Chapter 6 Hospital

Cloe opened her eyes slowly, the white hospital ceiling coming into focus as a dull ache spread through her body. Confusion clouded her mind as she blinked, trying to remember what had happened. The last thing she recalled was standing outside the mansion in the storm, waiting for Ethan, refusing to leave. But now, here she was, lying in a hospital bed.

A nurse walked by, noticing her awake. "You've finally woken up!" the nurse exclaimed with relief.

Cloe's heart raced. "What happened? How did I get here?" Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry.

Before the nurse could respond, the door opened, and Cloe's eyes widened as she saw Danny, the driver who had picked her up from the airport. He stepped into the room, looking tired and concerned. Cloe sat up slightly, her chest tightening with anxiety.

"Madam, you fainted last night in the rain. I found you outside the mansion and brought you here," Danny explained, his voice calm but weary.

Cloe's hand clutched her chest, trying to process the information. *Danny* had brought her here? Her mind spun as she tried to make sense of it all. Why had he helped her? And now that she was awake, what would happen next?

Danny shifted awkwardly, his eyes downcast. "Madam, I'm just a poor man. I have no money to pay for your hospital bills. I did what I could to save your life, but the rest... you'll have to take care of yourself."

Cloe froze, her heart sinking. Hospital bills? She hadn't even thought about that. She had no money-no job, no home, nothing. Panic flooded her as she stared at Danny, her mind racing with a thousand unanswered questions. How would she pay for this? What would she do? She felt trapped, helpless, and more alone than ever.

Her eyes filled with tears again as the reality of her situation sank in. Not only had she been cast out of the only place she had ever called home, but now she was facing a financial burden she couldn't handle. Everything felt like it was crumbling around her, and she didn't know how to escape the nightmare she had found herself in.

The nurse Merely showed some test results to Cloe. Cloe frozen in shock.

Cloe's heart raced as the nurse, Merely, handed her a stack of papers. Her hands trembled as she flipped through the test results, her eyes scanning the long list of procedures. Blood tests, scans, even some unnecessary evaluations that made no sense given her condition. She was a doctor-she knew exactly what tests were necessary and which ones were over the top. And this? This was too much.

Her breath hitched, her chest tightening as she glanced at Merely in disbelief. "Why so many tests?" Cloe asked, her voice barely steady. She could feel the weight of the rising bill bearing down on her, suffocating her.

Merely gave her a polite but firm smile. "Your condition was very bad when you were brought in. We had to make sure everything was okay, so we ran all the tests to rule out anything serious."

Cloe's pulse quickened as she looked down at the papers again. This is insane. She saw clearly that many of these tests were unnecessary. She had been cold, exhausted, and dehydrated-yet they had run advanced diagnostics that weren't even relevant to her symptoms. It was overkill.

Her eyes narrowed, frustration and panic bubbling up. "Some of these tests weren't even necessary," Cloe said, her voice rising slightly as she tried to keep calm. "I was exhausted and fainted, not suffering from a life-threatening condition. Why did you run so many expensive procedures?"

Merely remained composed, though her tone had an edge of indifference. "It's standard protocol in cases like yours, Doctor. We have to be thorough."

Cloe's heart sank. She knew what was happening here-unnecessary tests to rack up the bill, and she was the unfortunate victim. She was already in a desperate situation, and now the hospital had piled on more stress. Her chest felt heavy, and she stared blankly at the stack of papers in her hands, wondering how she was going to deal with this. How could they do this to her?

This felt like a cruel joke, one that had no escape.

Cloe's hands tightened around the test results, her knuckles turning white. This wasn't just unfair-it was outright exploitation. She had no money, no means to pay for this, and now they were trapping her with unnecessary expenses. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. She had sworn an oath to help others as a doctor, and now she was on the receiving end of a system that was taking advantage of her in her weakest moment.