Rebirth Into My Second Chance

When the woman walked out of the clinic, she was so unremarkable that one might forget her in a crowd. So, Max was into that kind of girl.

The woman crossed my path to stand beside Max, saying, "Dr. Hilton, I'm so sorry to have you bring me here. My husband's heart surgery is in your hands now." That was when I felt like being metaphorically slapped in the face.

Max had deliberately held back, waiting for this moment to humble me, hadn't he?

"Dr. Hilton, is she related to one of your patients?" I blurted out, realizing my error and feeling the need to apologize.

But Max just cracked a cryptic smile. "It's your turn now."

I chuckled nervously. "Yeah, okay."

He didn't ask about the child or if I had a boyfriend. His smile seemed to suggest that my check-up wouldn't go as planned.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Feeling his intense gaze, I lost my nerve just as I was about to turn the doorknob. "Forget it. It's just a minor issue. No need for a check-up."

I left my appointment slip behind and walked past Max, returning to the office.

After hearing Max closing his office door, I finally relaxed. What if Max ever found out I was pregnant? Maybe I was overthinking it.

Upon entering my office, I saw Claude lounging on my sofa. "Claire."

Since Kate left for abroad, he hadn't called me Claire in ages, always using my full name.

I asked, "What's up, Mr. Hart? You've secured your career and have the Goodwin family backing you. What do you want with me?"

He approached me with something in his hand, saying, "This is for you."

It was a ring box with the ring I had forcefully slipped onto my finger in another life.

"Why give this to me? Shouldn't you be giving it to Kate?" I glanced at it disdainfully, but he took out the ring, saying, "I intended to give this to you all along."

He tried to take my hand with the ring in his, but I stepped back.

"I know you hate me now, but this

ring was meant for you before Kate returned. Even if we can't be husband and wife, the sentiment remains, and this ring belongs to you. His words felt like a punch to my gut.

on

So, the ring was for me, and he even got a size smaller. The irony hit even harder, and I realized that even without Kate coming back, he stiff wouldn't have really understood me, getting the ring size wrong and all.

"I have no ties with the Hart family anymore." I refused to take it. Seeing the ring reminded me of my finger brutally broken, the ring embedded in my flesh, a bloody reminder that falling for Claude or getting close to him only brought misfortune.

Claude said, "My mom's in the hospital. Out of old times' sake, could you visit her?"

I couldn't help but scoff at Claude's pretense. He came to me because his mother was in the hospital with cancer. "Claude, Kate is the Hart family's daughter-in-law. You seem to be mistaken."

"You know Mom always liked you best." Claude's voice was weak, and then, I saw his vulnerability. I had been so blind to his flaws, thinking him flawless.

I said, "I get it. Take your ring and leave."

He looked at me, baffled, "Why have you become like this? You never used to speak to me this way."

All I could do was scoff, unable to articulate the depth of betrayal and pain I had felt from his coldness in death and cruelty in life.