He only lowered his head to take a quick look, then hurriedly stood up, his tone still gentle, “Ivy, a patient is here, I'm leaving first.”
As Ezekiel spoke, he backed away, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes, fearing that Ivy would ask him.
Ivy, who used to be reluctant to see Ezekiel off, did not move that time. She just nodded slightly and said, “The patient is more important.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Ezekiel was obviously relieved, pointed at the bread and reminded her, “Okay, I'm leaving. Remember to eat breakfast, or your stomach will be upset again.”
His tone was gentle and timeless, as if he was educating a disobedient child, but it made Ivy's eyes tinged with sarcasm.
She stood up, picked up the pineapple cake on the table and threw it into the trash can without hesitation.
The pineapple pastry was just a by-product and the excuse was just made up.
Of course, Ivy knew that there was no urgent patient at all, but he could not wait to find Letitia Carson.
The reason why she did not expose it was simply because she would be leaving in another month.
In the past, Ivy had no doubt about Ezekiel's love.
Ezekiel was an orphan sponsored by the Reid Family. He grew up with her and they were childhood sweethearts.
She felt sorry for Ezekiel's experience and gave him all her love. He also regarded it as redemption, loved her as his life and was unwilling to be separated from her.
When the college entrance examination ended, Ezekiel knelt on one knee, took out the ring he had bought with all his savings from his part-time job, confessed his love to her and proposed to her.
Since then, he had been even more obedient, considerate and gentle to her.
She had a bad stomach and was picky about food, so he went to a cooking school and learned cooking skills for three months and cooked for her in different ways.
Ivy was afraid of thunder, so he never missed a rainy night and would go home to be with her even when he was on a business trip.
She liked flowers, so he secretly bought a flower shop and never stopped sending her a bouquet of flowers every day.
For ten years, Ezekiel held Ivy in his hands for ten whole years.
She thought that they would continue to be so sweet in the future until she heard that conversation.
Three days ago, Ivy came to the study with a carefully selected wedding candy gift box, ready to listen to Ezekiel's opinion.
“Ezekiel, you are getting married in a month. How do you feel now?” one of his friends asked unintentionally, but it aroused Ivy's curiosity.
Ivy stood still with the gift box, a smile unconsciously appearing on the corner of her mouth, waiting for Ezekiel's answer.
“Marrying her is just a way of repaying a favor. What's the feeling?" Ezekiel's cold voice shattered Ivy’s expectations.
In just a moment, her smile froze on her face, her breathing suddenly stagnated and confusion and helplessness surged into her heart.
What did it mean to repay a favor?
Ezekiel continued, “Okay, don't mention her. Letitia will get jealous if she hears about her."
Ivy could not listen to anything Ezekiel said anymore.
She called her parents to ask about repaying the favor and after receiving a negative answer, she realized that the so-called repaying the favor was just an excuse Ezekiel made to fool his friends.
He had already fallen in love with Letitia, an intern doctor under his name.
Not only did he rent a house for Letitia, but even the person who liked to eat the pineapple pastry that morning was someone else.
While Ezekiel and Letitia were flirting, she was still foolishly looking forward to their wedding a month later.
Thinking back on all the deception she had endured over the years, she could still feel the heart-wrenching pain she felt the day she learned the truth.
Ivy's eyes suddenly turned red and she resolutely clicked to submit the application form for aid to Africa.
There would be no more weddings.
She was going to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor without borders and she did not want Ezekiel anymore.
The dusk was falling and it was time to get off work.
Ivy was standing beside Ezekiel's car waiting for him as she was going back to the Reid Family that day, but she saw a beautiful figure in the distance.
Ezekiel walked quickly towards her first and when he spoke, there was a tentative tone in his voice.
“Ivy, it's raining so hard today, so my intern can't get a taxi. How about giving her a ride?”
Ivy stared at Letitia behind him for a few seconds, feeling a surge of sarcasm in her heart.
It was raining really hard and even in the parking lot there were gusts of cold wind, blowing the clothes of the three people.
She immediately noticed the gray and white sweater under Letitia's black coat.
That was the hand-knitted birthday gift she gave to Ezekiel half a year ago.
Ivy lowered her eyes, suddenly laughed at herself and nodded, “It's up to you to decide.”
Anyway, the people had been brought there, so how could she still throw a tantrum and object?
Seeing Ivy agree so readily, a look of surprise flashed across Ezekiel's face, but it quickly turned into calm demeanor.
Perhaps to comfort her, Ezekiel stopped Letitia who was about to sit in the passenger seat subconsciously, “Letitia, sit in the back. This seat is for Ivy.”
As he said that, he opened the car door for her.
But the sharp-eyed Ivy spotted a pink diamond hairpin left on the passenger seat.
A feeling of nausea suddenly surged up in her mind.
She frowned, her expression slightly changed and she could not help but sarcastically said, “Ezekiel, I really don't remember when I bought this hairpin.”
After saying that, she closed the passenger door and walked to the back seat. “I'll just sit in the back seat.”
The three of them got in the car and remained silent.
