Chapter 177 Willing Even Without Name or Status
Sunrise Valley Hospital.
After filing away the documents in her hands, Cordelia was about to leave work when she looked up and saw Janet entering her office carrying something.
"Dr. Stone, I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
Cordelia frowned, glancing at the gift box Janet had placed on her desk, her eyes turning slightly cold.
"If I said you were disturbing me, would you leave?"
Janet was mentally prepared, so facing Cordelia's cold expression, she remained composed.
"No."
"Because I have something I'd like to ask Dr. Stone to help me with."
Janet opened the gift box she'd brought. Inside were carefully packaged pastries.
"I've been dedicating myself to learning how to make delicious pastries lately. I've finally mastered it, and they taste pretty good, so I specially brought some over."
A slight smile played at Cordelia's lips as she casually glanced at the exquisitely presented pastries in the box, saying nothing.
"I didn't know you needed to butter me up these days." Janet's expression stiffened. She hadn't expected Cordelia to take advantage of her like this.
She took a quiet breath and immediately said, "I just wanted Dr. Stone to pass them on to Mrs. Hughes."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows slightly, understanding dawning. "So they're not for me. My mistake."
Janet frowned.
Cordelia smiled and walked past her.
"Ms. Martin, our relationship isn't good enough for me to run errands for you, is it?"
"You really know how to trouble people."
Janet's expression stiffened slightly. Seeing Cordelia about to leave, she immediately reached out and grabbed Cordelia's arm.
"Dr. Stone, with you around, Mrs. Hughes won't like me. If I deliver them to her myself, she'll be unhappy too. I just want to quietly do something for her."
"You can even tell Mrs. Hughes that you made them yourself if you want."
Cordelia stopped and looked sideways at Janet.
Janet's expression was very sincere, like a wronged woman willing to swallow her pride for love.
"Just because Ms. Martin likes to steal other people's achievements doesn't mean I'm like you, eager to take credit for things that aren't mine."
Hearing Cordelia's words, Janet's expression froze. She suddenly looked up at Cordelia with a mixture of panic and scrutiny.
"You!"
Did she know everything?
Did she know that Alaric actually liked her back then, and that Janet was the one who was mistaken for her?
What about Alaric? Did he know too?
Janet's heart began to panic.
Seeing her strong reaction, Cordelia's expression darkened slightly.
It seemed Janet really had stolen quite a few people's achievements.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted so strongly to a simple retort.
Cordelia shook off her hand forcefully, her gaze sweeping over Janet with contempt.
The more Cordelia learned about Janet's character, the more desolate she felt inside.
To think she had lost to someone like this.
She really couldn't understand what Alaric liked about her.
Could it be that first love really was something a man could never forget in his lifetime?
No matter how terrible her character, no matter how corrupt her nature, he couldn't forget?
As Cordelia shook off Janet's hand, the bracelet on Janet's wrist suddenly broke and fell to the ground.
Cordelia stepped forward and happened to step on the bracelet.
She looked down and glanced at it. Just as she was about to look away, she suddenly felt the bracelet looked somewhat familiar.
She and Janet both bent down to pick up the bracelet at the same time.
Cordelia got to it first.
Seeing that Cordelia seemed very interested in her bracelet, a thoughtful look flashed in Janet's eyes.
She quickly caught on and said with a smile.
"This necklace was designed by Alaric. It's one of a kind in the world, the only one."
"Dr. Stone, if you like it, I can give it to you."
Hearing this, Cordelia let out a cold laugh.
This bracelet's design style was very similar to the one Cordelia's mother had left her.
Her bracelet had been lost, so when she saw this one just now, Cordelia thought it was hers.
She picked it up and examined it carefully. Though similar, it ultimately wasn't the same one.
Cordelia shoved the bracelet back into Janet's hand with a faint smile.
"Indeed, it's a one-of-a-kind counterfeit."
Janet looked at Cordelia, her expression changing slightly.
Cordelia's expression was calm and proud, her gaze sweeping over the bracelet in Janet's hand, her mocking look unconcealed.
Janet's expression stiffened.
The design sketch for this bracelet was definitely drawn by Alaric himself, there was no mistake about that.
When she got the photo of the sketch, she was immediately attracted by the bracelet's design style, so she had a craftsman make it for her right away.
She just hadn't expected Cordelia to recognize this bracelet and call it a counterfeit.
She took a deep breath, feeling humiliated.
She bit her lip tightly, hesitated for a few seconds, then looked up at Cordelia.
"Dr. Stone, you say mine is a counterfeit. Then I'd like to see what the bracelet Alaric gave you looks like."
Alaric hadn't given her a bracelet at all.
Her bracelet was something her mother had left her, but she had lost it.
Seeing that she didn't answer, Janet had an idea and chose to turn the tables.
"Dr. Stone, Alaric didn't give you a bracelet, did he?"
"You just want to drive a wedge between Alaric and me, so you said mine was a counterfeit to make me think Alaric gave you a bracelet."
Hearing this, Cordelia looked at Janet as if she were looking at an idiot, then said with a sigh.
"All the gifts you receive are from Alaric? No one else has ever given you gifts?"
"Your life is really pathetic."
Janet's expression changed dramatically, and she quickly said.
"Of course I've received gifts from many people. Colleagues, fans, or friends—they all give me gifts."
"I—"
She wanted to say she didn't lack anything, didn't lack people giving her gifts.
But when she saw Cordelia looking at her calmly, Janet felt that her anxious explanation just now made her look like someone who shows off what they lack.
After breaking up with Alaric, she never received any more gifts from him. Even the bracelet in her hand now was stolen from Alaric's design sketch.
She didn't lack anything—except gifts from Alaric.
Realizing she had fallen into negative emotions, Janet quickly adjusted her mindset.
She looked at Cordelia, pressed her lips together lightly, and said leisurely.
"Dr. Stone, my life before was indeed pathetic, but after having Alaric, my life completely said goodbye to being pathetic."
"Someone like you, born with a silver spoon, naturally doesn't understand what kind of effort women like us from the bottom have to make to cross class barriers and touch the circle you were born into."
"In your eyes, I may be despicable, but as long as in Alaric's eyes I'm a resilient, courageous, special woman, that's enough."
As Janet said this, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Never mind the bracelet—even if I myself am a counterfeit, it doesn't matter. As long as I can be with the person I love, even without status or recognition, I'm willing."