Chapter 13 A reason to smile
2768 Words
Aria’s POV
The moment I entered the bedroom, the tension from downstairs still clung tightly to my chest.
Liam’s cold stare. His sharp voice. The way he looked at me like he was silently measuring every move I made.
I closed the bedroom door softly behind me before leaning against it for a few seconds.
My body suddenly felt heavy again.
Exhaustion settled into my bones completely now that I was finally alone.
I rubbed my forehead tiredly before walking slowly toward the bathroom, a warm shower that was all I wanted. Maybe it would wash away the hospital smell still clinging to my skin.
Maybe it would calm the strange tightness sitting inside my chest. The warm water poured over my body quietly while steam slowly filled the bathroom. I closed my eyes briefly, letting the heat relax my stiff shoulders. But my mind still refused to rest.
With Chloe still at the hospital, Ethan and Liam. Especially Liam. The way his expression changed whenever Ethan’s name came up unsettled me deeply. I exhaled slowly and pushed the thoughts away.
After a while, I finally stepped out of the bathroom and changed into a simple cream polo and dark trousers. My damp hair fell loosely behind my shoulders as I stood in front of the mirror quietly.
I looked tired, very tired. The dark circles beneath my eyes were impossible to hide now.
Still, somehow, I looked lighter than I had the previous night. Because Chloe was going to wake up. That alone felt enough to help me breathe again.
I picked up my phone from the bedside table while preparing to head downstairs for breakfast. But suddenly, the phone began ringing loudly in my hand. I frowned slightly at the unfamiliar excitement already vibrating from the call.
Then I answered. “Hello?” “Aria! Aria!”
The loud voice from the other end nearly made me pull the phone away from my ear. I blinked immediately before laughing softly in surprise.
“Chris?” “Yes, Chris!” he nearly shouted again.
His excitement poured through the phone so strongly that my confusion deepened immediately. “Slow down,” I said quickly while sitting on the edge of the bed. “What happened?”
“Aria, oh my God” “Chris.” “Okay, okay,” he said breathlessly, but the excitement still filled his voice completely. “You need to sit down first.” “I am sitting.” “No, properly sit down.”
I laughed softly despite myself. “Chris, you’re scaring me.” “You should be scared!”
“Chris!” “Fine!” He let out a dramatic breath. “Aria… you made it and you didn't tell me.” My brows pulled together slowly. “Made what?” “The final round!” “ Wait, don't tell me you haven't checked your mail.”
Silence. For a second, I genuinely could not process his words. “What?” “You heard me!”
His voice rose again immediately. “You’re among the top five candidates selected for the final interview at Life Specialist Hospital!”
My breath caught instantly. Everything around me suddenly became still. The phone remained pressed against my ear while my mind struggled to catch up. Top five? Out of thousands? “No…” I whispered faintly. Chris laughed loudly from the other end. “Yes!”
My fingers tightened around the phone instantly. “No, Chris, stop joking.” “I’m serious!” I stood up immediately from the bed.
My heart started beating wildly now. Fast and
unsteady.
“Aria,” Chris continued excitedly, “the official list just came out this morning.” I covered my mouth slowly with my free hand. Life Specialist Hospital. The biggest specialist hospital in the country. The dream hospital.
Thousands of physiotherapists applied every year. Only two people would eventually be selected. And somehow… Somehow… I made it into the final five. Tears suddenly burned behind my eyes.
“Oh my God…” Chris laughed again softly this time. “I told you your ability would speak for itself.” His words made another memory rise inside my mind immediately.
Two months ago. The entrance examination hall crowded with candidates from wealthy families and top medical schools. People with connections. People with support. People who looked confident and prepared.
While I sat there alone clutching my documents tightly because fear nearly swallowed me whole. Chris had offered to help me then too.
“Just let me talk to someone,” he had insisted repeatedly. But I refused. I wanted this on my own. Not because of pity or influence, just me,
my hard work, my sleepless nights and my sacrifices.
I swallowed hard as emotions filled my chest painfully. “Aria?” I blinked quickly. “I’m here.”
“You deserve this.” The tears in my eyes almost spilled immediately at those simple words. Because very few people had ever said that to me before.
I lowered myself slowly back onto the bed.
“I really made it?” “You did.” A shaky laugh escaped my lips suddenly. I could not even explain the feeling spreading inside me now.
Disbelief, relief, happiness, fear. Everything together.
“The final round is the day after tomorrow,” Chris continued. “You need to prepare seriously.” I nodded quickly before realizing he could not see me. “Yes. Yes, of course.” “And don’t overthink it.”
“That’s impossible.” Chris laughed softly again.
“That hospital would be lucky to have you.”
My throat tightened painfully. Because he believed in me so easily. So naturally.
Something my own father had never done.
My father wanted me to study business.
Not physiotherapy, not medicine and nothing related to hospitals.
According to him, doctors wasted their youth working like servants. He hated that I refused to obey him. And after I chose physiotherapy anyway, he stopped supporting me almost completely.
I worked endless shifts during school just to survive. Sometimes I barely slept. Sometimes I skipped meals quietly to save money. And many times, Chris forced money into my hands when things became too difficult. I hated accepting it. But Chris never once made me feel ashamed.
“Aria?” I wiped quickly beneath my eyes before answering. “Hmm?” “You’re crying, aren’t you?” “No.” “You are.” I laughed weakly.
“A little.” “A little,” he mocked dramatically. “You sound like somebody whose entire family just died.” That made me laugh properly this time. The sound surprised even me.
Because it had been a while since laughter came out so naturally. “Thank you, Chris,” I whispered softly. His voice softened immediately too. “You don’t need to thank me.”
“But still.” “You earned this yourself.” My chest tightened again at those words.
Earned this yourself.
I closed my eyes briefly. Maybe for the first time in a long while, something good was finally happening for me. After a few more minutes, the call finally ended. But even after lowering the phone slowly, the smile on my face refused to disappeared. I stared at the screen quietly.
Top five. The words still felt unreal. A small laugh escaped my lips again before I finally stood up from the bed. My entire mood felt lighter now. Hope. I had almost forgotten what hope felt like. I left the room quietly and headed downstairs for breakfast. The dining area was calm when I entered. Liam was already seated at the table..One hand rested beside his untouched coffee while several documents lay neatly beside him. His expression remained cold and focused until his eyes slowly lifted toward me.
Then his gaze paused. Very slightly, almost unnoticeably, but I noticed. Because I was smiling. And maybe because this was the first genuine smile he had seen on my face since arriving at the mansion.
I walked quietly toward my seat across from him. “Hi,” I said softly. Liam held my gaze for a second before responding. “Hi.” The maids quickly served breakfast while silence settled over the table again. But today, the silence felt different. Lighter. At least for me.
I picked up my spoon quietly, but the smile still lingered at the corners of my lips no matter how much I tried to hide it. My thoughts kept returning to the call. Top five.nDay after tomorrow. Life Specialist Hospital. Even my appetite had returned completely without me realizing it.
For the first time since arriving at the mansion, I actually finished my food willingly. Across from me, Liam’s eyes slowly lifted from the documents again. His gaze rested on me carefully now. Observing silently. I could feel it even while pretending not to notice.
Finally, he spoke. “You seem happy.” My hand paused slightly above the table. Then I looked up at him slowly. And somehow, the small smile returned again.
- Writer
