Ivy returned to the clinic and received an urgent task to go to the rural areas for medical consultation. She didn't return home until a month later, after seeing the last patient.
As soon as she opened the house door, a strong smell of blood hit her.
The scene before her eyes was chaotic, with pots and pans scattered all over the floor, and her mother sitting on the sofa, bearing signs of physical abuse.
Ivy's heart tightened, and she quickly grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet above the shoe rack and rushed towards her. "He hit you again?!"
Her mother tried to comfort her, "It's okay."
"This scumbag!" Ivy cursed, unable to contain her anger. "I've told him countless times that the accident three years ago had nothing to do with you or him. It was my fault, and since he dares not vent his anger on me, he takes it out on you. Mom, you're his wife, he shouldn't treat you like this!"
"You know your father has always been like this, right?" Mrs. Jones held Ivy's hand indifferently. "Don't worry, I am used to it now. I'm more concerned about you. If it weren't for that incident, you and Kevin would have..."
"Mom, you should divorce him tomorrow! Even though the salary from my clinic isn't high, it's more than enough to support us!"
"I'll only burden you." Mrs. Jones interrupted Ivy. "I only wish for you to find a good place to settle down. That way, I can rest assured."
Ivy's hand, in the process of applying medicine, suddenly stopped.
No matter how many years passed, she still couldn't understand why her mother, as a victim of domestic violence, stubbornly believed that marriage could bring security to women.
Having witnessed her father's abuse towards her mother since childhood, Ivy had no interest in marriage and childbirth.
A marriage without responsibility and love, she would rather not have it!
But, she suddenly remembers one important thing.
"Mom, you said last time that as long as I get married, you would divorce him, right?"
Ivy took out the marriage certificate from her bag and handed it to her mother. "Look, I'm already married. Pack your things, move out, and come live with me outside. In a few days, I'll take you to complete the divorce procedures!"
Mrs. Jones suddenly widened her eyes, looking shocked. "What did you say?"
Ivy held her mother's hands and spoke clearly, "Mom, I'm married!"
Hearing her daughter's firm answer, Mrs. Jones was stunned. She looked at the photo on the marriage certificate, then at Ivy, taking quite some time to digest this news.
This man on the marriage certificate had sharp eyebrows and a starry gaze. He seemed to be a talented person. But Ivy had never mentioned having a boyfriend before. When did she suddenly get a husband?
"This... What's going on?" Mrs. Jones frowned.
The man on the marriage certificate looked even better than male celebrities on TV. However, his eyes were sharp and cold, showing he was someone calculating.
And those starry eyes, similar to Ivy's father. It wouldn't be good if he turned out to be unfaithful.
"Mom, I'm not lying to you. Do you remember Grandma Winston from the welfare center where I volunteered? She vouched for her grandson. Don't you trust Grandma Winston's character?" Ivy warmly explained the basic information about Shawn.
Seeing her mother still half-doubting, she added, "After several encounters, I found him handsome and has a good character, so we got together."
She twisted the truth a bit, saying that they got married after a few encounters, thinking that her mother might find it easier to accept.
But Mrs. Jones still couldn't accept it. After thinking for a while, she instructed, "While your father is away for the next two days, bring Shawn over for dinner. I need to see him in person before I can be at ease."
"Okay." Ivy opened W******p to find Shawn but suddenly felt uneasy.
Oh no, she left in a hurry and forgot to change his name.
Which one was his number?
Ivy, due to work requirements, added many patients to her contacts every day to keep track of their health status, and some of them were strangers with no names, only numbers.
She sighed as she looked at these chat windows--it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Ivy, are you just finding someone randomly to trick me and your dad into divorcing?" Mrs. Jones, seeing her scrolling through W******p contacts repeatedly, doubted her daughter again.
"How could that be? I just remembered that he's in a meeting right now. I'll contact him later."
Finally managing to get her mother to rest, Ivy spent nearly half an hour before finding Shawn on W******p.
She checked the date and time of adding the contact, confirmed that it was him, and asked: Mr. Tate, my mom wants to have dinner with you. When are you free?
A minute later, her W******p chimed.
Shawn: I'm free tonight. What time do you finish work? I'll pick you up.