Along the way, Ezekiel looked back frequently to explain the hairpin, but he could only see Ivy closing her eyes to rest.
His heart began to tighten and he felt uneasy.
Seeing him hesitant to speak, Ivy was deeply disturbed and found it extremely boring.
She picked up the hairpin and said calmly, “I forgot, this hairpin is mine.”
He visibly relieved and quickly said, “Yes, I saw you wearing it before.”
She did not bother to think about how ridiculous the words were.
Anyway, she would be leaving in a month and by then, either pink diamonds, blue diamonds, or emeralds would have nothing to do with her.
The heavy rain blurred the scenery outside the car window. Suddenly, a muffled groan was heard from inside the car.
Letitia covered her stomach in pain, tears welling up in her eyes, “Mr. Cruz, my stomach... my stomach hurts so much.”
Her moan frightened Ezekiel so much that he braked suddenly and his face changed drastically.
“What's going on? I 'll take you to the hospital.”
Before he finished speaking, he immediately turned the car around and drove back, completely forgetting about Ivy in the car.
Until Letitia met her gaze, her tone was considerate, but there was a hint of pride in her eyes, “What about Doctor Reid?”
Looking at her pale face, Ezekiel felt distressed and said without hesitation, “We're almost home anyway, let her go back by herself.”
The moment he turned around and met Ivy's gaze, Ezekiel realized something was wrong. After all, she was his real wife and how could he abandon his wife on the road in a rainstorm?
Thinking of that, he panicked a little, fearing that Ivy might have misunderstood him. “Ivy, don't think too much. Letitia is my intern and if she's not feeling well, I will naturally take care of her."
Before Ivy could answer, Letitia raised her hand and patted Ezekiel's arm as if to teach him a lesson.
She looked caring, “Doctor Reid, don't listen to what Doctor Cruz said. I'm fine now, let’s continue our ride. I don’t want you guys to have any conflicts because of me.”
Although the words were considerate, there was a strong implication of moral blackmail behind them.
A coldness in Ivy's eyes could be seen clearly and she stopped Ezekiel. “Please drop me off at the next intersection, so as not to delay her treatment.”
Ezekiel did as she was told, but he felt something was wrong in his heart.
But when he looked at her expression, he found that there was no anger, grievance, or sadness on Ivy's face, as if she had just made a trivial decision.
She did not look at anyone, her eyes fixed on the void and she got out of the car impatiently as soon as it stopped.
The heavy rain blew her umbrella askew and the splashes from the vehicles on the roadside wet her clothes.
As the cold wind blew, her cell phone rang. It was her parents.
“Ivy, why haven't you and Ezekiel returned home yet? Did something happen on the way?”
The worry in her parents' voices suddenly reminded Ivy of her grievance. She suppressed the bitterness in her heart, but still could not help sobbing, “Dad, can you come pick me up?”
Ivy, who was soaking wet, standing at the bus stop, felt distressed and angry. Her usually gentle face also showed annoyance.
“Where's Ezekiel? Didn't you say you would go home with him today to discuss the wedding?”
Ivy was very calm when answering, “Dad, I have already applied for aid to Africa. I won't get married.”
After listening to Ivy's account of the whole story, Ivy’s father was so angry that he slammed the table.
“I support more than just Ezekiel. I have never threatened him, let alone asked him to repay my kindness and marry my daughter.”
Ivy’s mother was so angry that she was shaking all over. “I agreed to this marriage because I saw how well he treated Ivy. I didn't expect that he actually had this idea behind my back.
“No, I have to make it clear to Ezekiel that my Reid Family doesn't need any gratitude and he shouldn't even think about marrying into the Reid Family.”
As Ivy’s mother spoke, she dialed his number.
But no one answered the phone, even if she did it over and over again.
Ivy listened to the echo and smiled sarcastically, “Mom, please stop calling. He's busy accompanying his girlfriend to see a doctor. How can he have time to answer your call?
“Besides, Ezekiel will know it naturally on the wedding day.”
Estimating the time, she should have been on the plane to South Africa when the wedding ceremony started.
A wedding without the bride was the last gift that Ivy gave to Ezekiel.
Ezekiel hurried over just after dinner.
As if to make up for it, he took out a bunch of daffodils from behind him and took Ivy home.
However, standing in front of their wedding room, she keenly caught a hint of hesitation that flashed across Ezekiel's face.
She pushed the door open and then froze in place for a moment.
Ezekiel actually brought Letitia back to their home.
Looking at Letitia who seemed to be at home, Ivy closed her eyes tremblingly, took a deep breath, but her eyes turned red uncontrollably.
She did not expect that even though she was already riddled with wounds, she would still be injured again and her chest and ribs were all in pain.
Seeing her shocked and sad expression, Ezekiel could not help but walk forward and grabbed her hand.
There was a bit more heartache and panic in his tone, but he still said, “Ivy, Letitia's rented house has no heating and it's cold, so I'll let her move into our house for a while.”
Seeing that she did not say anything, Ezekiel promised, “Don't worry, Ivy, Letitia will only stay here for a while and she will move out after we get married in a month.”
Why did anyone need to move? She was the one who should move.
