A Doctor's Path

Chapter 3: A Mysterious Phone Call

Just when I was about to plunge headlong into the deep, dark abyss that was my desire, an ear-splitting ring from a phone blared out. The urgency of the ringing sounded exceptionally piercing in the silence, the fact that we were nearing the point of no return amplifying its harshness.

Being interrupted during such a sensual moment angered me so much that I wished I could smash the phone into pieces. However, with how persistent the phone call was, there might be an emergency going on.

Left without any choice, I stopped myself, opting to pick up the phone on the bedside table. However, Isabella grabbed me as I was just about to reach out my hand, her face flushing red as she coaxed, “Lewis, leave it alone. Let's continue…”

Her demand halted me midway, and I got ready to pick up from where we left off. Yet again, before I could even do so, the phone rang once more.

The calls came one after another, as if it would never stop if it was not answered.

Such incessant ringing was as though a cold blanket, smothering out the raging flames of lust in me. Instantly, I lost any desire to continue.

Shit!

I let out a curse in my heart as I forced down the filthy indignation within me. I clambered off from between her legs, helplessness clouding over my eyes as I looked at her. “I think you should pick it up. Maybe there is something urgent.”

The interruption of the phone call evidently dampened my mood. Similarly, Isabella wore a sour expression on her face. Following an awkward glance towards me, she picked up the phone.

I had no idea what she heard from the receiver, nor do I know who was calling.

However, after hanging up the phone, any traces of her previously flushing red face was drained away, leaving her face ghastly pale. Icy branches of fear coiled around her.

She sat on the bed in a daze with listless eyes, as if her soul dissipated. Before I could ask her what had happened, she turned to look at me, her voice trembling. “Le- Leave, Lewis. Leave right now.”

“Isabella, what… what's wrong? Who called you? What in the world happened? You are scaring me…”

Before I could even finish my sentence, she forcefully got up from the bed. She frantically grabbed my clothes and stuffed them into my arms. Soon, I found myself shoved outside the bedroom.

“Lewis, I’m begging you… Please stop asking and leave right now. Never come back here again, and don't ever call me. I don't want to see you anymore. Just pretend like we've never met…”

Isabella pushed me out of her home before I could get a clear picture of her circumstances and slammed the door shut without any hint of hesitation.

The sudden change of events was baffling. Who in the world made that phone call? And what did they say?

Why did Isabella’s demeanor shift so dramatically right after answering the phone? On top of that, she appeared to be plagued with maniacal fear, as though a fearsome demon was right in front of her.

No way would I believe such abrupt change happened without any reason; Isabella definitely changed her tune when she heard what the person on the other end of the call said. The more I pondered about the situation, the more certain I was about my theory.

Once I dressed myself, I started knocking on the door while yelling out, trying to coax Isabella to open up so I could find out what exactly was going on.

Still, Isabella seemed to have vanished into thin air. No matter how many times I knocked or persuaded, there was no response from her.

Running out of options, I called Isabella and send a message. Upon receiving no replies, I called her a dozen more times in a row, only to get a message indicating that she had turned off her phone.

Even after I spend more than half an hour outside the door, Isabella still denied me any chance of communication. Contrary to her avoidance, her neighbor had their door opening and shutting several times as they peered over and shot wary glances at me.

Left with no other choice, I could only leave Rosedale with a flurry of questions bubbling in me.

***

After that disaster of a day, my life resumed to its usual state of normalcy.

Day in and day out, my monotonous life rotated between the hospital and the dormitory. Despite my repeated attempts to contact Isabella, I received no response, forcing me to grudgingly abandon my efforts to reach her.

During my shift, I received approximately seven to eight female patients. I was just about to pack up and leave after riding through my shift when yet another patient approached me.

“So, you're Lewis?” she inquired, initiating the conversation. Her piercing, sharp eyes stared straight at me. 

Engulfed by discomfort, I felt like she could see right through me. “That’s right. May I know who you are?”

“I’m Anna White. I’ve been recommended to you, and I heard you are rather skilled.” She introduced herself, and she extended her right hand, which was as soft and delicate as silk.

“Ms. White, may I know why you wanted to see me?” I eyed her with suspicion

“What do you think?”

Her rhetorical question submerged me into a sea of embarrassment. My question was indeed dumb. Since we were at the hospital, if not to treat her illness, why would she be here? Who would come to a hospital just for fun?

“Let's do a check-up and see what's going on.”

She only responded with a glance at the nurse standing beside me, obviously hinting that she didn't want any other person around. Nevertheless, I couldn't do so. The hospital had a rule requiring a nurse to be present whenever a doctor was examining a patient, especially if it was a male doctor facing a female patient.

“I'm sorry, but there must be a nurse present to assist with the examination. I can't do the check-up alone. I hope for your understanding in this matter.” I offered her a reasonable excuse. After a short moment of hesitation, she nodded and followed me to the examination room.

She undressed and lay down on the examination table, her face beet red. She stiffened up, but with immense embarrassment, parted her legs.

My brows furrowed the moment I spotted the multitude of tiny wounds on her private area, some of which had become scabs. Moreover, words could be somewhat made out from the injuries. Even though the affected areas were treated, there were still traces of the damage done.

I kept mum about my findings as I continued with the check-up.

As I examined her inner v****a with a speculum, I was rendered speechless by what I found. What kind of monster did such atrocities?

