Chapter 87
Chapter 87: “Cooperate?”’ Belinda echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. She was battling advanced gastric cancer, as was the other patient. What could possibly warrant cooperation between two individuals so gravely ill? Moreover, the other patient had even involved a lawyer. “I’m not privy to the specifics,”’ Belinda continued, her tone hinting at frustration. Marlene, clearly exasperated, scratched her head. “You’ll get all the details when you meet with her lawyer. But I assure you, it’s nothing harmful to you. That patient’s boyfriend holds considerable influence; perhaps he could help secure better treatment options for you.”’ With that, Marlene turned her attention to the interns trailing behind her, clipboard in hand, asking if they had grasped everything she had just relayed. Not wanting to press Marlene any further, Belinda retrieved her phone from the nightstand and powered it on. Instantly, her screen filled with notifications. Among them, over ten messages from Madisyn stood out. “Belinda, I’m at your place now. Why aren’t you here? Did you go to the courthouse?”’ “Belinda, today’s the day you get your divorce from Kristopher! Make sure you dress to impress and make that man regret letting someone as stunning as you go. Trust me!”’ “Belinda, why haven’t you picked up your phone? What’s happening at the courthouse? I’m really worried!”’ “Is Kristopher causing you any trouble? He’s always seen with Cathy. Did he have the nerve to bring her along today?”’ It wasn’t until Belinda read these messages that she remembered she was supposed to be divorcing Kristopher today. She glanced down at her watch. It was already nine in the morning. Looking up at Marlene, she asked, “Is there any chance I could be discharged today?”’ ϲhð’¶ptÑrs Marlene, still instructing several interns with her back to Belinda, was taken aback. She turned around to face Belinda, her expression one of clear surprise, as if she thought Belinda was an anomaly. “Miss Nelson, are you aware that patients in the advanced stages of illness like yours are always advised to remain in the hospital? It’s risky to leave, especially after last night’s incident. You’ve only been awake for less than an hour. Are you sure it’s wise to leave so soon? Do you really take your health seriously?”’ Belinda furrowed her brows. “But there’s something urgent I need to handle.”’ “You can’t just leave the hospital, even if it’s urgent!”’ Marlene replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Postpone any emergency! Even if you think you must leave, you need to be observed overnight!”’ Concerned that Belinda might try to sneak out, Marlene assigned an intern to keep a close watch on her. “Danilo, keep an eye on her. She’s not to leave until your shift ends today!”’ Danilo Webster, the young intern, nodded solemnly and escorted Marlene and the others out. “Don’t worry, Dr. Reid!”’ he reassured her. As Danilo shut the ward door and settled into a nearby chair, Belinda couldn’t help but regret asking the question in the first place. Now, she was stuck in the hospital with no chance of a quiet escape. Taking a deep breath, Belinda picked up her phone and tapped into her conversation with Kristopher, intending to ask him to reschedule their divorce date. She noticed two new messages from him. The first was a short reply to her call the night before: “Boring.”’ The second, sent about an hour later, was more probing: “Did you need something when you called earlier? Is everything okay?”’ Belinda scoffed at the messages. Was it really taking him this long to sense that something was off with her urgent call? And even after suspecting something, he had only bothered to send a casual text. She knew that if it had been Cathy needing help, Kristopher would have been at her doorstep in an instant. Lost in these thoughts, Belinda’s phone suddenly rang. It was Kristopher. “Where are you, Belinda?”’ he asked….