"That's right. Well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing. I need to get to work myself." Without much explanation, Sheffield turned and headed for his office.
He happened to meet Horace. The other doctor was on his way to see a patient. Horace whispered, "Dude! There's a girl waiting for you. She said she was a friend. She's been here at least a good half-hour." He pointed his finger at the office.
Sheffield turned and saw a familiar figure through the window.
It was her!
Ignoring the curious looks from his colleagues, he walked up to the woman and said coldly, "It's been a while."
The woman was pretty. And fashionable. Everything on her was high-end, brand-name clothing. "Off the rack" was a foreign term to her. Beneath an ankle-length Khaki coat, she wore a knee-length cream-white dress with a pair of navy blue high-heeled shoes. A black shoulder bag completed the outfit.
Her light brown hair was parted in the middle. It was long, falling about her shoulders. She wore light make-up, brown eye shadow, and purple lipstick.
She smiled and said nothing.
"Let's go!" Sheffield gestured to her. He wanted to talk, but outside the office.
While the other doctors were whispering to each other about them, the woman followed Sheffield outside.
It was December and the temperature was scarcely above freezing. After wrapping her coat around her, she took a look at the man walking in front of her and smiled.
When they came to the corridor leading to the hospital garden, she spoke first. "I get it, Dr. Tang. You're busy. You don't text back or answer my calls. I came here three times hoping to see you. No luck. And today, I must have waited an hour before you finally took the time to visit." There was no blame in her tone, but a trace of helplessness.
Sheffield turned back to look at her. "Yeah, I've been really busy. There something I can do for you?" he replied honestly.
"I moved back. I found a job with a big company, working as the manager of the finance department." Gillian Chi lived here before, then lived abroad for a time. She had recently decided to come back.
She sounded quite proud of her new position. A department head was nothing to sneeze at. And so soon after coming back here.
"Congratulations!" Leaning against a pillar, Sheffield took out his lighter from his pocket and began to play with it. Flicking it open, watching the flame, then closing it again.
His lack of enthusiasm made her feel helpless. "Are you busy now? Let's have dinner together."
"Yeah, I am kinda busy." He didn't even have time to see Evelyn. How could he have time to eat with another woman?
They continued to walk while chatting.
After glancing at his lighter, the young woman asked, "When did you start smoking?"
"People change. I know I did."
"You got that right!" Suddenly, something occurred to her. She caught up with the man and asked, "Why did you quit racing? That was your favorite hobby. Well, that, and computers." Sheffield used to play on the computer all the time. Gillian Chi thought he lacked ambition.
"I told you: people change. I found something more important to me."
"Do you mean you don't like racing anymore?"
"Yes!"
"Listen to you! You sacrificed a lot to be a race car driver. How could you possibly not like it all of a sudden? Rumor says you did this for a woman. That true?" Gillian Chi and he shared common friends in the racing circles. Someone told her Sheffield gave up racing for his girlfriend and even gifted his favorite race car to someone else. She didn't believe it!
A playboy like Sheffield would never give up his favorite car just for a woman.
"If they say it's true, then it must be true."
"You..." Gillian Chi was very angry about his attitude.
Knowing he pissed her off, he smiled. "If there's nothing else, I have to get back to work. I have a consultation soon."
"Wait—maybe we could get together later. We need to talk."
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. We're not involved. You don't need me around. You have the old woman." He raised his head and looked at the sky. It was getting colder and colder, and steel grey clouds were moving in. He wondered if Evelyn had put on any warmer clothing.
"Old woman? She's in her early thirties, for crap's sake. She still looks young. She's not old at all," she corrected him.
"I don't care. Even if she were only three, she'll always be a vulgar old woman to me!" Then Sheffield put away his lighter and turned around, ready to leave.
"Fine. Let's drop it. A doctor. A surgeon even. I'm proud of you," Gillian Chi went on, grabbing his sleeve. After all, in her eyes, he used to be a lazy bum, just a jerk who always fooled around. Apart from his handsome looks and excellent racing skill, he had no redeeming features.
She didn't know his background until after they broke up.
Now, he looked so different and was much more handsome than before! He was so dashing in that doctor's getup that she could hardly breathe around him.
When he looked at her hand grabbing his sleeve, a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. "I told you. I have a consultation in a few minutes. I don't have time for this. Take care."
"Okay. Nice to see you again." Gillian Chi then let him go. "But remember to go home when you have time."
"Home?" He sneered. "I just went home and took a shower."
Gillian Chi paused for a while before she realized what he meant. "You know what I mean."
"Sorry, not a clue! I have only one home. That's my apartment. Oh, wait... I have another place—my wife's place. That's it!"
"You have a girlfriend?" Gillian Chi's hands trembled.
When he thought of Evelyn, his eyes filled with love. "Not just a girlfriend. She's my woman, my wife!"
"You got married?" She raised her voice a little. She sounded like she might go hysterical.
"No."
The woman breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they weren't married, she still had a chance to win him back.
But Sheffield felt he had to elaborate. "It's only a matter of time before we do tie the knot. We'll have the marriage licenses sooner or later."
Gillian Chi couldn't believe her ears. "Do you love her that much?"
"Of course!" After saying that, Sheffield turned and headed towards his office.
A cold wind blew, stirring Gillian Chi's hair. She felt chilled all the way to her heart.
In a car not far away, Calvert rolled up the window, scrolled to the photo he'd just taken on his phone, and ordered the driver, "Investigate that woman."
"Yes, Mr. Ji."
In the photo, the woman clutched the man's sleeve, and because of the angle of the shot, she seemed to be holding his hand.
The car drove away from the hospital.
That evening, after getting the answer he wanted, Calvert immediately sent the photo to Evelyn.
At ZL Group
Evelyn was in the meeting room, discussing business with several senior executives. Carlos was there as well. She put her phone between her and Carlos.
Her phone buzzed. Evelyn unlocked it and clicked on the message. She couldn't believe her eyes.