After the New Year's Eve Tragedy Her Icy Return novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11 Retaliation

“Shut up!”

Startled by his sharp voice, Stella bit back her words and quickly left.

Not long after, Caroline returned with a pile of test results and handed them to Blake.

As he scanned through the papers, she watched him closely. The sudden crease in his brow made her anxious.

Could something be wrong?

With caution, Caroline asked, “Doctor, what do the results say? Is there an issue with my organs?”

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“Your internal organs are fine, but you have a mild case of lumbar disc herniation,” Blake responded, his gaze. unreadable.

He found it odd. Caroline was only 21, yet she had a condition that was pressing on her nerves.

Caroline was just as stunned.

She thought that only elderly people suffered from this. How did she end up with it?

Worse still, she had heard that severe cases could lead to paralysis.

“Is it serious? How should it be treated?” Caroline felt relieved that she had mentioned her occasional back pain earlier. Otherwise, it could have gone unnoticed and worsened over time.

Blake noticed the worry in her eyes and reassured her. “Don’t stress over it. Just follow my treatment plan, and you’ll be fine.”

Caroline nodded, listening attentively.

“For your condition, you’ll need massages, needle therapy, and traction therapy in the mornings. In the afternoons, you’ll undergo rehabilitation training. To get the best results, I recommend staying in the hospital.”

Caroline hesitated, biting her lip. “How much would that cost?”

She had already spent most of her savings on tests earlier. If she had to be hospitalized, she wasn’t sure if she could afford it.

The last thing she wanted was to ask her brothers for money.

Blake paused before answering, “It won’t be expensive. About 2,000 should cover it,

Just 2,000 Caroline had expected at least 5,00

The lower amount surprised her.

Blake smiled. “It’s enough. Just focus on getting better. If you ever need more, I can lend it to you.”

His words put her at ease.

She hadn’t expected this doctor to be so considerate toward his patients. No wonder he was qualified to work at such an upscale private hospital.

It suddenly occurred to Caroline that she didn’t even know his name, which piqued her curiosity.

Her eyes instinctively drifted to the name tag on Blake’s chest.

Blake Sherwood. Nice name!

It suited his warm and compassionate nature.

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Chapter 11 Retaliation

Once she had completed the hospital formalities and settled into bed, her phone rang. It was Miguel,

“Caroline, Liam mentioned you took time off. What’s going on?”

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“I’m sick and hospitalized,” she replied curtly. She had no interest in elaborating. Explaining would be a waste of time.

A few moments of silence followed before Miguel spoke again, his tone laced with doubt rather than concern. “You seemed fine before. Why are you suddenly sick enough to be hospitalized?”

His suspicion was obvious, making Caroline scoff. “You didn’t even come to see me. How would you know if I’m fine or not?

Miguel couldn’t tell whether she was genuinely ill or, as Liam suggested, just upset and avoiding housework.

After all, Caroline rarely fell sick. Even when she did, a few pills usually had her back on her feet in no time.

Being admitted to the hospital? That was unheard of.

It just so happened that they had had a major argument in the past few days, and now she was sick and hospitalized.

It was too much of a coincidence.

“I can’t leave school right now. I’ll visit you at the hospital later tonight.”

Miguel was a junior high school teacher with a packed schedule, making it difficult for him to leave work.

“Oh.” Caroline responded indifferently and ended the call.

Despite saying that, she didn’t believe Miguel would show up. And frankly, she preferred he didn’t come.

Later that afternoon, after finishing her rehabilitation exercises, Caroline returned to her ward for an IV drip.

Fatigue weighed her down as she leaned back against the bed, drifting off into sleep.

“Hey! Time to eat!”

A sharp voice, tinged with irritation, jolted her awake.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Caroline looked up at the middle–aged woman standing before her.

She recognized the face immediately and was momentarily taken aback. However, she quickly regained her composure. “I think you’ve got the wrong room. I don’t know you.”

It was Ruth Wagner–an unwelcome presence.

In her previous life, Ruth had scherned with Helen to frame her.

But in this life, they hadn’t crossed paths until now.

Ruth slammed a thermos onto the table, towering over Caroline with a smug expression. “I’m in the right place! You seem to have a short memory. Let me remind you–you hit my mother at home yesterday. Ring a bell?”

After learning that her mother, Wren, had been struck by Caroline last night, Ruth had been waiting for an opportunity to

retaliate,

It happened that Miguel had asked Wren to deliver Caroline’s dinner.

Ruth had wasted no time in tagging along, eager to stir up trouble.

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Chapter 11 Retaliation

Making things difficult for this hateful girl was the only way to vent her frustration.