Chapter 5
He cast a sheepish look at Mom and apologized, “Sorry, I almost missed the stop.”
But Mom, who usually wouldn’t miss her chance to snap at the driver at a time like this, was currently too focused on Sean to bother with such trivial things. She ignored the driver, grabbed her luggage, and exited the car.
I stared at the view in front of me and belatedly realized this luxury suite with a seaside view was the one I once told her about.
Using the money I’d saved up from my years of salary, I had planned to bring her and Sean here once she was on break.
And now I had indeed come with them—only, as a soul.
Vain as ever, Sean was clearly stunned by the scenery too. Pulling his phone out, he began snapping selfies nonstop and posted several updates to his social media.
Ever since they arrived at Meldives, they seemed to have completely forgotten that I’d just come out of surgery. They spent every day either lounging in the sun or indulging in food.
Forget about checking in with me—they hadn’t so much as mentioned my name once.
Just as I was fuming with nowhere to vent, my attending physician, Yvonne Jones, suddenly showed up.
Mom also looked surprised to see her all the way out here in a foreign country.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Dr. Zieck, you’ve been away from the hospital for days,” Yvonne said, her eyes reddening. “It’s Zachary. He’s…”
But Mom seemed like she already knew what Yvonne was about to say.
“He’s dead, is he?” She cut Yvonne off coldly. “I’ve heard that line so many times that I can practically recite it. Can’t you all come up with something new?”
Panic gripped Yvonne. She didn’t know how to make Mom believe her, so she could only repeat herself over and over again.
“Please, just believe me this once,” she cried out. “Zachary’s body has been lying in the morgue for an entire week. We’ve been waiting for you to come and collect it!”
Mom threw her head back and laughed. “Collect his body? If he’s really dead, I’d celebrate! I’d throw him the grandest funeral this country’s ever seen.”
Just as Yvonne was about to speak again, Mom’s expression suddenly darkened.
“Enough!” she snapped. “It’s bad enough that Zachary lies through his teeth every day, but now you’re playing along too?
“What did he promise you to get you to come all this way and trick me? Don’t tell me you have a crush on him?”
She burst out in laughter. “To think someone’s actually interested in him!”
Hearing this, Sean also sidled up to them and said, “Well, if it isn’t Dr. Jones. What kind of spell did Zachary cast on you to make you so loyal to him?
“I’ve always known you had a bit of a thing for him, but did you really have to come all the way here just to scare my mom?”
Yvonne’s face flushed with fury at their mocking. Deciding to stop persuading them, she stiffened her tone and said, “Zachary’s body is in the morgue right now. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourselves. Just don’t come crying later.”
