Too Late, Doctor: I'm The One Who's Out Of Reach Now

Having been away from Clegend for a full decade, Leanna Brooks had never imagined that returning would bring her face-to-face with her first love.

Lately, she had been feeling a persistent ache in her breast. The discomfort nagged at her enough that she finally decided to visit the hospital for a proper examination. Midway through the checkup, the doctor suddenly paused. "This is a little complicated. I'm going to ask a senior doctor to come take a look." With that, the doctor stepped out of the room.

Left alone, Leanna sat stiffly on the edge of the examination table, unsure of what to do next.

Not long after, the door opened again. The instant she looked up and saw who had entered, her entire body went rigid.

"How long have you been experiencing these symptoms?" The deep, familiar voice echoed in her ears, sending a tremor through her chest.

The man wore a surgical mask that concealed most of his face, but behind a pair of rimless glasses, his eyes were trained on her.

"Three... months," Leanna blurted out. She immediately dropped her eyes, gripping the hem of her skirt tightly with both hands.

She wished desperately that she could disappear.

She had only returned to Clegend two months ago, yet she had already run into Shane Lloyd in the most unexpected way.

Her thoughts stalled completely, leaving her uncertain how to react.

"Lie back and lift your shirt," Shane instructed in his deep voice.

Leanna glanced up, and when their eyes locked once more, her breath faltered.

Noticing her hesitation, he frowned and asked rather impatiently, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Sorry," Leanna said quickly. Drawing in a steadying breath, she lay back on the examination table and shut her eyes.

Each second felt painfully long. Her thoughts tangled into a mess of old memories and panic, and a thin sheen of sweat formed at the tip of her nose.

Shane asked, "Did I hurt you?"

Leanna shook her head lightly. "No..."

After a pause that felt like forever, his voice finally broke the silence. "All right. You can lower your shirt now."

Shane rose and left. It was only after his footsteps faded from the room that Leanna finally dared to open her eyes.

She hurriedly adjusted her clothes, and then sat there briefly before standing and walking toward the desk.

Shane was seated upright, typing into the computer.

His long fingers looked almost exactly as they had back in school-the kind of hands that would have earned instant praise from any piano instructor.

He had never played the piano, though. The violin had always been his instrument. Back then, he had been surrounded by admirers, not just on campus but beyond it, even attracting fans from nearby cities.

And yet, out of everyone, he had chosen to start an online relationship with a freckled, overweight girl who hadn't even admired him that much.

"How long have you been feeling the aches?" Shane asked, glancing in her direction.

Leanna straightened her back, swallowed, and replied, "About twenty days."

She was convinced he hadn't recognized her.

No longer was she that freckled, overweight girl from the past, the girl once known as Melinda Brooks.

She had changed her name. She had lost the weight. The freckles she had inherited had faded completely. Even her own mother had struggled to recognize her at first, so there was no reason Shane would, especially after ten years.

That realization finally calmed her racing heart.

Shane's expression remained indifferent. "Do you usually go to bed late?" he asked.

Leanna hesitated before answering, "Does going to sleep at midnight count as staying up late?"

He had a small scowl on his face now. "From now on, try to sleep before eleven."

"Okay," she said obediently, as if responding to a superior.

Shane moved on to the next questions. "Are you married?"

"No."

"Have you ever had a child?"

"No."

By then, Leanna's palms were damp with cold sweat.

Maintaining a steady, clinical tone, Shane explained, "You have a benign breast lump. Mild pain and swelling are quite common. However, you should be mindful of your daily habits so the lump doesn't become malignant."

"Could it become cancer?" A wave of cold fear rushed through Leanna.

Shane looked at her more carefully. She was dressed simply, still young, her skin noticeably paler than moments ago. His words had clearly unsettled her.

"There's no need to panic," he said calmly. "Starting today, keep a regular routine and return for periodic follow-ups."

"Thank you, Sha-I mean, Dr. Lloyd," Leanna said, nearly calling him by his first name before correcting herself.

Shane tore the printed report from the machine and slid it across the desk. "Next time, you can book an appointment with me directly."

Leanna pursed her lips. "Could I see a different doctor?"

She kept her head bowed, desperate to leave as quickly as possible.

Shane paused, momentarily surprised, and then nodded. "That's fine."

"Thank you." Leanna took the report, not looking up, and hurried out of the room.

Shane watched her as she walked away, a slight crease between his brows.

A nurse nearby said in caution, "Dr. Lloyd, if you keep handling patients like that, you're going to get complaints."

Another doctor laughed. "He's not worried. He's one of the hospital's best. His schedule is packed every day."

Shane didn't respond. He was buried in consultations, and by the time he finished, it was already past one in the afternoon. He finally headed to the cafeteria.

"Finding you was harder than I thought." A man in a black suit appeared with a tray and sat down across from him.

Shane glanced up. "You're eating this late too?"

Jeff Bennett, the hospital director's assistant, nodded. "I ran into one of our high school classmates today-Lanny Barnett. He's marrying that girl from the class next door. He gave me the invitation and specifically asked me to make sure you attend."

