Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74123 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Look, I understand you make a good living but this is a lot of money.”
“Fuck off!” Ethan turned and this time ignored the other man when he called after him.
When he slid into his car, he released a heavy breath and placed his head against the steering wheel.
The dream of meeting his father was well and truly over. He doubted Soo-ah would make such a move without approval from the family. Besides, if his father wanted to get in contact with him, Ethan wasn’t hard to find. Ethan was certain his existence was known so if in 38 years he made no effort to contact him then that was his answer.
Even with that knowledge, it didn’t stop the burning in his chest that made it difficult to breathe. The pain of rejection seared the deepest part of his soul. His mother had warned him and maybe that would have saved him the heartache had he listened, but at least he had his answer.
“This day can’t possibly get any worse,” he muttered to himself.
He pressed the start button on his car just as the blue tooth signaled that he had a call. The dashboard displayed his business partner’s phone number.
Frank was on call this week at the hospital and sometimes called to consult him on a matter even though he had been one of Ethan’s mentor. It was refreshing to work with someone who was confident in their skill set but was also willing to listen to someone who was more familiar with newer techniques and studies in their field.
But if it wasn’t a consultation it was possibly to cover for him, which didn’t happen often but it was a possibility. Ethan hoped it was the former rather than the latter because he didn’t have the mental capacity to go into the hospital right now.
He pressed the answer button on his dashboard screen. “Hey Frank what’s up?”
His greeting was met with a heavy sigh. “Are you sitting down?”
“I’m in my car but I’m sitting in a parking lot. Is everything alright? You sound tired.”
“It’s been one of those days. I was helping out in the E.R. because they needed all hands on deck. There was a collision on the road involving an 18 wheeler so there were several injuries.”
“From the sound of your voice, there were a few casualties.” In their profession, losing a patient was always a possibility but no matter how many times it happened, one never really got used to it, at least he didn’t.
Frank who had been practicing for nearly 30 years, was one of the most compassionate men Ethan knew, and took each loss personally even after all this time.
“Yes, a couple, but that’s not what I was calling you about. Last night a young woman was rushed to the hospital after being hit by an oncoming vehicle. She was dead on arrival by the time the ambulance brought her in. I was just coming out of surgery when they wheeled her in. I only got a brief glance at the body but I recognized her right away.”
Ethan’s heart sped up. For reasons he couldn’t fathom, he instantly knew who it was. He didn’t know how but it was like someone was squeezing his insides. “Tell me.”
“It was Amina.”
Ethan slumped in his seat. She had left her position as office manager two years ago but there wasn’t a day when he didn’t think about her and wonder how she was doing. “Fuck…she was hit by a car?”
“I spoke with the M.E. and it appears the cause of death was internal bleeding as a result of the car accident but he noted there were several cuts and contusions all over her body that didn’t quite sink up with just being hit by a vehicle. Some of her bruises were several days old.”
“Was that sorry excuse for a husband with her?”
“As far as I know, she came alone in the ambulance. I don’t know if he was at the hospital or not. I wasn’t involved. Honestly, I shouldn’t be discussing this with you but I thought you might want to know since she used to work for us. And…I know you were fond of her.”
Ethan placed his hand against his chest. He opened his mouth to respond but he choked on his words.
Amina was gone?
From the moment she’d come in for the job interview, he noticed an attractive woman with warm brown skin and big eyes. Her smile revealed the deepest, most adorable dimples he’d ever seen. The instant attraction he felt toward her took him by surprise because he generally kept things professional with everyone in the office.
Her qualifications and friendly personality was enough to get Frank to agree to hire her as their new office manager. Amina seemed to get along with everyone in the office and her work was exemplary. Whenever he’d see her, she’d greet him with a smile but it was the same smile she gave to everyone else.