Chapter 5

Charlotte wandered the streets all night. Sean never called. It seemed he hadn't gone home either. Wherever he was, it no longer mattered. After washing up at a nearby place, she went back to pack her things. She took only her suitcase, left it at a hotel for storage, then hailed a cab to the hospital. This time, he didn't show up during her session. However, the doctor gave her good news. The latest evaluation showed excellent recovery. If all went well, her final appointment at the end of the month could be skipped entirely. Charlotte's heart gave a faint tremor, as if a thousand-pound weight had finally lifted from her chest. Even breathing felt easier. She immediately reached for her phone to share the news with Sean. They didn't have to drag this broken relationship until the end of the month. Ending it early might be a release for both of them. However, the call didn't go through. She hesitated for a moment, then decided to look for him in his office. Before she could reach it, chaos erupted down the hallway. A group of grieving family members in mourning clothes were shouting and crying, demanding to see a doctor named Dr. Lundberg. Amid the noise, Charlotte caught a familiar voice. When she looked closer, she saw Sean and Kylie caught in the middle of the angry crowd. Kylie was already in tears, her fragile frame half-collapsed into Sean's arms. He was nervously trying to shield her, pushing people away while holding her tight. In the chaos, he finally broke free of the crowd, not realizing Charlotte was standing there, stunned. He collided with her before he could stop. When he saw who it was, he froze. "Charlotte?" He reached for her, but another wave of furious family members came charging through. The impact slammed her against the wall. A sharp pain tore through her lower back, and her vision went black for a moment. Through the blur, she saw Sean again. He turned and ran after Kylie without looking back. His fading silhouette looked like the ending of a dream long gone cold. When she came to, someone familiar had pulled her away from the chaos. It was Tristan Clayment, her future boss. He had come to visit a patient, but ended up rescuing her instead, making sure she got all the medical checks she needed. Once she was settled into a hospital bed, he smiled reassuringly, asking her to just focus on resting and not to stress about the training in ten days. Charlotte felt a little embarrassed. "It's just a minor injury. My back will be fine long before then, so by that time–" The door burst open before she could finish. Sean stood there, his expression unreadable. "Ten days? What are you planning to do in ten days?" His gaze shifted to Tristan, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "And you are?" The barrage of questions made Charlotte's palms clench. She took a quiet breath, intending to tell him the truth that she was leaving. "I came here today because there's something important I need to tell you–" Before she could finish, the door opened again. Kylie stood there, wringing her hands while bowing at Charlotte. "Ms. Summer, I'm so sorry about today. The family stormed in unexpectedly, and if it weren't for Sean protecting me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt." Then she turned to Sean, eyes red and glistening. Sean immediately softened. "It was an accident. You were in danger. Charlotte's fine. She just needs rest. Don't worry yourself over it." Charlotte stayed silent. She remembered Kylie's arrogance from the night before and lay there in a daze. The room went still. Tristan finally broke the tension with a polite excuse to leave. Once he was gone, it managed to pull Sean's attention back. Just as they were about to return to the same topic, a nurse walked in with a chart in hand. "Ms. Summer, congrats. You're pregnant."