Chapter 4 – THE TRUTH (2) HIS REGRET

After Nigel left, Elaine came infront of the doctor and slapped him. "You sell me out, how dare you?!" She yelled angrily.

"And what do you want me to do, just let him slash my neck? you're not in my place, so you never know how scared I was." The doctor retorted.

"Even so, why did you say everything, do you have to do that? You even said I wanted to dispose of that damn Nathalie!"

"Why, isn't it true? Don't expect me to continuously cover you up. If I don't speak, he'll surely destroy me...... I don't wanted to be entangle in your wickedness anymore, this is the end of our cooperation, 'cause I'll quit." The doctor was sorting his medical suit when Elaine suddenly grabbed him on his collar.

"Bastard! You can't just abandon me like this! take back what you had said to Nigel and clear my name right now!"

The doctor harshly slapped her hand. "Enough! Do you think Mr. Sarmiento was a fool that you can just take back what you had already said and then he would buy it? Listen Ms. Elaine, What you ought to do now is to prepare yourself how to deal with the consequence. If you know Mr. Sarmiento enough, you should also know what he's capable to do."

Elaine was freak out when she realized this. This's her first offense but she knew that she will be dead this time. 'That's right, if Nathalie's surgery goes through, I can't stay here any longer.' She quickly removed her hospital gown and changed, she gathered her things and frantically left the room. She will take the opportunity to escape while Nigel busied himself to Nathalie.

Nigel was in a panic while making his way to the surgery center, he almost bumped into the people he met along the way. 'Nathalie, you should be fine, wait for me.' He grabbed a nurse and asked her frantically. "Please, where is your surgery room?"

The nurse hadn't even finished telling him where it was, when the man rushes in the direction she was pointed at.

Nigel was gasping when he reached infront of the door, he was about to barge in when it suddenly opened. A woman wearing a surgeon clothes, caps and mask stepped outside. She was stunned a little when she saw a handsome man infront of her. "Excuse me, do you–"

Before the woman could finish, Nigel cut her off. "N-nathalie, my wife Nathalie..... I-is she's inside?" He asked in a trembling voice.

"Oh, Ms. Nathalie? Yes, she's inside." The woman showed a sympathetic expression but it couldn't see as it was hidden inside her mask.

"Sh-she's inside already?" Nigel's panic rose once again. "No, stop the surgery! She will not undergo any surgery anymore!" He was about to barge in the room but the nurse stopped him.

"Sir, you're not allowed to enter, the operation is still on-going." Although the woman said this, but the truth is that the surgery was over. The senior doctor who had led the surgery was still inside and the nurse couldn't figure out what she's up to and what she's still doing inside the operating room.

"I said stop the surgery! Can't you hear me? I'll sue your hospital if you don't show my wife!" Nigel roared that drew attention of other nurses who were passing by. The woman called for help and two male nurses came over and seize him.

Nigel nearly went berserk until the surgery room door opened. A middle-age woman came out, after she removed her mask she frowned. "What the heck is happening here, why so noisy? Didn't you know you're in the surgery center?"

Nigel released himself from the two male nurses's clutches and faced the woman. "I don't care who you are, release my wife or else, I'll sue you and your hospital."

The middle-age doctor raised her brows. "Oh, so you're the ex-husband."

Nigel was halted when he suddenly remembered that he and Nathalie had already divorced.

The doctor snorted. "Aren't you two had divorced already? and since you two are separated, you don't have to care about her anymore. you are no longer responsible to her." The disdain and contempt are obvious from her tone.

"That's none of your business, take her out!"

The doctor took a folded paper from her pocket. "I would like to let you see what this is." She handed it over.

Nigel realized that it was a letter of consent from Nathalie, he didn't bother to read it but he trembled. "Sh-she..... she's really willing to undergo the surgery?" He then tried to barged in the room while screaming. "Nathalie! Nathalie! Come out!"

The middle-aged doctor signaled the two male nurses not to stop him and let him enter in the room.

When Nigel came inside, he didn't found anyone, his ex-wife wasn't there. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief as he thought the operation might not get through, when the doctor spoke behind him:

"Nathalie's gone, we successfully removed her heart. In the letter of consent, she even requested to donate her other healthy organs to those in need..... I'm sorry, Mr. Sarmiento."

Nigel seemed to be strike of lightning. "W-what did... you s-say?"

The doctor sighed. "We disposed her body right away after the operation, and it's also according to her request, so, I'm sorry if we can't–" The doctor was shocked when the man suddenly grabbed her.

"I don't believe you!.... I swear, I'll sue you if you didn't show her up!" Nigel seemed to be lose his mind, but to be clear, it's not because he loved Nathalie, but because of the responsibility even though they are separated. How can he explain this to his parents and to Nathalie's parents?

The two male nurse came and seized him again, they pulled him away from the doctor.

"If you wanted to file a lawsuit, go ahead. I'm not afraid because I didn't violate anything. I just followed Ms. Nathalie's wishes, and the letter of consent from her was the evidence."

Nigel still couldn't believe his ex-wife's decision. "But why? why did she throw her life away just like that?"

The doctor smirked. "You really don't know? I see.... Mr. Sarmiento, I now realized how naive you are as a man."

"W-what do you mean?" He seems to be puzzled.

"Don't you know that your wife has depression?"

"D-depression?"

"So, it looks like you really don't know until now. Well, listen carefully; I don't know how long and how severe Ms. Nathalie's depression was, but I think she's really suffering when I looked into her eyes. She seemed lifeless and seemed to have given up on everything, it's no wonder she wanted to end her life. When I asked her why she made that decision, she just said she did it for you because she wanted you to be happy."

Nigel was listening quietly, but he felt as if his heart was being gripped by something. 'F-for me?..... why? What is that means?'

It's as if the doctor read the questions going on his mind so she continued without any restrains: "Your ex-wife loves you. She lay down her life so that your lover will continue to live using her heart. You know what? this is what crosses to my mind about you; Mr. Sarmiento, you're such a scumbag!"

Nigel didn't speak nor didn't refute. He just bowed his head, feeling guilty. 'Nathalie loves me?...... Yes, I'm a scumbag, I trusted and believe Elaine, I never thought she's after her life." Sadness flashed on his eyes. 'Elaine you must be responsible to what you did, forgive me.' Despite what the woman had commit, his love for her still remains, although it has diminished for what she had done. But little did Nigel know, his love for her will completely disappear when the doctor hand him a letter:

"Ms. Nathalie asked me to give this to you once she's gone. That's where I also found out what happened between the two of you. I know I shouldn't read your letter but I couldn't stop wondering about her decision." And she left the room, leaving Nigel alone.

Nigel immediately read the letter:

June 2, 2018

"Your Villa was set on fire, you were trapped inside and couldn't get out. I remembered, your leg was injured that time from playing basketball. I thought I would never see you again and I was so anxious that I dared to go inside to save you."

Nigel frozed as he absorbed what he read. Why does it sounds like as if Nathalie saying that she's the one who had saved him from the fire three years ago? Wasn't it Elaine? He continued reading:

"I remembered, your butt burned...." Nigel almost choked from his own saliva. His butt indeed almost toasted from the fire and that was pretty embarrassing. Nobody knows about it but his parents and the person who had saved him. Then, that's means.... Nigel stiffened when he had a sudden realization.

He remembered when he and Elaine having a sweet time, he asked if she still remembered which part of him had burned severely, but Elaine didn't seem to know as she can't answer. Now he knows why, because she wasn't the one who really saved him; but–Nathalie.

This sudden truth and realization made him dropped on his knees. "W-what I have done?....... S-so, all these years, Nathalie is actually the woman I really love?"