Eric was in the last room. The nurse opened the door for her. Eric sat by the bed, taking the flowers from Charlotte and carefully placing them in a vase.
Charlotte lowered her head as he spoke, smiling tenderly.
I stood by the door, my whole body stiff.
Then a voice broke the silence.
“Excuse me, sir, who are you looking for?” a nurse asked softly.
Charlotte turned her head sharply. When she saw me, a flicker of panic crossed her face.
But soon, she regained her composure and stood up, walking toward me.
She pulled me to the other end of the hallway and whispered, “What are you doing here?”
“A follow-up checkup,” I said calmly.
She nodded, looking relieved. “Eric got hurt. He’s our company’s financial officer and has been a big help. I came to check on him.”
I didn’t say anything—just looked at her lying so effortlessly.
She grew anxious. “What? You think something’s going on? We’re just colleagues. Don’t be so petty. All I think about is the company.”
“You’re overthinking,” I replied. “The doctor said the dialysis wasn’t thorough enough. There’s some residue, so I had to come back for another test.”
She finally relaxed a little, her tone softening. “Then go get your test done. Call me if something comes up. I can’t leave now. Eric’s injury is pretty bad. He needs someone around.”
Heh. A twisted ankle counts as serious compared to my failing kidney?
Just then, Eric’s voice came from inside the ward—soft, with a touch of forced concern.
“Does dialysis hurt a lot? You can barely stand Andrew.”
He smiled faintly, pretending to care. “But you’re still young. With proper treatment, you’ll get better.”
Watching his fake sympathy, I suddenly asked, turning to face him, “I heard from some coworkers that you got married abroad. Who’s your wife?”
Eric froze for a moment, then his face flushed red. His eyes darted toward Charlotte with a hint of shyness.
“She’s an exceptional woman. You know her too,” he said.
He didn’t say her name, just looked at me, his gaze carrying a trace of provocation.
Charlotte frowned and pulled me aside. “Why are you asking that? Eric needs rest. Don’t bother him.”
“She’s an important client of our company,” she added defensively. “She’s out of town and can’t make it back right now. I’m just helping her take care of Eric — is that so wrong?”
Her voice rose, sharper now.