Chapter 9
1143 Words
Erin's POV - Painful pretending
After six hours had passed, I finally closed the wound and looked at Lily, who nodded at me. Her smile was clearly visible beneath her mask.
I left the operating room, removed my apron, surgical cap, and gloves, and disposed of them in the bin before stepping into the hospital corridor to see the patient's family.
They stood up immediately when they saw me, and when I shared the good news that the operation was successful and the patient had a good chance of survival, they looked grateful and thanked me in tears.
It always felt so rewarding to witness the relatives' happiness at knowing their beloved family member would remain with them for longer. It almost made me forget my problems, too. Even though the night I spent with that stranger was still on my mind, I couldn't shake the pain Kevin had caused me.
Lost in thought, I walked back to the on-call room. I knew I should focus on my plan for revenge, which was only twenty days away, but I still felt compelled to check on Kevin. For some strange reason, I wanted to know how often he was with Zoe behind my back, so I planned to send him a text. However, before I could reach the door, I heard Lily calling my name.
I turned back and forced a smile. "Erin, are you free now?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"Would you join me for lunch?" she inquired, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything that day.
"Of course," I said, trying to calm myself by assuming Zoe must be in the hospital. I forced a smile and followed Lily into the canteen.
When we entered, all the doctors and nurses in the room started clapping. It felt so good that I genuinely smiled.
We shared a nice meal, with Lily mostly talking while I listened. I did my best to concentrate.
After finishing all the food we had ordered, I was called to another patient, so I had to rush back to the operating room. I was surprised to see another assistant enter, especially since this case would typically require Zoe.
"Where is Zoe?" I asked the assistant, and my heart sank when she replied, "Her mother called; she fell or something and needed to leave immediately. She said she would try to handle the matter herself, but couldn't come back today."
I managed a bitter smile beneath my mask and nodded. Even though my chest hurt to think about Zoe probably moaning under Kevin right now on our bed, I forced myself to focus on the patient.
Another long, successful surgery was completed, and I delivered the good news to the patient’s relatives. Unfortunately, Lily was busy with other tasks, so I walked back to the on-call room alone. When I entered, I was relieved to find it empty. I took my bag and sat down on a comfortable couch.
I stared at my phone for a while, unsure if I wanted to do this, but
eventually, I unlocked the screen and wrote a text: "Hi, Kev. What's up? Are you alright?"
However, I wasn't surprised to receive no answer. Since I hadn't heard that Zoe had returned with her mother, I was uncertain where she was.
I leaned forward and buried my face in my palms, but I couldn't rest for long because another call came in. I had to go.
It was around ten PM when I was finally allowed to go home. After rushing back to the on-call room, I found my phone, and my heart raced when I saw an unread message. It was from Kevin.
"Hi, beautiful. I'm sorry, but I was busy. I was in our office with Dad. He taught me many things that made my head spin. Don't work too much. Love you."
I sighed, struggling to hold back my frustration so others wouldn't see it. I grabbed my belongings and rushed out of the hospital for some fresh air, hoping it would give me strength.
I wasn't in the mood to go home. I didn't want to face Kevin, nor did I know how I would react if he greeted me with his usual kindness and a kiss. But I knew that if I wanted to succeed with my plan, I had to pretend. I had to make him believe I was utterly clueless about him cheating on me with my colleague.
When I entered the garden, I was relieved to see that the house was dark inside. I hoped he was already asleep; however, I also felt a twinge of bitterness about what might have exhausted him so much that he was sleeping at this hour.
Upon entering, I glanced at the wardrobe hooks to check for a foreign coat, but there wasn’t one.
I took off my shoes and hung up my coat before entering the living room. Memories flooded my mind, making my chest ache as I passed through, and I gently pushed open the bedroom door to see Kevin's sleeping figure in the moonlight.
He was alone, and my side of the bed was neatly made.
Turning around, I walked into the kitchen and found some water to drink. Although there was food in the fridge, I had no appetite at all.
After finishing my water, I used the bathroom in the guest room. This was my usual routine because I often came home late, and Kevin was always busy learning his Alpha duties. I didn’t want to disturb him.
After changing into my pyjamas, which he always considered sexy, I walked to the bed. The linen smelled of my favourite fabric softener, indicating that he at least thought to wash the sheets after they had s*x on them.
I gently slipped into bed, turning my back to him. When I made my plan, I hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be, but I kept reminding myself: I had to pretend to take my revenge.
I had nearly fallen asleep when I felt him move. His strong arm wrapped around my waist, his fingers intertwined with mine, and he continued sleeping. I closed my eyes and pursed my lips together, holding myself back from pushing him away.
The next morning, I woke up to find him already up.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he greeted me as he made coffee for both of us, smiling at me as if he were genuinely happy to see me.
“Good morning,” I replied, forcing a smile as he stepped next to me with a cup in hand. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lower abdomen against my butt and making me acutely aware of his morning erection.
“I missed you,” he whispered into my neck before pressing his warm lips onto my sensitive skin.
- Writer
