My mother, Elizabeth Parker, had a severe illness. My childhood friend, Benjamin Harris, wanted to become a doctor and vowed to cure Elizabeth's rheumatoid arthritis.
Later, I became Benjamin's wife. Benjamin became Elizabeth's attending physician.
But when Elizabeth had a heart attack in the hospital, she struggled to press the emergency bell all night. But Benjamin, who said he studied medicine for Elizabeth, didn't come.
When I arrived at the hospital with the croissant Elizabeth loved, her fingers clutching the call button were already stiff.
The following day, Benjamin came late. He was holding a nurse in his arms, Olivia Smith. Benjamin said to Olivia, "If your mother is ill in the future, I will be there whenever she calls. My purpose of studying medicine is to protect our families."
I took away all of Elizabeth's belongings and gave Benjamin a divorce agreement.
Benjamin and Olivia stopped me.
When I returned to the ward and dealt with Elizabeth's belongings, it was already dawn.
I fell to the ground and looked at the half-open duty room. There was still no one inside.
My eyes were tearful. I saw their names on the duty roster.
I thought, "When did they start? I have no idea. Elizabeth was seriously ill. I paid all my attention to her. Even though I noticed the unusual relationship between Benjamin and Olivia, I don't have the energy. Elizabeth's chronic illness still needed Benjamin's treatment. Now, all my reasons to compromise and endure are gone."
I could hear the sound of their laughing from the end of the corridor.
"If your mother is ill in the future, I will be there whenever she calls. My purpose of studying medicine is to protect our families." A doting male voice came from far away.
It was my husband, Benjamin. We've been married for five years.
Olivia held his arm and came towards this side happily.
Olivia wore light makeup and had her hair tied up like a princess. She was wearing a custom-made nurse's uniform with a bow brooch hidden under the collar and delicate patterns embroidered on the cuffs.
I wondered, "She's so delicate. Not like me. I am so messy." I looked down at the patches on my T-shirt and the holes in my jeans.
"Amelia, why are you sitting on the ground? It's so cold." Olivia recognized me.
She avoided making eye contact with me. Olivia guiltily pulled away her arm.
Benjamin angrily turned his hands behind his back and hooked Olivia's little finger.
He didn't smile at me and kicked my calf impatiently. "Amelia, why don't you stay by Elizabeth's side?"
I was surprisingly calm and spoke coldly, "You were the doctor on duty last night. You have all these inpatients. But you went on a date."
Olivia bit her lip with injustice. She looked innocent and explained with a crying voice, "Amelia, you misunderstood us. My mother sprained her ankle yesterday. I asked Dr. Harris to come home with me to see her."
I stood up and met her provocative eyes. "You have your duties. Buy you left your patients and left without permission. Do you have any medical ethics?"
I turned to look at Benjamin. I couldn't suppress my emotions anymore. I felt the resentment and hatred in my heart. I gritted my teeth and said, "I want to divorce you. I hope you both will be happy together."
The lost love turned into a sharp blade and pierced my heart.
I thought, "Benjamin was the one who said he wanted to save my mother. But he was also the one who let her die. Benjamin once knelt in front of my mother's hospital bed and vowed that he would become an excellent orthopedic surgeon in the future to help her stand up again. But last night, my mother pressed the emergency bell over and over again. No one answered.
Benjamin is an excellent attending physician and my husband. But he betrayed me for a nurse whom he had only known for a few days. He abandoned the oath and the basic medical ethics as a doctor."
Benjamin responded disapprovingly. "I haven't slept all night. I'm very tired. Don't make trouble. If you have anything to say, let's talk about it when we get home."
Someone interrupted our conversation.
"Benjamin, Olivia, was there anything special last night?" It was Matthew Johnson, the chief of the orthopedics department.
Benjamin looked towards Elizabeth's ward and hesitated for a moment. He nodded firmly. "No. What could possibly happen in the orthopedic inpatient department? Besides, there are only ten patients in total."
"We can't let our guard down." Matthew handed Benjamin Elizabeth's medical records. "Yesterday I told Olivia that this patient had chest pain and shortness of breath. I suspected it was rheumatic heart disease. I asked you to arrange a cardiology consultation immediately. The results should be out by now."
Chapter 2 They Could Save HerBenjamin subconsciously looked at Olivia.
Olivia was panicked. She nervously grabbed the corner of Benjamin's clothes.
