Chapter 28
sure any husband. Not only do you stand by and do nothing when I m being bullied, but you actually turn around and blame me? Layla asked
Aache brand Layla’s wounded work, Adnan’s attitude softened a little,
“Tx not that I shadet wtand up for you, he explained. “You saw the situation. Mr. Carter unt someone we can afford to provoke. And besides, you staruldn’t have challenged him in public“:
1 challenged him” Layla’s temper flared again. “How exactly did Echallenge him?”
Adrian sighed, clearly frustrated. “Since Jus successfully performed the surgery, what was the point of saying all that! If you hadn’t said those things. Mr. Carter’s bodyguards wouldn’t have dragged you away”
People were constantly coming and going at the hospital, and many had witnessed the scene. Adrian felt embarrassed for her–and for himself.
Layla shot back, “How could she have possibly succeeded! She doesn’t know the first thing about medicine!”
“Don’t you know whether Isis understands medicine or not, Adrian?” Layla asked pointedly.
Adrian, too, found it hard to believe. But his disbelief was mixed with an instinctive rejection. He thought, How could someone like Isis know anything about medicine? It doesn’t add up”
Frustration bubbled up inside Adrian. “Enough. Whether she knows medicine or not doesn’t matter anymore. The important thing is, Samuel is out of danger. Let’s not make things worse.”
He thought. If we kept pushing, who knew if Mr. Carter would decide to investigate the botched treatment and hold us responsible!
But Layla wasn’t about to let it go. She had heard all the doctors and nurses praising Isis earlier, and every word felt like a dagger to her heart.
She furrowed her brow, her expression serious: “Adrian, I think something’s off about this
Adrian, already irritated, didn’t want to go over it again. “What could possibly be off about it?”
After his divorce from Isis, just hearing her name made him more and more frustrated. He didn’t want to waste any more energy on her.
But Layla ignored his irritation and pushed forward. “Think about it–why, out of all the doctors in that room, did she specifically choose Dr. Green so perform the surgery?”
Adrian gave her a resigned look. “Why?”
“Because she doesn’t know how to do the surgery!” Layla said with growing confidence. “She chose to have Dr. Green in there with her so he could be the one to actually perform it.”
Adrian stared at her, incredulous. “That’s impossible.
He thought, “What you are saying sounds completely absurd. You shouldn’t have become a doctor but an editor. Your fi
film would explode
anyone to film it? It’s obvious-
Layla wasn’t backing down. “Why else wouldn’t they let anyone observe the surgery! Why wouldn’t they allow anyo someone else must’ve done the surgery!”
The more she thought about it, the more certain she became. She thought, It is strange. When has there ever been a surgery where no one is allowed to watch? It doesn’t make sense.
“Think about it. Isis could never have such advanced medical skills. If she really
y knew medicine, why didn’t she cure Naomi’s illness? Why spend so much money just to keep her in the hospital instead?” she asked.
Her words made Adrian stop in his tracks. That was a fair point. Isis had always been so concerned about Naomi.
He wondered. Why didn’t she cure her if she could? Why would she let Grandma stay in the hospital year after year, spending millions on VIP treatment, if she had the skills to heal her!
If his really could cure Grandma, she would have. And doing so
so would ve only earned her more favor from me and the rest of the family‘
Layla continued to frown. “Look at the way Dr. Green treats Isis. Does that look like the first time they’ve met? It’s obvious they know each other! Otherwise, why would such a prestigious expert agree to act as her assistant in the surgery! It’s all staged”
After Layla’s analysis, Adrian actually started to see some logic in what she was saying
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He vowed his doubes. “Tun whats their goal in all that Why go to sach lengths when they could just have Dr. Green do the surgery himself?”
Lavda answered matter–of–factly. “Of course, it’s to put me in n
i my place!“.
an tassed an eyebrow “What?”
For the first time he found Layla’s reasoning a lule childish. He thought, Tors is really have so much free time that she is staging some kind of compertiner” He didn’t believe it.
Sering Adrian’s skepticom, Layla added, “It’s also to make you regret it. They’re trying to get under your skin.
Adrian paused, then quietly nodded to himself. He thought, That might actually make sense. After all, Isis has never been happy about our divorce.
If she is showing off her skills, maybe it is to make me regret my decision. It is a move I have seen women use before
Layla was getting more animated with every word. Think about it, Adrian. Why did Isis even come to St. Stephen Hospital! And why just so happens to arrive when Samuel is gravely ill What are the odds?
It must have been Dr. Green who called her in. He could have handled the patient himself, but he deliberately waited for Isis to step in. Then, as her assistant, he helped her look good by supporting her in treating Samuel!”
Adrian, who had initially dismissed her theories, now found himself believing them. He thought, “Could it be true?
The more Layla spoke, the more smug she became. “What’s so special about Isis anyway? She’s just a washed–up nobody who couldn’t even get into college!
“So why is everyone acting like she’s some medical prodigy?” Her voice dripped with envy, her eyes practically burning with malicr
Looking at Layla’s face, twisted with jealousy, Adrian felt a shift within him. For the first time, she seemed like a stranger. This wasn’t the Layla be had once admired–the one who had always seemed perfect in his eyes.
He couldn’t forget how Layla had been in college. She was his sensor, and the school’s top beauty. She was smart, beautiful, and had always been the center of attention, with many guys–including Adrian–falling for her.
He had been infatuated with her for years. Back then, his family wasn’t as wealthy as they were now. His parents struggled to support the family and pay for his education.
But Layla had never looked down on him for that. Many of the guys who pursued her came from wealthy families, but Layla had never cared about money. She treated Adrian like she did everyone else.
He remembered the time he forgot to bring money in the cafeteria, and Layla had generously paid for his meal. That had been their first dinner together, and Adrian had been over the moon.
As they spent more time together, Adrian finally found the courage to confess his feelings. But Layla had told him that she wanted to focus on her studies and didn’t want to waste time on a relationship.
Adrian hadn’t been upset. In fact, her ambition had made him even more attracted to her. The more he saw of her, the more he admired her.
They hadn’t ended up together, but they had remained close friends. They spent a lot of time walking around campus together, eating together, and studying together.
In Adrian’s mind, Layla was the one for him. He was sure that once they graduated, they’d finally be together. But then, after graduation, when he thought they were about to take the next step, Layla left for an overseas graduate program…….
She’d decided to go abroad for better opportunities. In that moment. Adrian felt as though his heart had been ripped out.
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