Chapter 1

My dad was bent double from severe chest pain. After waiting three grueling hours in the emergency department, we finally got his ECG results.

The attending ER physician glanced at the sheet and simply told us to keep waiting for an available bed.

Desperate, I called my boyfriend, Lucian Vance, the deputy chief of cardiothoracic surgery at the hospital.

"Lucian, my dad's having awful chest pains. Could you please take a quick look at his results?"

His voice through the receiver was icy and detached.

"The ER has its own triage protocol, Avery. Stop trying to pull strings and cut the line every time something happens."

"Chest tightness and discomfort are extremely common in men his age. The doctors told you to wait, so wait."

"This hospital isn't my personal clinic, and I'm not an on-call private concierge for your family."

Click.

He hung up.

I stood frozen in the chaotic ER lobby, surrounded by the harsh sounds of coughing and sobbing families.

When my dad saw me turn around, he immediately forced a frail, reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, sweetie. See? It doesn't even hurt anymore."

A burning ache welled behind my eyes.

While we sat there waiting, my thumb mindlessly scrolled through Ins, and a new post from Chloe Brooks popped up.

In the photo, Lucian stood outside a private VIP suite in his crisp white lab coat.

Chloe’s mother was propped comfortably against the luxury pillows, wearing a VIP patient wristband, with a lavish bouquet of fresh white roses resting on the nightstand.

Her caption read: “Mom’s blood pressure spiked in the middle of the night, but thankfully Lucian arranged a private room immediately.”

“Having someone who always catches you when you fall… there’s truly no safer feeling in the world.”

Timestamp: Ten minutes ago.

Right when Lucian told me he was too busy following protocol.

In that singular moment, it felt like our five-year relationship had been violently ripped wide open.

There was no love inside.

There was only the humiliating reality of my own endless self-deception.

By 4:00 AM, the doctors finally took my dad back for a follow-up assessment.

The physician told us that while there were no signs of an acute myocardial infarction right now, his coronary condition looked concerning, and he needed to be admitted for comprehensive monitoring as soon as possible.

However, the inpatient wards were completely full. They told us he had to stay in the holding observation area.

There weren't even stretchers available in observation. My dad was forced to lean against a cold metal chair in the hallway, his eyes tightly shut as he endured the pain in silence.

Curled in his seat, he whispered softly, "This is great, Avery. At least I have a chair back to lean on now."

The more accommodating he tried to be, the worse my chest ached.

At daybreak, I went downstairs to grab some warm oatmeal for him.

Just as I reached the elevator bank near the cardiothoracic wing, the doors slid open.

Lucian and Chloe walked out side by side.

Chloe wore an elegant pastel knit sweater, her eyes soft and rimmed with red, looking like a delicate victim.

Lucian held a thick stack of medical charts, leaning down patiently to murmur instructions to her.

"Your mom is stable. I'll have the department chief review her scans again this morning just to be completely safe."

Chloe sniffled delicately.

"Lucian, isn't this putting you through too much trouble?"

"Never," Lucian answered, his tone gentler than I had heard in months. "Don't overthink it. Just focus on taking care of her."

I stood rooted to the floor. The hot paper cup in my hands burned into my palms.

When Lucian finally noticed me, his posture stiffened instantly.

Chloe followed his gaze.

The lingering vulnerability in her eyes quickly melted into a faint, unmistakable flicker of triumph.

"Oh, Avery! Are you here at the hospital too?"

I didn't even glance at her. My eyes were fixed solely on Lucian.

"I thought you said the ER has protocols? I thought you said we aren't allowed to pull strings?"

Lucian frowned, his voice dropping into a stern whisper. "This is a hospital, Avery. Don't make a scene."

"My dad spent the entire night sitting on a hard chair in the ER hallway," I said, my voice trembling with raw fury. "Why did Chloe's mother get admitted straight into a VIP suite?"

Lucian’s expression darkened. "Mrs. Brooks had a sudden hypertensive crisis. Her case was exceptional."

I let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "And my dad clutching his chest in agony wasn't exceptional?"

Chloe’s expression shifted into one of wounded innocence. "Avery, you’re misunderstanding everything. My mom was genuinely feeling sick, and Lucian was just lending a helping hand."

I shot her a lethal glare. "Did I ask you? Are you that desperate to be put in your place?"

Chloe froze in shock.

Lucian’s scowl deepened, his tone snapping sharply. "Avery, what is wrong with you! Chloe didn't do anything wrong!"

"Besides, your father’s acute symptoms were already ruled out, weren't they? Can you stop being so petty and dramatic over every little thing?"

Petty.

My dad had spent the entire night suffering in a drafty corridor, and in Lucian's eyes, I was just being petty.

I looked at him, and suddenly, every word I had wanted to say evaporated.

I turned around with the oatmeal and walked away without looking back.

Back in my dad's hallway corner, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

A message from Lucian:

【I'm heading back to our place for dinner after my shift. Make something light.】

【The department has been chaotic the past couple of days, and my stomach ulcer is acting up again.】

In the past, whenever he mentioned a stomach ache, I would immediately run to the market, buy pumpkin and whole grains, and simmer broth for hours until it was silky smooth.

Whenever he stumbled home from a brutal night shift, there would always be warm soup waiting on the stove.

I knew which drawer his ulcer medications were in better than he did.

Now, my fingers moved across the glass with icy precision.

【If your stomach hurts, go book an appointment with a gastroenterologist.】