Chapter 2 The Betrayal
“Oh! You’re still here? I can’t believe you’re hanging around after everything,” Elena’s mother said, snapping Marcus out of his stunned silence.
He slowly rose to his feet and wiped the tears from his face.
“Mom… Selene,” he corrected himself bitterly, “what did I ever do to deserve this? You could have warned me instead of letting me waste months of planning and every penny I had. I didn’t deserve to be humiliated like this.”
“First of all,” she replied coldly, adjusting her designer sunglasses, “I am no longer ‘Mom’ to you. My name is Selene. Second, I assumed you were smart enough to notice what was happening between my daughter and your uncle. But you turned out to be completely clueless. I could never allow Elena to stay with someone so naïve.”
She let out a scornful laugh. “Third, your uncle is ten times wealthier than you’ll ever be. He might be older, but money and status matter. You won’t reach his level in the next twenty years, and my daughter needs a man who can handle her lifestyle without complaining. Look at you, your suit cost barely fifty dollars, and you bought her a birthday dress for eighty dollars? Pathetic. We quietly informed your guests that the party was canceled because my daughter Elena deserves far better.” she added, shaking her wrist to show him her new wristwatch, that cost a fortune.
“Who is this?” a well-dressed woman who happened to be Selene's friend approached, eyeing Marcus curiously, starting from his head to his shoes.
“Just a loser my daughter wisely upgraded from,” Selene answered proudly.
“Oh, he’s too handsome to be a total loser,” the woman said with a smirk.
“He needs to work harder cos money is needed to maintain beautiful ladies” She linked arms with Selene and they both walked back into the hall.
Marcus stood frozen, the words echoing in his ears. A loser? His uncle had twenty-five years of experience as a senior consultant, while he had only been practicing for twenty fourmonths. How could anyone expect him to compete with that?
“You can come in if you want,”
Selene said as she walked away, “The main event is over. It’s time to celebrate.”
Driven by a painful mix of anger and the need for answers, Marcus stepped inside.
The moment Elena and Reginald spotted him, they burst into laughter and strolled over.
“Are you here to congratulate us or cause a scene?” Elena asked, her voice dripping with mockery.
“He wouldn’t dare cause trouble unless he wants to lose his job,” Reginald smirked. “Anyway, thanks for introducing me to Elena and for spending all that money on this birthday party. Consider it payment for the two years she spent with you.”
Marcus’s chest tightened. “Congratulations on your… proposal,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m only hurt that you did this while I was rushing here thinking we were celebrating her birthday together. I had no idea the uncle I trusted most would betray me like this. And you, Elena, I pulled you out of hardship, clothed you, fed you, even covered your family’s rent with my meager resident salary. I sacrificed meals and comforts just so you could be happy. To be repaid with this? I’m ashamed I ever thought you were worth a lifetime.”
“You talk about sacrifice?” Reginald shot back without remorse. “I took you in after your mother died and you had nothing in that village. Consider this repayment for my kindness. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to greet our important guests with my future wife.”
Making a scene would only end badly, Reginald’s powerful friends filled the room, and Marcus knew he’d be the one removed. Swallowing his rage and humiliation, he turned and left.
Once he was gone, Elena leaned into Reginald. “Darling, I think we kept him perfectly distracted with that emergency case and the bouquet. But I’m worried he’s quiet but he doesn’t forget easily. What if this backfires later?”
Reginald smiled confidently. “Don’t worry, my love. I have everything under control.”
Back at his modest apartment, Marcus sat on the floor, gulping beer straight from the bottle. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. The heartbreak felt unbearable, alcohol was the only thing dulling the pain.
His phone rang. He sluggishly picked the call. It was the hospital.
“What!” he exclaimed after answering. He dropped the bottle, grabbed his jacket and car keys, and rushed out.
Fifteen minutes of reckless driving later, he burst into the hospital, breathing hard. He headed straight for the recovery unit, but the patient’s son immediately grabbed his collar.
“Why did you abandon my father after the procedure?” he screamed, drawing a crowd. “They said the surgery went well! Now he’s in a coma. What did we do to deserve this? What went wrong? Say something “
Marcus was stunned. He had been certain the cholecystectomy was flawless before he left.
“Dr. Marcus Hale, report to the conference room immediately,” a colleague said urgently.
Still dazed, he excused himself and entered the room. The hospital board, the CEO, and several senior doctors, including his uncle Reginald were waiting impatiently for him.
“Why did you leave the patient unattended instead of monitoring him post-operatively?” the CEO demanded, his voice roaring through out the conference room.
Before Marcus could respond, Reginald interrupted smoothly.
“Isn’t it obvious? He rushed off for personal enjoyment. Can’t you smell the alcohol on him? He abandoned his duties for a party. The patient deteriorated into a coma with possible neurological damage. The family is preparing to sue. We cannot protect a doctor who puts recreation above patient care. He must face the consequences.”
Marcus’s eyes filled with tears. It was clear his uncle was orchestrating his downfall. He wasn’t even allowed to review the charts or defend himself.
The CEO nodded. “I agree with Dr. Thorpe. We cannot risk our reputation”
Then he faced Marcus
, “You are hereby terminated and the hospital will not defend you in any legal action. Good luck.”
Marcus collapsed into a chair in disbelief.
The door opened again and two police officers entered.
“Dr. Marcus Hale, you are under arrest for medical negligence and dereliction of duty.”
“W-what?” Marcus stammered.
Everything was moving too fast. In less than twenty-four hours, his life had collapsed.
The officers were rough as they handcuffed him, following instructions.
“Make sure he’s treated accordingly. He’s a liability
,” Reginald added coldly, smirking as he watched.
“Uncle!” Marcus cried out in anguish.
