Chapter 16 The New Job

VirtualCare Hospital had that typical hospital smell of disinfectant, and the white walls gave off a soft glow. A bunch of nurses were busy sorting out medical records at the nurse's station, chatting quietly among themselves.

Emily had taken up John's offer, and today was her first day on the job.

She finally had a job! She was over the moon, adjusted her nurse's cap carefully, and introduced herself to the head nurse with a big smile.

The head nurse, in her forties and a twenty-year veteran at the hospital, was super efficient. She was pretty pleased with Emily, who was sweet and unassuming, making her instantly likable.

"Emily, this is your mentor, Abigail Rodriguez. She'll show you the ropes during your internship. If you run into any problems, just come to me," the head nurse said before handing Emily over to Abigail.

Once the head nurse left, Abigail relaxed, let out a soft sigh, and fanned herself. She asked curiously while working, "Emily, I heard Dr. Williams introduced you? Are you two...?"

Abigail, with her petite frame and sweet demeanor, flashed a mischievous smile, her eyes twinkling in a way that made Emily feel slightly embarrassed. Emily quickly waved her hand in dismissal. “Ms. Rodriguez, John and I are just friends, nothing more.”

“Just call me Abigail,” she corrected without a care for formalities. She widened her eyes dramatically, clasping her hands together as she leaned closer to Emily. “Come on, you have to go for Dr. Williams! Do you have any idea how many girls in this hospital are head over heels for him? He's tall, handsome, gentle, humble, and most importantly, single! Dr. Williams is every girl’s dream guy here. If I had the gift of being friends with him and looked as pretty as you, I would’ve made my move ages ago. You’ve got to seize this opportunity!”

'John, is he really that popular here?' Emily thought, feeling happy for John.

The cute Abigail in front of her, chattering away, even reminded her a bit of Michael, making Emily laugh. "Abigail, John and I are really just friends. We grew up together, so we're close. It's not what you think!"

"Alright," Abigail muttered, a bit disappointed, but was soon distracted by the ringing call bell, dropping the subject.

They were busy all morning and only got a break for lunch at noon.

Abigail took Emily to the cafeteria, but before she could decide what to eat, she saw John, who was usually hard to find, walking over with two lunchboxes, smiling at Emily. "Emily, let's have lunch together. I made some bento."

There was even a hint of anticipation in John's expression.

'Oh my, could it be that Dr. Williams is pursuing Emily?' Abigail thought, feeling like she had discovered something big.

"But..." Emily hesitated. It was her first day at work, and she wanted to have lunch with Abigail to build their friendship.

"You two go ahead and eat. The head nurse just called me for something!" Abigail quickly bounced away, heading towards the head nurse's table. Dr. Williams finally had someone he liked; how could she get in the way of him pursuing Emily? She would just have to make do and eat with the head nurse.

Watching Abigail run off, Emily felt a bit helpless, knowing Abigail had misunderstood again. But there would be opportunities to explain later.

When they were kids, John often cooked when their parents weren't around. Emily hadn't tasted John's cooking in years and missed it dearly.

Emily and John found an empty table and sat down. John opened the two lunchboxes, revealing neatly arranged, steaming hot food that looked and smelled delicious. He handed one to Emily and naturally set up her utensils.

"John, your cooking skill has improved. Whoever marries you in the future will be the luckiest person in the world!" Emily took a bite and immediately squinted her eyes in delight, thinking it was so delicious.

John looked tenderly at the lively Emily in front of him. While abroad, he had often thought of their childhood days playing and living together. But ever since Emily got married, he could only recall those happy times in his dreams. Now, after so many years, he finally saw the clear image of the little girl from their childhood again.

"Emily, you're too skinny. You should eat more. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you."

"John, you still see me as a little girl." For the first time in a long while, Emily felt so relaxed, laughing freely. "John, your cooking is amazing. If you ever stop being a doctor, you'd make an excellent chef."

"Thank you." John patted Emily's head. Her cheeks were puffed up, making her look like a cute little animal. He picked up a piece of fish, carefully removed the bones, and brought it to Emily's mouth. "Try this. I made it especially for you." His voice was gentle and doting, his eyes full of affection.

"John, I'm not Michael! I can eat by myself!" Emily's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shyly opened her mouth to eat the piece of fish.

Across the cafeteria, Olivia sat at another table, watching them with a cold expression from the very beginning. Her lips curled into a meaningful smile. She quickly took out her phone and made a call.

"James, I left a document at home. Can you bring it to the hospital for me? It's urgent." Olivia's voice was sweet and seductive, with a hint of calculation.

"Okay."

Not long after, James brought the document to the cafeteria as Olivia had requested. Olivia rarely made such requests, and since he was at home when she called, James didn't mind bringing it over. But as soon as he walked in, he saw John about to feed Emily some fish.

James instantly felt displeased, a surge of jealousy rising from somewhere deep within him. Just a few days ago, Emily had been in his bed, whispering words of love, and now, in front of so many people, she was being intimate with another man!