Chapter 12

"Babe, you won't believe what Dr. William said to me the other day," Rita sighed heavily frMadame other end of the phone.

"Who’s that again?" Vivienne asked, popping some chips into her mouth. "One of the interns?"

"Not at all. He's the new cardiologist," Rita revealed. "The broad, stocky guy who made a move on you the other day."

Vivienne blinked in slight confusion, trying to place who Rita was referring to, but it soon came to her.

She remembered now.

The man was recently married for the fourth time, to a much younger woman, barely in her twenties, and many suspected she was only in it for his money. His previous marriages ended badly, all due to his unfaithfulness, yet somehow, his current wife seemed to be unfazed by his history.

"Oh, I remember him now," Vivienne said. "Let me guess, he tried to ask you out?"

Vivienne had been taken aback when he asked her out on a dinner date once. She couldn’t believe it, especially since he wore his wedding ring all the time, only removing it for surgeries. The man even had a framed photo of his wife on his office wall. He thought he could get away with anything. She had no respect for men like him.

"Not quite," Rita said. "Yesterday, we had this doctors' seminar in Montreal, and he and I sat together for the entire session. And Viv, you won't believe what he said about his wife."

Vivienne frowned. "Like what?"

"He told me how he regrets meeting her, saying he wishes he had met me instead," Rita disclosed. "And to top it off, he mentioned he’s planning to divorce her soon. He hasn’t even been married to her for a year! He's such a player."

Vivienne shook her head. "Why does he keep getting married? The guy needs therapy. Anyway, how is Edward doing? Did he—" She stopped mid-sentence when she heard a knock on her office door.

"I’ll call you later. Someone's here," Vivienne said, quickly tossing her snack aside.

"Okay. Take care." Rita’s voice trailed off as Vivienne ended the call.

"Come in," Vivienne called, and a nurse in green scrubs entered.

"Good morning, Dr. Marlowe," she greeted with a friendly smile.

"Morning, Nurse Paul," Vivienne responded. "What’s going on?"

"Actually, yes," Paul beamed. "The patient in the private suite has regained consciousness."

"Mrs Selena?" Vivienne double-checked as she shrugged into her white coat.

"Yes, Dr. Marlowe!" Paul confirmed.

"Great! You may leave now. I’ll be there shortly."

Vivienne could hardly contain her relief and happiness. It had been more than a week since Madam Selena had fallen into a coma, and each day had been filled with worry. Her condition was serious—her organs were beginning to fail, and her history of cancer treatment only made matters worse.

Now, the woman was waking up, but the fight wasn’t over. The tumors in Selena's brain had returned, and they were worse than before, spreading and growing larger. Vivienne had just learned of it the day before, and the thought of having to face Magnus again with this news made her stomach churn.

He's just your patient’s guardian. Why are you so rattled? Vivienne tried to tell herself, but the unease wouldn’t leave her. The truth? He was also her ex-husband. That fact alone twisted things even more.

Vivienne shook off her thoughts and focused on her role as a doctor. She could handle this.

However, to her surprise, Magnus was standing by Selena's bed when she walked in.

"Good morning, Viv—Dr. Marlowe," he greeted, rising to shake her hand.

For a moment, Vivienne thought about maintaining professionalism and shaking his hand, but she chose to ignore him and walked past him to approach Mrs Selena.

Selena looked frail, thinner than before, her once bright face now looking even more delicate. She stared at the ceiling as her chest rose and fell with each MRD breath.

"Good morning, Mrs Selena," Vivienne said gently, waiting for her to shift her focus. "It’s good to see you awake."

Selena's eyes flickered for a moment before widening in recognition.

"Vivienne? Is that you?" She extended her hand, trembling slightly.

"Yes, it’s me," Vivienne said softly, placing the woman's hand on her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"You’ve gotten so much prettier," Selena remarked with a weak smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I’m the doctor now, Mrs Selena," Vivienne replied. "I’m the one overseeing your care."

Selena smiled faintly, her hand slipping away as her eyes fluttered shut. "I’m proud of you, dear. You’re not leaving again, are you?"

"No, I won’t leave," Vivienne reassured her.

Selena nodded slightly and closed her eyes, already falling back into sleep.

Vivienne turned to Magnus, a sense of professionalism returning. "Come with me."

She led him down the hall to her office, feeling very aware of his presence behind her, but she forced herself to stay focused.

Once they reached the office, Vivienne exhaled a sigh of relief. She took a seat behind her desk, watching Magnus settle into the chair across from her. His gaze was intense, making Vivienne feel exposed, but she kept her composure.

"The tumor is back," Vivienne started, avoiding his stare. "This time, it's multiple. We'll need to perform surgery, and she’ll need more chemotherapy as well."

Magnus’s face darkened with concern. Vivienne almost felt a pang of sympathy, but she quickly crushed it. He didn’t deserve her empathy. Her focus was on Selena, not Magnus.

"Has the surgery been scheduled?" he asked after a pause.

"Yes," Vivienne replied. "In two days."

"I’m relieved to know she’s in good hands," Magnus said, offering a small smile.

Vivienne felt a flutter in her stomach, but she refused to acknowledge it. His smile, while rare, had a way of stirring emotions in her, emotions she didn't want to feel. She quickly regained her cold demeanor.

"That’ll be all for now. You can leave," Vivienne said, keeping her tone neutral.

"Alright," he said as he stood up. "Thanks for everything, Dr. Marlowe."

"No problem," she replied, her voice distant.

He hesitated at the door and turned back. "I saw your kids the other day. They’re cute."

Vivienne's heart skipped a beat. How did he know about her children? How much did he know?

Her voice was icy as she replied, "Stay away from them and don’t bring them up again, understand?"

"Okay," Magnus said, raising his hands in surrender. "One more thing, their father isn’t around, right?"

"Why do you care?" Vivienne shot back, her temper flaring. "That’s none of your business."

"I’m just curious, Vivienne. I didn’t mean any harm," he said calmly.

"Get out," she snapped. "Leave me alone, Magnus. Why do you have to make everything so difficult?"

"I know the twins are mine, Vivienne," he said quietly.

Her blood ran cold. The truth of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. He had been watching them.

"You’re shameless!" Vivienne shouted, her anger taking over. "How dare you stalk my kids and me?"

He took a step toward her, his expression regretful. "I’m sorry for everything. I want to make it right for all of you. Please—"

"Don’t come any closer," Vivienne hissed, her fists clenched. "Don’t you dare apologize! Just leave!"

Magnus stopped in his tracks, exhaling heavily before nodding and slowly walking out of her office.

Vivienne stood still, staring at the door, her rage simmering.