Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“Why?”
“Since there are too many people and distractions in the hospital, the likelihood of being targeted is higher. Perhaps, it’s better to stay at home.”
Elspeth’s perspective struck a chord with Callum, causing him to pause and reconsider his initial thoughts. He recognized the validity of her idea and the complexity of their situation. According to the doctor, this is not the first time she has consumed these foods, which explains why she is experiencing miscarriage symptoms today. At that thought, he said, “All right. Let’s go back together.”
While going through the discharge procedures, he ran into the same doctor again. However, when the doctor learned he was discharging his pregnant wife, he reprimanded him for failing to care for her.
“What kind of husband are you? Don’t you care about your wife’s health? Even though she is in such a fragile condition, you are allowing her to return. Are you even a man? Let me pay for her if you’re so frugal with your medical expenses. This is no way to treat a pregnant woman!” Then, the doctor murmured, “You look decently dressed, but why are you so stingy-“
Callum’s mind churned with a whirlwind of emotions, leaving him speechless in the face of the doctor’s scolding. Though his thoughts were in disarray, he gradually realized that the doctor’s intent was not to disrespect or demean him but to express genuine concern and compassion for his wife’s well-being.
At this moment, the hospital director approached the scene, and his initial focus was on the doctor engaging in the scolding. However, as he drew nearer and caught sight of the person being scolded, his face drained of color, and a look of disbelief swept over him.
“Do you know who you’re scolding? Brat! How dare you scold Mr. Winthrop!” The director was incensed as he spoke. Nobody in Damoria is brave enough to insult Mr. Winthrop, and we certainly couldn’t afford to join that select group. Yet, he was lectured in our hospital?
“Ah?” In the meantime, the doctor didn’t realize who he was reprimanding until he heard the director’s words and realized what kind of figure he had offended. While examining the pregnant woman earlier, no wonder this couple looks familiar. So, they are… As this realization sank in, the doctor swallowed nervously and tried to explain, “Um… Mr. Winthrop, I didn’t mean anything by scolding you. I didn’t intend to offend-” Is there any point in explaining now? Shoot! Somebody help me!
“It’s fine. I know,” Callum uttered calmly, devoid of any visible emotion.
In contrast, the doctor’s legs began to weaken as he believed he was doomed upon hearing this. “Mr. Winthrop, I-“
“All right. No need to worry. I understand. I won’t do anything to you.”
After seeing that he wasn’t angry, the doctor finally nodded. “Mr. Winthrop, if I may speak up, I don’t think it’s suitable for Miss Lynwood’s current physical condition to return home. It’s not good for her health.”
“She requested to go back herself.”
The doctor widened his eyes and said, “Even if she wants to, it’s still inappropriate.”
At this instant, the director couldn’t bear listening to the doctor’s incessant chatter and slapped him. “Miss Lynwood is much more skilled in medicine than you. Whom do you think you are to be giving advice here?”
Although the doctor, aware of Elspeth’s recent development of a drug to treat the epidemic, couldn’t help but admire and respect her for her remarkable accomplishment but…
“However, she is now pregnant. She has less mental energy and may not pay as much attention to many things. So, she must adhere to certain medical recommendations.”
What the doctor has said makes perfect sense. The toll of pregnancy has indeed left her feeling exhausted and struggling to care for herself adequately.
While Callum processed this thought, his intense gaze lingered on the doctor’s face, and the doctor could not help but feel a twinge of discomfort under his scrutiny. “What’s wrong, Mr. Winthrop? Is there something on my face?”
“It’s nothing. By the way, I have a question for you.”
“Please ask.”
“Which university did you graduate from?”
The doctor was quite proud of the university he graduated from and directly replied, “Konig Medical University!” It is regarded as the best medical university in the country.
Callum immediately felt relieved and raised an eyebrow, then asked, “What’s your name?”
“Wesley Bauer.”
“Would you like to be the Winthrops’ family doctor?”
After hearing this, Wesley was stunned. “Huh?”
“What? You don’t want to?” Callum pondered momentarily and added, “The previous family doctor of the Winthrop Family resigned and went home to get married. If you don’t mind, I can offer you a monthly salary of 45 thousand, which can be increased depending on your performance.”
45 thousand! As Wesley contemplated his meager intern salary of just a few hundred per month, temptation crept into his thoughts. Then, he quickly shook his head and stated, “That’s not it. Don’t I need some kind of assessment for this?” After careful consideration, he made a decision rooted in honesty and self-awareness. “As an intern with limited experience, I’m afraid I may not have the necessary skills and expertise to handle these responsibilities effectively.”
