Chapter 19
Olivia grumbled, “I didn’t mean it like that. You were just poking around too rough, and it really hurt.”
Ashley chimed in, “Ms. Garcia, just a reminder, it’s kidney problems you’re dealing with, not busted ribs.
Olivia blished with embarrassment but allowed the exam to continue.
“Any symptoms?” Ashley asked:
What symptoms could Olivia claim? Yeah, she’d been sick, but Eric had really gone all out with her treatment, and she’d been stable for a while now. But how else could she keep this guy around if she didn’t act sick? Faced with the question, Olivia had to fib. Tve been dealing with trouble breathing, stomachaches, and headaches.
Watching Olivia’s act. Ashley rolled her eyes and tossed the medical file aside, smirking. “Ms. Garcia, if you’re feeling a bit out of it, maybe the psych ward next door would suit you better. If someone as smart as you can’t tell a kidney from a lung or a brain, maybe you need to go back to school. And if you’re just craving attention with all this drama, maybe you should audition for a play” She checked her watch. It’s quitting time, and I don’t have time for make–believe
The doctors and nurses on Olivia’s case v Eric backing her, they felt like they couldn’t do anything. They thought Alice was the only one bold enough to call out the act straight up. That was waiting outside the room nearly cheered when they heard that. They all knew Olivia was faking it, but with one satisfying reality check.
Lying in bed, Olivia bit her lip, tears welling up as she looked at Eric beside her. “Eric, I swear I’m really sick. If Dr. Garcia doesn’t want to help me, then forget it, but why is she accusing me of faking it Faking what? Don’t I want to get better? Does she only feel satisfied if I’m on my deathbed?”
Eric shot Ashley an icy stare for a moment before he stood up and grabbed her wrist. “Come with me,” he said tersely, pulling her out of the room. Everyone was dumbfounded by this sunexpected turn of events. “Why would Eric leave his fiancée behind to pull another woman away? Ashley scowled. trying to yank her wrist free. “Let go of mer
But Eric kept his grip tight on her wrist, leading them briskly to a secluded corner of the hospital. It was after hours, and the area was deserted, leaving just the two of them in the vast space.
Rolling her eyes, Ashley shot back, “Are you out of your mind!” She tried to sidestep him, but he pulled her back, pressing her against the wall in the tight space,
“Dr. Garcia’s got a serious beef with us, Eric said, sensing her vibe, which just made him more convinced she was the old Ashley undercover. Ashley always smelled like gardenias, but now all he could catch was disinfectant. And those eyes? Ashley never shot him such icy, dismissive looks, dripping with mockery. It seemed this woman was totally ignoring him.
Locking eyes with him, Ashley smirked. “Look, Mr. Anderson, let’s get one thing straight. Nobody’s thrilled about getting bothered after a long day, especially” She paused briefly before continuing. “To deal with some clueless joker acting like they’re in a fantasy world”
Eric scowled, cautioning in a hushed tone, “Mind what you say about Olivia.
Ashley sneered in return. “Mr. Anderson, Ms. Garcia might be your fiancée, but she’s not mine. You can cater to her whims all you like, but I’ve got no patience for her anties, especially when she won’t even take my advice. Next time, pick on someone else instead of bothering ine. Oh, and by the way, you might want to open your eyes before you get blindsided, Mr. Anderson
Sidestepping him, she was then pulled back and slamned into the wall by his force, a frown briefly creasing her forehead Arshe looked up, she mer his imposing demeanor. “What exactly are you afraid of?” he asked
“What?” She didn’t get it.
Erie relied on his inuution as he questioned, “Are you Ashley?
Ashley’s breath caught for a second, feeling like her deepest secret was out there. But she pulled herself together fast. “I don’t get what you’re hinting at, Mr. Anderson, Sull hung up on your former wife, thinking I’m some kind of stand–in?”
Eric’s pleasant voice echoed again. “Your hostility towards Olivia, the teasing and mocking – is it all coming from anger? A doctor who’s never even met the patient wouldn’t dish out such harsh treatment, right?”
Ashley snorted. “Mr. Anderson has a point” She lifted her gaze. Tve got a pretty strong sense of right and wrong. As a married woman with kids, nothing turns my stomach like a homewrecker” Getting closer, she sneered, “Or a man who’s cheating on his family.”
