Chapter 453

Donald nodded. “We will.”

Since they couldn't convince Genevieve and didn't want to push her, they decided to leave. Jennifer stayed behind to speak privately with Genevieve, attempting to give her a bank card, but Genevieve refused it.

When Jennifer got into the car, she was holding an emerald bracelet. “Ms. Nelson gave me this bracelet. She’s always been so good to me. I just don’t think I can thank her enough.”

Donald glanced over. “What about the card? Did she take it?”

Jennifer shook her head. “She refused, so when I left, I slipped the bank card to the children at the door. They’ll make sure Ms. Nelson gets it.”

Donald sighed. “Good. Otherwise, I really would feel guilty. I can tell Ms. Nelson is a noble person. She’s not someone who’s after fame or fortune.”

Jennifer smiled softly. “A man broke Ms. Nelson’s heart, so she stopped caring about those things and doesn’t believe in love anymore. She always told us that love is real, but men change.”

Donald chuckled. “So, do you think I’m one of those guys who can’t be trusted?”

Jennifer grinned. “Who knows? Our real test is just getting started, isn’t it?”

As Donald drove, he reached over and took Jennifer’s hand. “Babe, I’ll prove it to you. I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

Jennifer thought, ‘The rest of your life? What a beautiful promise.’ She said, “Don’t forget what you just said. I’ll always love you, too.”

They didn’t stay overnight and drove straight back to Nareigh. The next morning, Jennifer headed to the hospital, completely forgetting about Cheryl, who still hadn’t replied to her messages.

Early that morning, she sat in the staff lounge, sipping coffee and watching the morning news. A news report detailed a heat stroke fatality: “During the peak of summer, we urge all residents to take precautions against the heat. Minimize outdoor activities during high temperatures to stay safe. Yesterday at 2 p.m., a woman suffered a heat stroke while walking along Springvale Avenue amid scorching temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. She didn’t receive medical attention in time and was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Seeing the news, Jennifer dropped her cup, splashing coffee onto her white shoes. Seeing the footage of the young woman lying unconscious on the ground, surrounded by a crowd, Jennifer’s mind immediately flashed to Cheryl fainting in Lonisburg the previous day.

She grabbed her phone, only to find there was still no reply from Cheryl. The automated response stated, “Sorry, the subscriber you dialed cannot be connected at this time. Please try again later.” No matter how many times Jennifer called, she couldn’t get through. Frustrated, she tossed her phone aside.

A young nurse named Lucia knocked on the door. “Dr. Nelson, there’s an early meeting today. Don’t forget.”

“Got it,” Jennifer replied, then asked Lucia to clean up the spilled coffee and wipe down the table. It was the first time Lucia had ever seen Jennifer’s desk in such a mess.

Jennifer had just finished a meeting and was about to take a break when a doctor hurried over. A pregnant woman with ruptured membranes had been brought in by ambulance and was in urgent need of delivery.

Seeing how urgent things were, and with several specialists out of town for research, Jennifer had no choice but to step in herself.

“Doctor, please save me,” the pregnant woman, Brynn Adams, begged, clutching Jennifer’s hand tightly. “I don’t want to die. Please, save me and my baby.”

Jennifer looked down at Brynn, who was probably in her twenties, sweat streaming down her face. She gave her a reassuring nod.

As the anesthesia took effect, Brynn slowly lost consciousness. Jennifer started the surgery, while two assisting doctors whispered to each other nearby.

“It’s been so hot these past couple of days. Several people have fainted and ended up in the emergency room.”

“It gets hotter every year. Heat stroke can really kill you.”

Jennifer was distracted. She suddenly pictured Cheryl collapsing to the ground, looking so weak and alone, with no family around. She even thought she heard Cheryl’s voice: “Jennifer, you saw me, but you just stood by and did nothing. I’m Donald’s sister, your sister-in-law! How could you just leave me to die? You’ll never get away with it.”

It was as if she could see Cheryl staring at her, blaming her for everything. The voice kept echoing in her mind: “Jennifer, if I die, you’ll pay for it. Donald will never marry you, and you’ll lose everything. You don’t deserve to be my sister-in-law. You’ll go to hell.”

In a moment of distraction, Jennifer’s hand suddenly trembled.

“Dr. Nelson, what are you doing?” one of the assistants shouted.

The sharp cry snapped Jennifer back to reality, and she found her hands were covered in blood. There was no time to lose. She quickly focused and rushed to save Brynn.

Vincent Foster, the director of Nareigh General Hospital, slammed his hand on Jennifer’s desk, clearly out of patience.

“What were you doing? When that pregnant woman was hemorrhaging, you zoned out for three minutes without doing anything. What on earth was going through your mind?”

Jennifer hurried to explain, “I—I didn’t get much sleep last night. It was just a small mistake. Besides, she’s fine now, isn’t she?”

“A small mistake?” Vincent sneered. “Because of your careless and improper handling, the patient has lost too much blood and is still unconscious, and you just brush it off like nothing happened, huh? Is that something a gynecologist, an attending physician, should be saying? Do you realize that one tiny mistake of yours could kill her and her baby, and bring huge negative consequences to our hospital? Do you even understand that?”

Jennifer’s face went pale, her eyes darting nervously. “I’m sorry, Mr. Foster. I really am. Please forgive me. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Vincent shook his head in frustration. “If you can’t handle the pressure of being the attending physician, you should have told me. Why do you think I chose to promote you among so many capable doctors at Maternal and Child Health Hospital? If it weren’t for the fact that the CEO of Horizonlead Group is your cousin-in-law, I wouldn’t have done you this favor.”

Jennifer clenched her fists tightly, biting down on her lips.

Vincent continued, “I was going to promote you to department head by the end of the year, but now I might have to think twice. Deal with it yourself, and if this harms our hospital’s reputation, you might be kicked out.”

With that, Vincent stormed out, still fuming. Jennifer collapsed weakly onto the floor when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the name on the screen, she picked up, looking angry.

“Did you call me?” Cheryl asked, clearly confused.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Jennifer snapped.

Cheryl was confused. “What is wrong with you? I had a heat stroke yesterday and spent the whole day in the hospital. I just got home. Why are you yelling at me? I’m going to tell Donald about this.”

Jennifer was exasperated, so she hung up. She had almost convinced herself that Cheryl was dead, but clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, there was a frantic knock at the door.

A nurse said, “Dr. Nelson, something’s wrong! Brynn’s family is here, and they want to see you right away.”