Karina had never seen that particular look in Wilfred's eyes before.
The emotions were subtle, hidden beneath the surface, almost imperceptible unless one paid close attention.
Having spent so much time by his side recently, she had grown adept at reading his subtle expressions.
“Sorry, Dr. Wilfred, have I caused trouble for you again?” she asked hesitantly, her guilt written all over her face.
Wilfred lifted his gaze, ready to deliver a prepared response. Yet, faced with her earnest eyes, his words faltered, and what he finally said was, “From now on, you don’t need to call me ‘Dr. Wilfred’ every time.”
“Then what should I call you? Mr. Wilfred?” she asked tentatively.
“Just my name.”
Wilfred’s voice was calm as he used his knife and fork to cut into his steak. His dark lashes framed eyes that seemed to glimmer with depth, as if they held secrets untold.
Despite his cool demeanor, Karina felt a small surge of satisfaction and smiled.
“Alright. At the hospital, I’ll call you Dr. Wilfred, but in private, I’ll call you Wilfred,” she said with a slight grin.
When she uttered his name, Wilfred’s hand paused ever so slightly before he resumed cutting. His reply was soft. “As you wish.”
For Karina, that dinner was one of the happiest moments she had experienced in recent days. The shadows of worry and schemes seemed to dissipate, leaving her feeling lighthearted and determined as she held the patient files Wilfred had assigned to her.
However, within the hospital, murmurs began to spread. At first, it was just whispers about favoritism, but as time passed, the gossip became more malicious.
During work hours, she overheard a group of nurses whispering.
“With a background like hers, how did Karina even get into this hospital? This isn’t some shabby clinic. It’s the top hospital in the city!”
“Exactly. I’ve been saying she got in through connections. Look at how close she is to Dr. Wilfred. Who knows what underhanded tricks she used?”
Wilfred had done nothing to deserve such treatment—nothing at all.
Karina felt a pang of heartache for him, mixed with a surge of righteous anger. But to her, defending him felt like the only right thing to do.
Wilfred had always treated her with kindness, even after everything he had discovered about her mistakes. He didn’t deserve to be the target of baseless gossip. Karina felt a surge of anger rise within her—anger on his behalf.
“Come with me to Dr. Wilfred’s office and apologize,” Karina demanded, her voice unwavering.
The nurse stared at her as if she had lost her mind and shouted, “Are you crazy? There’s no way I’m doing that!”
It was unthinkable. Sure, they had whispered behind his back, but to actually say anything to Wilfred’s face? That would be career suicide.
Karina’s insistence baffled them. To the others, her actions seemed almost absurd.
“What’s the big deal? We were just chatting! Honestly, compared to you sneaking around taking pictures of Dr. Wilfred, what we said is nothing!”
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