Chapter 39
For weeks, Alex hadn’t shown up at Ellie’s apartment. Even on the nights when Ellie worked at the bar, he stayed away. While part of her missed his presence, the other part felt a strange sense of relief. Without his interruptions, she could focus on her work and get some peace of mind. Right now, making enough money was her main priority. Love and relationships seemed like distant concerns, buried beneath the weight of her daily routine.
One afternoon at the hospital, Ellie was surrounded by her coworkers. “Dr. Thompson, all men are like that. Don’t worry about it,” one coworker said sympathetically.
“Yeah, for us, marrying into wealth is like trying to reach the moon,” another joked.
The comments made Ellie feel uncomfortable, but before she could process what they meant, her coworkers gathered around her, a mix of pity and mockery on their faces. The conversation shifted, and Ellie grew confused by their looks. She pulled aside a close colleague, hoping for some clarity. “What’s going on? I’m totally lost,” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Her colleague leaned in and whispered something in her ear, then walked away. Ellie opened the link she’d just received, and her stomach sank. The headline of an entertainment magazine stared back at her: [Warren Family Heir and Owens Heiress’s Romance Announced, Possible Engagement Soon.] The photo accompanying the article showed Alex holding hands with Haley, and Ellie’s heart dropped.
She wasn’t one to dive into gossip, but the stories about Alex and Haley had been trending for days. The magazine headlines screamed: [Warren Family Heir Buys Expensive Jewelry for His Lover] and [Warren Family Heir and Heiress Party on Yacht at Night.]
Ellie closed the article, her head spinning. She usually avoided such distractions, but this felt different. She felt numb, her heart ached in a way she hadn’t expected. As she left the hospital, her mind was racing. Standing on the roadside, she stared at her phone, uncertain of what to do next. She considered calling Aaron, but she wasn’t sure how to put her feelings into words.
By the time Ellie arrived at her apartment, she couldn’t sit still. She paced back and forth before finally dialing Aaron’s number, her hands trembling slightly as she held the phone to her ear.
“Hey, Aaron. How are you?” she asked, her voice quivering with uncertainty.
Aaron’s voice on the other end was calm, but there was a hint of concern. “I know you’re worried, but I’m okay.”
Ellie bit her lip, feeling the tears welling up. “Aaron, they…” She trailed off, unsure of what to say. Her throat tightened as she struggled to find the words. “Maybe…” Her voice faltered, but she couldn’t bring herself to hang up. She needed to talk, to somehow process the emotions that were overwhelming her.
“Ellie, what are you trying to say?” Aaron asked gently, his voice soft and understanding. “It’s her decision, and I respect it.”
The weight of Aaron’s words sank in. Ellie closed her eyes, trying to steady herself. After hanging up, she felt a hollow ache in her chest. Love had always been about the details—the little things that made it feel real. And now, it seemed those details were absent. Haley’s evasive glances, her excuses about her parents, it all added up to the same thing.
Ellie understood that Aaron’s silence wasn’t a sign of emotional withdrawal—it was just the reality of the situation. If this was the end of his relationship with Haley, so be it. She didn’t know how to navigate this shift, but she knew that life had a way of moving forward, even when it felt like everything was crumbling around her.
A few days later, Ellie arrived at the hospital to a flurry of activity. Her colleague rushed over to her, pulling her towards the elevator. “Dr. Thompson, you’re finally here. The chief wants you in General Surgery right away,” her coworker said, her voice urgent.
Ellie’s brow furrowed. “Why am I needed in General Surgery?” she asked, confused.
Her colleague didn’t give her much of an answer, just guiding her out of the elevator. “Head to the ER. You’ll figure it out when you get there.”
Ellie, still reeling from the emotional weight of the past few days, followed her colleague’s lead, wondering what was waiting for her in the ER.
