Read My Lips

“A trophy wife! That’s what she would be!”

Silence filled the breakroom as wide eyes stared over coffee mugs at their senior.

“A woman should have more pride!” continued the white-haired lady passionately. “He is rich and handsome, but that fame covers harsh truths, girlies! A loveless marriage where you are nothing but a piece of meat to show the media! Isn’t that… horrifying?”

The ladies in the room exchanged coy glances.

Someone scoffed quietly. “With all due respect, Dr Keith… I’ll gladly be a piece of meat for a man like that!!”

The room erupted with cheers and laughter from all the other women, making Dr Keith want to pull her hair out.

Standing by the coffee machine with a cup of instant coffee, Dr Amelia Parker watched the commotion with a smile and a scoff. Working at The Hills Foundation Hospital was awesome, but the breakroom gossip among the doctors and nurses made it even better.

“I’d be a piece of meat for him,” agreed Dr Lilian May, giggling happily.

“Absolutely,” said a senior nurse flatly. “If he’s vegetarian, I’d be his celery stick.”

“Ahahaha!!” screamed Dr May, roughly shoving the nurse’s shoulder as she laughed. “We can have a cheeky little love affair!”

Amelia laughed, stalking forward and dropping her cup on the table. “Right, ladies,” They all looked at one of their youngest doctors. “Spill it, who exactly are we talking about?”

“No!” Dr Keith came rushing over to hold her shoulders. “No, Dr Parker, you’re the last remaining normal person in this room! Don’t follow their madness and celebrity worship.”

Amelia pursed her lips at the older doctor. The warning seemed wise, but the ladies had been murmuring excitedly about this man for her entire shift. Curiosity was eating away at her.

“Don’t listen to her, love,” said Maddie, Amelia’s favourite nurse. “He’s a hunk of a man who only the luckiest girl on earth will get!”

She raised a brow. “Is he an actor? Chris Evans?”

Dr Keith sighed as her pager went off. “No! He’s part of the selfish heartless society of conglomerates!” She drained her coffee cup and hurried to the door. “Don’t listen to them, girlie!”

A few more pagers went off and some doctors and nurses rushed out, but Amelia was tugged to the center of the room by Dr May and Maddie who grinned excitedly.

“Say, Leah, you ever heard of the Aryans?” asked Maddie.

Amelia’s confused smile withered a little. “The rich ones?”

“Rich is an understatement!” shouted Dr May as the nurses agreed. “Marc Aryan is not only wealthy, he’s the heir to Aryan Gold and bloody gorgeous, looks every bit like those perfect fictional CEOs. Straight out of a webtoon, love!”

Her smile dimmed and died. Their description of him was unlike anything she wanted to believe.

Amelia felt her pager go off and glanced down at it. “Let’s talk about your billionaire hunk later, Doc, I’ve got to run.”

The thought of spending any of her time discussing some rich man, especially that particular man, was as appealing as biting a cactus. Amelia turned to leave.

“Wait, girl, I’ll be a second!” said Dr May, gripping her elbow. “Do you think I can change from general practice to becoming a family doctor?” She smirked. “That’s the only way to get close to that man.”

A nurse yawned as she stood to stretch. “Isn’t he in Germany or traveling the world and that? God, my bloody feet hurt.”

Maddie cackled. “He’s coming to England!! After seven years away, he’s finally back and the tastiest snack in this godforsaken place. The tabloids are going nuts!”

“The mysterious Marc Aryan has returned!” added Dr May with a dreamy sigh.

Amelia felt her pager go off again. “I’ve got to go, ladies!”

The door flew open and a young nurse stared in at them, breathing hard. “Dr Parker!! Head of paediatrics needs you in ER!”

Leah’s eyes went wide. “E-emergency?” Grabbing her stethoscope, she ran out the door, her heart pounding already. Damn, the old woman would have her for lunch! Ignoring the pager was a big no and Amelia could already feel the consequences.

“What’s going on?” asked Dr May, strolling calmly out of the breakroom.

The breathless nurse shook her head gravely. “Car wreck, all three patients are in bad condition. One of ‘em’s a child.”

“Jesus Christ,” muttered Dr May, watching Amelia race down the hallway.

“But that’s not the shocking part!” said the nurse. She gripped Dr May’s arm. “The patients? One of them’s your fancy billionaire Marc Aryan.”