Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Huh?” Samantha was taken aback slightly but she understood immediately. “Has there been progress on Corey?”

Alan did not keep her in suspense and answered her right away. “Yes, the little saint has already studied your brother’s case last night and came up with a preliminary treatment plan. He now needs to communicate with the attending doctor to see which aspects can be modified and improved.”

It came as a shock for Samantha.

She originally thought that a busy person like the little saint would have to take some time to deal with Corey’s case after agreeing to see the medical records. Little did she expect such a plan to be produced overnight.

It took her a full minute before she could find her voice and she exclaimed, “The little saint hand really lives up to his name as a famous doctor. That was just too efficient!”

Alan seemed to chuckle from the other end, “Isn’t that good?”

“It is!” Samantha said resolutely. “It’s perfect, but I’m just really surprised. I know you must have said a lot of good things about me to him. Tha—”

She remembered what Alan said the previous night and stopped herself from saying ‘thank you’ to him. Rather, she said, “Maybe it’s not a big deal if I can’t treat you to a meal today. We can meet another time and I’ll treat you to an even bigger meal!”

“Sure.”

Alan’s gentle laugh came from the phone. “I have something to do right now and I’ll go to the hospital after that. See you there.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you there!”

Samantha breathed a sigh of relief after the call ended. The little saint had finally shown himself. There was hope yet for Corey’s illness, and the heaviness in her heart could finally be lifted a little.

At the same time, the sadness and sorrow Timothy brought to her has also diminished considerably.

She was prepared to brush off the ordeal she suffered the previous day as simply being bitten by a dog! After all, Timothy was no better than one!

If the little saint could stabilize Corey’s condition and allow him more time to wait for a suitable heart, then—if luck was on her side—she can also end her deal with Timothy and sever ties with him by the time Corey’s new heart arrived!

When that thought occurred to her, the depression in Samantha’s face faded gradually and was replaced by a faint glimmer of light.

She put down the phone and looked up, but was startled by Rochelle’s weird look. She blinked and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that, Chelle? Is there something on my face?”

She subconsciously reached out and touched her face, but there was nothing there…

Rochelle tsk-ed a few times and said, “Sammy, who is this ‘Dr. Sherwood’ you were speaking to on the phone? Quite a good doctor, he is. Just one phone call from him can bring you back to life. You would’ve been able to pass for a ghost right before his call, but now…you pulled off a miracle and resurrected right from the dead!”

Samantha knew that Rochelle’s thoughts had gone askew and stopped immediately. “Don’t let your imagination run wild. Dr. Sherwood is a friend of mine from when I lived abroad. It’s thanks to him that Corey is able to receive treatment from the little saint. He’s my benefactor, and he’s a very great person too!”

“Ohhhhhhh!” Rochelle nodded, “You know, you also can show gratitude for helping a friend by devoting your life to them!”

Samantha found it amusing. “Oh, stop it. We’re just friends, that’s all!”

Rochelle smiled widely, as if she understood what Samantha meant. “I know you and Dr. Sherwood are purely friends, but he might not think the same!”

Samantha was speechless.

“If a man shows concern about a woman’s affairs for no apparent reason, he either wants money or he wants the woman. Since you don’t have any money, then you as a person is the only thing left to be desired…” After Rochelle provided her analysis, she waggled her eyebrows teasingly. “You should consider it if he has a good character!”

Samantha shook her head and laughed. “What’s there to consider? I don’t know how long my sham marriage with that scumbag Timothy will continue, and with Corey’s illness, I won’t have the mood to think about anything else.”

After a pause, she smiled slightly and said seriously, “You, on the other hand, don’t you plan to think about your own future? Are you going to drag things with Jonathan until who knows when?”

There was no divorce and no making up, only the infliction of hurt and torture on each other.

Rochelle’s life and youth were being wasted as she retaliated against Jonathan.

At the mere mention of Jonathan, the smile on Rochelle’s face disappeared completely. “Sammy, the two lives Jonathan owed me have to be paid back. He’s lucky enough that all I’m doing is to let him die childless.

“As for myself, I was already dead when they died. There is no future.”

Rochelle was far too calm when she said those two sentences, so much so that one could not help but feel distressed.

Samantha opened her mouth but said nothing.

One would always find it difficult to empathize with another if one never suffered the same pain that they did. So was the case with herself and Rochelle.

If Rochelle was told to let go of her hatred, she would choose to end her life instead of starting again. After all, she felt that she had lived long enough already.

Hate was her only motivation to survive.

…

Rochelle drove Samantha back to the hospital and left her at the entrance.

Samantha asked, “Do you want to go in and see Corey?”

Rochelle glanced sideways at the hospital and shook her head. “I am a bringer of bad luck. I won’t go in and bring bad luck to Corey. Just send him a message for me. Tell him I’ll see him when he recovers and is discharged from the hospital.”

“Chelle…” Samantha could not help but feel distressed.

“Go ahead. I’m going to leave soon.” Rochelle interrupted her right away.

“Okay. Drive safely on your way back.” Samantha pushed the door and got out of the car.

As she watched the car leave, Samantha was about to turn around and walk into the hospital when she saw a car approaching and stopping in front of her.

The door to the back seat opened and Alan got out from inside. He smiled softly at her and greeted, “Sammy.”

Samantha could not help but smile. “What a coincidence. I just arrived too.”

Alan walked up to her and his black pupils looked at her face. He frowned slightly and asked, “You don’t look so well. Are you alright?”

Samantha lowered her eyes instinctively and used her hair to try and cover her face slightly.

She had put makeup on her face in order to conceal her pale complexion. Her clothes were all high-collared ones too, but she did not expect Alan to have such an eye for detail!

She forced a smile and replied, “I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well last night. Let’s go in and look for Corey’s attending doctor. I’ve already made an appointment with him and he’s expecting us.”

Seeing her avoiding the subject, Alan could only nod and pretend to believe her. “Alright, let’s go in.”

…

At the villa, Old Madam Barker walked into the master bedroom with some medicine, but saw that the blanket on the big bed had been lifted up. Timothy was nowhere to be seen.

She searched in the bathroom and changing room but did not see anyone there.

When she got downstairs, she called over Aunt Julia to ask about it and the latter replied, “I saw Mr. Barker left the house five minutes ago.”

As Aunt Julia said that, she could not help but express her worries, “We don’t know if he’s fully sober right now and he left after barely getting some rest.. Where do you think he’s going in such a hurry?”