“Can you tell me the chronology? What did the patient do before the nosebleed?” a doctor asked as he slipped the small flashlight into his pocket.
Max and Gabriella suddenly looked at each other. After a small grimace, the woman worked up the courage to speak. “It happened after we did … that.”
The man in the white coat automatically raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”
“Doing that, Doc. Husband … wife,” Gabriella answered in a low voice. Her face was slightly lowered to hide the blush on her cheeks.
Understanding what the woman meant, the doctor nodded.
“Actually, nosebleeds are common in concussion patients. But, if it could be avoided, wouldn’t it be better? So, try to hold it in until the patient is fully recovered.”
Seeing the suppressed smile on the doctor’s face, Gabriella lowered her head to the maximum. Max was forced to hold back laugh seeing his wife’s behavior.
“Thank you, Doc. We’ll take your suggestion,” the man said, saving Gabriella from embarrassment.
A second later, the doctor nodded. As soon as the man in the white coat left, the woman immediately glanced at Max.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Gabriella grumbled with pursed lips.
“Looking like what?” the man said with a wry smile.
The woman’s index finger pointed directly in front of her husband’s nose. “Like this.”
Unexpectedly, Max caught his wife’s wrist and kissed it. Gabriella suddenly widened her eyes and moved away from Max.
“Are you crazy? Do you want another nosebleed?” the woman sighed with round eyes.
“What’s wrong with just kissing your hand?”
“I know you can do it further,” Gabriella shook her head, making her husband feel exasperated.
While the couple was having fun joking, the door suddenly opened. A second later, Amber showed herself with red eyes and a puffy face. The atmosphere turned quiet and tense in a moment.
“Max …” the lady sighed with a slightly jerked shoulder. Without further ado, she approached the man and hugged him. The sobs could no longer hold back.
Witnessing the unexpected occurrence, Gabriella blinked wordlessly. Her brain was frozen, unable to think of keeping Amber away from her husband.
Gaining awareness, Max suddenly pushed the shoulder of the woman who was clinging to him. With furrowed brows in displeasure, he said, “Why do you come here? If it’s just to make a fuss, you’d better get out soon.”
“No, Max. I came to apologize. I’m really sorry for helping your father,” the lady said, wiping her face with a tissue in her hand.
Instead of apologizing, Max snorted. “What are you sorry for? Don’t you really want to see me suffer?”
Once again, the visitor shook her head. “I love you. There’s no way I want to hurt you. I only meant to separate you from this woman. But, I didn’t think that you would be in such misfortune. I’m sorry, Max.”
Without a word, the woman drew closer.
Before the hug was repeated, Gabriella grabbed Amber’s wrist and pushed her back.
“Stay away from my husband. Have you gone mad? You’re getting married soon. But, why do you still have a crush on someone else’s husband?”
Receiving such treatment, Amber’s jaw started to throb. Her hands were then clenched tightly. “How dare you call me mad! All I do is loving Max. Is it wrong?”
“Of course it’s wrong. Max is mine, and you already have Julian,” Gabriella rebuked in an equally shrill voice.
A second later, unexpectedly, Amber sighed. After looking down for a moment, she revealed a face of despair. “Can love be changed? I’ve been trying to open my heart to Julian. But, until now, I can’t turn my back on Max.”
“Then, what do you want now? Cancel your marriage and take Max away from me?” Gabriella asked defiantly.
Amber’s eyes immediately fell on Max. Realizing that the man was looking at her strangely, the woman suddenly choked.
“Life is really unfair. I loved you first, but why do you choose this lowly woman instead?”
Suddenly, the lady narrowed her eyes at Gabriella. “You should never have come into Max’s life. You are only a stumbling block to him, and also the divider of our love.”
“Come on, Amber. I never love you. Even if Gabriella isn’t in my life, I still won’t choose you. I’d rather live alone and wait for Gabriella in the next life.”
Hearing the heart-crushing statement, Amber immediately bit her lip. With a shaky breath, she voiced her pain.
“Why, Max? Why don’t you want to love me? Is it because of Julian? You don’t want to hurt your brother’s feelings?”
Seeing the response of the lady who had lost her mind, Max shook his head with the corners of lips raised sarcastically. “You really are out of your mind.”