Over the years, Shane had been to plenty of classmates' weddings. At twenty-eight, it was the age when most people had already begun settling down.

"His girlfriend was in the choir with you back then. And there was another girl too, wasn't there?" Jeff went on, and then added, concerned Shane might not recall her, "The freckled one. No one's been able to reach her all these years. She never comes to class reunions or weddings. It's like she vanished. Do you think she cut ties because she felt insecure and ashamed? People used to tease her about her freckles. Honestly, freckles can be cute; it's just that she had a lot of them..."

Shane didn't reply. His hand stilled briefly as he ate.

That freckled girl was Melinda, the one who had left without a word and disappeared from their lives for ten long years.

After leaving the hospital, Leanna took the subway back to her office. No matter how hard she tried, Shane's words replayed in her mind again and again.

He felt far more detached than before.

The summer after their final year of high school, the choir had won a national competition. The celebration was hosted at Shane's family's private club.

Although Leanna played the violin as part of the choir, her true strength had always been pop music rather than classical pieces. As the competition approached, Shane had personally coached her for two hours every day.

It became the first award she ever won.

To mark the occasion, she had carefully prepared a gift for Shane. She had dressed up with unusual care and gone to the club full of anticipation, only to stop short when mocking voices drifted out from the private room where the party was held.

The violin she had bought for Shane was lying openly on the table.

"How on earth did that freckled girl even get the money to buy you a violin? This thing costs over ten thousand."

"She must have pinched pennies like crazy. Shane, after all that effort, you might as well give her a chance."

"She must have skipped meals to save money, but she's still fat. How desperate would Shane have to be to end up with her?"

"She's just some nobody with an unattractive face. There's no way she'd ever be considered by the Lloyd family."

Then Shane's voice joined the conversation.

Leanna would never forget those painful words.

"You're this worked up over a cheap violin?" he said with a scoff. "I have plenty at home that cost way more than this. If you want this one, I can just give it to you."

The room went quiet. A second later, there was a dull crashing sound.

A girl spoke in a flustered, apologetic tone. "I'm sorry, Shane. I didn't mean to. What should we do now? I think the strings broke."

Jeff said in an attempt to ease the tension, "It's fine. It's not like Averie gave it to Shane anyway. Come on, let's drink and enjoy ourselves."

Leanna stood frozen outside the doorway, her chest constricting until each breath felt difficult.

She had clung to the hope that Shane would say something. But he didn't. He simply continued singing with the others as if nothing had happened.

Its strings snapped, the violin was tossed into a corner like something worthless.

Shane had been born into a prominent medical family, raised in comfort and privilege from the start.

She, on the other hand, had a humble background, but she had never once thought of using Shane for personal gain.

That violin had been paid for with money she earned herself, playing the violin while wearing a mask at a restaurant.

She had earned thirty dollars per song and had saved every cent she could over six long months.

In the end, that violin had been discarded as if it were nothing more than trash.

At the subway announcement, Leanna jolted out of her memories. Only then did she realize her cheeks were wet with tears.

She quickly wiped her face, got off the train, returned to the office to finish up her work, and then headed home to the old apartment in Avlolis, located in the western part of Clegend.

She had returned to Clegend because her grandmother, Rhonda Brooks, had fallen ill. Since there was no one else available to care for her, Leanna had gotten a job in the city so she could remain close and look after her.

What she hadn't expected was to end up dealing with health issues of her own.

She had barely entered the building when she ran into her neighbor, Evan Clayton, who looked like he had just come back from playing basketball.

A recent graduate student, Evan was tall and had a warm smile and an easygoing, approachable demeanor. "Hey, Leanna. You're home early today?" he asked.

"Yeah. By the way, do you know of any clinics around here?" Leanna asked as they walked upstairs together.

Evan turned toward her, concern flashing across his face. "Are you feeling unwell?"

She shook her head. "No. It's flu season, and I just want to be prepared and help boost my grandmother's health."

"If you want, I can take you sometime. It's nearby," Evan said, his eyes never leaving her face.

She nodded, and they agreed to go together the following afternoon after work.

As soon as Leanna stepped inside her apartment, Rhonda leaned toward the doorway and craned her neck, peering outside. "Did you come back with Evan?"

Evan's apartment was just one floor down.

"I just bumped into him downstairs," Leanna replied as she walked in.

Rhonda followed her, continuing without pause, "I think Evan's a nice boy. You know him well enough. You haven't dated anyone since high school, and you're not getting any younger. Maybe it's time you thought about settling down."

Leanna let out a sigh. "Grandma, Evan is a lot younger than I am."

The doctor had mentioned that Rhonda was showing early signs of dementia, yet when it came to urging Leanna to find a partner, her memory seemed surprisingly sharp.

Rhonda placed a glass jar on the dining table. "I was going through some old things today and found this jar filled with stones," she said. "Honestly, your grandfather-I really don't know why he gifted me things like this."

