After Rejection Divorced Luna Becomes A Famous Doctor (Hailey and Dominic) novel Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE–1

HAILEY

After a long week of work, caffeine, surgeries, the successful ones and the unsuccessful ones, it was

finally the weekend.

The bad part of my job was experiencing the deaths of a patient or knowing that they were going to die

and not being able to do anything about it. When we’ve literally tried every method to save their lives and

still lose them after everything. It’s devastating as a doctor, not to mention the family of the deceased.

And, four years into this profession, every single death still feels like the first. It never gets better, but I’m

expected to show no emotions, but deep down, my heart bleeds for their family.

The guilt of knowing that their loved one came in alive and left in a body bag is something that stays with you, no matter how much you try to shake it off. It’s the kind of guilt that doesn’t just sit quietly in the

background, it claws at you in the quiet hours of the night, forcing you to replay every step, every incision, every decision, wondering if you could have done something differently.

I’ve had nights where I would wake up drenched in sweat, my heart pounding, the sound of the flatline ringing in my ears as if I were still standing in that operating room. They teach you in medical school to detach, to treat the patient with compassion but not to carry them home with you, but no one ever tells you how impossible that actually is.

That’s why the weekend feels like both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I get to breathe, to be Hailey and not Dr. Hailey Anderson. A curse because the silence of my apartment gives my mind too much room to wander, to think, to remember faces I will never see again.

I’ve learned to fill that silence with Liam’s laughter, with cooking disasters in the kitchen, with the sound of cartoons blaring in the background. He’s the only thing that keeps me tethered to the present, the only reason I can still smile after a week that feels like it took years off my life.

But today, Liam and I were going to visit a co–worker who is more of a friend to me now. Valerie had taken leave from work for the past two weeks to go see her family, and now she was finally back and invited Liam and I over to her place for a much needed catching up.

Valerie, despite being two years younger than me at twenty six, we hit it off better than any other person at the hospital. She was a nurse, and one of the only nurses that didn’t treat me like a competition at work. We worked perfectly together and started a genuine friendship over the years. She was literally my best

friend.

“Girl, if you don’t get your ass over here with my cute godson-!” Valerie threatened and I laughed. She arrived just yesterday and is also eager to see Liam, and Liam’s feelings were also mutual.

Did I mention that Valerie was a werewolf too? I feel like that’s why we even got it off easily, because even though we weren’t from the same pack, we had a connection that just made us click. But her story was easier than mine, she left her pack with dreams of becoming a nurse, no traumas, no failed relationship or

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NSACTER TWEVE

marriage, but just a girl with dreams to become better.

Cha

“We’ll be there soon, Valerie.” I said, bringing Liam’s clothes out of his closet as I brought him out of the

bathroom.

“You better! I made y’all’s favorite food, we’re going to have so much fun! Alright, bye. See you soon!” She

said happily and hung the call.

I smiled, shaking my head and got Liam dressed who couldn’t

CHAPTER TWELVE–2

I pulled my hair into a loose braid, dabbed on some lip gloss, and glanced at Liam, who was practically bouncing in place in his little jeans and dinosaur T–shirt. He looked so happy, so full of life, and I silently thanked the Moon Goddess for giving me a reason to keep going even on my hardest days.

The drive to Valerie’s place was easy. Liam chatted the whole way, telling me about the dream he had last night, something about a giant cookie chasing him until he took a bite out of it. I laughed so hard I had to wipe tears from my eyes, and for a moment, I felt weightless, as though all the heaviness from the week had been left far behind at the hospital.

When we pulled up to Valerie’s apartment building, she was already outside, standing with her hands on her hips like she’d been waiting for us all morning. Her blonde curls framed her face, and her eyes lit up

when she saw Liam scramble out of the car. “My baby!” she squealed, bending down just in time for him to

run full speed into her arms.

She scooped him up effortlessly, spinning him around until he was giggling uncontrollably. I stood there

watching them, smiling to myself. There was something about seeing the people you love connect with

each other, it’s a rare kind of joy that makes your chest ache in the best way.

Inside, her place smelled like heaven, garlic, roasted chicken, and that buttery scent of fresh bread that made my stomach growl instantly. “Sit, sit,” she insisted, ushering me toward the couch while she set plates on the dining table. Liam had already darted off to explore the toy box she kept for him in the

corner.

Valerie’s home always felt warm and inviting, filled with personal touches, framed pictures, potted plants, soft blankets. It was the opposite of my apartment, which, despite my best efforts, still carried the neatness of someone who’s never home enough to make a mess.

“So,” Valerie dragged out as we finished lunch. “What have you been up to these past few weeks? Anything new? Any new love interests?” She teased, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively.

I groaned, shaking my head. “Trust me Val, a new love interest would have been better than the shitty week I had last week.” I said, remembering the disaster with Giovanni and how it ruined my whole week.

“Are you gonna tell me about it?” She said, now serious as she saw my expression.

Valerie knew about my previous marriage and my story, so I could only imagine her shock when she hears that the past I’ve been trying so hard run away from, has shown its face in my life again.

“Guess who the emergency patient I had to rush before my nightshift to attend to, turned out to be?”

“Who?”

“My ex brother in law.”

“What the hell?” she gasped, eyes widening as she leaned forward. “You’re kidding me.”

PHAPTER TWELVE 2

“I wish I was,” I muttered, pushing my plate away. “Giovanni. He was… barely conscious when they brought him in. Severe injuries, blood loss, he was on the brink, Val. I didn’t even recognize him at first. But when I did…” I trailed off, shaking my head. Just thinking about that moment made my stomach knot. The way the air had been sucked out of the room, the way my hands had gone cold even as my training took over. “I patched him up, made sure he was stable, and then I walked away. I thought that would be the end of it.”

Valerie’s brows drew together in concern. “But it wasn’t, was it?”

“No,” I said, my voice flat. “He showed up again before his discharge. Came to find me. Said I was hiding.” My laugh was humorless, sharp. “I told him I wasn’t hiding, that I was living. But Val… it’s not just about him. It’s about what his presence means.”

She tilted her head, reading between the lines. “You think Dominic is close.”

“I know he is.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue. “Wherever Giovanni is, Dominic is never too far behind. And if Dominic knows where I am-” My voice caught, the rest of the sentence lodged in my throat

like a thorn.

Valerie reached across the table, her warm hand covering mine. “You’re not alone this time, Hailey. You’ve built a life here. You’ve got me. You’ve got people who care. And you’ve got Liam.”

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