Actually, he had a business dinner to attend tonight, but Shawn inexplicably decided to cancel it to meet Ivy.
He just wanted to know--was the female doctor from the clinic in the poorest county in the city genuinely busy and out of contact for a month after getting married, or was it just a strategic move on her part?
Ivy checked the time: No need to pick me up. What time do you finish work? I'll come to pick you up.
Deciding on a time with Shawn, Ivy left an hour early and stopped by the Jewelry Store on the way.
It had been a month since they got the certificate, and there wasn't even a proper ring. It looked more and more like a fake marriage.
Ivy usually devoted most of her time to work, and she hadn't planned to spend much time picking a wedding ring.
Therefore, after entering the store, she briefly stated her budget, and preferred style, and selected a wedding ring within a few minutes.
"Miss, your husband will surely like this ring." The salesperson smiled at her but had a sympathetic look in her eyes. The husband of this lady must not love her enough, otherwise, how could he bear to let her buy a lifelong symbol alone?
Ivy understood the meaning in her eyes, just thanked her lightly, and left with the ring.
Her expectations for marriage were simply to live together, and it didn't matter who bought the ring.
An hour later, accompanied by the roaring and clattering sounds of a nearly scrapped pickup truck, it heavily stopped in front of Starbucks.
In this street full of luxury cars and luxury goods in the financial district of the city, this vehicle continuously emitting unpleasant exhaust fumes seemed out of place.
***
The assistant coughed a few times, waved his hand to clear the exhaust fumes for Shawn, and suggested with difficulty, "How if I drive you instead?""No need." His gaze fell on the girl in the pickup truck wearing a duckbill cap. A playful glint flashed beneath his deep eyes hidden behind the black sunglasses.Seeing that he couldn't persuade his boss, the assistant frowned. This pickup truck obviously had signs of being in an accident. The rear cover was lifted, the body was dented, and the windshield was cracked.Shawn's usual ride was a globally limited-edition luxury car, and this truck... what kind of junk was it?!Ivy, dressed casually, jumped out of the car. Seeing the displeased expression on the assistant's face, she asked Shawn, "Who is this?""I am Mt. Tate's...""Colleague." Shawn interrupted him, sending a warning look to the assistant. "Thank you for your help. You can go back to work."Helpless, the assistant sighed inwardly. If the boss insisted on enduring hardships, t
Harry Jones held a toothpick in his mouth and, seeing the mother and daughter hugging each other, he sneered, "What? Complaining about me to your beloved daughter again?"Hearing his words, Mrs. Jones shivered instinctively.Ivy lightly patted her mother's hand, signaling her not to be afraid.She coldly looked at Mr. Jones, "Why are you back?""This is my home. Why can't I come back?" Mr. Jones sat on the chair across from them, swaying his legs, looking disdainfully at Ivy. "As for you, you're just a money-losing deal. Why did you come back? No wonder my luck has been so bad these days. It turns out it's because of you!"After finishing his words, he casually spat out the toothpick to the ground and extended his hand toward Ivy.Ivy frowned. Her mother said he was on a business trip before... it seems he spent these days gambling in secret and only returned after losing.It was the same when she was a child. Every time he went out to gamble, if he won, it was fine, but if he lost, h
Seeing Shawn start to call the police, Mr. Jones was furious."You dare!" Mr. Jones snarled and glared menacingly at Mrs. Jones, threatening, "Wait for me; I'll deal with you sooner or later!"Turning around, he looked at the table of good food, swiping it all off with a wave of his hand. Bowls and plates clattered to the floor.Satisfied, Mr. Jones left the house.The iron gate closed, and Mrs. Jones' body went limp. She trembled uncontrollably due to fear, unable to speak.Ivy bent down, gently embracing her and patting her back.After some time, Shawn handed a tissue to the mother and daughter."Clean up; we're going home." Shawn said to Ivy, "Your mother's physical and mental state isn't suitable for staying here. Let her stay at our place for now."Ivy was surprised, "Our place...?"When did they have a house?Seeing her puzzled expression, Shawn smiled, "Our house is in the northern suburbs, close to your clinic, and it's convenient for us to take care of your mom."Ivy, hearin