Leanna stole a glance at it, and the cup in her hand nearly slipped.

This jar hadn't belonged to her grandfather; it was the one Shane had given her.

These were not ordinary stones. Each one had been collected from outside a courthouse in a different city-twenty-six cities in total.

Shane had once promised Leanna that when she turned twenty-six, they would marry and travel to each of those cities together on their honeymoon.

Years had passed since then. By now, he had likely already married Averie Willis and completely erased her from his life.

Perhaps, that was how it was meant to be. They shouldn't cross paths again. She had already started over and built a life of her own.

At that point, Leanna's phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts.

The call was from her supervisor, Matthew Wallace. Leanna dropped the jar into the trash and picked up. "Hello, Mr. Wallace."

She worked at an animation technology company in Avlolis, and her probation period was almost over. This was a crucial time for her career.

"Leanna, you're leading the Ethereal Recall project," Matthew said. "One of our investors, Ms. Willis, will be coming in tomorrow. I need everything to be flawless."

"Understood," Leanna replied, giving it little further thought.

Her uncle was taking care of Rhonda's medical expenses. Her parents were struggling financially, and her own living costs were supported by whatever income she could manage.

She had once had some savings. Now, with her own medical treatment added to the list, the financial pressure was growing heavier by the day.

The presentation was scheduled for the next morning, yet she had only been informed that evening. There was no alternative. She would have to prepare the slides overnight.

It looked like another late night was unavoidable.

Shane had told her to try to be asleep by eleven.

Leanna laughed dryly, bitterly. Why was he still on her mind?

The following morning, as the client would arrive soon for the project review, the conference room was already filled, everyone seated and waiting in strained silence.

Her colleague, Maddie Walsh, nervously grabbed Leanna's arm. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes," Leanna replied calmly.

Lowering her voice, Maddie whispered, "You know Ms. Willis is known for being ruthless, right? She's extremely demanding. People say she only ever shows kindness to the person she truly favors."

Leanna didn't think of it the same way. To her, it was admirable that someone so young had reached such a powerful position. "That just means she's serious about her work," she said.

Maddie shook her head. "You'll understand soon enough."

At that moment, Matthew walked in with two others. One of them was a tall young woman with sharp, appraising eyes.

Matthew stepped aside and gestured toward her. "Ms. Willis, these are the team members responsible for the Ethereal Recall project."

The woman's red lips curled into a faint smile. "Hello, everyone. I'm Averie Willis, CEO of L&W Group."

Leanna went completely still.

Ten years earlier, standing outside that private room, she had overheard people saying that Shane and Averie would get engaged during college and marry after graduation.

So this was the woman she had always assumed was Shane's wife.

Pulling herself back to the present, Leanna immediately lowered her face, unable to bring herself to meet Averie's eyes.

Matthew lifted his hand, signaling everyone to sit.

Averie's eyes moved calmly across the room. "Which one of you is Miss Leanna Brooks?"

Leanna remained engrossed in her thoughts.

Maddie, seated beside her, nudged her arm lightly. "Ms. Willis is talking to you."

Leanna jolted back to reality and stood up. A faint tremor crept into her voice as she spoke. "Hello. I'm Leanna."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she looked away.

Ten years ago, she had never met Averie and had no idea what she looked like.

Even if Averie had seen her back then, Leanna was certain she wouldn't recognize her now.

She was no longer Melinda; she was Leanna.

Leanna tried to anchor herself with that thought, but beneath the table, her palms were already damp with sweat.

Averie stared at her. "There are several parts of this project where the intention isn't very clear to me. If you can explain what those elements are meant to accomplish, I'll consider keeping your design."

At those words, every member of the project team turned to Leanna, their expectations silently resting on her shoulders.

Leanna nodded slightly, forcing everything else out of her mind as she slipped into a focused, professional mode.

She knew the project thoroughly and responded to each of Averie's questions with clear, well-structured explanations.

No decision was announced right away, but the atmosphere felt optimistic. In high spirits, Matthew led the team to a restaurant for lunch.

Leanna, however, couldn't fully relax.

If the project was approved, it meant she would inevitably have more interactions with Averie.

But resigning wasn't an option. She had worked too hard to reach the end of her probation period, and starting over elsewhere would mean enduring the same exhausting process all over again.

She needed the income.

Leanna let out a sigh.

After work, she met Evan as they had agreed and went with him to a nearby community health center.

Evan's car stopped in front of the building. "Go ahead and go in first, Leanna. I'll look for a parking spot."

"Okay. Text me when you're done," Leanna said as she opened the door and stepped out.

There were many people at the health center, mostly elderly patients. Leanna spent some time looking around.

A deep voice came from behind her. "Can I help you with something?"

Leanna's body went rigid at the sound. When she turned around, it felt as though time slowed to a crawl.

Shane stood there, wearing a white lab coat, six brand-new pens clipped neatly to his chest pocket, his hands in his pockets as he looked down at her.