After Rejection Divorced Luna Becomes A Famous Doctor (Hailey and Dominic) novel Chapter 13

HAILEY

It was Monday again, meaning my little weekend peace was gone. It feels like weekends these days just

blow past like the wind, and weekdays take years to end.

But like always, I loved my job and the prospect of saving people’s lives, so here I was again in the hospital that drains 90% of my energy.

At least, Valerie was back now so it was going to be more bearable to be around my colleagues who hated my guts for no good reason. Valerie and I met at the parking lot, thankfully arriving at the same time. I had dropped Liam off at school and barely had time to breathe before pulling into the hospital’s lot.

Seeing Valerie’s familiar car pulling in at the same time felt like a small blessing. She rolled her window down with a tired smile, and I found myself mirroring it despite the heaviness already pressing on my

shoulders.

Walking side by side toward the entrance, we exchanged quick updates, her weekend was spent catching

up on sleep, mine chasing after Liam’s endless energy. She teased me about how he was probably going

to grow up faster than I wanted, and I laughed, though the truth of it tugged at me.

Every day I dropped him off at school, I felt the seconds slipping away, as if my little boy was sprinting

toward a future I wasn’t quite ready for. But I pushed that thought away, like I always did, and focused on

the day ahead.

The moment we stepped into the hospital, the familiar scent of antiseptic and the low hum of activity hit me. Nurses moved briskly through the halls, doctors had their usual morning tension etched across their

faces, and the buzz of pagers already echoed through the building.

It felt like slipping back into a battlefield you know too well, your body instinctively tightens, your senses

sharpen, and part of you is always bracing for impact.

Valerie leaned closer as we signed in at the desk. “You know they’re not happy I’m back,” she whispered,

her eyes flicking toward a cluster of colleagues nearby.

I followed her gaze and caught the sideways looks and hushed murmurs that greeted our presence. Same

old story. I’d long ago given up trying to win their approval. Most of them had decided who I was without ever bothering to actually know me. My only saving grace had been Valerie, who stood her ground beside

me, even when it cost her.

“They’ll deal with it,” I muttered under my breath, keeping my chin up. “We’ve got work to do, and they’ll need us whether they like it or not.”

We were about to turn a corner when we heard whispering and stopped dead in our tracks. We peaked a little and it was three of my colleagues, one was a student nurse who started a few months ago and the other two have been working at the hospital way before I ever set foot in here. They were seniors, older

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WATER THIRTEEN

and far more experienced in terms of years, yet both of them carried that bitterness in their eyes every time they looked at me. I had seen that look enough times to know exactly what it meant, resentment, envy, and that ugly desire to drag me down to their level.

The three of them stood tucked into the corner near the supply room, their voices lowered but not nearly low enough. They weren’t even trying to hide it. The student nurse giggled nervously like she didn’t want to be left out, while the older two carried their words with venom, spitting them out like poison.

“I still don’t understand how she got promoted over us,” one of them said, her voice sharp and dripping with disdain. “We’ve been here for years. Years. And suddenly she walks in, what, four years ago? And now she’s standing above us, barking orders like she owns the place.”

The other one snorted. “Please, don’t act like you don’t know how she got there. She’s clearly been spreading her legs for the higher ups. That’s the only way someone like her could have climbed that fast. Don’t tell me you believe it’s because of her skill.”

My chest tightened, but I didn’t move. Valerie’s hand brushed mine briefly as if to ground me, her jaw tightening as she listened too.

The student nurse laughed softly, awkwardly. “Well… people have been saying she might get promoted again soon. Maybe even higher. Can you imagine?”

“Exactly,” the first one sneered. “Rumors don’t come from nowhere. She’s probably already warming someone’s bed to secure it. It’s pathetic. And she walks around here acting like she’s some saint.”

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