Chapter 14

Malaya stepped outside the hospital for a moment of air. The wind brushed against her damp skin, cooling the sweat that had gathered from anxiety rather than heat. She breathed deeply, trying to steady her mind.

Maybe she had been wrong about Dr. Williams. The woman truly was one of those rare people in power who didn’t abuse their authority. In six months of interning at the Niran Kai Medical Center, no one had ever crossed her boundaries. Everyone respected her, perhaps because she was under the direct supervision of the boss herself. Or maybe it was simply because Dr. Williams was a woman, which gave Malaya a sense of safety she didn’t feel elsewhere.

But that safety now felt uncertain.

As she stood lost in thought, she caught sight of Dr. Emilio walking briskly across the courtyard toward Williams’s office. Her heart tensed.

Inside the office, Dr. Williams didn’t bother looking up when Emilio entered.
“Dr. Williams,” he began softly.

“Tell me, what’s going on?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“The patient just needed time to process. She’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Did you call her?” Williams’s tone sharpened. “And what about the parents?”

“Yes, I did. They’ll come soon.”

Williams paused, scanning him for signs of uncertainty. “All right. Well, Tonight, we have a charity gala. I want you to represent me.”

Emilio looked up in surprise. “You won’t be there?”

“I’ll be busy. Malaya will give you the details.” She lowered her gaze back to the papers on her desk, signaling the conversation was over.

Emilio hesitated. He wanted to say something to confess. He thought of Malaya’s advice. “If Williams is truly your friend, she will understand, even if she disapproves”. But when Williams looked at him, her stare was so commanding that the words died in his throat.

“May I help you?” she asked coolly.

“Oh—no. I… forgot,” he muttered.

“Malaya will give you the invitation card,” she said, cutting him off. “She’ll accompany you to the event and deliver my speech.”

Emilio nodded awkwardly. “All right. That’s what I needed.”

He left, though something about her tone unsettled him. Behind him, Williams smiled faintly to herself. “We’ll see what we’ll see,” she whispered under her breath, a strange satisfaction glinting in her eyes.

Emilio walked toward Malaya’s office but found it empty. Nearby, Rosa, pointed him toward the back garden.

He found Malaya sitting on a bench, her eyes distant, watching two small birds playing on a branch. There was a heaviness in her posture that spoke louder than any word.

“Malaya,” he called gently.

She looked at him but didn’t answer. Her expression was tense, guarded.

“Dr. Williams said you have an invitation card for me.”

“You could have waited inside,” she replied sharply. “Who told you I was here?”

“Rosa,” he said quietly, stepping closer. “Malaya, I—”

“Give me a minute,” she interrupted. “I’ll bring it to you.”

She stood abruptly, trying to move past him, but he reached out and caught her arm.
“Malaya, please…”

“Get off me!” she cried, shoving him away. Her voice cracked as tears welled in her eyes. “You’re disgusting! I want you to stay away from me!”

Emilio froze, stunned. “Malaya—”

“Don’t!” she snapped, raising a trembling hand to silence him. “Don’t say another word.”

She turned and ran inside, disappearing into the restroom. The moment the door closed, her composure shattered. She gripped the sink, staring at her reflection through tears. The face staring back at her was tired, broken.

Why did everything feel so unsafe now? Why did every room, every person, suddenly feel like a threat?

Outside, Emilio stood motionless, the sting of her words still burning in his chest. He wanted to explain, to tell her she misunderstood, but deep down he knew she wasn’t entirely wrong. His silence had made him complicit.

Mr. Polo wanted answers. Evelyn had stopped responding to his calls. The real culprit, the one responsible for the ongoing misconduct, was conveniently on holiday. And Williams, his closest confidante, had become someone he no longer recognized.

He used to admire her. They’d spent hours discussing hospital matters, sometimes even sharing dinner with her mother, the warm and humble Miss Kai. But lately, even those memories felt tainted.

Emilio walked away, his thoughts tangled in guilt and dread. He wasn’t sure which scared him more: what Malaya had seen in him, or what Dr. Williams was about to do next.

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