Boyfriend Dumped Me for “Heiress” BFF? Your New Girl Calls ME “Boss” Every Day! Chapter 20

Boyfriend Dumped Me for “Heiress” BFF? Your New Girl Calls ME “Boss” Every Day! Chapter 20

Ethan got me a private room.

“Need to monitor you for a few days.”

He handed me water. Pills rattled in the cap.

“Infection risk is high, so we gotta watch for-”

He kept rambling.

I didn’t respond.

His voice went softer.

“I’ll grab you those breakfast sandwiches you love. With oatmeal. Sound good?”

Still nothing from me.

He stood there a beat, then left.

Came back with a tray-sandwiches, oatmeal, fruit salad, all cut up.

“Careful, it’s hot.”

He blew on a bite and held it to my lips.

I took it.

No point starving myself.

Footsteps echoed in the hall. A group of doctors in white coats stopped at the door.

The lead guy poked his head in and grinned.

“Yo, Dr. Hayes beat us here?”

Ethan’s ears went pink.

“Heard you opened an OR for family last night. That’s against protocol, man.”

Another one waggled his eyebrows.

Ethan stayed serious despite the teasing.

“Everyone was swamped. Emergency situation. If the hospital wants to discipline me, I’ll cooperate fully.”

They all cracked up and left.

He ducked his head, ears burning red, avoiding my eyes.

He looked like that the first time he confessed to me.

The first time he held my hand.

When he said “I do” at our wedding.

God, that felt like a lifetime ago.

I closed my eyes and burrowed into the blankets.

He called my name a few times. I ignored him. So he just sat there, keeping watch.

I was half-asleep when the door opened.

Cheerful voice.

“Dr. Hayes! I came to apologize to Summer.”

“Yesterday wasn’t on purpose, I swear. I was just so nervous with you watching. My hands were shaking.”

I cracked one eye open.

Sophie had her hand on Ethan’s arm, practically pressing herself against his chest.

“Who said you could come in?”

“Door was open.”

She stepped closer, almost flush against him.

“And I really do feel bad… You yelled at me yesterday and I cried all night.”

As she talked, her fingertip traced over his name badge.

Under the white coat, he was wearing a thin gray dress shirt.

“Sophie.”

Ethan’s voice dropped low. Warning.

“Mm?”

She leaned in more, lips almost brushing his ear, voice breathy.

“Dr. Hayes… your heart’s racing…”

I sat up.

“Should I leave? Give you two some privacy?”

Ethan shoved her back hard.

Sophie stumbled and landed on her ass.

“Ethan, you-”

Her eyes instantly welled up.

“Get out.”

His voice was ice.

Sophie scrambled up, shot me a death glare, and ran out covering her face.

Ethan stood there with his back to me.

His shoulders rose and fell a few times before he turned around.

“Babe, I-”

“Sorry for interrupting your little moment.”

I rolled over, facing the wall.

He stood there forever.

Then his phone buzzed.

First time, he ignored it.

Fourth time, he answered.

“Yeah?”

Crying came through the speaker. Broken sobs echoing in the quiet room.

“…I got hit… this guy on a bike… he won’t let me leave… Dr. Hayes, I’m scared…”

Ethan said nothing.

“Can you please come? I’m by the back entrance… please…”

The crying got louder. A man’s angry voice in the background.

Ethan hung up and glanced at me.

He walked over to the bed.

“Babe?”

“I’ll be right back. She’s a coworker, I can’t just—”

His phone buzzed again.

He rejected it.

Then I heard the door handle turn.

Ten minutes later, I ripped out my IV and checked myself out.

My knees were still torn up.

But compared to everything else?

Didn’t even register.

Near the pond, I saw them.

Ethan had his arm around Sophie. She was practically draped all over him.

Her right hand on his shoulder. Left hand sliding along his waist.

Fingertips tracing the edge of his belt buckle. Over and over.

Ethan tried to pull away with his free hand.

But Sophie was faster. Slipped her fingers through his and locked them together.

He tensed. Didn’t shake her off.

I stopped walking.

Suddenly Sophie turned, like she sensed me watching.

She whispered something in Ethan’s ear. He nodded, let go, and headed toward the main building.

Sophie stayed put. Waited till he was gone.

Then walked straight toward me.

“Summer! Checking out already? Why didn’t you ask Dr. Hayes to walk you out?”

I ignored her.

She kept pace beside me.

I glanced at her supposedly twisted ankle.

She shrugged, shameless.

“You know what? He held me the whole way here. Never let go once.”

“And he’s a surgeon, right? Pretty sure he can tell when someone’s faking an injury.”

“But he held on tight. So he must care about me, don’t you think?”

She tilted her head, smiling wide.

“But hey, I get it.”

Fake sigh.

“You guys have been together forever. No spark left. Just habit, right?”

“You done?”

I stopped.

“Ooh, touchy.”

She covered her mouth, giggling.

“Look, no man stays faithful forever. You can’t expect him to be stuck with you his whole life. Though I gotta say, I’m impressed you can just… ignore it all.”

“Sophie.”

I cut her off.

“You know what’s really pathetic about you?”

Her smile froze.

“You need these cheap tricks to steal a man who doesn’t even want you.”

She grabbed my wrist.

“What did you just say?”

“You heard me.”

I yanked my arm back.

“Let go.”

I pulled harder. She stumbled.

Then shoved me.

I fell backward toward the pond.

I grabbed her wrist on reflex. Momentum dragged us both in.

The surface had a layer of ice. The crash was loud.

People turned to look.

Including Ethan, who’d just come back.

He didn’t see Sophie push me.

From his angle, it looked like I tried to push her in and got pulled down with her.

Ethan hauled Sophie out first.

She was soaked, nurse uniform clinging to her, shaking from the cold.

She collapsed into his arms, sobbing.

“Dr. Hayes…”

She burrowed into his chest so hard his shirt buttons popped open.

Ethan didn’t say anything. Just stared at me.

I knew that look.

Every time I’d lost it these past two years, he looked at me exactly like that.

Cold. Disappointed. Annoyed.

“Summer.”

His voice was flat.

“Someone could’ve died.”

“You got a problem with me? Take it out on me. Not her.”

I didn’t bother defending myself. Just tried to pull myself up using the muddy bank.

Then Sophie suddenly “fainted.”

Her foot slipped.

Her shoe heel slammed straight into my knee.

Right on the wound.

My grip gave out. I fell back into the water.

Ethan scooped Sophie up and sprinted toward the clinic.

This time I hit harder.

Back of my head cracked against the ice. Vision went black.

Freezing water flooded my nose. I couldn’t even cough.

I thrashed to the surface. He never looked back once.

The water wasn’t even deep. Standing, it only reached my chest.

But I tried twice and my right leg wouldn’t work.

Every movement sent black spots across my vision.

Finally, a janitor found me.

She used her mop handle to pull me out. By then I couldn’t speak.

Lips blue. Fingers too stiff to close.

“Oh, honey…”

She draped her coat over me.

“How’d you fall in? Where’s your family?”

I shook my head.

The second I stood up, sharp pain tore through my abdomen.

Everything went dark.

I passed out.