorce.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Scarlet found herself hesitating. She didn\u2019t want to break the rare moment of intimacy between them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s nothing,\u201d she murmured.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She thought to herself that she would discuss it at another time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William let out a soft chuckle. \u201cIf it\u2019s nothing, why did you say my name so beautifully?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet\u2019s ears burned with embarrassment. She didn\u2019t know how to respond. She had merely said his name, and she didn\u2019t see what was so special about it, unless he thought his name sounded nice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you always so narcissistic?\u201d she asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
William arched an eyebrow, looking completely unfazed. \u201cIs this your first day knowing me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As he spoke, he reached for her waist, intending to pull her closer. But a sharp, intrusive ringtone suddenly shattered the harmony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet grabbed her phone. It was her colleague, Madison Carter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Benson, we have a car crash victim here. There\u2019s a complex trauma to the right eye. Dr. Parker is asking for you specifically. Get here as fast as you can!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was clearly an emergency.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on my way,\u201d Scarlet said immediately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She ended the call and looked at William. \u201cI have to get to the hospital.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
William withdrew his hand. \u201cGo. I\u2019ll have Lester drive you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
By the time Scarlet rushed into the conference room, it was already packed with neurology and neurosurgery teams. An elegant middle-aged woman sat off to the side, her eyes red from crying. She must be the patient\u2019s family.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hospital\u2019s director, Rowan Parker, beckoned Scarlet over. \u201cScarlet, take a look at these scans.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan had been the Chief of Ophthalmology before his promotion and had highly regarded Scarlet ever since she first joined the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet wasted no time studying the CT scans and began her analysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like compression and contusion from a high-velocity impact. There\u2019s hemorrhaging and edema in the optic nerve and the sheath. It\u2019s being crushed inside the narrow nerve canal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWill she lose her sight?\u201d the woman asked, her voice trembling.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs the patient conscious?\u201d Scarlet asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s still in a coma,\u201d Madison replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the patient unconscious, they had to rely entirely on the scans. The window for treating optic nerve damage is small\u2014 usually less than 24 hours. If they missed it, the blindness would be permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cBased on the damage, we need to operate immediately. Since she already has a hematoma, we should perform the optic nerve decompression during the craniotomy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rowan nodded in approval. \u201cMy thoughts exactly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clementine stood up so abruptly that her chair screeched against the floor, and she stormed out of the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet looked after her in confusion. Madison leaned in and whispered, \u201cShe saw the scans first and suggested waiting until the patient woke up to see if surgery was necessary. But as soon as Rowan got here, he called for an immediate operation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet shook her head. \u201cShe made the wrong call. We don\u2019t know when the patient will wake up. If we miss the window, her vision can\u2019t be saved. Besides, putting her through a second surgery later would be even more traumatic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou and Rowan said the same thing!\u201d Madison said with full admiration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe family doesn\u2019t trust her now, and since Rowan handpicked you as the lead, Clementine\u2019s probably fuming,\u201d Madison whispered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet didn\u2019t care about Clementine\u2019s ego. Her only focus was on the unconscious patient. Rowan\u2019s personal involvement in the consultation made it clear just how high the stakes were.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet represented the ophthalmology team, finalizing the treatment plan with the neuro teams, and then moved straight to\u00a0<\/p>\n
