The Substitute Bride

"Fine. Thank you," Nick responded promptly as he wanted to end this topic as soon as possible.

"Well, I'm going home to prepare lunch for you. Have a good rest. I'll be back soon." As she reached the door, Cassie turned around and reminded him, "If anything happens, call me anytime."

"I will. You don't need to worry about me," Nick replied with a slight smile. He was moved by how much Cassie cared about him. Soon after she closed the door, he was left alone in the ward to rest.

Time passed quickly, but the days at the ward had never been boring for both the patient and his aid. At last, the day when Nick finally would be discharged from the hospital came.

It was another quiet morning. Nick sat on his bed eating the red bean porridge Cassie had made for him, while Cassie stood aside watching him silently. She looked pleased as he seemed to like it.

Suddenly, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Cassie smiled at him and said, "I will get it."

She went to open the door and was surprised to find the doctor, Ricky, and two other nurses with him.

Seeing Cassie, Ricky didn't even look surprised. Smiling, he asked, "You knew that I would come today, didn't you?" Meeting her baffled gaze, he explained, "Two days have passed. I'm here to check on my patient's recovery."

Having looked after him in these past few days, Cassie was more fond of Nick. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving him alone. She knew that once the doctors had him discharged from the hospital, it would be difficult for her to see him again. As desperate as it sounded, she had been praying that Nick would slowly recover so she could spend more time with him.

However, there was no way to stop that day from coming, and now it was finally here. A strong sense of frustration engulfed Cassie.

"Please come on in, Ricky!" Cassie's voice echoed from inside the room. She stuck out her tongue at the doctor mischievously and moved aside to let them in.

Ricky nodded at her and walked pass her quietly, while the two nurses followed at his tail. He made his way to Nick's bed and examined his patient thoroughly. Time stopped for Cassie as she watched the doctor and the nurses do their routine.

Several minutes later, the physician smiled at Nick and finally said, "You're getting better. I believe you can go home now."

"Thank you, sir!" Nick couldn't help but sound so excited when he heard the good news. He held his hand out to Rick, and willingly shook it to express his infinite gratitude.

Looking at the young man, the doctor added, "Although you're young, you should always take care of your own health. Don't push yourself too hard. Too much work can kill you."

Nick thanked Ricky again. The doctor gave him some advice before he exited the ward with the nurses.

On the other hand, Cassie was overwhelmed with s

ok her a lot of courage to even put it into words.

Nick's heart skipped a beat. He didn't expect her to put forward such a question. It was too bold for her to ask. But having spent a couple of days with her, he was aware that his feelings for Cassie grew every day. It would be a lie if he refused to admit that he would miss the nurse the moment he stepped out of the hospital.

But he hesitated on whether he should let her know of his feelings towards her. He didn't want to complicate things. He eventually decided to keep it to himself. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and forced himself to look straight into her eyes. Despite his burning cheeks and quick heartbeat, he tried his best to sound as calm as possible.

"We're friends now, Cassie. Perhaps we'll meet again someday," Nick responded casually.

And that was how it ended. It was not a direct answer to Cassie's question, neither did he refuse her directly.

Cassie heaved a sigh of relief when she heard it.

'I'm friends with him. It's enough for now, ' she thought.

"Goodbye, Nick!" With a smiling face, Cassie looked up at Nick with determination evident in her eyes. Nick smiled back at her but immediately looked elsewhere, careful not to meet her gaze.

'I will never forget him no matter if he leaves me behind or not. I don't think I will get over him, even if he starts to hang out with another woman, ' she said to herself silently.

Bob opened the door for his boss. Nick and Cassie went out quietly. Cassie walked Nick to the gate of the hospital. She watched as he got in the car. He didn't even look at her as he closed the door. Soon the car roared away.

Eyes already teeming with tears, she waved at the car as it disappeared in the distance.

'He can't live in the hospital forever. But I will meet him again someday. You can't get away from me, Nick!' Her thoughts came screaming.