Chapter 8 Emily Slapped Amelia
The doctor also looked puzzled. “We don’t know either. She came out of the restroom a moment ago, and then she was just gone.‘
Amelia followed Gabriel down the minivan. Upon hearing this, she suddenly said, “Maybe Dr. Sterling had second thoughts about the medical mission. Could she have gone back to
Crestmont because she couldn’t put up with the hardship?”
Mallory, returning just in time to hear this, was furious. “What absolute rubbish! How shameless can you get to project your own nasty thoughts onto someone else?
“Dr. Sterling’s professional ethics are known to all of us. She would never just run away. Watch your mouth, or I’ll rip it off your face!”
Amelia, who had never been spoken to so bluntly, looked as if she’d swallowed a dead fly. She was utterly embarrassed and inwardly cursed at Mallory. “I was just speculating. There’s no
need for such language, Dr. Prescott.”
“Enough!” Gabriel cut them off. “This isn’t the time for arguing. Get security and expand the
search. We must find her.”
With the major sponsor giving orders, no one dared slack off. The search went on with renewed urgency.
Meanwhile, Emily did not idle. She’d left her phone on the bus and didn’t have it with her. However, the lounge was old, and the door wasn’t very sturdy, so she kicked it a dozen times
until her leg went numb.
Fortunately, the frame began to loosen. That gave her hope, and Emily threw herself against the lock repeatedly.
Mallory and a few other doctors happened to be searching nearby, and they were startled by
the noise.
“What’s going on in there? Is the place haunted?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re a doctor, and you believe in ghosts?”
Suddenly, it dawned on Mallory. “Someone must be locked in there!”
Could it be Emily? Mallory hastened and ran up to the lounge, calling out, “Mills! Is that you?”
Inside, Emily’s eyes
lit up.
“It’s me!”
Chapter 8 Emily Slapped Amelia
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Mallory’s panic finally eased. “Don’t worry! I’ll get someone to open the door,” she said, before fetching security to pry the lock open.
When Emily finally emerged, her clothes were covered in dust and rust, and her hair was a complete mess. She looked thoroughly shaken.
“Mills!” Mallory exclaimed, rushing forward to hug Emily, unable to hide how worried she’d been. “Good grief, what were you doing all the way out here by yourself? You scared me to death!”
Others gathered as word spread that Emily had been found.
Gabriel looked Emily over, and his tense expression eased slightly when he saw that she wasn’t hurt. “Good to see you unscathed, Dr. Sterling.“!
Amelia put on a reproachful tone. “You really shouldn’t have wandered off like that, Dr. Sterling. If the driver had been any less careful, you could have been left behind!”
A few other doctors, still catching their breath from searching, muttered in agreement.
“Yeah, this place is so far from the restrooms. Even if you needed to rest, you could have done it on the bus. Why would you come here?”
Emily said nothing. She walked forward and, while everyone watched in confusion, slapped Amelia hard across the face in one swift motion.
“Ahh!” Amelia shrieked. She hadn’t seen that coming and was sent to the ground from the impact.
The suddenness of it left the onlookers speechless. Even Mallory was shocked.
Amelia clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. How dare Emily strike her?
Then, switching to a pitiful expression, like she was about to cry, Amelia whimpered, “Dr. Sterling, how could you hit me for no reason?”
Emily looked down at her coldly and laughed mirthlessly. “Do you really not know why, Ms. Waverly? You lured me into that lounge with a story about a patient and then locked me in. That’s a trick I would have found childish even if I were three.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Amelia refused to admit it.
She choked up and turned to Gabriel, saying, “Gabe, I went to the restroom and came straight back to the car. I couldn’t possibly have done such a thing. Dr. Sterling is slandering me!”
Chapter 9 Let’s Check The Security Cameras
