Chapter 39

"Jolene, I'd like to see how you handle next Monday's internship assessment." Without a supervising doctor, she would surely be eliminated. Jolene ignored her, her cold and calm eyes making Molly feel unsettled. "Jolene, let's make a bet!" Molly's heart surged with anger. "Whoever gets the higher score in the assessment wins, and the loser has to leave! Do you dare?" Jolene lifted her chin slightly while standing tall. She answered in a soft yet firm voice, "Fine, whoever loses has to leave." Molly walked away with a cold snort. She knew that academic lessons were one thing, but the internship assessment wasn't just a written test. Jolene was sure to lose! Jolene went back to the locker room to pack her things, then headed to Ward 2103 as usual. "Today, I'll be giving you a massage to improve your circulation," she said as she helped Betty lie down. Betty gave her a probing look before speaking coldly, "A woman must have self-respect and self-love." She had heard about the incident at the hospital entrance. Character is most important for a doctor." She continued to lecture while frowning with disgust, "Out of all things, why must you be a kept woman?" With her head lowered, Jolene pressed on the woman's acupoints without any reaction. Betty pressed further. "There is no smoke without fire. Don't think you can get close to me and stir up trouble in my family. The Lindt family values integrity and won't accept a woman of your character." Jolene's hands paused momentarily as she lifted her head and glared at Betty with clear eyes. Caught off guard, Betty muttered guiltily, "I… didn't mean anything by it." Deep down, she felt a pang of guilt and even a bit of pity for Jolene. A heavy silence filled the ward. After massaging for half an hour, Jolene's hands were sore. Betty finally broke the silence and praised awkwardly, "Your technique is even better than Dr. Yancy's. You must have practiced a lot." "Would you like some fruit?" Jolene asked in a soft voice. Betty wanted to say that she loved to eat fruits, but instead, she said, "I would, but I only eat the expensive, special grade kind. I won't touch anything sprayed with pesticides from street vendors." "Alright," Jolene replied softly. She went to the locker room and took several glass containers before quickly returning to the ward. She opened the containers one by one, revealing top-grade blueberries, cherries, pears, and pineapples. Betty recognized the quality of the fruits and looked at Jolene in surprise. "Are the interns in City Hospital paid this well? Or…" Looking at Jolene's clear gaze and diligent work ethic, Betty doubted she would seek out a sugar daddy. "My family prepared them," Jolene replied. She didn't want to share them with her colleagues, but she didn't want to waste them either. So, she decided to give them to this old woman with a weird temper. Betty nodded, taking a fork to eat. "Women should eat more fruits; it's good for your skin and health. When I was young…" Jolene sat quietly and listened to her talk, her thoughts drifting. A blueberry was suddenly popped into her mouth. She instinctively chewed, savoring the sweetness. "Young lady, don't take things so seriously. On the other hand, my granddaughter is the sort that doesn't think before she speaks." Betty put down the fork and added, "Since you've been so kind, I won't make things difficult for you anymore." Betty's heart had softened. Jolene looked at her and slowly smiled. True to her word, Betty didn't trouble her for the rest of the day. Jolene's work became much easier, even a bit leisurely. At 6:00 pm, her shift ended. That was when Jolene received a frantic call from Rita. "Mrs. Welsh, something has happened to Mr. Welsh! He's in critical condition!" Jolene felt as if thunder had struck in her ear. Her body turned cold, and her heart clenched in pain.