Chapter 408
Chapter 408
My tone seemed a bit off, which caused a flicker of confusion to pass across Karina’s eyes.
“Are you feeling some sort of envy, Ms. Finch?” She finally voiced her opinion, assuming that my strange demeanor was due to jealousy.
Lowering my voice, I replied with a hint of amusement, “Envious of you? Dr. Karina, what happens in the dark always comes to light. You know exactly what you’ve been up to, don’t you?”
Karina’s expression shifted, “I’m not sure what you’re suggesting.”
“The near-drowning incident during my diving trip and your rescue of the woman with lung disease, you’re well aware of both, aren’t you?” I decided to drop the pretenses and cut to the chase.
Those two incidents were her biggest worries, but she probably wasn’t too concerned about the first one, considering there was no solid evidence.
Predictably, she chose to address the latter, “I did indeed save a woman on the island, didn’t you see it too?”
I didn’t deny it, “Yes, I did. It just seemed too coincidental to me.”
Before Karina could press further, the awards ceremony began. She had to leave her seat and face the crowd.
The ceremony was quite dull, with hospital authorities lauding one person after another. I wasn’t a hospital worker, nor did I have any family members being honored, so I found it all rather tedious.
However, as soon as Karina’s voice rang out from the stage, I suddenly felt a jolt of alertness.
All eyes were on her, including those of the hospital authorities behind her. Her heroid actions not only reflected positively on her but also on the reputation of the hospital.
Neil was watching Karina with a gentler expression than usual, lacking his typical aloofness. Even Ryan and Faith, who usually disliked Karina, wore amiable smiles. After all, the hospital was using that event for promotional purposes, and sour expressions wouldn’t reflect well.
Karina stood on the stage, gracefully expressing her feelings and the dedication she held for her profession. The crowd erupted in applause.
Amid the applause, I stood up, “Dr. Karina, I have a few questions for you!”
My voice carried to a few people, and someone handed me a microphone.
As I held the microphone, Karina’s usual composure seemed to waver slightly.
“Dr. Karina, I’ve heard that besides being extremely proficient in obstetrics and gynecology, you’re also adept at handling other complex cases. I’d like to ask you` question.” I stated, my voice steady and unexcited.
Neil, Ryan, and Faith were all waiting for my next question.
Karina, sensing my intent, cleared her throat, “Miss, if you have any health-related questions, you can schedule an appointment with me tomorrow. Today might not be the best time, as it might take away from others.”
“My question is quite simple and won’t take too much time,” I went straight to the point, “I heard that you saved a woman with severe lung disease who was about to suffocate while you were on vacation, is that correct?”
Everyone was familiar with that story as it was the reason they were showering Karina in praise.
Karina remained silent, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at me.
The Dean behind her curiously asked, “Indeed, our Dr. Karina performed a heroic act, saving a life even during her leisure time. We all are proud of her!”
The more the Dean praised her, the more Karina’s face turned strange.
“May I ask, can a person with severe lung disease smoke seven or eight cigarettes consecutively without coughing?” I decided to throw the question at the Dean.
“That’s impossible, but what does this have to do with Dr. Karina?” The Dean was even more puzzled.
Confidently, I pulled out a mobile phone I had previously found in my car, “Well, the patient that Dr. Karina saved, left her phone in my car. She smoked seven or eight cigarettes in my car without any discomfort. I was just wondering how this could be possible.”
At that, everyone seemed a bit confused, glancing back and forth between me and Karina.
Karina managed to squeeze out a smile, “Maybe it’s because I performed acupuncture on her, which temporarily alleviated her symptoms. But if she continues to smoke like this, her condition will worsen and relapse even more severely.”
I pretended to understand and then held up the phone, revealing a specific number, “Dr. Karina, is this your number?”
Of course, I had Karina’s number as she had contacted me previously. I wasn’t sure how she got my number though. Perhaps she got it from the hospital’s database.
But now, the critical point was that Karina’s number appeared on that old generic phone, along with a text record.
Seeing the phone, Karina’s composure finally cracked. She quickly descended the stage and navigated through the crowd to stand before me, “Ms. Finch, we have no quarrel. Please do not make trouble for me. That phone is mine. Please give it back.”
I held the phone above my head, out of her reach.
“Don’t worry, I’ll first read the contents of the phone to everyone!” Then, I lowered my voice, “Karina, do you want me to disappear forever? I won’t let you have your way. I’ll make sure you have a tough time.”
I was almost certain that the rope that almost drowned me was tied by Karina.
Karina’s face turned pale in that instant. If it wasn’t for the crowd, I suspect she would’ve tried to stab me in the next second. That look of loathing and fear was quite scary from up close.
Just as I was about to read the texts, Neil’s voice broke through, “Enough!”
Everyone’s attention was suddenly drawn to Neil. His identity was well known, and there were undoubtedly a fair few who recognized me as well.
If you had to sum up that drama, it would have been pretty accurate to say it was an ex-wife causing trouble for the wife at the time.
“Neil,” Karina suddenly found her backbone. The unease that had been plaguing her disappeared, replaced instead by a look of helpless irritation.
