Chapter 3

The next morning, I took the subway to the hospital.

When I pushed open the office door, Maya was already sitting inside.

There was a breakfast spread on her desk—a gourmet sandwich and an iced latte. She was sipping it with a lazy, content smile.

Seeing me walk in, she put down her cup and waved her breakfast box at me with a smirk.

"My secret admirer sent this over first thing in the morning. He even remembers all my dietary restrictions."

As she spoke, she intentionally brushed her hair back, revealing a fresh, dark hickey right above her collarbone. Her voice dripped with braggy sweetness.

"Chloe, do you think I should finally say yes to him?"

I put down my bag and replied flatly,

"Well, you have to take the horse out of the stable to see if it actually runs."

Her smile stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she quickly recovered her cute persona, though a trace of smugness lingered in her eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely introduce him to you eventually!"

Before I could reply, the hospital WhatsApp group buzzed with a notification:

The fellowship candidates have entered the final evaluation stage. Results will be announced within two days.

Maya glanced at her phone, and the corners of her mouth practically reached her ears.

She slid over and grabbed my arm, her tone incredibly light.

"Chloe, out of everyone, you and I have the best shot. Since you're not competing with me, I practically have this in the bag. Ethan said he wants to celebrate early tonight. Are you coming?"

I pulled my arm back and said coldly, "I'm busy. I have outpatient clinic duty today."

She blinked, sensing my sudden coldness. "Why are you acting so weird today?"

I walked to the door and threw a glance over my shoulder. "It's time for your rounds."

With that, I walked out, not bothering to look at her face.

The morning sun beamed through the hallway windows, casting a bright light on my white coat. I quickened my pace toward the clinic.

At the end of my shift, Ethan was waiting for me.

He leaned against my office doorframe, putting on his usual "peacemaker" attitude.

"Chloe, don't be a party pooper."

"Even though Maya is leaving for the fellowship, she's going to be all alone there. As her friends, we should celebrate for her and talk about pitching in for her rent."

I closed the medical chart in my hands and looked up at him.

"The list isn't even out yet. Are you guys popping champagne already?"

Ethan choked on his words. Before he could speak, I took a step forward. Catching Maya completely off guard, I ripped open her shirt collar.

The dark red hickey on her collarbone was instantly exposed under the bright fluorescent light.

"Since Maya has such a passionate admirer who brings her breakfast and leaves hickeys every day, I don't think she needs you running around worrying about her rent," I said calmly, looking back and forth between their pale faces. "If you have that much free time, Ethan, maybe worry about your own business."

Maya's face went completely white. She scrambled to pull her collar back together.

Ethan's expression froze, and a brief flash of guilt crossed his eyes.

I didn't waste another second on them. I turned and walked straight out of the office.

Leaving the hospital, I took an Uber straight to the outskirts of the city.

I had passed by this area before but never paid attention to it. Now that I was here, it looked even more desolate than I imagined.

Abandoned warehouses stood tilted, their rusty metal roofs full of holes. Broken bricks and wild weeds covered the ground, showing faint traces of an old, abandoned livestock farm.

A few collapsed animal pens still barely held up their wooden structures, and the air smelled faintly sour.

According to the real estate agent, the previous owner wanted to make a fortune raising livestock, but a massive disease outbreak wiped out his inventory, leaving him bankrupt. This land had been a hot potato on the market for two years.

I knew exactly what I was doing.

I didn't just throw in the $300,000 I saved for the car; I scraped together every penny of my personal savings and even borrowed $400,000 from my parents.

With a total of $800,000, I bought this entire desolate farm lot.

The moment I signed the contract, the agent handed me the keys, giving me a look that suggested he thought I was the biggest idiot on earth.

I took them. They felt heavy in my hand, but for the first time in my life, I felt completely secure.