It was a colleague from my department. Upon seeing the caller ID, Matilda suddenly screamed, snatched the phone and smashed it to pieces.
"Bad bitch! Terra is a bad bitch. She wants to kill me. Help me, Max, save me."
Maximo could no longer care about his phone. He tenderly embraced the hysterical Matilda, constantly comforting her.
"Matilda, don't be afraid, Terra won't come. I won't let bad people hurt you..."
Matilda nestled in his arms, tightly hugging his neck, crying and laughing at the same time.
"You can't leave, Max. Tell me you will always be with me. You are mine alone, right?”
“Yes, Terra stole you from me. Since she's a bad bitch, she wants me to die!"
"Yes, you’re right, she should die." Maximo patted her back, soothing her gently until Matilda had calmed down and fell asleep.
Back in his office, he took out his phone, that the screen cracked and unusable, from his pocket and wearily rubbed his temples.
He was about to dial the internal line to ask about my situation when a nurse rushed in.
"Mr. Alvarez, an emergency surgery has just arrived. The patient was in a car accident and all her organs were shattered. We need you to come immediately."
Maximo was about to get up when he suddenly stopped.
He asked, "What's the weather forecast for today?"
The nurse glanced at her phone. "Rain all day, predicted to last two days and two nights."
He nodded and went back inside.
"Contact Dr. Marlon. Tell him I have patients and can't leave. Cancel all my outpatient appointments for the next two days."
The nurse opened her mouth, then whispered, "But this surgery is so difficult; you're the only one who can successfully perform it."
Maximo suddenly said coldly, "Can't this hospital function without me? Get out! For the next two days, don't come to me for anything or anyone except Matilda's condition."
The nurse wanted to say something more, but ultimately left helplessly.
I huddled in a corner, blinking.
A warm liquid trickled down my cheek. It felt like blood, or maybe tears.
While I was squeezed into the car, I thought, ‘Maximo, this marriage, as you wished, never has to happen again.’
For the next two days, Maximo stayed by Matilda's side almost 24/7.
He was always there for her, showering her with care. Occasionally, in the quiet of the night, he would pull out his black-screened phone and tap a few times in vain.
I knew what he was thinking.