My fiancée, Dr. Audrey O’Bryan, had just been promoted to Head of Department. To celebrate, I’d picked out a Hermès bag I knew she’d love, a little surprise to mark the occasion. But as I stepped into her office at the hospital, a young resident shot me a hostile glare. “This is the department head’s office,” he snapped, his brow furrowed. “Outsiders aren’t allowed in.” I managed a smile, explaining that I was Dr. O’Bryan’s fiancé. His eyes, however, were glued to the luxury shopping bag in my hand. I rarely came to the hospital, but being sized up like this felt…unpleasant. Suddenly, a strange smirk crossed his face. He turned, announcing he would go get Dr. O’Bryan. While he was gone, I noticed a half-eaten container of takeout on her desk. A pang of sympathy hit me—she was working so hard. I decided to tidy up for her. The moment my fingers closed around the plastic container, the resident burst back in, two burly security guards in tow. “That’s him!” he yelled, pointing a trembling finger at me. “He’s the one trying to bribe Dr. O’Bryan right here in her office!” The guards lunged forward. The gift, the takeout box—everything nearly crashed to the floor. 1. Before I could process what was happening, two massive security guards had my arms twisted behind my back. The resident, a man named Chase according to the ID clipped to his scrubs, noticed me staring at his name tag. He ripped it off and shoved it in my face. “What, you want to file a complaint?” he sneered. “Go ahead! But you’ll have to wait until you’re out of a jail cell.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m Dr. O’Bryan’s assistant. I will not allow a social parasite like you to tarnish her reputation!” A social parasite? That was a heavy accusation. I knew the relationship between doctors and the public could be tense, but this was City Central Hospital. It was founded nearly a century ago by a renowned philanthropist, a place famous for its integrity. It had never been associated with scandal. “I’m family!” I protested, my voice rising. “I’m Dr. O’Bryan’s fiancé! What right do you have to accuse me of anything?” “Fiancé? Ha! More like a gold digger. I don’t know how you found out Dr. O’Bryan is in charge of procuring new medical equipment, but you picked the wrong person to bribe.” He jabbed a finger toward the door. “Get out of this hospital now, or I’m calling the police.” The guards tightened their grip, their fingers digging deep into my biceps. Through the open door, I could see patients peering in, their faces a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. I gritted my teeth against the pain. “You’ve got this all wrong. I really am her fiancé. Think about it—if I were trying to bribe her, would I do it in broad daylight, in her office?” Chase laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “See? The fox shows its tail! So you admit you’re here to bribe her!” “You wish you could have met her in private, don’t you? Too bad for you, she’s too important to meet with scum like you. So you got desperate and tried this stunt!” I was starting to lose my temper. This guy’s imagination was working overtime. “Whether I’m her fiancé or some medical supplier, you’ll find out the truth when Dr. O’Bryan gets here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “You have no proof. On what grounds are you having me detained?” “Proof?” Chase glanced around, then snatched the shopping bag from Audrey’s desk. With a dramatic flourish, he dumped the contents onto the floor. The luxurious leather bag landed with a soft thud. “This is your proof!” he declared, his voice ringing with triumph. “I’ve seen this exact bag on their website. It’s priced at fifty thousand dollars.” He smirked. “How does fifteen years in a federal prison sound?” He waved a dismissive hand at the guards. “What are you waiting for? Take him away!” They shoved me out of the office. I struggled, but their grip was like iron. The onlookers in the hallway parted like the Red Sea, their whispers following me like a swarm of angry bees. “Disgusting! Trying to bribe a doctor!” “A fifty-thousand-dollar bag… how many lives did that cost?” “People like that deserve to get sick and have no one to treat them!” “Good on City Central for not tolerating this kind of corruption!” A few men looked like they were ready to physically attack me. “You’ve got it all wrong!” I yelled, desperate. “That bag is a gift for my fiancée, Dr. Audrey O’Bryan! Her picture is on the wall outside her office. Please, someone just get her!” I pleaded with the crowd, then turned back to Chase. “Just let me make one phone call! She’ll clear this all up!” He gave me a condescending look but signaled for one of the