The Shaw and Norris families had been friends for generations, so Nancy had been trailing after Aiden and Ethan Shaw since she was a little girl.
When she got a little older and had her first crush, she proclaimed her love for Aiden Shaw, vowing she would marry him and no one else.
But Aiden had only ever seen her as a little sister and completely ignored her romantic declarations.
“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll have your parents ship you off to Wesland immediately.”
“Shaw, I rushed all the way back here for you.
Just break up with her already.”
Nancy looked at Aiden Shaw with a pitiful expression, like a child whose favorite candy had just been snatched away—both hurt and indignant.
‘How dare this woman steal her Shaw while she was studying abroad!
It was a classic case of swooping in when the coast was clear, a total cheap shot.’
‘So unfair.’
“This is grown-up business.
Kids shouldn’t meddle.”
Aiden Shaw rose from the sofa, strode to his desk, and began organizing patient files.
“I’m going to compete with her fairly.”
“I’m already hers.
There’s nothing to compete for.”
Aiden Shaw kept his head down, writing, his voice flat and betraying no emotion.
Nancy stomped her foot in frustration.
“I’m going to tell Ethan you’re bullying me!”
“Go on, then.
Just stop bothering me here.”
‘His attitude… Visit g.com for the full chapter.
It was like he was dismissing a little kid throwing a tantrum.’
Nancy stormed out of Aiden Shaw’s office in a huff.
As she reached the ground-floor lobby, she ran right into Laura Lowell.
“You, stop right there.”
Laura had just come to pay Little Mido’s hospital fees.
‘Of all the bad luck,’ she thought, ‘to run into my “love rival.”‘
“Can I help you with something?”
Laura turned, a faint smile on her face, and asked with poise.
“Shaw is mine.
Stop pestering him and break up already.”
Laura thought the girl was all bluster but ultimately harmless.
She even felt a little urge to tease her.
“But what if I really like him?
I can’t just hand over someone I care about, especially to someone I don’t even know.”
“What do you mean by that?
Shaw isn’t some object you own!
And are you saying that if we knew each other, you could just pass him around?”
‘This girl’s train of thought is a little…
odd.’
What Laura meant was…
she had no intention of giving Aiden up to her.
This made Nancy even more furious, her small face scrunching up.
“I’m warning you, stay away from my Shaw, or this isn’t over between us!”
“I’ll talk it over with him later.
If your Shaw agrees, I’ll step aside for you immediately.”
‘Isn’t that just stating the obvious?’
‘As if her Shaw would ever agree to that.’
Watching Laura walk away, Nancy was so furious it felt like every organ in her body was aching.
…….
That evening, Little Mido’s test results came back.
Laura looked at Aiden anxiously.
“How is Mido?”
“She has pulmonary valve stenosis with a pressure gradient of 41, as well as post-stenotic dilation.
Her right ventricular pressure is up to 71.
She’ll need surgery.”
Laura didn’t understand a single thing he said, but that one word, “surgery,” made her nerves tense up instantly.
“Is it serious?
If she has the surgery, will it be dangerous?”
Aiden closed the file and test results.
“I’m here.
Mido will be fine.”
Aiden’s words had a calming effect, and the knot in Laura’s chest slowly began to loosen.
“So, when is the surgery?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
Laura glanced at Little Mido, who had just fallen asleep on the hospital bed, and a wave of warmth filled her clear, pure eyes.