prep.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The patient\u2019s mother, Lilly Norton, followed them all the way to the operating room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madison offered her a reassuring smile. \u201cDr. Chesson is out of town on an exchange, but Dr. Benson has the steadiest hands in the department. Your daughter is in good hands, Mrs. Turner.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lilly grabbed Scarlet\u2019s hand, her eyes red with tears. \u201cDr. Benson, please save my daughter.\u201d!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having grown up as an orphan, Scarlet felt a familiar pang of envy whenever she saw a parent\u2019s fierce devotion. She squeezed the woman\u2019s hand and put on a small, confident smile. \u201cTrust me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madison added, \u201cDr. Benson always keeps her word. Trust her. The surgery will be a success.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Chief of Neurosurgery led the first half, clearing the hematoma and damaged brain tissue. Once the path to the optic nerve was clear, Scarlet took over. Working under the microscope with a high-speed micro-drill, she carefully opened the nerve canal to relieve the pressure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The procedure was a complete success. By the time Scarlet stepped out of the operating room, it was nearly 2:00 am.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the adrenaline faded, a dull, throbbing ache took over her head. She touched her forehead. It was warm. The chill she\u2019d caught at the party earlier was finally turning into a fever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lester, who had been waiting outside the hospital, called her. \u201cMrs. Cooper, it\u2019s very late. Are you finished?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet wasn\u2019t sure if it was the exhaustion or her reluctance to face William, but she couldn\u2019t bring herself to go back. Between his sudden tenderness and the looming threat of their divorce, she didn\u2019t have the energy to deal with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s too late to head home. I\u2019ll just crash in the on-call room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lester could hear she was coming down with a cold. He asked, \u201cHave you caught a cold?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m fine. The hospital has plenty of medicine.\u201d She ended the call, swallowed two pills with some water, and fell asleep in the staff room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The next morning, Scarlet walked into her office to find a massive bouquet and a luxury designer handbag sitting on her desk. The thought popped into her head before she immediately shut it down. He would never.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before she could ask Madison about the gifts, a snide voice came from behind her. \u201cIf I\u2019d known the family was this rich, I would have insisted on the night shift. An Hermes just for one surgery? It must be nice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
X CLOSE\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clementine rolled her eyes. \u201cWhy bother? She\u2019s got Rowan in her pocket. Good opportunities don\u2019t exactly fall into people like us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madison shot back with a glare. \u201cThe opportunity fell to you first, Clementine. You\u2019re the one who blew the diagnosis. Don\u2019t blame others because the family doesn\u2019t trust you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet ignored the bickering. \u201cDid Mrs. Turner send these?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madison nodded. \u201cThe patient is awake. All her vitals are perfect.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n
She leaned in close, whispering, \u201cDr. Benson, do you have any idea who she is?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet was focused on the charts for her morning rounds, completely uninterested. \u201cNo.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s Vertex Pharmaceuticals\u2019 heiress!\u201d Madison said excitedly. \u201cHalf the equipment we use in this department was donated by them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why Clementine was trying so hard yesterday. She was desperate to suck up to the family, but it backfired. She must be fuming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet knew the name. Vertex Pharmaceuticals was a titan in the pharmaceutical industry. But a patient\u2019s bank account didn\u2019t change the way she practiced medicine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Scarlet entered the VIP suite, Lilly was sitting by the bed. She looked exhausted from staying up all night, but she lit up\u00a0<\/p>\n
the moment she saw Scarlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Benson, thank you for everything!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlet set the designer bag back down on the nightstand. \u201cI was just doing my job, Mrs. Turner. I\u2019ll keep the flowers, but I really can\u2019t accept this gift.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just a small token of my appreciation,\u201d Lilly insisted. \u201cPlease, just take it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they were going back and forth, a voice came from the bed. \u201cIt\u2019s you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The patient\u2019s right eye was bandaged, and her face was covered in scrapes, but she was clearly a pretty young woman. Along with the eye injury, she had a leg in a cast and various other bruises. She was looking at Scarlet with a sharp, skeptical squint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you she wouldn\u2019t take it, Mom. Your hospital has a code of conduct, right? If you take that bag, I\u2019ll report you for taking bribes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a classic trap. One would offer a gift, then report the person for accepting it. Scarlet caught the sarcasm in her tone.\u201d Do I know you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That young woman\u2019s expression soured. \u201cYou really don\u2019t remember me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Chapter 13\u00a0 1\/3\u00a0 Chapter 13\u00a0 William was always so busy that he could rarely spare 30 minutes for her. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-end-of-the-contractstart-of-his-obsession"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}