“You have a sense of responsibility, humility, and ability. Experience is something that will come with time.” Callum briefly commented on his strengths and raised his hand to look at his watch before realizing the substantial amount of time that had elapsed. Suddenly, he realized he couldn’t afford further delay and uttered, “If there’s nothing else, come with me.”
Surprised by the sudden turn of events and the unexpected good news, Wesley nodded. “I understand. I’ll pack my things right away!”
“There’s no need to pack. Just come with me. The Winthrop Family will take care of your preparations.”
After hearing this, Wesley felt like he was in a dream, nodding incessantly.
Back at the Winthrop Residence, Callum ensured that Wesley was taken care of by instructing the butler to escort him to his designated living quarters. Then, Callum turned his attention to Elspeth and tucked her in.
Wesley claims she has been eating cold-natured foods for the past few days. Fortunately, we would set aside a small portion of the daily meals as a contingency plan for unforeseen circumstances.
As Callum meticulously assessed the meals in the freezer, a sense of unease settled upon his face, mingled with a tinge of suspicion. The disquieting revelation that most of the meals, excluding Margot’s dinner from the previous night, consisted of a combination of cold-natured ingredients triggered alarm bells in his mind. A surge of relief engulfed him when he realized that last night’s meal remained untampered. However, this realization only heightened his apprehensions regarding potential tampering with the remaining meals.
Consequently, he promptly summoned the kitchen staff, including the nanny, two assisting maids, and the butler, who typically supervised their activities.
After a while, the four stood in a line before Callum, and the butler was the first to speak, “Mr. Winthrop, I did not instruct anyone to do this. I truly do not know of this matter.”
The butler had been with the Winthrop Family for several years and didn’t seem like someone who would be involved in such actions.
However, the nanny became anxious when she heard that. “Mr. Winthrop, I have watched you grow up. How could I possibly harm your child?”
Callum looked at her anxious expression, which didn’t seem fake, so he shifted his gaze to the other two maids. He observed that these two girls appeared to be identical twins based on their resemblance.
“Mr. Winthrop, we would never do such a thing!”
After listening to the group of people sobbing and wailing, he felt a severe headache.
“All right. Stop arguing. Tell me, who has been grocery shopping for the past few days?”
The three of them hesitated and exchanged glances before one of the girls raised her hand. “It was me.”
“Why did you buy these foods?”
The girl lowered her head and replied, “I just bought them based on the usual items we consume. I didn’t intentionally purchase any cold-natured food to harm Mrs. Winthrop.”
Callum’s gaze flickered, and he nodded. “It seems that I was overthinking.”
Nonetheless, she believed he would stop doubting her and flashed him a grin. “Mr. Winthrop, you are perceptive and will not wrong the innocent!”
As he observed her grin, his attention shifted to the nanny. “What are her usual responsibilities?”
The nanny looked embarrassed and said, “They look so similar, so I didn’t pay particular attention to which one is the older sister and which is the younger sister.” Considering only two of them, it makes little difference who does what.
Then, Callum approached the two girls, and one of them blushed when she saw him getting closer. “Mr. Winthrop-“
The other girl, who was already timid, felt even more insignificant when she saw his calm demeanor that revealed no joy or anger.
“What are your names?”
Callum asked, and the girl, who looked livelier, blinked. “I’m Faith Davenport, and she’s Hope Davenport.”
“Which one of you is the older sister?”
Faith blushed even more when she heard this question and covered her face. “I’m the older sister. My younger sister is quite shy.”
“Do you listen to her?”
She was taken aback by that question and rebuked, “Why would I? She’s the shy one, so she usually listens to me.”
Callum sneered in response. “Why did you act according to her gaze when I asked you earlier?”
After hearing this, Faith turned pale, and she stammered, “I… I didn’t. You must have mistaken it.”
“Do you believe I didn’t perceive the signals she was giving you? While unsure why you confessed, don’t hold me accountable if you fail to disclose the truth. I’ve cautioned you already,” he stated, his voice laden with the weight of his impending ultimatum.
In the meantime, Faith’s anxiety heightened, realizing that Callum was not jesting. She approached cautiously and inquired, “Mr. Winthrop. If I tell the truth, will everything be alright?”
“I can’t guarantee that, but if you don’t tell the truth, you’ll be someone else’s scapegoat.” He saw that she didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation, so he added, “I have never mentioned that Mrs. Winthrop experienced any harm from consuming cold-natured food. How did you know?”
After hearing this, she abruptly dropped to her knees with a thud. “I’ll tell you everything. In fact, I didn’t buy any of those ingredients!”