Exiting the beverage shop, Dorothy was about to return to the company when it occurred to her that it was Juelz’s birthday. She stopped in her tracks, and went into the next store that was selling men’s necessities.
For a while, she browsed around the store and considered her selections. Finally, she set her eyes on a belt and a pair of sunglasses that had a simple yet sophisticated design. After she paid for it, she rushed to the office.
When Dorothy handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box to Juelz, she also wished him a happy birthday sincerely. He grabbed her slender wrist and looked at her, a smile on his face as he said, “Dory, since it’s my birthday, I have the biggest say. You have to fulfill this small wish of mine.”
“What is it?”
He asked, “Can you give me a kiss?”
Caught off guard by his suave moves, Dorothy replied helplessly, “Nope, that’s a pass.”
“Dory, as far as I know, Credence is going to a pretty secluded hospital today to find a top psychiatrist to treat his illness. Give me a kiss and I will take you to him. What do you say?”
Juelz, in all his glory, was leaning lazily on the executive chair while asking for a kiss with a cheeky smile on his face all the way. The dignity and temperament of a boss could not be discerned in him at all. As helpless as Dorothy felt, at the same time, she thought that he was amusing too.
She cleared her throat and said with a straight face, “Juelz, can you stop fooling around? You know that I am not looking for Credence for any personal reason and it’s for Belle’s sake. Are you willing to watch Belle’s health deteriorate-”
“Wait, Dory, how could I bear to watch Belle’s health worsen?” Juelz looked down at his wristwatch before glancing at her once more. He hooked her index finger with his and narrowed his eyes with a grin. “I was just making a joke to lighten up the atmosphere. Gosh, look at yourself. Your expression can’t get any more awful than this.”
Upon hearing his words, Dorothy gritted her teeth in annoyance.
She would tolerate him. There was no need to go against a man who liked to joke around.
…
On the way to the hospital, Juelz, for a change, was quiet for the entire ride. It was as if his mouth had been zipped shut.
A doctor was going to treat his headache, and it was not going to be through normal methods such as massages or medication. He was going to be treated by the doctor inserting a long and sharp needle into the few points on his scalp, one by one. It was not going to be painful, but tingling instead, as if a swarm of ants was swimming around in his blood, a sensation downright intolerable.
“Dory, you must stay close to me when I am being treated. As long as you are here, I have nothing to fear!”
Under Germaine’s secret guidance, Juelz no longer tried to get close to Dorothy by cornering her. Instead, he had implemented gentle and cunning methods to stay with her for a period of time and cultivate their feelings.
“Juelz, have you forgotten already? I’m here for Credence. I don’t have time to spare for you.”
Dorothy held her phone tightly and smiled at him softly, “It’s just a few needles. What’s the big deal? Don’t be afraid. I believe that you’ve prepared yourself both mentally and physically.”
When Juelz heard that, he asked the driver to pull over the car on the side of the road.
Dorothy did not know what he was up to this time. He pulled his handsome face close to hers and stared at her, a sinister smile on his face, “Dory, if you don’t keep me company, I won’t tell you where Credence is.”
Dorothy scolded, “Juelz Sherman, how dare you pull a trick like this!”
She was so angry that she wanted to blow his head off.
When did this straightforward guy begin to change so much? He had become such a slick fellow and was getting better and better at teasing her now. She could no longer anticipate his next step.
When she arrived at the hospital, the doctor was already waiting. Juelz had booked an appointment since last week.
Facing Dorothy’s fierce gaze, Juelz lay flat on the operating table. He quickly grabbed Dorothy’s hands in anticipation as he said, “Dory, I can only be brave if you hold my hand.”
This was the first time for Dorothy to know that a man could be so coquettish. What a breath of fresh air!
Half an hour passed. Dorothy was still staring at Juelz, who had fallen into a deep sleep and had his head pierced with so many needles that he looked like a hedgehog. She withdrew her hand from his and secretly left.
When they had just been around the corner from the destination, Juelz had told her the whereabouts of Credence’s medical ward.
