Chapter 5 Gossip From the Past

Josiah quickly regained focus and noticed an electric scooter heading straight toward them in the wrong lane. He swiftly swerved the car to avoid a collision and slammed on the brakes, stopping by the roadside. The scooter barely missed them, passing by in a near-miss. Lysander turned pale in shock. "You shouldn't get distracted while driving." "You're right," Josiah replied, still shaken. He handed the phone back to Lysanne. "You can figure it out." Without even looking at it, Lysanne refused, "I need to touch up my makeup. I can't do that with my hands full." "But I have to drive." "You're not driving right now." Lysander sighed and said, "How about this? Hand me the phone, and you tell me the password to unlock it." "Alright," Josiah agreed, passing her the phone. "The password is jg2—" "Josiah, what are you doing?" Lysanne suddenly snapped, closing her small mirror with a loud clap and throwing it aside. She snatched her phone back from Lysander and angrily tossed it into Josiah's lap. "You can't just tell anyone my password!" Both Josiah and Lysander were caught off guard and awkwardly silent. But Lysanne showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, she smiled at Lysander. "Sorry, Dr. Thorne. Pregnant women can be emotional due to hormones. You understand this, right?" "... Yes." Lysanne added, "In today's world, a phone is a person's private property. Privacy is a citizen's legal right. I'm just protecting my privacy, not targeting you." Lysander smiled. "You're a true professional lawyer." Lysanne chuckled. "It's just a habit, Dr. Thorne. Don't take it seriously." "I won't, but you should call me Mrs. Guerra. We're not at the hospital anymore, and I'm not your attending doctor—just someone who helped you with surgery." Lysanne shook her head. "Since you did the surgery, you're still the doctor. It doesn't matter whether you're my attending doctor. And since we met yesterday, I've always called you Dr. Thorne. It feels odd to switch now." "It's not odd. I'll always be Mrs. Guerra." "Right," Lysanne agreed. Then, her smile faded a bit, and she added, "But calling you Mrs. Guerra makes you sound older. People might think you're in your 40s. If I call you Dr. Thorne, it makes you sound younger." Lysander stared at her for a moment. Lysanne flashed a triumphant grin, then turned to Josiah. "Drive, let's not be late." ... As a medical student, Lysander rarely had time to attend social events. Daphne had invited her several times, but she always politely declined due to her work. When she exited the car and was about to enter Mirage, her phone rang again. Josiah paused and asked, "Is it a hospital emergency?" Lysander checked the caller ID, and it was the hospital's landline number. "Hmm, probably an urgent situation, like a pregnant woman needing help, or they wouldn't call on a holiday." Josiah offered, "Let me drive you." "No, I can go by myself—" "Josiah!" Lysanne called from a distance, "Miles is waiting for us!" Josiah frowned slightly, looking bothered. Lysander's phone continued ringing. She walked away, phone in hand, saying, "I'll take this call first." She picked up the phone. "Hello?" "Dr. Thorne, it's Lynn. Dr. Wright asked if you're interested in an overseas study opportunity next month." Lysander felt a bit relieved. "Is that why you're calling? I thought there was an emergency." "Hehe, not every day is an emergency. Don't worry. I've got things covered here." "Okay." "Will you go abroad for this opportunity? It's a rare one! I've printed the application materials. If you're interested, I can fill them out for you." "No," Lysander replied softly, her hand resting on her abdomen. "I want to stay in Ecron and focus on my family and kids." "Dr. Thorne, are you ... pregnant?" "Yes." Lynn sighed, feeling sorry about the missed opportunity. "Women always have to give up their careers for family. It's unfair. At such a young age, you've already become an expert in obstetrics. If you went abroad, you could come back even stronger." Although Lynn was Lysander's assistant, she was only two years younger and still working on her master's degree. After working in the obstetrics and gynecology department, Lynn had gotten used to the complexities of relationships. Recently, though, she had been feeling more emotional, realizing just how much pregnancy and childbirth could change a woman's life. She even started questioning the idea of marriage altogether. After a brief conversation with Lynn, Lysander hung up and looked around, but Josiah and Lysanne were nowhere to be seen. They must have already gone inside. Lysander entered Mirage, immediately immersed in the lively, noisy environment. The venue was packed with almost 100 people around Josiah's age. However, she spotted him right away. He was tall with an elegant and refined presence. His appearance was striking, though his demeanor hinted at a rebellious side, with sharp features that gave him an intense look. If others didn't know him, they might think he seemed fierce and intimidating. "Did Josiah truly marry Lysanne?" "Of course! How could it be fake? Didn't you see the interview on the financial channel? He mentioned his wife's name is Lysanne." "Are you sure? They've been friends for so long. If they loved each other, they'd have been together earlier. Why wait this long?" "I don't know. Maybe they just realized they loved each other? But back in school, Lysanne always liked the kind, gentle guys like Miles. She never went for the arrogant, bossy type like Josiah." "Maybe Lysanne's taste changed. Back in school, Josiah seemed like a bully. Who could handle his arrogance?" "Maybe it's not Lysanne's taste that changed. Maybe Josiah's changed. Look at him now—dressed in a suit, wearing gold glasses, acting all polite and gentle. Who would have thought the arrogant, intense Josiah from high school would look like this?" Suddenly, Lysander's phone slipped from her hand, startling the two people nearby. One of them, wearing a blue suit, quickly picked it up and handed it to her. "Are you okay, miss?" Lysander smiled and took the phone. "I'm fine. Thank you." "Which class are you in? I don't think I've seen you before." "I'm not in your class. I'm—" "Not? Sorry, miss. This is a private event. The bar is reserved for our group, so it's not open to the public. If you want to hang out, you'll have to go somewhere else." "I'm not here to hang out. I'm looking for someone." "Who are you looking for?" "Josiah Guerra." The man looked surprised. "You're looking for Josiah? Are you his ... "