“Then forget about Julian. Ignore him! Start to love me! I can love you better than this woman. I’d do anything for you, including leaving Julian.”
After a while, no sound was heard. Amber waited for an answer from Max, while the man stared at the door with eyes shaking violently.
As soon as she turned around, the woman’s heart skipped a beat. Her future husband was standing with a cold and even face.
“Julian?”
In just an instant, the words that had just been spoken tasted bland. Logic rose to destroy selfishness. Flickering, the woman questioned her own action.
“Do you want to cancel our wedding?” asked Julian without intonation.
Amber’s lips trembled, unable to answer.
After a moment of silence, Julian nodded and then laughed blandly. “I should never believe your words. You want to learn to love me after marriage? Tsk, bullshit.”
Without further ado, the man exited the room, leaving unease for those who heard his anguish.
“Julian?” Max sighed with breath starting to roar. A second later, he tried to get out of bed.
“No, Max. You’re still not stable,” Gabriella stopped while holding her husband’s arm.
“But we can’t leave Julian alone.”
Just when the patient was about to set foot, Amber had run after. Max and Gabriella suddenly looked at her invisible trace with eyes wide open.
“I don’t think you need to go, Max,” the woman said while holding her husband’s arm.
“You are right. They have to sort things out on their own.”
***
“Julian,” Amber called as she approached the man standing near the elevator.
However, she got no response.
“Julian, please listen to me.”
“I don’t think there’s anything else I need to hear,” the man said without turning his head.
A tired sigh suddenly escaped from the woman’s mouth. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ve been trying to love you.”
“But it doesn’t work, right? You can never love me. That’s your final decision,” Julian interrupted with a cold look.
“Please forgive me,” Amber pleaded with wrinkled brows in doubt. “Don’t be so angry. I don’t like it when someone ignores me.”
A second later, the man snorted and started to shake his head. “Do you realize that you are very selfish? I don’t know why I fell in love with you. At this rate, I don’t think we need to get married. It won’t last long.”
Amber spontaneously sighed in disbelief. “Don’t say like that, Julian. We’re already engaged. What will people say if we don’t get married?”
“I don’t care. Before it’s too late, I want to erase you from my life,” the man said unexpectedly.
The woman who always received love from him, gasped and froze in worry. “You must be joking, right?” she sighed, raising an eyebrow.
Without thinking, Julian shook his head. “No. I’m tired of dealing with you. From this moment on, we don’t have a relationship anymore. I have buried my sad love deeply. Now is the time to instill a new love.”
Feeling that she will be replaced, Amber’s breath suddenly roared. With jaw starting to throb, she grabbed Julian’s hand.
“You won’t be able to let me go,” the woman exclaimed confidently.
“Why not? Simply by remembering all your bad dispositions and the pain you put in my heart, I can quickly forget you.”
“No, Julian! You can’t ignore me!” Amber shouted loudly.
Without hesitation, the man jerked the hand holding him. “I don’t want to be the one who fills the emptiness of your heart,” he said slowly and with emphasis.
Just at that moment, the elevator dinged and the doors began to open. Wasting no time, Julian rushed in, about to leave Amber. However, as soon as he saw Mia who was blinking flatly, his steps stopped.
“Good evening,” the girl greeted with an awkward expression. Her eyes had accidentally caught Amber’s face which was full of anger.
After forcing a formal smile, Mia moved towards the gap between the man and the door. “Excuse me. I have to go to Mr. Max’s room,” she said, asking for a way.
Suddenly, Julian grabbed Mia’s hand and turned to face Amber. “Do you know? I just forgot about you,” the man said with one hand holding the door from closing.
Feeling bullied, Amber snorted sarcastically. “Impossible. Forgetting love is not that easy. It needs huge effort.”
“You are wrong. Forgetting love is not a matter of effort, but intention. And I’ve decided to love another woman.”
Amber’s eyes widened with rage. With tightly clenched fists, she confirmed her pride. “You won’t find a woman that compares to me!”
“You are right. Both of you are not on the same level. I just found a girl who is much more valuable than you.”
A second later, Julian’s gaze turned to Mia who was downcast with furrowed brows. Without warning, he lifted the girl’s chin and gave her a warm kiss on the lips.