Chapter 3
1522 Words
Serena’s POV
The moment I unlocked the door, Daisy shoved it open like she owned the place.
“What the hell took you so long?” she snapped, popping her gum with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She pushed past me and walked into the room, talking to Daniel. I wondered if it wasn’t too early to start chewing gum. “Vivian isn’t feeling well. You need to come. Now.”
Daniel immediately straightened, stepping to my side. “What’s wrong with her?”
Daisy shrugged, “I don’t know. She says she feels dizzy or whatever. She needs help.”
A flicker of concern stirred in me despite everything. I had no love for Vivian, but this wasn’t about personal feelings. I was a doctor first.
“I’ll go check on her,” I said, moving forward.
Daisy’s arm shot out, blocking my path, her lips curling into a sneer. “Oh, please. Like you’d actually try your best to help.”
I froze for some seconds, then lifted my gaze to meet hers. “Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?”
Daisy smirked, tilting her head as if she were enjoying this. “Don’t act all innocent. You and Vivian can’t stand each other. We all know how much you hate her. You expect me to believe you’d do your best for her?”
A slow burn started in my chest. I felt I was deeply humiliated.
Oh, Goddess!
I was used to Daisy’s bratty, entitled behaviour, but this? This was an insult to me as a doctor, as someone who had spent years dedicating my life to saving people.
I bite my lips hard, trying to stabilise my voice. “I treat every patient the same. Whether I like them or not. You have no right to judge me like that.”
Daisy snorted, rolling her gum across her tongue before snapping it loudly. “Yeah, right.”
The urge to argue sat heavily on my tongue, but I swallowed it down. What was the point? They didn’t want my help.
Fine.
I pulled out my phone and dialled the cruise’s medical service, calmly requesting assistance for Vivian.
“There,” I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket. “A real doctor will check on her.”
Daisy scoffed, missing my sarcasm, but didn’t push it further. Instead, she turned to Daniel, “Daniel you should go with me.”
Daniel hesitated, glancing at me, almost as if he expected me to stop him.
I said nothing.
With an awkward nod, he followed Daisy out. I shut the door behind them and let out a slow breath, exhaustion creeping into my bones. Again, he didn’t chose me.
About half an hour later, Daniel came back but the second he stepped inside, I knew something was wrong. His movements were stiff, his expression carefully blank, like a man bracing for an argument but hoping to avoid it.
I straightened, “How’s Vivian?”
“She’s fine,” he said quickly. “The doctor said she just needs fresh air.”
I nodded. “Good.”
Daniel shifted his weight, rubbing the back of his neck. There was more he wanted to say, but was holding back, I could tell.
I narrowed my eyes. “What?” I had no patience for him anymore.
He exhaled, hesitation flickering across his face. “Vivian’s room doesn’t have a balcony.”
I frowned. “Okay?”
“She needs fresh air,” he repeated like I hadn’t heard him the first time.
“So?” I stared at him, waiting, having an inkling of exactly where this was going but needing him to say it anyway.
Finally, he sighed. “Can we swap rooms with her?”
For a second, I thought I had misheard.
I blinked. “What?”
“She needs fresh air,” he said again, softer this time. “And our room has a balcony,”
“And?” I cut in but there was not much anger in my voice. Forgive me because the whole thing was so ridiculous and funny. “Can’t she book a better room herself?”
“She doesn’t have that much money. And she’s sick, she needs the air, you know.”
A short, humourless laugh slipped past my lips.
Interesting. If I was only an onlooker, I must say it was a good joke light my day.
“So why am I the one who has to leave my room so she can feel better?” I asked. The ones who had a better relationship with Vivian were Sophie or Daily rather than me, they all know I ‘hate’ Vivian.
Daniel hesitated, then gave me a weak, boyish smile. “Because you’re kind. And you’re a doctor. You wouldn’t want to watch a patient suffer.”
A sharp, icy wave of disappointment flooded through me. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the words that would make me cave, the way to twist my own values against me. I studied him and had a new question in my mind.
Had I truly ever known this man that I loved him enough to agree to marry him?
Daniel took my zoning off as positive hesitation and stepped closer, reaching for my hand. “Serena, please. It’s just a room.” Just a room.
Just my comfort. Just my hard-earned money. Just another excuse for him to put someone else ahead of me.
At this moment, I finally figured out everything. All of my pain came from the man standing in front of me rather than Sophie, Daisy or Vivian.
He was the source of all the dramas.
I made my decision. “Fine.”
His eyes brightened with relief. “Thank you,”
“But after this trip, we’re done.”
I never felt so relaxed after everything happened. The pressure of all of the bad things putting on my nerves was all lifted. My decision was right. Daniel was not the right person for me. He didn’t deserve all of my sacrifice, tolerance and love.
Daniel froze. “What?”
I met his gaze, unwavering. “I’m not marrying you.”
His lips parted slightly as if searching for words, “Serena, please It’s just a room. If you don’t want to exchange the room, I will not force you.”
I shook my head. “No, I agree to exchange the room if it can really let her feel better. It’s not about Vivian, it is about You and Me. Your attitude and behaviour let me down. You know how to manipulate me through others and your own words, this scared me. We are truly done.”
Daniel opened his mouth and was too shocked to say anything. I turned away.
The conversation was over.
Like our relationship.
I thought I would shed a tear. But no, I felt better. Surrounding myself with toxic situations would not get me love. Leaving Daniel and his family behind would lead me to someone who truly loved me.
Within the hour, I had booked a new room. A luxury suite, mine alone. No more compromises. No more sacrifices. I rolled my suitcase down the hallway, feeling lighter than I had in days. For the first time in a long time, I was choosing myself and it felt better than anything has.
I reached my new room and slid the keycard into the door. Just as I was about to step inside, footsteps echoed behind me.
“Serena, wait!”
I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief moment before turning.
“Please,” he begged. “Can we just talk?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing left to say. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Before he could argue, a door beside us opened.
A man stepped out. My eyesight was immediately attracted by him because he was really handsome. Black hair and brown eyes but his facial features were very deep. And he was very tall.
But the most stunning thing was he looked very dangerous.
I noticed his crisp white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, exposing a tattoo on his forearm.
Maybe I looked at me too long and offended him, he looked back.
His gaze landed on me as if he was recognizing something.
“Is this man bothering you?”
The air shifted.
Daniel hesitated, swallowing hard. He wasn’t a fighter. He never had been. And standing in front of this man, with his quiet confidence and sharp presence, Daniel suddenly looked very, very small.
“I,” Daniel started but stopped.
The man raised an eyebrow.
Daniel glanced at me as if waiting for me to say something.
I didn’t.
He exhaled, “I’ll… I’ll talk to you later.”
Daniel quickly walked away.
“Thanks,” I said.
He nodded once. Then, without another word, he turned and disappeared into the corridor.
I stood there for a moment, staring at his back figure.
Had I seen him before? Why he looked so similar?
- Writer