Ivy followed those long and slender fingers as they moved upward. The muscular patterns on the arm were sharply defined, exuding a deadly sensuality.She unconsciously swallowed.Soon, realizing her loss of composure, she shook her head.‘Ivy, get a grip!’ She wanted to sober herself up, but the more she tried, the more rapid her breathing became. Even the clock on the wall seemed to speed up at her thought, as if urging something.She looked around, and the bright light in the study had turned into a warm, ambiguous glow, causing her heart to race and her mouth to go dry."Ah!"Suddenly, the world spun around her, and Shawn lifted her onto his lap. Her small hand gripped the white collar of his shirt, increasing the pressure due to her nervousness.The button on the collar gave way and fell to the ground.‘Oh no!’Ivy internally sighed. She closed her eyes and her ears turned bright red.Shawn was quite pleased with Ivy's reaction. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Is it
Ivy hesitated about whether to tell her mother that she had no intention of having a child. Just then, Shawn suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist."Mom, my body needs some time to recover, so Ivy and I have discussed it. We've decided to wait another two or three years before having a child."He took all the responsibility upon himself.Ivy looked at Shawn in surprise, and he met her gaze. His deep eyes seemed to have already seen through her little thoughts.Hearing Shawn's words, the disappointment in Mrs. Jones's eyes flashed briefly, but she knew very well that rushing into having a child was not the right way to go."Okay," she said with a hint of approval.Shawn suddenly changed the subject, "How about we deal with your divorce during this time? It would also put Ivy's mind at ease.""But..." Mrs. Jones also understood that she was a big obstacle in Ivy's heart. She sighed, "But Ivy's father is not willing to agree to the divorce. You've just gotten married, and you have ex
Ivy took a deep breath and decisively pushed away from Shawn's kiss. "I'll be back... I'll come to save you later."With those words, she didn't dare to look at him and quickly walked out of the door.Shawn watched as Ivy's figure disappeared outside, and his handsome face instantly darkened.First, she had approached and gained his grandmother's trust, and now, meeting this stranger for the first time, she was asking for immediate marriage registration. It seemed like a calculated and strategic move, possibly part of her plan to control the situation.....Fifteen minutes laterIvy parked her motorcycle in front of the clinic but heard commotion from inside."Ivy, get out here!"The voice made Ivy's eyebrows furrow. As expected, as soon as she entered the clinic, she saw her father berating the doctors and nurses in the clinic with his hands on his hips."You bastard, do you know who I am? I'm the father of your Dr. Jones! She will stand there obediently and let me scold her when she
Ivy continued to calmly observe the patient's condition, paying no attention to the speaking nurses. She replied nonchalantly to their hesitations, and then turned her attention back to the patient's family."Dr. Ticko will take about an hour to arrive here," she answered the nurses. She then turned to the patient's family and reminded them, "The patient's condition is extremely critical. Immediate surgery is necessary, or else the patient will risk amputation. If you wish to wait for another doctor or go to another hospital, you are welcome to do so, but you will have to bear the risks and consequences of delaying the treatment.""I..." The patient couldn't refute her words and persisted in preventing the surgery, but their resolve was beginning to waver.At this moment, a nurse by the patient's side shouted, "Oh no! The patient has lost consciousness!"Ivy leaned down to look at the patient, and her expression turned grim. "The patient is in septic shock and requires immediate surge
The discussion inside was heated, and Ivy stood at the door in silence for a while. In the end, she released her hand and turned to leave.The Ordinary Clinic was the only clinic in the bustling county of the poorest district in the city. Because the patients were all poor, the clinic's revenue was usually not great, and the salaries for the medical staff were naturally low.So, the clinic struggled to hire staff, and the people who worked there were mostly long-time employees.Ivy usually focused on her work and her patients and didn't have deep relationships with them. She always thought that everyone did their own job, and there was no interference. She didn't expect that her image in their eyes would be like this.It was rather strange.Just as she walked to the end of the corridor, a young nurse came running toward her, "Dr. Jones, quick, there's a new patient outside."Upon hearing about a new patient, Ivy grabbed the nurse's hand and headed towards the emergency room, saying, "