Once the check-up was done, we headed back to my office and began discussing her situation. 

“Ms White, you have a severe condition. In the long run, it will affect your uterus, making pregnancy impossible for you.”

“Huh?! What should I do then?” Her face turned as white as a sheet of paper, and a tornado of chaos seemed to be sweeping through her mind. Her current expression was in sharp contrast to how she appeared before the examination.

“You must be hospitalized right now.”

“For how long? Can I control my condition by taking medicine, or through other faster treatment?”

I shook my head. If gynecological diseases could be cured so easily, why would there be gynecologists and specialized clinics in hospitals?

“Let me think about it. I'll give you a call later.”

“Sure, but please do so as soon as possible. Also, before your treatment is done, please refrain from having s*x or stimulating yourself with foreign objects to prevent your condition from getting worse.”

She thanked me for my advice before taking down my phone number and leaving with her face flaming red.

With my last patient of the day sent out, I went out to have a light meal before returning to my dormitory. By then, the matter had already been pushed to the back of my mind. After all, I had fulfilled my duties. I'm just a doctor, so her decision about whether to proceed with the treatment had nothing to do with me.

***

I received a text message just as I arrived at my office the next morning, prompting me to fish out my phone. To my surprise, it was from Isabella.

Isabella: [12:00 noon at the Lotus Hall in Parasol Tea House. See you there.]

I hurriedly dialed her number once I read her message, regardless, I received a notification of her phone being turned off. Thus, I had no choice but to reply with a text message, informing her that I would be there on time.

Upon my arrival at Parasol Tea House at 11:30 a.m., the wait staff escorted me to a private dining room in the Lotus Hall. Intricate decoration adorned the room, giving it a unique flair. I sat quietly in the room alone, browsing through the news while waiting for Isabella.

Nearly an hour later, someone finally entered the room. However, the instant I looked up at the person, I froze on the spot. Instead of Isabella, a middle-aged man was standing in front of me.

While I was stunned at the turn of events, the middle-aged man closed the door and strolled inside.

“You are quite early, huh?” He sat on a seat directly opposite of me with a smile spreading across his face. His gaze was as vicious as a viper, sending shivers down my spine.

“Who are you?” I questioned.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Steven Travis, Isabella's husband.”

Tremors overtook me the moment I heard his answer. My heart began pounding against my chest, as if it were going to explode.

“Oh, he- hello.”

Although nothing happened between Isabella and me that day, I still felt a lingering sense of fear, as though I had been caught in the act of adultery.

“Are you nervous?”

“Huh? No- Not at all.” I stammered a reply, my trepidation was as apparent as it could possibly be to anyone in their right mind.

“Heh heh… Chill, man. I came over today to propose a business deal; nothing more, nothing less. So don’t be so nervous.”

“Huh? What kind of business deal?”

A smidgen of befuddlement passed through my mind. Why would Isabella's husband propose a business deal to a gynecologist like me?

“You have the hots for my wife, right?” Steven changed the subject, his tone playful. “Don't try to deny it. Just look at this video first.”

After which, he turned on his phone screen, which displayed a video, before handing it to me. Suspicious of his intentions, I took the phone from him and pressed the play button.

The video wasn’t all that long, lasting only five minutes. In spite of that, just a few seconds of viewing made my mind crumble into pieces. Pelts of cold sweat rained down my back, while my face was painted sickly white.

The video was taken on the day I went to Isabella's place, showing even the moments when I ended up taking off my clothes. I could see that the video was edited, but that didn't matter at all. What mattered the most was that I was caught red-handed.

“Mr. Travis, please… let me explain…”

“Heh heh! Well, as I said, just relax. I didn’t come here today to do anything bad to you. I just want to propose a business deal.”

The calmness on his face only exacerbated my anxiety. Was it even feasible for a man to remain calm after discovering he had been cuckolded? Still, I mumbled out a question, “May… I know what kind of business you’re proposing?”

“I’ll just come clean with you. I’m here today just to ask you to find me a batch of human placentas.”

“What? Trafficking of human placentas is against the law! You…”

“Yes, Dr. William; trafficking human placentas is indeed illegal. But then, isn’t hooking up with others’ wife illegal as well?” Steven stared straight at me, his eyes turning as piercing sharp as a bird of prey.

Just a question from him sealed my mouth shut; I could not even find a reason to refute him.

“But… but I'm just a gynecologist, and an intern at that. I can’t get you human placenta, even if I tried.”

My compliant tone softened Steven's expression as he regained his calmness.

“I have been asking around. Fifty percent of the human placenta in Toronto is stored in your hospital. There are doctors secretly trafficking them from your hospital anyway, so it is not difficult to get some yourself,” Steven informed. “Of course, if you work with me, I will definitely give you compensation. Don’t you like Isabella? I can let her keep you company. You can do whatever you want to her…”

The collected expression on Steven as he made the offer chilled me to my very bones, constricting my heart with stress.

“Mr. Travis, but what if I don't accept this deal?”

“Oh, no. I’m sure you will take up my offer. I believe you are someone smart, so I will be waiting for your call.” Steven smirked and got up before handing me his business card.

Before leaving, he made a sharp turn and flashed a sardonic smile at me. “Oh right, I’ve almost forgotten to tell you this. Isabella asked me to invite you over tonight; she has a gift for you. Remember to come by early.”

With that said, he left the room without even looking back.