Benjamin understood what she meant and took all the responsibility on himself. "I am the patient's attending physician. Her condition is stable. She will not have a heart attack. It is probably some other minor ailment."
Matthew frowned in dissatisfaction and rebuked in a low voice. "Benjamin, you must be alert to any detail. The patient's daughter is still here. Be careful with your words."
I was stunned at this conversation.
Ever since Benjamin became Elizabeth's attending physician, she had been getting better. Elizabeth had been paralyzed for many years.
I began to regain hope for the future.
Last night, Elizabeth woke me up while I was sleeping on the nursing bed. She said in a hoarse voice, "Amelia, my mouth is very bitter. Can you make some croissants for me?"
It was one o'clock in the morning. The convenience store nearby was still open.
I comforted her softly. "Mom, if you're hungry, I'll go buy some snacks first."
Elizabeth shook her head slowly like a robot. "I just want to eat the croissants you made yourself."
It would take at least four hours to go back and forth from the hospital to home.
Elizabeth saw my hesitation and rang the emergency bell in her hand.
"Don't worry. This is the hospital. Benjamin is on duty tonight. I'll call him over if anything happens." Elizabeth begged me for a long time. I had no choice but to agree.
Before leaving, I found that there was no one in the duty room.
I guessed that Benjamin might have gone to inspect the ward. So, I hurried home without thinking much about it.
When I came back with croissants, Elizabeth's fingers, which were holding the emergency bell, had become stiff.
The morgue doctor speculated. "Your mother died not long after you left. But next to the ward is the duty room. There was an emergency bell at hand. Didn't the doctors and nurses notice it? Maybe they could save your mother."
There was some regret in his tone.
I had nothing to say and lowered my head to settle Elizabeth's body.
I thought, "If there is a pill for regret, I am willing to take it at any price. I would insist on staying with my mother and never allow Benjamin to skip work for a tryst. I also wish I could kill myself and take Benjamin along to be buried with my mother!"
I went back to the ward to pack my things and ran into Benjamin and Olivia, who were late.
My hatred turned into despair.
I wondered, "Even if they sacrificed their lives, it would not allow my mother to live one more night."
Benjamin could tell that Matthew's tone was unfriendly.
After Matthew left, he wrote out a few heart examination applications and threw them in front of me. "Elizabeth wasn't feeling well. Why didn't you just tell me? You didn't fulfill your duty as a daughter."
I ignored him. I lowered my head and opened the insulated lunch box. Elizabeth was weak, so I made her hot croissants.
But the croissants were completely cold. The crispy crust had softened.
I numbly ate a croissant. The croissant was sweet, but my tears were salty. My tongue felt so bitter.
I didn't answer Benjamin's question. He snatched the insulated lunch box away. "I'm talking to you. Don't you hear me?"
The insulated lunch box hit my gums. My blood slowly flowed down from the corners of my mouth and stained the floor.
Benjamin threw the insulated lunch box to the ground in disgust. He revealed his disgust for me. "Are you done yet? You look like that Elizabeth died. Stop pretending. "
Olivia handed me a tissue and tried to comfort me hypocritically. "It's all my fault. I was too anxious, so I asked Dr. Harris to rush to see my mother."
Benjamin strode forward and protected Olivia behind him. "Don't take the blame on yourself. She's just looking for trouble. She thinks her mother's is more worthy than others."
Chapter 3 You Wasted My TimeI continued to eat the croissant and stuffed it into my mouth. I said, "Benjamin, do you still remember the oath you made in front of my mother's bed?"
I didn't have a father by my side. Elizabeth raised me alone. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before the college entrance examination. Her condition deteriorated rapidly.
Within a few months, Elizabeth, who used to be confident and beautiful, became a paralyzed person. She could not take care of herself.
I gave up the college entrance examination and dropped out of school. I stayed at home to take care of her.
Benjamin, who grew up with me, also decided to give up art and become a doctor.
His oath still echoed in my ears.
I met Benjamin's stunned eyes and spoke word for word. "You said that you would give up art and become a good doctor to save her life. You said you would never betray me and be a good husband."
I looked at him. Tears streamed down my face. I swallow the salty-sweet bitterness in my mouth. "However, my mother died because you left your post without permission. You didn't fulfill these two vows."
Olivia was frightened by me and tried to explain in a panic, "That's impossible! Would a dead person ring the emergency bell? If I hadn't muted the bell last night, all the patients would have been woken up by her."
