Not Your Doormat Anymore

I dialed Kourtney's number. I had never felt a phone call drag on this long. Even the dial tone was making me anxious.

"Hello?" Her soft, sweet voice came through the line. I tried to suppress the frustration bubbling inside me.

"Do you realize that checking yourself out of the hospital before fully recovering puts extra strain on your heart? It could easily cause complications. You're finally getting better-this hospital stay could've freed you from the burden of your heart condition. Why didn't you follow the doctor's advice?"

My tone was harsher than I intended. There was silence on the other end for a while before she stammered a reply. "I-I'm sorry, Dr. Ranford. I just can't stay in the hospital right now."

Her voice was muffled, and I could hear the stuffiness in her tone. Something inside me dropped. Was I too harsh just now? Did I scare her?

"What's going on? Is something wrong at home?"

She started to sob softly, and guilt surged through me. I really should have spoken to her more gently.

"My parents..." she began, her voice trembling with grief. "I'm sorry, Dr. Ranford. It's my fault. I've let you down."

Just like that, she hung up. I tried calling again, but she would not pick up.

As a doctor, once a patient was discharged, they were technically no longer my responsibility. But right now, I could not help feeling compelled to go check on her. I just wanted to see how she was doing. Maybe it could count as a follow-up.

After pacing around my office for a bit, I finally made up my mind to go. I pulled her address from her file and chose a free day to make the trip.noveldrama

But when I got there, I was told she had already moved out. The move happened on the very same day I had called her.

My heart sank. Did she move just to avoid me?

"That poor lady." The landlord

sighed. "Her family used up all their savings on her treatment and even went into serious debt. Then, just when things were looking up after her surgery, her parents were killed in a car accident. She's all alone now."

Hearing that, I felt a pang in my chest. "Do you happen to know where she moved?"

"Well... I saw someone come to pick her up a few days ago. It might've been a relative. They were definitely not local, though—their accent gave it away. Maybe try calling her."

I could not exactly tell him she would not answer my calls. Seeing that the landlord did not know much either, I nodded. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help."

As I walked away, I felt dazed. No matter how hard I tried-whether in this life or the last—was fate still beyond my ability to change?

In her previous life, Kourtney had suffered lasting complications from a surgery I had performed. In this life, she left the hospital early because of family problems.

If I could not even change her fate, would I be able to save my parents from the same ending as before?

A tightness formed in my throat, and

I clenched my fists. No, I would not let that happen again. If God gave

me another chance, I was going to I rewrite the ending. And I would start with Kourtney.

I suddenly remembered-back in my previous life, when I was being harassed online and drowning in public scrutiny, Kourtney was the one who stood up for me. She called me, comforted me, and talked with me for hours.

At one point, I vaguely remembered her mentioning where she lived. It was not in Dynora but in another city.

With my hands shaking, I typed the address I could recall. It was a seven- or eight-hour drive. The moment I saw the name of that far-off, strangely familiar town, my grip on the phone tightened.