guards to release my hand. The phone rang, and rang, and rang. No answer. I tried again. It went straight to voicemail. The crowd’s murmurs shifted from curiosity back to open hostility. Chase’s laugh was laced with scorn. “You say you’re her fiancé, but she won’t even answer your call?” Then I remembered the half-eaten takeout on her desk. “She’s in surgery, isn’t she? You can’t take phones into the operating room!” I said, a sliver of hope returning. “I’ll wait right here until she’s finished.” Chase just shook his head. A guard shoved me forward, and I stumbled, crashing into a chair. The back of it slammed into my stomach, and I doubled over, nausea churning in my gut. “Still won’t give up, huh? You’re determined to frame Dr. O’Bryan?” he said, his voice dripping with contempt. “Don't think I'll tell you her whereabouts! I just need to take you to one person to expose your little charade!” 2. Chase led the way, the two guards marching me behind him. We entered the inpatient ward and stopped at room 308. An elderly woman, probably in her sixties, was resting in the bed by the window. She opened her eyes as we entered. “Mrs. Lee, are you resting well?” Chase said, his voice suddenly warm and friendly. “You have a visitor!” He gestured toward me. “Who is this?” the woman asked, her eyes clouded with confusion. I was just as lost. Why had they brought me to see this old woman? “Hello,” I said, out of politeness. “Young man, do I know you?” Chase chuckled. “Of course you don’t. That’s the point. This man claims to be Dr. O’Bryan’s fiancé.” He turned to me, his eyes gleaming with malicious triumph. “If you’re really Dr. O’Bryan’s fiancé, how is it that you don’t recognize her own mother?” The world tilted on its axis. My mouth fell open. That was impossible. Audrey’s mother was dead. I was there. It was her mother’s death that had caused Audrey to collapse from grief. I had taken care of her in the hospital for a week, and that’s when our love story began… Chase misinterpreted my stunned silence as guilt. “The evidence is all here,” he declared. “What else can you possibly say for yourself?” “Take him to security! Don’t let him disturb the patients.” I snapped out of my daze. Just as the guards were about to push me out of the room, I broke free and lunged toward the old woman’s bed. “Are you really Audrey’s mother? But… she’s dead!” The woman erupted in a violent coughing fit. “What an insolent young man, cursing me to be dead!” she gasped between coughs. “Security! Security!” A guard kicked me hard. I was so close to the bed that my forehead slammed against the metal frame with a loud crack. The bed shuddered, and I crumpled to the floor, blood streaming from a gash on my head. The patient in the next bed screamed. “He’s killing her! Someone’s going to die!” “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Lee, I’m so sorry!” Chase said, rushing to the woman’s side. He shot a venomous glare at me. “It’s all this fraud’s fault. He tried to bribe Dr. O’Bryan, and then had the audacity to impersonate her fiancé. I had to bring him here for you to identify him.” Mrs. Lee finally caught her breath and gave Chase a disapproving look. “How can you be Audrey’s assistant and not even know what her fiancé looks like?” “Yes, yes, you’re right,” Chase stammered, bowing his head. “It’s all this con man’s fault. He’s so devious!” “Audrey told me,” I said, my voice hoarse, “that her family favored sons over daughters. Her original name was a boy's name, and she changed it herself in college. Is that true?” I stared at Mrs. Lee, searching her face for any flicker of deceit. There was none. “What nonsense are you spouting!” she exclaimed. “My daughter’s name has always been Audrey! Her father wanted her to be an inventor, like Edison!” Her voice rose in anger. “First you curse me to be dead, and now you’re spreading lies to ruin my daughter’s reputation, our family’s good name!” “I…” She clutched her chest, gasping for air. Chase quickly administered oxygen and shot the guards a look. They moved to drag me away. I wiped the blood from my face and roared, “I’m not leaving! I want to see Audrey, face to face!” I clung to the leg of the bed, refusing to let go. “You!” the old woman wheezed. “Call her! Call Audrey and tell her to get back here!” Chase glared at me and stepped out of the room to make the call. Once she had calmed down a bit, Mrs. Lee beckoned me closer. “Come here, young man.” The woman in the next bed leaned in, curious. Mrs. Lee pulled out her phone and swiped through her photo album. There were several pictures of her and Audrey, smiling together. Then she played a short video. Someone else was filming as Audrey sang “Happy