Chapter 88
At the corner of the hospital corridor, Alex and Ellie stood in silence, staring at each other.
“What’s wrong with you?” Alex asked, watching as Ellie clenched her hands tightly, struggling to hold back the tears that were now spilling over.
Frustrated, he reached out to grab her hand, but just as his fingers brushed against hers—his phone rang.
Ellie immediately withdrew her hand and stepped back.
Annoyed, Alex pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it. His expression softened almost instantly. “Baby, stay there and wait for me. I’ll be over soon to pick you up,” he said.
Ellie watched as his lips curved into a gentle smile while he softly called Haley “baby.”
Her chest tightened.
She felt utterly humiliated. Without another word, she turned and rushed into the elevator.
“Ellie.”
Alex was still on the phone when he saw her running away, tears streaming down her face. He quickly hung up and rushed toward the elevator, but before he could reach her, the doors slid shut.
That night, in a luxury suite at the Earl Hotel, Alex sat at a card table, cigarette hanging from his lips. He kept losing.
Layton, watching from the side, finally switched seats to sit beside him. “Alex, something’s off with you tonight. Why do you keep losing?”
Alex gave Layton a sideways glance, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. “Afraid I can’t take losing?”
Layton snatched the cards from Alex’s hand and threw them onto the table. “Forget the game. Go grab a drink and clear your head.”
Then, as he poured Alex a glass of wine, he smirked. “It’s the middle of the night. Why are you hanging out with us bachelors instead of being with Haley? Don’t tell me she wouldn’t let you stay over tonight?”
Alex stared at the empty glass in his hand, lost in thought.
Ellie’s face flashed in his mind.
The way she had looked at him today—the way her voice had trembled when she congratulated him. The way she had cried.
With a sudden irritation he couldn’t shake, Alex tilted his head back and downed the entire glass of wine. But no matter how much he drank, that uneasy feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away.
He got up and walked to the window, opening it to let in the cold night air.
Meanwhile, at Ellie’s apartment, Aaron had finally found time to visit. She kept herself busy in the kitchen, preparing several dishes.
As they ate, she finally gathered the courage to tell him. “I’ve secured a paid exchange opportunity at the hospital. I’m thinking of going abroad for a while.”
Aaron looked at her in surprise, then his expression grew serious. “Which city? And for how long?”
“Ameria. A year,” Ellie replied. “But I’ll have breaks in between.”
Aaron hesitated for a moment, then gave her a firm nod. “Don’t worry about Mom and Dad. I’ve got everything handled here. This is a great opportunity for you.”
Ellie lowered her gaze to hide her expression.
Two months ago, the department head had approached her about this opportunity, saying a spot had been secured for her. She had turned it down.
At the time, Aaron was in a critical phase of his career, struggling financially. She had chosen to stay—to work part-time, take on family responsibilities, and ease his burden.
But now?
She couldn’t bear to stay here even one more day.
Just the thought of Alex proposing to Haley, of him kissing her lovingly on the forehead, made her heart ache all over again.
She couldn’t stand hearing him enthusiastically talk about how excited and happy he was in front of her.
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
And she was afraid—afraid that one day, she wouldn’t be able to hold it in anymore and would break down right in front of him.
She needed to leave.
Some things could only heal with time and distance.
Aaron’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “When are you leaving?”
Ellie took a deep breath. “I’ll go back home tomorrow to see Mom and Dad. Then, I’ll leave the day after that.”
