Be My Cure Now

Chapter 1 A Dangerous Ride

"Dr. Ford, are you okay?"

A man's voice came from nearby.

Clarice Ford struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was blurred, barely making out the contours of a man.

Then, she remembered... She'd just seen her last patient and was walking along the path outside the hospital. Suddenly, she passed out on the roadside. Then a man dragged her into a car.

The man leaned closer, checking her eyelids and pulse. "Rapid heartbeat, sweating, and sudden fainting... Dr. Ford, it seems you're experiencing low blood sugar. Luckily, you ran into me."

It was then that Clarice regained some awareness and recognized the man before her—Dan Smith, the new hospital director.

The space in the backseat of the car was cramped, and she realized that Dan was too close to her. As a woman, her sixth sense told her that this was neither a polite nor a safe distance.

What's more, Dan's hand, which had been checking her condition, was still resting against the side of her face, his fingers unintentionally, or perhaps deliberately, brushing against her skin.

"Thank you..."Despite her limbs still feeling weak, Clarice struggled to sit up and groped behind her for the car door handle.

"Low blood sugar isn't something to take lightly," Dan said, as if unaware of her intentions, reaching across the front seat to feel around for something.

Just as Clarice touched the door handle, he turned his body and revealed a piece of cloth in his hand. "How about some liquid glucose?"

Clarice didn't have time to resist. Dan pressed a cloth over her nose and mouth.

It was an inhalant anesthetic! Clarice bit down hard on her tongue, trying her best to stay conscious while reducing her breathing.

She didn't know where Dan had stopped the car. If it was a hospital parking lot, surely someone would pass by? She kept praying that someone would notice the unusual movement in the car. But mostly, she felt a deep sense of despair.

When Dan saw that she had stopped struggling, the pressure on the cloth loosened. He ran his hand gently over Clarice's face, his eyes filled with obsession. 'Such a beautiful face. No wonder all the men in the town want to be treated by Dr. Ford. But the women are different. I've already received several complaints about Dr. Ford today.'

Clarice closed her eyes, fighting back the disgust.

She had had enough of the endless misunderstandings and harassment from men. Since she had returned to the town three years ago, inexplicable rumors had filled the air. Things had calmed down a bit after she married Jamon, but with Jamon in prison a year ago, the rumors had exploded again, spreading like rats in a sewer.

Whether men or women, they all saw her as a free prostitute, a hungry slut. Male patients would always stare at her with naked, greedy eyes during treatments, while their wives and lovers would wish they could carve up her face with a knife.

There had been so much harassment, and despite her countless calls to the police, nothing had helped.

Sometimes, she really wanted to leave. But her divorce from her husband was not yet finalized, and this was the house her mother had left her, her only home in the world.

"Use the skills you use to seduce men on me, make me satisfied, and I can help you remove all the complaints," Dan Smith said, pinching Clarice's waist, rubbing his hardening body against her thigh through her pants.

"Go to my place," Clarice said, trying to make her gaze look gentle and obedient. "There's not enough space here."

She needed more time, just a bit more strength to regain control.

As a rehabilitation doctor, she was well-versed in human anatomy and knew how to dislocate someone's joint—in seconds.

Right now, Dan was overwhelmed by his desire and couldn't even control himself. She couldn't irritate him further, so she had to find another option.

As expected, Dan was captivated by the sudden shift in Clarice's demeanor. It was so different from her usual icy reserve at the hospital, and he couldn't help but let down his guard.

"I can't wait." he asked eagerly, pinching her breast and opening the car door to drive.

Seizing the chance while he turned, Clarice kicked the heel of her shoe forcefully into Dan's backside, then quickly opened the door from the other side and rolled out of the car.

Thank goodness, they were still in the hospital parking lot!

She ran desperately towards the hospital entrance, hoping to find someone, but the anesthetic she had inhaled had taken effect. She only made it a few steps before collapsing to the ground.

She heard Dan cursing madly from behind. Her knees throbbed painfully.

Clarice was now truly panicked.

"Dan Smith's footsteps grew closer, his voice dropping to a growl filled with the fury of being toyed with. "You filthy woman. You're making this harder than it needs to be."

A cane interrupted his movement, the forceful impact sent him sprawling to the ground. Dan let out a scream. The person behind him landed a few more punches, and Dan was completely silent after that.

What just happened?

Clarice lay on the ground, hearing the commotion but unable to know what was going on.

Did someone find them?

She wanted to cry out for help, to prevent Dan from distorting the facts and putting her in even greater danger. But she couldn't make a sound.

Footsteps approached, and someone gently helped the disheveled Clarice to her feet.

Dizzy and exhausted, she found herself cradled against a man's broad chest.

Clothes blocked her sight. All she could feel was the faint scent of bitter lemon hitting her nose.

Then, a mint-flavored sugar cube was placed between her lips.

"Are you all right?" The deep voice had a certain magic, and the gentle tone made Clarice feel a strong urge to cry.

The familiar scent of the man evaded her, and memories she'd suppressed for seven years—memories she'd tried to erase forever—instantly flooded back.

As Clarice drifted into unconsciousness, only one thought lingered in her mind: Eric Miller had finally come back.

Eric was her first love. He was also the bastard who, seven years ago, disappeared without a trace like a gust of wind when Clarice was facing the nightmares of her father's death and her stepbrother's harassment.

He had once saved Clarice from danger, just like he did now, telling her things like, "Clarice, I fell in love with you at first sight." But then, after suddenly breaking up with her, without explanation or goodbye, he vanished completely from her life, leaving behind endless pain and doubt.

When Clarice woke up, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.

She immediately sat up and grabbed the person by her bedside, asking, "Where is he? Where is Eric?"