Chapter 3 Alaric

That night, when Calista went to bed, Alaric hadn’t returned. However, he did call her, saying he was working late at the office and might not come home until much later. As usual, Calista told him not to overwork himself before hanging up. She slept soundly, and the next morning, she headed to the hospital as usual. The examination report in her bag was hidden in a side pocket. As she touched her abdomen, a wave of uncertainty washed over her. If things were truly as I suspected, what should I do about this child? A knock at the door broke her thoughts. "Dr. Calista, the patient in bed 49 needs a check-up," a nurse said. Snapping out of her daze, Calista grabbed the chart and walked out of her office. Peyton looked much better than before, her delicate features softened by her frailty. When she saw Calista, she smiled. "You're the one who saved me, Dr. Calista? Thank you so much. The nurses said if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it." Calista returned her smile. "Saving lives is what doctors do. There’s no need to thank me." Peyton nodded and quietly cooperated with the check-up. After asking a few routine questions, Calista couldn’t hold back any longer. "Have you contacted your family?" Peyton froze, her eyes dimming with sorrow. "Not yet." She placed a hand on her stomach, her gaze carrying a fragility that tugged at Calista's heart. "The baby’s father doesn’t want it." Calista pressed her lips together, unsure of how to respond. After offering a few words of comfort, she stood up to leave but was stopped by Peyton’s soft voice. "Dr. Calista, do you think I should keep this baby?" Calista paused mid-step. That baby was one she had worked hard to save—a life. No matter whose child it was, she couldn’t let personal feelings interfere. She was Alaric’s wife, but above all, she was a doctor. Looking at Peyton, Calista spoke calmly. "I’m sorry. It’s not my place to decide for you. I can only give you an objective answer. Because of yesterday’s incident, your uterine wall is very fragile. At this stage, delivering the baby would require inducing labor, and during the procedure, there’s a high risk of severe bleeding. Additionally, you might lose the ability to conceive in the future." Peyton’s eyes reddened, and her hand rested gently on her stomach. After a long silence, she asked in a hoarse voice, "If you were to perform the surgery, could you guarantee my safety? Everyone says you’re an excellent doctor." Calista tightened her grip on the chart. Seeing the tears in Peyton’s eyes, she lowered her gaze and said, "I can’t make any guarantees. You should discuss this carefully with the baby’s father. Every life is precious. And if you decide to proceed with inducing labor, you’ll need a family member to sign the consent form." With that, Calista turned and left the room. Peyton recovered well and was discharged a week later. No one came to pick her up, and she didn’t bring up the topic of inducing labor again. Alaric seemed less busy, and life returned to normal. He didn’t mention Peyton, and Calista didn’t bring it up either. Over dinner, Alaric suddenly asked, "Do you have plans tomorrow? It’s the weekend." "Do you have something in mind?" Calista asked. "Yes, it’s my college reunion tomorrow," he replied with a smile. "You’ve always been curious about my student days. This could be a good chance to see for yourself." Calista teased, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll uncover some secrets?" Alaric paused briefly, his spoon halting mid-air. "There’s nothing I wouldn’t want you to know." Calista studied him, wanting to continue the topic of secrets, but she hesitated. She still held onto a small shred of hope. The next morning, she got ready to leave with Alaric. Just as they were about to go, her phone rang. It was her department head, calling to say a patient with placenta accreta needed emergency surgery. The other doctors capable of handling the case were out of town. After ending the call, Calista saw Alaric adjusting his tie. "Alaric, I might have to skip our plans," she said, tying her freshly blow-dried hair into a bun. "There’s an emergency surgery I need to perform." Alaric paused before sighing and leaning in to kiss her forehead. "There’s nothing to apologize for. You're saving lives. I should be proud of you." "Since it’s on the way, I’ll drop you off first. Let’s go together." Calista nodded and followed him to the car. During the drive, Alaric’s phone screen lit up. Calista glanced at it instinctively. It was an unlisted number with no contact name. Alaric kept his eyes on the road, seemingly unaware. "You have a call," she reminded him. He replied casually, "Answer it for me." Calista hesitated but picked it up and put it on speaker. A loud, rough voice came through. "Mr. Frost, when are you getting here? Didn’t you say you’d bring your wife? It’s almost 11. Hurry up and let us see the beauty who’s stolen your heart!" Calista felt a little awkward. Alaric responded calmly, "She has something important to handle. I’ll bring her another time. I’m dropping her off now." "Fine. We’ll wait for you!" the man replied, but then his tone turned surprised. "Huh? Why are you here...?" The line went dead with two beeps. Alaric pulled up outside the hospital and smiled warmly at her. "Go ahead, Dr. Calista." Calista hesitated but reminded him, "Don’t drink too much." He nodded. Calista rushed upstairs to prepare for surgery. By the time it ended, it was already dinnertime. She noticed a few missed calls from Alaric. Worried something had happened, she called back, only to hear a soft female voice on the other end. "Hello?" Calista froze. She recognized the voice. It was Peyton. Her hand tightened into a fist as her mind raced. Alaric had gone to his college reunion. Why was Peyton with him? "Calista..." A hoarse whisper came through the line. "Calista..." There was a sudden crash, like a phone hitting the floor, followed by a faint gasp. Then the line went dead. When she called back, the number was unreachable. Sliding her phone back into her bag, Calista clenched her fists. If she remembered correctly, Alaric had told her the reunion was at the Mystara Hotel. She hailed a cab and headed there. After asking a staff member, she was taken directly to the private room. Pushing the door open, she didn’t see Alaric. But Peyton was there. A group of people turned to look at her in confusion. "Who are you looking for?" Calista scanned the room and noticed Alaric’s jacket draped over the empty seat beside Peyton. Her lips curved into a polite smile. "I’m looking for my husband. He said he was attending the reunion here today. His name is Alaric. I’m not mistaken, am I?"