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Millicent, with a smug glint in her eyes, pointed directly at Odette. “It’s her! This shameless doctor pushed me down the stairs
on purpose…”
Benedict ripped his hand away from Millicent‘ s, his face clouded with fury.
“Odette wouldn’t do something like that.
“Everyone saw it! It’s the truth!” Millicent screamed, her voice shrill with anger.
Benedict shot Millicent a piercing look before, without a second thought, grabbing Odette’s hand and leading her away.
“Let’s go, Odette.”
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Odette was taken aback, her eyes widening in disbelief. “You don‘ t believe her?”
“She’s just a TV host who once interviewed me. We’re not close,” Benedict explained, his tone flat.
As she watched Benedict walk away with Odette, Millicent’s fury reached a boiling point. She hurled the scalding water in her hand toward Odette.
“I’ll burn you, you blind doctor!” Millicent hissed, her voice cold as ice.
Without hesitation, Benedict yanked Odette aside, his body acting as a shield between her and the searing water.
His expression darkened, fury flashing in his eyes. “Millicent, how much more trouble are
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you going to cause?”
Millicent, her face a portrait of feigned grievance, threw a prenatal report at Benedict, the paper slapping against his chest before she stormed off in a huff.
Benedict glanced down at the report, a knot of unease tightening in his gut.
“You’ve been burned. Let me treat it,
Odette said, her voice calm despite the
tension in the air.
Benedict gave a small nod, stepping over the paper as if it didn’t exist.
Following Odette into her office, Benedict watched as she calmly closed the curtain.
“Take off your shirt,” she instructed.
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The boiling water had left a large, angry red
mark on Benedict‘ s lower back.
As Odette applied the ointment, her eyes briefly flickered over his tattoo.
Noticing her silence, Benedict‘ s lips quirked, and he spoke without thinking, “I thought the begonia looked lonely, so I added a cloud to keep it company. Does it look good?”
“It looks nice,” Odette replied, her tone cool and detached.
“That earlier incident was just a misunderstanding…”
But Odette interrupted him, her voice steady.
“There’s no need to explain.”
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“All done. I’m not in pain anymore, and thankfully, you weren’t hurt,” Benedict murmured, his voice softening with relief.
As Odette turned to put the medicine away, Benedict, caught up in the moment, gently pulled her a little closer, his hand brushing against her waist.
The skin where her tattoo had once been was now red and swollen, a painful reminder of
its removal.
Benedict‘ s gaze flickered with an unexpected sharp pang of sympathy. He couldn’t help but ask, “Odette, where‘ s your tattoo?”
“I didn’t like it anymore, so I had it removed yesterday,” she said, her voice light
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as if the subject held little weight.
Benedict‘ s heart froze. He hadn’t known
that the removal process had been so painful that her nails had dug into her palms in silent
agony.
He took a breath. “Why did you suddenly stop liking it?”
“I’d like to know the answer to that question too,” Odette replied, her gaze locking with his, piercing and unrelenting.
Her eyes seemed to see right through him, unraveling the secrets he had tried so hard to bury.
“Benedict, do you remember the only
promise I made to you on our wedding day?” she asked, her voice soft but steady.
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Without a second thought, Benedict nodded,
his mind racing back to that moment.
“You said that the two things you‘ d remember most clearly in this life were the Hippocratic Oath and my name.”
“The Hippocratic Oath was your faith, and my name was your love, both forever with you.”
To prove he remembered every word,
Benedict recited the Hippocratic Oath in full, his voice steady, as if the promise had never
faded.
“Benedict, you’ve helped me rediscover my faith,” Odette said, her voice carrying a weight of gratitude and something deeper.
Benedict stood still, the words hanging in the
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air, a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.
He didn’t understand, but for some reason, that didn’t matter anymore.
By the time she was gone, Benedict would finally understand everything.
Odette had always dreamed of walking in her parents‘ footsteps, traveling the world,
becoming a doctor without borders, and healing the wounds of the world wherever she
went.
