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Humbert couldn’t stop thinking about the question that had been bugging him. His gaze was fixed on Winifred’s flawless face, as if he could see right through her.
But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t place her in his memory.
“No, we haven’t. Thank you, Dr. Pierce, for catching me earlier,” Winifred said.
Right then, someone shouted, “Dr. Pierce!”
As Humbert turned to look, Winifred used the chance to slip out with Rosalind.
Rosalind had turned six, and she was starting to pick up on the subtle tensions between adults, just like what had happened a moment ago.
“Mom, that doctor looks just like Dad…” Rosalind began, but before she could finish, Winifred quickly covered her mouth.
“Rose, do you remember what I told you?” Winifred said in a stern voice.
Rosalind nodded, recalling Winifred’s warning not to mention the doctor who resembled her dad. But honestly, she thought the doctor was just like her dad in the photo.
Since she was little, Rosalind had only ever seen that one photo of her parents together. It was tucked away in Winifred’s wallet on the nightstand.
The word “dad” felt like something from another world to Rosalind. She had seen other kids getting picked up by their dads at school, but her dad was just a stranger she’d never met.
She realized that not everyone would have a dad, but she did have the best mom, who loved her more than anything.
Winifred took a few steps away and then glanced back over her shoulder. She saw Humbert chatting with a young female doctor. She quickly looked away, her gaze dropping.
She thought a golden boy like him would always have beautiful women around him. She couldn’t understand how she ever had the nerve to force him to be with her back then.
That three–year relationship was probably just a stain on his otherwise perfect life. It wasn’t like she was the one desperate to avoid him now.
She thought if he ever found out she was actually Claire, he’d be the one running from her. Only a rich heiress could ever be good enough for someone like him.
“Dr. Pierce, did you and Susan have a fight or something? She looked really down today,” said
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Chapter 17
Jane Croft, Susan’s friend.
Humbert raised an eyebrow, giving her a look like she was talking nonsense.
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“If she’s in a bad mood, tell her to book an appointment with psych. What’s that got to do with me?” Humbert replied, clearly uninterested. He turned to leave, his face cold.
“Humbert, we’re colleagues here. You and Susan studied together in Isrinda and even lived in the same student apartment. We all know how she feels about you,” Jane said.
“Just because she likes me, I’m supposed to like her back? Does the whole world revolve around her?” Humbert shot back, his deep eyes cold.
He glanced over at Susan, who was standing not far behind Jane. Jane couldn’t help but shiver. She was just trying to stand up for her friend.
Just then, Susan walked over and linked her arm with Jane’s. “It’s fine, Jane. I’m okay now. Humbert, I’m sorry. Jane was just worried about me.”
“If you’re not feeling well, go home and rest,” Humbert replied.
Susan’s eyes welled up.
She thought he still cared about her. “Humbert…”
“Don’t let your health get in the way of your work. This job isn’t child’s play,” Humbert said, slipping one hand into his pocket as he turned to leave.
Susan watched his tall, refined figure disappear, biting her lip. She’d been chasing after him for seven whole years in Isrinda, and yet his heart was still cold as ice, impossible to thaw no matter what she did.
“Susan, I… I just saw Humbert getting all touchy–feely with a woman who had a kid. He even had his arm around her waist, and her daughter looked about five or six,” Jane said, sneaking a glance at Susan’s face.
As expected, Susan’s face fell, and Jane immediately shut up.
“Jane, don’t make stuff up. Humbert isn’t that kind of guy. There’s no way he’d be messing around with some older woman who has a kid. Maybe she’s just one of his patients, and he was just being professional or something,” Susan insisted.
Actually, Susan knew her explanation sounded weak. Anyone who really knew Humbert could tell he was cold and distant, always acting like he was above everyone else. Outside of work, he kept everyone at arm’s length.
Susan had only come over after overhearing a few nurses gossiping about some woman who tried to bring Humbert lunch and got turned away. So, she came over to see for herself.
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She knew Humbert wasn’t interested in other women, except for the one sitting on his lap in his office that day. It gave her a sense of crisis.
Jane wanted to add that the woman wasn’t old at all and was gorgeous.
But with the way Susan looked right now, Jane kept her mouth shut. Susan was the hospital director, Benson’s daughter, and Jane knew better than to mess with her.
*****
In September, Rosalind started first grade. That morning, Winifred took her to school, going over a million things she needed to remember.
After watching Rosalind head inside, Winifred took the subway to work. She clocked in and made it to her desk just as the morning meeting was about to start.
Lately, Lumina Studio had landed two big design projects, and Winifred was buried in work. She was staying late at the office, and even after getting home, she’d still work for a couple of hours. Thankfully, her two dogs, Butter and Spud, were well–behaved.
Since Winifred had been working so late, Ruby had been picking Rosalind up from school in the afternoons. Winifred really appreciated it, so on her day off, she bought Ruby a new outfit.
Ruby might come off as a bit rough around the edges at first. She was sharp–tongued and street–smart, but if one spent some time with her, they would see she was warm–hearted.
That afternoon, Ruby showed off the new outfit Winifred bought her while playing cards with her friends. “Pretty stylish, huh? Winifred got it for me. I told her not to bother, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
She added, “Check out this washable cotton. It’s perfect for summer. Way better than your fancy silk. I swear, ever since I started wearing this, my luck at cards has totally turned around.”
Meanwhile, Winifred pulled out some loose change from her wallet and decided to head to the neighborhood market to grab some groceries. There were always discounts on veggies and stuff in the evenings.
Rosalind took her phone and walked back to Ruby’s place. Ruby had just returned from playing cards with her friends, grinning from a lucky streak.
She asked Winifred to pick up some steak on the way back, saying she wanted to cook it for lunch the next day,
As Winifred walked to the market, she looked up at the clear night sky. The moon was bright, and the stars were few. She slowed down, closing her eyes for a moment as the warm evening
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Chapter 17
breeze brushed her face.
The sounds and smells of the neighborhood–people cooking and kids laughing—helped ease the stress of a long day at work.
At the market, she grabbed a bunch of groceries. The guy selling salmon even gave her some scraps for her dogs, and Winifred smiled and thanked him.
It only took about twenty minutes to walk back to the apartment building. As she walked, Winifred had her evening planned out.
First, she’d clean up the salmon scraps and pour hot water over them for Butter and Spud. Then, she’d start marinating the steak, and finally, she’d chop up the veggies for dinner.
There wasn’t even an elevator in the old building, so she made her way up five flights of stairs with both hands full of groceries and her fingers sore from the weight.
When Winifred reached the fifth floor, she noticed that Ruby’s door was wide open. She set her bags down in the doorway and walked in. “Rose?”
“Mom!” Rosalind’s voice came from inside, trembling and near tears.
Winifred’s heart skipped a beat. She rushed inside and saw Ruby sitting on the floor, while Rosalind tried to help her onto the couch.
The moment Rosalind saw Winifred, she called out, her voice shaky with tears. “Mom, Ruby suddenly couldn’t breathe and got all dizzy. I already called the doctor guy.”
Winifred felt a sharp surge of anxiety as she looked at Ruby’s pale face, barely even hearing who Rosalind had just mentioned.
AD
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
