I casually ignored the incoming call.
Jimena Foster noticed that my room's window offered a clear view of where she had just shared a kiss with Francisco Gilbert. A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself and tentatively asked, "Sweetheart, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Whenever Jimena called me "sweetheart," it was a sign she was feeling guilty or wanted something from me. Sidestepping her question, I calmly inquired about Francisco's condition.
She hesitated before saying, "Oh, it’s nothing major. Just a childish tantrum. As his primary doctor, I can’t just ignore him." She seemed to realize she’d slipped up by mentioning her role as his doctor.
"Francisco hit his head, I..." she began.
"No need to explain. I don't care," I cut her off before she could continue with her excuse. Jimena frowned slightly at this.
"What do you mean you don't care? What could I possibly do with Francisco? You know I can't stand people who are too needy," she retorted, her voice a mix of frustration and defensiveness.
I chuckled lightly, "You can't stand him, yet you still keep seeing him, right?"
Caught off guard, Jimena paused before admitting yes. She pointed to my phone, which was still vibrating. "Who's calling you in the middle of the night?" she asked.
I glanced at it and replied dismissively, "Just a telemarketer."
Jimena didn’t believe me and reached for my phone, but I blocked her hand.
She narrowed her eyes with suspicion, "Are you hiding something from me?"
I replied flatly, "I'm a lawyer; my phone has a lot of clients' confidential information."
Jimena opened her mouth as if to argue but stayed silent. Without another word to her, I took my phone and walked out. The moment I answered, an excited female voice burst through the line.
"Kayden, are you really coming to work for my company as a legal advisor? Have you divorced Jimena? Are you ready to be with me?" Elise Chapman's excitement was so loud it made my ears ring.
Elise had asked me to join her firm as a legal advisor a while ago, but I had declined because of Jimena. I had once told Elise that I would only consider it after divorcing Jimena. Elise had jokingly called it a no-brainer at the time. Everyone thought Jimena and I were deeply in love. Jimena had even given up her inheritance to work as an ordinary doctor.
But then Jimena's feelings changed. Amid Elise’s persistent questioning, I finally responded, "Yes, I'm preparing for a divorce."
My admission seemed to quiet Elise. She softly asked if something had happened.
"I'll explain when I have the chance," I replied. "I'll see you in a week."
Jimena exited the hospital room just as I ended the call and asked who I was meeting in a week.
After saying goodbye to Elise, I turned to Jimena. "Just a client," I said. She seemed satisfied with that and didn’t ask more questions.
She wrapped her arms around my waist, her voice softening, "Kayden, earlier today, I was just too anxious. I signed the waiver because I didn’t want to owe Francisco anything. You understand, right?"
While I believed Jimena's intentions were genuine at the time, I realized she might not even know her heart had already drifted away from me. I smiled.
"I understand. I'm tired and need to get some rest now," I said.
Jimena immediately encouraged me to get some sleep, apologizing for arguing over something trivial when I should be resting.
Looking at her seemingly sincere expression of regret, I couldn’t fathom her actions today. Bowing my head, I tried to mask my sorrow. Just one more week, and this would all be over.
