Remorse of Love

Gunn, he volunteered to lead a medical tea

n aftershock, a female doctor

each other throu

on television, everyon

long I could hold onto my p

g demeanor, I quietly hand

he day of the aftersh

ay I received my

1

was the city's youngest and most

team to a remote dis

female doctor from Doctors Withou

m have been hailed

with great hon

celebration party, inviting the families of

, dressed in a sharp business suit, an

is the place, " th

was ajar, and I could vaguely

o push it open, I hea

on the campus forum when we were in school. She's been working

, sounding quite f

man in this city, a busy boss who wouldn't bother with our li

tten along, ever since

ospital's gatherings. Poor Alec has b

one turned to

nt, his lips pressed into a

in when I interrupted with a

to be

heels on the floor dre

side, under the surprised and

, a hint of surpr

d an ineffable flood of emotions welled

o rivers converging, flowing

thinner and tan

and touch his face, to

t, and I had

r area, we had already been in

" Alec's voice was indiffere

how to tell him that I

deeply ingrained, and years of

ld want to see m

pe. Hello, I'm Kyra Baxter. I suppose we share the same university. I of

face matched the bright s

edly, a sharp pang of pain

ued to smile and said, "Hope, why don't

respond, Alec g

oesn't want to

icy, like a

silent, the te

ed at me

not to care, and smiled, "It's fine.

2

urrounded by the whispers

g on? Who in

ield. Their relationshi

about divorce before Kyra showed up, so

ass with a smile,

essors praise you as the most talented student they

ass, and replied politely yet distantl

B (Doctors Without Borders), help

bly, taking a s

ss down, she casua

y did you cha

ght an immediate

ding the fork v

ell, everyone knows that. Our salaries can't c

exchanged

e? I think being a doctor is an honorable

e still young. Not everyone

up at me, his deep gaze searching

ed unmoved,

ok, "Shane, it's been a while. I

on?" Shane as

oulder about the wealthy is

iting laughter

e darkened

e been classmates for years. Why do you always clash with Hope? Don't forget how much she's

"I'm just standing up for

gh, S

, taking a s

on Alec's arm, softly calling hi

s glass, regaini

t a chill run through

criticisms I faced tonight, nothing

onths, everythi

y heart, a bitterness th

my drink

hit by a split

tinued, I quietly slipped

from my bag and

, the headache

closed door, lacking t

ked dejectedly t

ere about to close, a s

ck, meeting Alec's

ere are y

3

ed side by side

ette under th

sure but didn't repri

n it yourself. Le

ter, and the flame seared my finger

he continued, "Ky

ble, she risked everything to f

arcasm as I couldn't he

ife, you must marry her? That's qui

his lips tightly together, his gaze

re unwil

him, blew out a cloud of smoke as my e

a divorce, let's

yes dimmed, and his ex

hought you'd agree so readily. Have you been planning to divorce me all along? You accus

sadness spread through my h

that felt like it w

't explain; he simply n

ey were, there was no

ze, not answeri

home sometime and

as one I had bought out

en staying in an apartment near the hosp

remained unto

ion grew incre

just throw

igarette slipped from my

rig

to leave, a tho

email through my lawyer. If there's anything you're not satisfied wi

suddenly recalle

ends meet, relying on scholar

n on my background wh

you can tell me anything you need,

reversed, I seemed

trace of sadness fl

dn't re

led my name

pe.

th suppressed emotion,

ever think of contacting me, even just a phone call? When the news came

of questio

d by a headache that swept

d forth, and I swallowed the meta

ck, standing wit

nswer still

4

the bar, a gentle mist

rcing against my skin, an

ing for air, trying to alleviat

eek black leather shoe

d wise-looking middle-aged man

ilored suit, exuding an aur

arp features hinted at

ou alr

evoid of any emotion, yet he subt

d upright, instinctivel

re you

black eyes fixed on me with an au

u were here

filled with an enduring ha

in what happened three m

support me and tried to leave, b

r the umbrella, shiel

s voice called o

op

bar's entrance, looking as i

ushed, and he stag

man that you want to divorce Alec? Have you been cheating on Al

e attention of passersby, cau

shielding me with a ster

ly intimidated, his

. Do you know he fell out with his family because of you? If you never had any intention of being an upright doctor, why d

, replied coldly, "This is betwe

y you choose to repay him? Have you forgotten the life you l

reasingly harsh as he

ched across his brow, he signaled to his b

street, just then, a staff member

oo much to drink. Could y

, my head grew heavier, and

his umbrella and caught me, s

pital!" Declan sho

onsciousness, I loo

re was watching me le

s slipped away completely, a

5

ings with Alec were

in this world, so I n

ted to give Kyra a legitimat

dy seen as a perfect coupl

stigma of being the other woma

willing to leav

rk, so Kyra came to c

or, there she stood,

" she greeted

with a good family backgrou

ould be well-re

one to fall fo

makes me feel eerie, " I said, my face cold and unwelcomi

she abandoned the smal

to pick up Alec's thi

r wider, allowin

stopped her at the bedroom door, pl

important things. I've already packed t

smile. "Alright, then I wo

ook at me, blin

ake some rest. You

merely gesturing

heavier than

she accidentally

, brushing against the smoot

bracel

te rising in my throat a

hand, showing of

went back to Alec's hometown

zing it might not be a

she picked up

s. His mother likes me and wants us to have the wedding soon. Alec also agreed with his mother's

wall, trying to mai

usy with work. I d

ile and left with

as if remembering some

irst wives are always portrayed as women who can'

ile, Kyra closed th

a's words, but suddenly, my h

ste of blood filled

, trying to sto

lec's call c

6

o clean the bloodstains be

el

g? Why did it take

ice came from

need?" I asked, trying t

ant to come by after wor

ready send Kyr

ell si

ngratulations on yo

in that moment, memories

on. They had been engaged i

a doctor to start my own business

marry me, yet we never had

en we had time, we would

rs, the bride at his wedding

again, and it was unco

c se

sense somethi

me at home. I'll

blurte

t com

its usual tenderness. "Hope, I hav

face as pale as paper, covered

over the phone. Are there any clauses in the

dn't re

as he usually did, but this

. I must see