Birthday” to her, and Mrs. Lee beamed with joy. My heart turned to stone. This woman was undoubtedly Audrey’s mother. Why had Audrey lied to me? 3. About half an hour later, the door opened. Chase walked in, but Audrey wasn’t with him. Instead, a young man in a sharp suit, his hair perfectly coiffed, followed him in, carrying a bouquet of carnations. “Mom, I’m so sorry you were frightened,” he said to Mrs. Lee, his voice smooth and apologetic. He then turned to me. “Let’s go to Audrey’s office. We shouldn’t disturb the elderly.” “Where’s Audrey?” I demanded. “I need to see her!” “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue now that the real fiancé is here?” he said with a mocking smile. “Or are you just scared of what I might do to you?” “You say you’re Audrey’s fiancé. Prove it.” He burst out laughing, a loud, booming sound that filled the small room. “Prove it? Hahahaha…” Chase looked at me like I was an idiot. “Did you hit your head too hard? Are you trying to scam the hospital?” “This is Dr. O’Bryan’s mother!” he sneered. “And he just called her ‘Mom’! She’s already acknowledged him as her son-in-law. What more proof do you need? A moron like you probably wouldn’t even believe a marriage certificate!” He gave me another contemptuous look. “Besides, his name is Evans.” I didn't get it. What was so special about the name Evans? “He’s the director’s nephew,” Chase explained, his voice dripping with admiration. “And the second son of the Winston Group, the largest medical equipment conglomerate in the state. Mr. Julian Evans.” “Our Dr. O’Bryan is from a good family, she’s beautiful, and she’s a brilliant doctor. She’s not for just anyone,” he continued, his tone condescending. “A wealthy, handsome man like Mr. Evans is a perfect match for her. You?” He scoffed. “I bet that bag wiped out your entire savings. A small-time company like yours can’t compete with a giant like the Winston Group.” The guards dragged me away. As we walked down the hall, I could hear the whispers of the nurses and patients. “Did you hear? Some medical supplier tried to bribe Dr. O’Bryan by pretending to be her fiancé. And her real fiancé caught him in the act!” “Dr. O’Bryan is the youngest department head in the hospital’s history. It’s true what they say, success breeds jealousy.” “I heard about that incident in orthopedics last year. A surgical robot malfunctioned, and the patient’s family raised hell for three days straight. The hospital had to pay out over a million dollars!” “These shady medical suppliers should be drawn and quartered!” … The Hermès bag was still on the floor of Audrey’s office. Julian Evans propped his feet up on her desk, his expensive leather shoe resting right on top of it. I bit back my anger. “It’s rude to put your feet on someone else’s gift.” He grabbed a pen holder from the desk and threw it at me, then kicked the bag across the floor. “Who the hell do you think you are, lecturing me about manners?” he sneered. “Tell me, which pathetic little company do you work for? You think a fifty-thousand-dollar bag is enough to buy your way in here?” “Not talking? Don’t worry, I have my ways of making people talk.” The guards forced me to my knees. I looked him straight in the eye. “This is a hospital. We live in a civilized society. Are you really going to resort to torture?” Julian raised an eyebrow. “Scared? Then start talking. I want to know which third-rate company is trying to steal business from the Winston Group.” “I told you, I’m not here to bribe anyone. I’m Audrey’s fiancé. Here, these are our engagement rings.” I struggled to my feet and retrieved the two rings from the bag. Our initials were engraved on the inside of each band. Julian’s lips curved into a wry smile. “Interesting. I’ve never seen a bribe come with engagement rings before.” He made a phone call. Less than five minutes later, Audrey walked in. “Honey,” Julian said, a lazy drawl in his voice, “this man insists he’s your fiancé.” Audrey gave me a cold, dismissive look. “He’s just some rich kid who’s been chasing me for years,” she said, her voice devoid of any emotion. “Leo, if I ever gave you the wrong impression, if I ever made you think I was interested, then I apologize. But please, stop harassing me.” The wrong impression? Hah. So our five-year relationship was all in my head. “The wrong impression? Was it the wrong impression when I went with you to scatter your mother’s ashes at sea? Or when you told me you came from a poor, rural family that didn’t value daughters? Or is the mole on your back just my imagination?” I hated to reveal something so private, but her heartless betrayal left me no choice.
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