Chapter 19 LIANA'S HEARTBREAK
Liana was finally done with her lectures for the day.
She stepped out of the lecture hall, exhaustion settling into her bones as the afternoon sun brushed against her skin. Students moved past her in clusters, chatting loudly, but her mind was elsewhere.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and exhaled slowly.
As she crossed the hospital wing of the campus, her steps slowed.
From afar, she saw him.
Dr. Viktor.
The intern doctor stood near the entrance, dressed neatly in his white coat, his posture calm and composed. He was speaking to an elderly man, listening attentively, nodding gently as the man talked.
Liana stopped walking without realizing it.
There was something about the way he listened.
Her heart fluttered.
She watched him smile at the elderly man, offering a reassuring pat on his arm before saying something that made the man chuckle softly.
Liana’s lips curved upward.
A dreamy smile spread across her face, her eyes softening as she stared at him.
She didn’t even notice when her smile lingered a little too long.
Liana hesitated for a moment, then gathered her courage and walked toward him after the elderly man left.
"Hey, Doc. Remember me?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face.
Dr. Viktor looked up, surprised at first, then amused. "Sure. Liana, right? The lady who faked a sickness"
Liana laughed softly, cheeks warming. She nodded, suddenly shy. "Yeah… that’s me"
There was a brief silence before she spoke again, her voice quieter now.
"I just wanted to see you actually," she said, then took a breath. "Do you mind if we go out sometime?"
Dr. Viktor’s expression changed.
"Liana," he said gently, "I appreciate it, but I can’t"
Her smile faltered, but she didn’t back away.
"I know this is embarrassing for me to say," she continued, her voice trembling slightly, "but I like you. I have since the day I set my eyes on you"
She reached for his hands, her fingers brushing his skin.
For a split second, he let her hold them.
Then he gently pulled away.
"Don’t do that," he said calmly. "Don’t give people the wrong idea"
Liana’s heart sank.
"Liana, I’m a doctor here, and you’re a student. It’s inappropriate"
She shook her head quickly, desperation creeping into her eyes. "It doesn’t matter. I’m nineteen, and you’re obviously in your early twenties"
He sighed softly, rubbing the bridge of his nose like this was harder than it looked.
"It does matter," he said firmly but kindly. "Age isn’t the issue. Boundaries are"
Liana swallowed hard, forcing herself to smile even though her chest ached.
"Oh…" she murmured.
Dr. Viktor softened his tone. "You’re a bright girl, Liana. Don’t put yourself in situations that can hurt you later"
She nodded slowly, masking the disappointment behind a small, polite smile.
"Okay," she said. "I understand"
But as she turned to walk away, her shoulders drooped slightly.
Once she was far enough, she pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number.
It rang twice before it was answered.
"Mum…" Her voice cracked immediately.
"Liana? What’s wrong?" her mother asked, concern rushing through her words.
Liana stopped walking and leaned against the wall, blinking rapidly as tears gathered in her eyes.
"Mum, I am heartbroken," she said softly. "The gold earring you bought for me is nowhere to be found… and my crush turned me down"
There was a pause on the line.
"Oh, my baby," her mother said gently. "I’m so sorry"
Liana sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "I looked everywhere. I can’t find it. And today just made everything worse"
"You can replace an earring," her mother replied calmly. "But a broken heart needs time. Come home later if you want to, okay?"
Liana nodded even though she knew her mum couldn’t see it. "Okay, Mum"
"Try to breathe. I’m here," her mother added.
"I know," Liana whispered. "I just needed to hear your voice"
She ended the call slowly, clutching her phone to her chest as the tears finally slipped free.