Chapter 4
Douglas and I broke up.
I didn’t tell anyone-not even my parents. I just moved back into my own place.
Douglas never came looking for me.
Maybe he was busy helping Sarah settle in.
In his eyes, I was probably just throwing a tantrum, and after a few days, I’d get over it.
Life went on. I kept showing up for work. But this was a hospital-there was no way to avoid running into them.
Douglas would escort Sarah today for dizziness, tomorrow for chest flutters.
Sarah clung to Douglas, practically hanging on him-and he didn’t push her away.
Whenever he saw me, Douglas’s gaze would dart away, his lips parted as if to say something, but nothing came out. He’d end up frowning and turning his head.
Sarah would bury her face even deeper.
Purchase completed
Our department had a new doctor, Bradley Connell, a young cardiologist just back from overseas.
One day, Douglas brought Sarah to cardiology again, and she happened to get assigned to Bradley.
Bradley ordered a battery of tests, and I helped out with the procedures.
The results came back-every indicator was perfectly normal.
Sarah clutched the report, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at Douglas. “Doug, my chest still feels tight. I can’t breathe.”
Douglas immediately grew anxious, waving the report at Bradley. “Dr. Connell, is there something you missed?”
Bradley adjusted his glasses before meeting Sarah’s eyes. “Ms. Boyer, your heart is healthier than mine.”
He paused, then continued, “If you still feel unwell, I suggest you visit the psychiatry department.”
Sarah’s face drained of color.
Douglas’s expression darkened. “Dr. Connell, what are you implying?”
“I mean the problem isn’t physical-it’s psychological.” Bradley met his gaze,
“If you keep convincing yourself you’re sick, you’ll end up feeling sick whether it’s true or not.”
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With that, he handed the report back to me.
“Ms. Rexford, please take Ms. Boyer to pay her bill.”
Douglas led Sarah away.
Before leaving, he shot me a look-like he blamed me for not speaking up for them.
Bradley watched me as I walked off.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“Ex-boyfriend,” I said.
Bradley nodded, dropping the subject.
After work, I waited for my ride outside the hospital. Bradley pulled up in his car.
“Where are you headed? I’ll give you a lift.”
“No, thank you.”
“Come on, get in. I actually wanted to talk to you.”
I got in. He drove smoothly.
“That Ms. Boyer-she’s got a histrionic personality,” Bradley said suddenly.
I was taken aback.
“She exaggerates her symptoms or creates dramatic scenes to attract attention and sympathy.”
“Like… cutting her wrist?”
Bradley glanced at me. “Exactly. And these behaviors tend to escalate. If the people around her start to get annoyed, she’ll resort to even more extreme measures to keep them close.”
My palms started to sweat.
“What about Douglas? Doesn’t he see through it?”
“People in the middle of it rarely do,” Bradley replied.
“Especially when they’re weighed down by a sense of moral duty. It’s not that he can’t see it-he’s afraid to. Because if he admits she’s acting, he has to question all the principles he’s been living by.”
The car stopped in front of my building.
“Thank you, Dr. Connell.”
“Call me Bradley,” he said. “And stay away from them. That’s a whirlpool.”
I nodded.
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Ullapter 4
Deep down, I knew he was right.
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