The place was an incredibly hidden private hospital that had lots of top notch doctors. The only people who came and went here were successful celebrities and popular superstars. The privacy of this place was highly secured, and there was no need to worry about all kinds of private information leaking out.
Juelz was in the neurological department, which was located on the third floor, while Credence was being treated by a psychologist on the top floor.
Dorothy was unable to quite understand the situation. Credence’s brain nerves had been impacted, and there were blood clots in his brain. Why was he seeing a psychologist instead of a brain surgeon?
She took the elevator and went to the top floor, stepping into the corridor. The corridor was white and empty, save for the few doctors and nurses roaming around.
Perhaps what patients on this floor needed most was tranquility. Thus, the decorations were quite different and the theme of the entire floor was a comfortable light blue color.
Only a few wards were left unlocked, the rest were closed. Dorothy was unable to find Credence’s specific ward. Finally, a female doctor passed by. She rushed over and asked her politely, “Hello, may I ask which room Dr. Moore is in?”
The female doctor’s attitude was gentle as she replied, “Dr. Moore is over there.”
She said, “Thank you.”
Dorothy heaved a sigh of relief and turned to go back.
She had searched for what seemed like an interminable time, and it appeared that she had gone in the wrong direction. It was no wonder she still failed to find him after such a long time.
It was a long corridor, and the more she walked, the quieter her surroundings became. At the end of the corridor, the door of a consulting room was half-closed, and a small gap could be seen. It was small, but big enough for Dorothy to peek through the crack. She saw Credence lying on the lounge chair with his back towards her, and half of his icy profile was exposed.
She heard Dr. Moore question him, “Mr. Scott, are you saying that you will feel an unbearable headache when the name ‘Dorothy’ is mentioned?”
He lightly uttered a single word from his thin lips, “Yes.”
Dr. Moore asked, “Have you met her recently?”
He replied, “Yes, I have.”
“What kind of reaction do you have? Did your heart beat faster, or, did your breathing get faster…”
“I felt nothing, ” Credence interrupted the doctor’s rambling.
He opened his eyes, laughing softly and coldly as he replied, “Many people told me that she was my ex-wife and had accompanied me for four years. However, when I looked at her, I had no reaction at all, and it felt like I was looking at a stranger who had nothing to do with me. So, I think that it’s very likely that I had been so indifferent towards her that she barely stuck around in my mind!”
Last night, he’d received an anonymous express parcel.
It was filled with photos of Dorothy and Juelz intimately embracing. There were also photos of her and Juelz smiling happily with a little blond girl with blue eyes.
The little girl’s name was Belle Fisher. At first glance, it was obvious that she was nothing like Juelz, thus she was not his biological daughter. So, Belle had to be a child from an affair between Dorothy and some wild foreign man.
If such a woman was his ex-wife, why would he need her?
Dr. Moore was stunned for a few seconds. He recalled that he had received a call from a mysterious woman in the morning. The woman had said that as long as he followed her plan down to a T, he could receive a large amount of money and would be able to live the rest of his life awash in a sense of security.
He lowered his head as a glint flashed across his eyes. He knew what to do next.
Therefore, he opened his mouth with leading questions, “Mr. Scott, you said that you have no feelings for your ex-wife, but you still have a splitting headache whenever she is mentioned. Should I give you an appropriate hypnosis session to completely remove her from your mind?”
Credence answered firmly, “Sure, let’s do as you say!”
There was no hesitation in his words.
Such a dirty and wanton woman should not exist in his memories at all.
******
Outside the half-closed door, Dorothy had overheard everything. She had seen the faint disgust and disdain in Credence’s eyes. It was as if her heart was being severely ripped apart by a gigantic force, and she was in so much pain that she felt like she was about to collapse.
Hastily, she stood up without making a sound, turned around, and walked forward with her head down. As she walked, she gradually picked up her pace, her brisk walk breaking into a small sprint.
Her vision blurred from the pain she felt and she ran headfirst into the brightly-lit fire escape. Her body could not hold on any longer as she slumped on the hard wall, her body slowly sliding against it as she fell onto the concrete floor.
Tears flowed down from the corner of her eyes, dripping down silently.