Since Lily Bennett addressed the reporters and made ambiguous remarks about her patient yesterday, the hospital entrance had become much quieter. At least the media was no longer swarming to block the hospital doors. Even her colleagues began to treat her normally again, no longer eyeing her like she was some strange, exotic creature.
Lily had expected that Maxwell Thornton would step in to clarify the situation or at least find someone to handle it, but instead, he remained silent as if nothing had ever happened. Since yesterday, he hadn't said a word or made any attempt to reach out to her.
Lily felt like her dignity was so insignificant in his eyes that it wasn’t even worth addressing. Yet, the silence surrounding her only made her more anxious, as though it was the calm before a great storm. The one constant was her job, though ever since Maxwell entered her life, her usual work in urology had become strangely quiet. What was once a bustling office, full of patients, was now so deserted that she wouldn't even be surprised if a fly buzzed by—except that, being a hospital, cleanliness was paramount, and no fly would dare make an appearance.
Still, the thought was just another reflection of her increasingly dull workday, with her clinic as empty as a ghost town.
By the afternoon, even her patient consultations were completely vacant. With nothing to do, Lily suddenly remembered that she still owed William Edsel a new wool coat and a scarf. Given she had some free time, she figured it was a perfect opportunity to head to the mall and buy replacements. She had closely inspected William’s lost coat last time—it wasn’t a high-end luxury brand but still of good quality. Regardless, since she had misplaced it, she decided it was only right to buy something even better to make up for it, even if it meant dipping into her paycheck.
Standing in a store at the mall, Lily asked the salesperson to find a coat similar to the one she had lost. Just as she was about to request they wrap it up, she heard a very familiar voice from the nearby section.
“Maxwell, you should try on this dark gray coat. It suits you perfectly! Doesn’t it look great on you?”
“It doesn’t suit me. I don’t like it.” Maxwell Thornton's deep voice, as cold as winter wind, sent a shiver through Lily, standing at the opposite counter.
Surprised, she glanced over instinctively, only to immediately pull her coat up to cover her face. "What bad luck! Of all the people I could run into, it has to be those two. This isn’t even a bad day on the calendar!"
The salesperson, noticing Lily’s strange behavior, leaned in and whispered, "Miss, would you still like to purchase the coat?"
Realizing there was no point in hiding, Lily nodded with a polite smile. She then turned, facing the two people across the store. Zelda Bennett hadn't expected to run into Lily here either—what a small world! Her lip twitched slightly.
“Well, well, what a surprise to see Dr. Bennett here. That coat you’re holding looks lovely—buying it for your boyfriend, I assume? You have a good eye for fashion.”
Lily took the bag from the salesperson without even glancing at Zelda. The malice in Zelda's voice was hard to miss, her words dripping with jealousy and the bitter need to provoke. As usual, Zelda’s sharp tone carried the same biting resentment that always seemed to follow her interactions with Lily. Meanwhile, Maxwell remained quiet, casting a fleeting glance in Lily's direction.
Zelda, sensing the awkward tension, quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around Maxwell’s. With a sweet, overly affectionate tone, she added, "Maxwell, I’m sorry, I should’ve mentioned this sooner, but Dr. Bennett is actually my sister. She didn’t want me to tell you, though, which is why I kept quiet. I hope you understand."
Lily had no interest in watching Zelda's poor acting performance. Did she really think Maxwell was so naive that he didn’t already know their relationship? This was clearly just for show.
“I’d like to add a scarf to my purchase. Could you ring me up, please?” Lily handed her credit card to the salesperson, completely ignoring Zelda’s so-called confession. She casually started picking out a scarf from the display rack, not caring about the ongoing drama behind her.
Zelda’s face turned an ugly shade of red. She had been performing a one-woman show, yet Lily didn’t even care. To make matters worse, Maxwell’s gaze lingered on Lily, seemingly unconcerned by the scene Zelda was causing. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, Zelda finally quieted down. Meanwhile, Maxwell took out his phone, casually checking it.
Lily chose a scarf and was about to hand it to the salesperson when she suddenly heard chaotic footsteps from a distance. She turned around in surprise, only to see a group of reporters rushing toward her, cameras in hand.
What on earth? Did all the security guards downstairs decide to take a break at the same time? How did the media even get in here?
Lily’s first reaction was to snatch back her credit card from the cashier and quickly cover her face, her eyes scanning for the nearest exit.