The Day Fate Gave Me a Second Chance

I woke up in a ward. Instead of Julian, a stranger was standing by my bed.

"Are you alright?" the guy asked. "I was nearby when the crash happened and saw you lying there, so I brought you in. I wanted to call an ambulance, but some guy who was there said that one had already come and gone."

The more he spoke, the more frustrated he sounded.

"I can't believe those medical staff! They just left you lying on the ground! And everyone else just stood around doing nothing! You could've died if I hadn't gotten you here!"

I tried to move, but as soon as my hands touched my belly, I froze.

"I'm sorry. I got there too late," he apologized. "The doctor said that by the time I found you, the baby probably hadn't made it…"

I forced a bitter smile and shook my head. "Thanks for getting me here. I get it. It's not on you."

After a long pause, he handed me a glass of water. "You're pregnant. Why were you out riding alone? Doesn't your family care? The baby's dad should be the one stepping up. Give me his number.

"I'll call him and tell him to get here. I don't feel right leaving you alone like this. And these doctors are a joke! I'm going to call them out online. People like that shouldn't be in healthcare!"

I remembered the cold look on Julian's face when he left me.

"The baby's dad is dead," I said flatly.

The guy must've thought he'd brought up something painful because he kept apologizing.

I took a sip of water and smiled at him, assuring him I was fine.

He wanted to stay and watch over me, but I rejected his offer. After transferring the hospital and surgery fees to him, I convinced him to leave. As soon as he left, a nurse entered the ward to change my bandages.

She read the name on my chart and asked, "Your name is Kate Brooks, too? What a coincidence. There's a doctor here, Dr. Julian Sutton, whose wife has the same name. Do you know him?"

I shook my head.

She sighed, looking a little relieved. "I guess that makes sense. I heard that his wife's not exactly the nicest. She's nothing like you—so quiet and sweet."

I didn't say anything. After she left, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling through the news. The guy from before wasn't lying. He really did expose how sloppy the ER staff was with the accident that day.

A photo of me lying at the crash site had already gone viral, and the comments were filled with outrage about the hospital.

Someone from the hospital explained that I was actually related to a doctor, but that only fueled everyone's anger.

They questioned if being related to a doctor meant that someone should be left to die at a crash site. Why would anyone trust a doctor who could ignore his injured wife and child?

Someone at the scene then posted pictures in the comments showing Julian kicking me. Furious netizens flooded the hospital's official account, demanding answers.

I went through all the comments and gave them a thumbs-up. I was just about to text Julian about getting a divorce when I saw Vera's post from two hours ago.

In the photo, Julian was gently tending to the wound on her hand, looking at her with a tenderness I'd never seen from him before.

Her caption read, "I'm so thankful you're my lifelong friend and family, even without the blood ties. Nothing—not life or death—can tear us apart."

I immediately liked the post.

Julian's call came through right then. "What the heck is wrong with you, Kate? Why are you going after Vera? If you've got a problem, take it up with me. She almost died today because of you!

"You're really going to regret this if you keep making her life miserable. I've put up with your crap for long enough. But messing with someone's life? That's where I draw the line. Do you even realize what you're doing?

"You're ruining someone's life! Are you out of your mind? Vera might say that she's not mad at you, but don't think that I'll let this slide. You've got one last chance to apologize to her!"

Before I could say anything, Vera's sobs came through the phone. "Jules, don't hold this against Ms. Brooks. It's all on me. None of this would've happened if I'd just let her take over the wheel. It's normal for pregnant women to get emotional. I get it."

Julian's heart broke for Vera. He said, "You're my friend. Why should you be the one to suffer? She's just an outsider. What right does she have to yell at you? You don't have to take that. I'll make sure she thinks twice before doing that again!"

While they were still trying to comfort each other, I interrupted. I said monotonously, "Yeah. Let's just get a divorce. I'm fine with it. I'm just the outsider here, so I'll stay out of it."