Chapter 66 Deciding to Leave Home
Matilda let out a cold laugh.
In that moment, a bone-deep desolation washed over her.
Of course the Gonzaga family was right to reject her. With her background, how could she possibly be worthy of that kind of high society family?
Brianna was still rambling on beside her, complaining endlessly, but Matilda didn't hear a word. She pulled out her phone, opened the hospital's internal group chat, and replied directly under the volunteer support program announcement: I'm signing up.
The moment she hit send, the comment section exploded—
[Dr. Spencer is a real hero!]
[Way to go, bringing honor to the hospital!]
[Kudos to doctors like this!]
…
Of course Matilda didn't lend Brianna any money. When Brianna saw that playing the sympathy card didn't work, she immediately turned nasty, pointing at Matilda's face and hurling insults for a good while—everything from "giving birth to you was like giving birth to a debt collector" to "I should never have had you in the first place."
Matilda was used to it by now.
She used to feel sorry for Brianna, thinking her bitterness came from being abandoned by Matilda's father, turning her into this resentful woman. But sometimes, people choose their own path in life. Brianna had a job and could support herself perfectly well, yet she chose to waste away with Hugh—if anyone was truly throwing their life away, it was her.
…
The volunteer support list came out quickly. Only 10 people from all of Phoenix City were selected, from different hospitals.
On departure day, a long-distance bus with a "Rural Medical Support Program" banner pulled up in front of the hospital, complete with a giant red bow tied to the front. The bus would make rounds to pick up volunteers from each hospital.
The hospital required all doctors on duty that day to come see them off. The chief of staff gave a brief speech, and the deputy chief read a commendation letter from a script.
Matilda had a red ribbon of honor pinned to her chest and was surrounded by colleagues as she boarded the bus.
She felt like this was the highlight of her life—never before had she been the center of so much attention.
The bus took them to Phoenix City International Airport, where all 10 volunteers boarded the same flight to a state capital airport in the Northwest.
From the moment she stepped onto the plane, Matilda felt the surrounding noise fade into quiet.
Once again, she was about to walk through a lonely period of her life.
It was a long journey—first a 3-hour flight, then a layover and another 2-hour flight to reach the northwestern state capital airport.
After landing, they transferred to a mid-sized charter bus heading to a small county called Barrow County.
The bus left the state capital and wound along mountain highways for nearly 3 hours. People got on and off along the way. Matilda felt a bit carsick, but it was still bright outside—it was already past 9 PM, but sunset came late here in the late summer.
Finally, the bus pulled into Barrow County just as darkness fell completely.
They got off and stood in front of the town's small gray bus station, as if they'd entered another world.
There were no towering buildings here. Low brick houses and wooden structures lined the streets, and occasionally they could see people wearing traditional cowboy hats or Native American-style shawls, speaking with thick regional accents.
The temperature had dropped dramatically too—she'd been wearing short sleeves in Phoenix City, but here she had to dig out a lightweight down jacket.
One of the male doctors called the local contact person. Twenty minutes later, an older white van pulled up to take them to a motel in town.
A female doctor looked out the window and said, "This county town isn't too bad—supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants. Supporting here won't be too rough."
The contact person smiled. "You might not stay in the county seat. You could be assigned to the mountains."
"The mountains? What's that like?"
"More remote than you can imagine."
The contact person arranged for them to stay at the motel for the night, saying they'd have a coordination meeting tomorrow to determine specific assignments.
…
Matilda slept deeply that night, though her nose felt uncomfortable occasionally. She was too exhausted from traveling to wake up fully.
The next morning, looking in the mirror, she discovered dried blood under her nose—she'd had a nosebleed during the night.
The air here was so dry!
After packing, they went together to report to Barrow County Medical Center.
For the first two weeks, they would work at Barrow County Medical Center, and only after proving themselves competent would they be assigned to specific support locations.
Their supervisor was a pudgy local administrator named Tom Spencer.
Since time was limited, Tom didn't assign them to specific departments. Instead, they went wherever they were needed—sometimes riding along with ambulances, sometimes helping nurses with basic care, sometimes helping Tom catch up on medical records, and even accompanying him to patients' homes to collect on medical bills.
The work was varied, but Matilda completed everything conscientiously.
One day, Tom suddenly called Matilda to his office.
He seemed to have something to say but kept hesitating—first organizing his desk, then pretending to take notes, then wiping his coffee mug with a tissue.
Matilda couldn't help asking, "Mr. Spencer, did you need something?"
Tom smiled and made small talk first. "Matilda, how are you finding it here? Is it tough?"
"It's manageable." Matilda answered. She wasn't afraid of hard work—she was just afraid she wouldn't be truly helpful.
Tom stared at her for a moment, then said, "You're the prettiest one in your group."
Matilda tensed but still smiled politely. "Thank you for the compliment."
Tom continued, "Truth is, you're here to provide support, but the work—well, it'll get done with or without you. A lot of people come here full of enthusiasm at first, but then they get disappointed—conditions here aren't as good as in your big cities, the equipment's outdated. Even if you're skilled, you can't accomplish much. Might as well find somewhere comfortable to coast through this year and a half, don't you think?"
Matilda sensed something off in his tone.
"So what are you suggesting, Mr. Spencer?"
Tom's smile turned more suggestive. "I could help you stay somewhere with better conditions."
"And what would I need to do?"
His smile grew more lewd, his face scrunching up with unmistakable implication.
Matilda was shocked—she'd never encountered this kind of thing in Phoenix City, and here she was facing workplace harassment in a place where she genuinely wanted to serve.
She said slowly, "I'll accept whatever assignment I'm given. Wherever the program sends me, that's where I'll go."
Tom's smile froze instantly, a flash of coldness in his eyes. "Fine. Since you don't want to stay in town, you can go somewhere else."
"Fine." Matilda answered calmly.
…
That night, fellow volunteer Allie whispered to her, "Matty, did Mr. Spencer approach you? Did he hint at anything?"
Matilda asked back, "He got to you too? Said if you played along, you could stay in town?"
Allie gritted her teeth. "Yes! That old pervert, ugh!"
Matilda said, "I refused, so he said he'd send me to the mountains."
"Same here. He even tried to scare me, saying people might not make it out of places like that alive. I was really freaked out. We came here to help, but it feels like we're being sold off."
Matilda said quietly, "Don't be scared. Next time he approaches us, we'll record it for evidence. We're officially assigned here—people above are watching. He can't be too blatant. We need to stick together."
Allie nodded. "Right. We absolutely cannot let him get away with this!"
…
Tom didn't bother Matilda again. After more than ten days, she received her assignment notice—she was being sent to support Stoneford Town.