Chapter 15
“Whoa! Dr. Handsome finally makes an appearance! Guess Mrs. Smith’s charm is just too much to resist,” Bob teased.
Jay chimed in, “I’ve noticed, out of everyone in this group, Dr. Handsome only ever gives Mrs. Smith the time of day.”
Coach Murphy added, “They love to bicker.”
Jamison knew exactly what these people were getting at. He stared at his phone and smirked, replying, “Are you envious of being on the receiving end?”
Coach Murphy replied, “No, no, you and Mrs. Smith can keep at it.”
Ivy was lounging on her bed, phone in hand, and couldn’t help but smile when Dr. Handsome finally joined the chat: “So, Dr. Handsome, did you lose a million dollars these past three years?”
Dale burst out laughing: “Mrs. Smith, you’re too much! You really know how to push his buttons.”
Jamison looked at his phone, the corner of his mouth quirking into a cold smile: “Thanks to your concern, I only lost forty percent.”
Jay cracked up: “Unbelievable! Even the aloof Dr. Handsome is cracking jokes now! Hahahaha!”
Bob added: “The rivals are at it again! Grabbing my popcorn for the show.”
Dr. Handsome replied, “Keep this up and I’m leaving the group.”
Bob quickly apologized, “Sorry! I’ll stop.”
Ivy stared at Dr. Handsome’s message, full of disdain. Please. Now he’s annoyed? Honestly, how self-absorbed does someone have to be to choose the nickname “Dr. Handsome” for themselves? People tend to crave what they lack most.
In real life, she’d only ever met one doctor—Jamison—who truly lived up to the title: sharp looks, great presence. Of course, he was young, and, well, he was Mr. Jamison. Work was just a game for him—no pressure, plenty of time for self-care. Naturally, he was in a whole different league from ordinary people.
Ivy couldn’t help but picture a middle-aged man on the other end of the chat, rolling his eyes at her, and she silently mocked him. She had no interest in carrying on the conversation. Besides, her doctor had told her to rest and keep a good routine. She simply turned off her phone and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, Jamison had arrived at a restaurant for dinner and didn’t continue the chat either. A notification popped up. He glanced at it—another message from his friend earlier. Dale Sullivan, the same Dale from their WhatsApp group.
Dale wrote: [Dr. Ludwig, do you think what you said earlier embarrassed Mrs. Smith? She went silent after that.]
Jamison sneered: [You think she’s still a naïve girl? If she’s called “Mrs.” and knows the stock market this well, she’s at least in her forties or fifties. You guys need to know where to draw the line with your jokes.]
Dale replied: [True, true. It’s just Bob and Jay—they’re always playing matchmaker.]
The next morning, Ivy was up early as usual. While the weather was still cool, she headed out for a half-hour of exercise. The doctor had warned her that her malnutrition was serious, and she needed to take it slow, build up her strength gradually—no sudden bursts of effort.
As she returned, two cars pulled out of the driveway in quick succession. One belonged to Adkins, the other to Baillie. Both drivers saw Ivy, but neither bothered to roll down their window or say hello. Ivy didn’t care, heading straight back inside.
Rosetta and Emma were still in the kitchen, having breakfast. When Ivy walked in, Emma shot her a dirty look. Rosetta’s expression was icy; she didn’t greet her eldest daughter at all. Clearly, the whole family was still fuming over last night’s “dog mess incident” and treating her like she didn’t exist.
Unbothered, Ivy walked right up to the table, sat down, and pulled over a basket of warm rolls, helping herself. Rosetta and Emma both jerked up from their seats, quickly putting distance between themselves and her.
Ivy chuckled. “Relax. It’s not contagious through the air.”
Emma clenched her teeth. “Didn’t you say you weren’t sick?”
“You’re the ones saying I am,” Ivy replied, biting into a roll. She smiled again. “Even if I had HIV, it’s not airborne—you know, your fiancé’s little uncle told you that himself, didn’t he?”
Rosetta glared at Ivy, seething. “Ivy, your brother’s girlfriend is coming over for dinner tonight. Try not to cause trouble and ruin his future, okay?”
Ivy looked genuinely surprised. “So I’m finally getting a sister-in-law?”
Rosetta pressed her lips together, refusing to answer, and just repeated, “It’s best if you stay in your room, so you don’t scare anyone.”
Ivy fell silent and kept eating her breakfast. From the driveway came the sound of a car, and soon Edna walked in, also keeping her distance from Ivy. “Ma’am, Ms. Lester is here to see the eldest miss.”
Ivy raised an eyebrow. “Which Ms. Lester?”
“Who else? Katrina Lester, of course,” Edna replied.