I was completely outraged. I couldn't bear it any longer and pounced on Olivia. I wanted to tear her face apart.
But Benjamin grabbed my shoulder.
The croissants rolled all over the floor, along with the lunch box.
"Olivia just graduated. She doesn't understand many things, so she accidentally ignores Elizabeth's needs. I apologize for her. You should behave and stop joking about Elizabeth's life." Benjamin's eyes were red. His face looked scary.
He was completely different from the gentle husband I remembered.
Olivia hid behind him and looked ignorant.
I couldn't help sneering, "Why are you apologizing for her? Are you my husband or her lover? Benjamin, you are a married man. Don't you feel disgusted to hook up with a young girl who just graduated? If you regret marrying me, just tell me. I will let you go."
There were early signs that Benjamin would betray me. The first thing he did when he entered the university was to call me via video to introduce his classmates and teachers.
But now, he kept silent about our relationship.
Benjamin was handsome and capable. He would become the head of this department. He was perfect. But I didn't go to the university, and Elizabeth was ill. He might feel like we're holding him back.
Olivia was from a wealthy family. She had no sense of responsibility and lived freely. She thought childishly but dared to love and hate.
Olivia had all the qualities that I didn't have. She attracted Benjamin's attention wildly.
I thought, "If not me, they should have announced their relationship long ago."
I provoked Benjamin. He looked gloomy. "Will things change if I regret? Can you let me escape from this hell that smells of disinfectant? Can I become a painter again? Can I regain my youth again? You wasted my time for more than ten years."
Benjamin was breathing heavily. His fists clenched as if he was ready to hit me in the face in the next second.
Then, I heard the sound of metal colliding with bone.
Chapter 4 The TestamentBenjamin kicked the lunch box on the ground away. It hit me hard on my knee.
The sharp metal crack left a nearly ten-centimeter wound on my calf. Blood gushed out instantly.
I smiled bleakly, "Benjamin, no one forced you to study medicine. No one forced you to treat my mother's illness. No one forced you to marry me. You chose them."
"Enough!" Benjamin pinched my chin and pushed me against the wall.
I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head.
All I noticed was the croissants that were crushed into pieces under his feet.
"You used rumors to force me to compromise. What choice did I have? I just wanted to take a breath, so I didn't serve Elizabeth for just one night. Are you dissatisfied?"
I wondered, "It turns out that this is how Benjamin thinks of me and my mother. Everyone in the town knew that he changed his major. The gossip was like an invisible hand pushing him forward. Benjamin was admitted to a medical university and successfully completed his postgraduate studies. After graduation, he married me and became a respectable orthopedic surgeon in a hospital in our hometown. His life seemed so successful. But he felt there was no way out."
Our movement attracted the patients' attention.
They opened several ward doors quietly and listened to us.
Benjamin was completely unaware of this.
"Dr. Harris, it's also our fault that we were in such a hurry last night. I will accompany Mrs. Parker for the consultation later." Olivia comforted the irritable Benjamin.
She ran over to get a bandage and carefully bandaged my wound.
Benjamin took Olivia aside and said sarcastically. "Olivia, stay away from her. If you feel pity for them, you will be unlucky. I am the best example."
Benjamin bent down and wiped the stains off Olivia's leather shoes. He did not forget to scold me, "This is the hospital. You can't do whatever you want. Clean this place up later. Don't be so willful. When I feel better, I will help Elizabeth with her medical treatment."
I took out a crumpled piece of paper from Elizabeth's belongings and said, "Do you know what my mother's last words were? She wanted to set you free. She wanted to tell you in person, but you didn't hear it."
Benjamin thought I was joking.
His face was extremely gloomy. He started to be furious again.
"The unfortunate person must have something to be hated. Elizabeth deserves to live a life worse than death. Only a witch-like mother will raise a psychotic daughter like you. I can't treat her disease anymore. You should find someone else."
Benjamin picked up the phone angrily and called the nurse station. "The patient in bed 203 has nothing to do with me. They will have to bear the future expenses themselves."
The nurse on the phone was stunned. "Ms. Parker has already paid all the fees for Room 203."
Before the nurse could finish her words, Matthew came running over. "Benjamin, did you know that a rheumatic patient suspected of having a heart attack has passed away? I heard that her daughter is your wife."
Benjamin was stunned when he heard this.