Chapter 10 Have You Slept Together?
Yvette pursed her lips, seemingly devoid of any emotion.
She pretended not to notice Albert's disgust, trying hard to maintain her composure, even though her inner turmoil was beyond calm.
Just a second ago, she was immersed in joy, thinking she finally had some weight in his heart, and the next second, he poured a bucket of cold water on her, waking her up mercilessly.
"I understand," Yvette said, "I'll take care of it in a moment."
Perhaps not expecting Yvette to accept it so calmly, without even an explanation, Albert's expression was a bit strange, with a slight furrow of his brow.
Yvette looked up, smiling, and said, "You don't have to accompany me for dinner. If you have something to say, just say it directly. You don't have to torment yourself like this."
Albert paid no heed to Yvette's words, merely casting a glance at her before saying slowly, "I have always believed that you are a smart woman. I hope this kind of thing won't happen again."
His words were tactful enough, preserving her dignity, yet even if she were foolish, she could still sense the hint of a warning in his tone.
What he meant was that if she were to provoke Violet again, he would not overlook it.
If Albert weren't Yvette's husband, she might have thought him a true man.
But alas, he was precisely Yvette's husband.
Perhaps due to her pregnancy, the usually rational Yvette also felt a bit sad. She wanted to cry, but she tried to restrain herself.
She didn't want to cry, at least not in front of Albert.
The temperature set in the consulting room was quite low, and before long, the water stains on Yvette's clothes had dried up. The cup she had just held contained warm water, so after the water dried up, there were no traces left on her pants, much like what had just occurred.
If it weren't for the slight pain in her chest, Yvette might even have had some doubts that everything that happened after Albert arrived was just a nightmare she had during her nap.
Having calmed her emotions, Yvette turned on her computer, located Violet's information, and dialed her number.
Before long, the call was answered.
"Hello, Ms. Swift, I am a doctor from the Forensic Medical Center. If you have the time, you can come in for a follow-up this afternoon or tomorrow morning. If everything is fine, I will provide you with a fitness-for-flight certificate."
After Yvette finished speaking, there was only silence on the other end of the line, with just a faint hint of electrical interference.
Thinking the call had a problem, Yvette confirmed, "Ms. Swift? Can you hear me?"
"Yvette?"
Both of their breaths were light, and the atmosphere between them was strange.
Yvette held the phone and calmly replied, "It's me."
Once the two women confirmed each other's identities, the tone of the call changed.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Yvette asked directly, "When are you planning to come?"
"Before you finish work today."
"Okay."
Just as Yvette took over the handling of Violet, Sylvia received a message from the system and hurried over.
She stormed into Yvette's office, hands on her hips, and began to interrogate, "Yvette, what do you mean by this? I've already issued a grounding order for Violet, so why have you scheduled a re-examination for her?"
Yvette, who had been working on someone else's medical report on the computer, stopped when Sylvia arrived.
"I am simply following the regulations. If she meets the standards, she can resume flying."
"What kind of woman are you? Didn't I tell you? She's trying to be on the same crew as her husband! Are you giving your husband and other women opportunities?"
Yvette pursed her lips, unconsciously gripping the keyboard keys so tightly that she almost pulled them off the keyboard.
Sylvia glanced at her suspiciously. "Did Albert contact you?"
Yvette remained silent.
"Did Albert really reach out to you? It must be Violet who said something to him! She has no shame! How could she do this?"
"No!" Yvette, fearing Sylvia's impulsiveness, quickly interjected, "I was afraid Violet would file a complaint against you."
"I'm not afraid of her complaints."
"I know you're not afraid, but I just felt it wasn't necessary." Yvette struggled to control her emotions, smiled. "I don't want others gossiping about the three of us."
"They are all pilots. Even if I stop it this time, over the next few decades, there will always be times when they are assigned together," Yvette lowered her gaze, smiled, and hypocritically added, "I trust Albert."
Yvette's performance was impeccable, as if she genuinely didn't care at all.
Sylvia opened her mouth but didn't say what she wanted to say.
Since Yvette said so, there was no need for Sylvia to say anything more.
In the afternoon, around four o'clock, Violet appeared in the consultation room.
She was clad in an oversized coat paired with cropped denim, revealing a glimpse of her ankle. Her style, quite uncommon among girls, exuded a blend of femininity and the striking allure of neutrality.
Yvette was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure.
She said, "Come over here, please."
Violet was in good physical condition and fully capable of performing flight duties, so the examination was quickly completed.
As Yvette diligently noted down some of the examination data, she remarked, "Once the blood test results are out, I will issue your flight clearance tomorrow, allowing for your usual scheduling."
Violet remained unresponsive to Yvette's words, seated in the examination chair, gazing intently at Yvette, exhibiting no qualms about being observed.
"Did you and Albert date?"
Yvette didn't look up, her fingers typing swiftly on the keyboard, and said, "As early as tomorrow morning, at the latest tomorrow night."
"Dr. Orlando, you haven't answered my question yet."
Knowing she couldn't avoid the question, Yvette finally looked up, her expression calm.
"Ms. Swift, what would you like to say?"
Violet raised her chin slightly and asked, "Have you slept together?"
Instead of answering, Yvette said, "If you're so curious, you can ask Albert."
"I asked him," Violet smiled and said, "Guess how he introduced you to me?"
"I inquired of him," Violet chuckled. "Can you guess how he described you?"
At this revelation, Yvette instinctively lifted her gaze, curious for an answer. Observing Yvette's eagerness for an answer, Violet immediately grasped the situation, her expression turning icy.
"In reality, he never introduced you to me. The nature of your relationship was merely my speculation," Violet revealed. "He never acknowledged your existence to me."
Violet's words struck directly at Yvette's vulnerability, causing a fleeting moment of discomfort. Yvette's hand clenched momentarily before relaxing.
Every word spoken by Violet was nothing but the unvarnished truth.
Yvette harbored no entitlement to despondency, for all of this was a situation of her own making.
"If Albert portrays me in a certain light, then that is who I am," she murmured with lowered eyes, a faint smile adorning her lips. "I am not a figure of significance."
