Chapter 8

I stared at Casey coldly as I questioned her. Each question hit her harder than the last, rendering her powerless to answer. Her gaze wavered as she subconsciously pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her back and avoiding my gaze. I had given her an engagement ring, but not once had she worn it. How ironic. After a brief moment of surprise, Casey huffed and replied, "I'm used to wearing this ring. Why bother with these trivial details? The things you're saying are just nothing but insults to Andrew and me! "I can't believe this is how you think of me after all these years of being together. You truly disappoint me, Jace!" I laughed out of spite, almost wanting to clap for her. She was the first person to make cheating sound so refreshing. I looked over to Andrew, who was currently in the changing room. I could see a hint of smugness in his gaze. I then glanced at Casey and replied, "You can say whatever you want. I'm not going to marry you regardless." Her face paled instantly. I turned and left without bothering to look at her. … Upon my arrival at the hospital, a critical patient was brought in as soon as I stepped foot into the consultation room. My eyes widened upon seeing the woman on the stretcher. A sudden wave of panic and guilt swept over me out of nowhere. Kourtney Gomez's arrival came earlier than expected. Paul Sander, the accompanying doctor, said, "The patient's heart stopped twice on her way here. She has a heart condition and needs surgery immediately." I clenched my fists and replied, "Take her to the operating room." As I made preparations, Paul continued, "Her health has always been poor, and she's had multiple checkups in different hospitals. We're really counting on you this time, Dr. Ranford." I nodded as memories from my past life flooded back. I could recall all of Kourtney's symptoms as if they were carved into my brain, but I still asked again to be sure. In my past life, I was distracted by the thought of Casey during the operation. I ended up making a fatal mistake then. Dad paid to cover it up, but the main reason it wasn't pursued was because Kourtney herself didn't press charges. Although she didn't die, the damage left lasting effects. Her heart condition worsened, and because her heart injury was so severe, she only had five years left to live. After all these years of treating patients, this was the one thing that still weighed on me the most. Kourtney was lying quietly in the operating room, her face looking pale and lifeless. The nurses had already performed the emergency procedures as I instructed. I slowly took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Please believe in me, Kourtney. I'll make you well again." Kourtney wasn't unconscious, as the immense pain had kept her wide awake. She struggled to open her eyes, her unfocused gaze landing on me. I flashed her a slight smile and said, "Just get some rest. Everything will be fine once you wake up." The surgery lasted for almost five hours. All the medical staff let out a collective sigh of relief once it was over, clearly exhausted. One of the medical staff, Lisa Beaming, said, "This surgery is unexpectedly nerve-racking. " I pursed my lips, feeling a slight unease in my heart. Kourtney was the one person I owed. As such, I couldn't help but feel nervous even though I've performed countless surgeries. I was worried that I might end up making the same mistakes, leaving her with lasting effects. Fortunately, the surgery was a success this time. But for now, the anesthetic hadn't worn off, so Kourtney hadn't woken up. After that, I remained by Kourtney's hospital bed the entire time. Her face was pale, and her small frame seemed to sink into the hospital bed. I couldn't tell if she was furrowing her brow because of the pain. Somehow, my heart clenched. In my past life, Kourtney was the only one who believed in me when everyone else had turned their backs on me. She believed that it was my research and that I was deceived, but we had no proof. Casey knew I loved her, so she had already handed over all the first-hand research data I'd collected to Andrew. I trusted her too much and ended up getting betrayed.