Katherine lay in bed last night, not even knowing when she'd fallen asleep.
When she heard the alarm, she reached for her phone and turned it off.
After taking a moment, she got out of bed, her mind slowly becoming clearer.
Now she was facing two major problems: the three million owed to the Jiang Corporation, and the child in her belly.
She would find a way to gather the three million. If worse came to worst, she could sell the shop her mother had left her.
But what about the baby?
If Andrew found out she was carrying his child, would he try to kill them?
Katherine took a deep breath and told herself to stay calm. She decided to wait until her hospital checkup that afternoon before thinking further.
She checked the time. It was almost the scheduled time she had with the real estate agent, so she quickly washed up, got ready, and drove to the agency.
When she arrived, the buyer was already waiting.
After a brief conversation, they signed the contract.
The buyer kept his word. The 1.56 million was transferred to her account quickly.
Katherine returned to her car and looked at her account balance. There was only 1.8 million. She had no choice but to sell the other two storefronts as well.
Just a few days ago, her tenant had asked if he could buy them.
She hadn't refused at the time, only said she'd think about it. Now was the right time.
She didn't plan on coming back anyway.
Katherine called the tenant and explained her terms. The other party agreed right away.
Selling the apartment and the storefronts took just over two hours to finalize.
Now, she had to deal with the hospital matters.
On the way there, she called Nurse Sana.
"Sana, let's have lunch together. You can pick the place, and I'll book it."
Nurse Sana thought about how Katherine was about to leave the city, and suddenly had no appetite.
"Anything is fine, Katherine."
"Okay, I'll send you the location later. Come straight there after work."
She walked into the hospital and headed straight to the director's office.
When the director looked up and saw her, his face was like a frozen lake, calm but carrying a sharp chill.
Katherine knew that the recent scandal had dragged the hospital into a mess. She had become the scapegoat in the director's eyes.
The director was the first to speak, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. "Dr. Shen, the police have officially cleared you. Are you satisfied now?"
Katherine raised her eyebrows slightly and replied calmly and firmly, "Director, I think that's an unfair statement. I was wrongly accused. Isn't proving my innocence the natural thing to do?"
"Why make it sound like I was demanding some kind of reward?"
The director gave a cold snort, stood up abruptly, and raised his voice. "Do you know what this has done to the hospital? We've lost patients, and our reputation has taken a major hit. Can't you people think before you act?"
Katherine's expression remained calm, her eyes fixed on his. She spoke slowly and clearly, "Director, did you really know nothing when this happened?"
"If you had stepped in earlier, would it have gone this far?"
Her words were like a stone thrown into still water. The director was momentarily speechless, his face showing a flash of embarrassment. He turned away, saying nothing for a long time.
He knew very well that his lack of action back then had helped create this disaster. But he hadn't expected Katherine to call him out so directly.
After a pause, he gathered himself and said in a low voice, "Now that you've been cleared, come back to work tomorrow. We still need capable people like you here."
Katherine shook her head slightly, feeling deeply disappointed. She slowly took out the resignation letter she had prepared from her bag and handed it to him with both hands.
"Director, thank you for your support over the years. Due to personal reasons, I can't continue at Concord Hospital. I hope you'll approve."
The director was stunned, turning around to stare at her in disbelief. "Why? You've been proven innocent. Why insist on leaving now?"
Katherine lowered her eyes and spoke softly but firmly, "Director, there are many reasons I can't explain. They're personal, and I hope you can understand and let me go."
Katherine put down her resignation letter and turned to walk out the door.
Standing in the hallway, she took a deep breath and silently told herself, Katherine, it's okay. Things will only get better from now on.
She had spent countless sleepless nights just to get into Xiehe. Now that the day of leaving had finally come, she still felt deeply reluctant.
But she had no choice anymore.
Katherine calmed herself down and chose a restaurant across from the hospital to wait for Nurse Sana to get off work.
…
Assistant Ryan stood in front of Andrew's desk. "Boss, I couldn't find Dr. Katherine."
Andrew's grip on the pen tightened. "Did you check her house? She's not home?"
Assistant Ryan hesitated. "Boss, didn't you know that Dr. Katherine has a bad relationship with her family?"
"After her father remarried, she rarely went back."
Andrew realized he had never known much about Katherine's personal life. "What about her mom? Did she remarry too?"
Assistant Ryan's expression grew heavy. "Her mom passed away in a car accident over a decade ago."
Andrew's brows furrowed slightly. A car accident?
So, just like him, her mother had also died in a car crash.
"Send more people to look for her. Also, check the flight information. See if she's left the country."
Assistant Ryan nodded. "Okay."
After work, Nurse Sana rushed over to meet Katherine.
"Katherine, when are you planning to leave the city?"
Katherine pressed her lips together, stayed quiet for a few seconds, then answered, "Tonight."
Nurse Sana's eyes instantly turned red. "What? Tonight? That fast?"
Katherine nodded. "Sana, don't cry. It makes me feel worse."
"I'll let you know once I'm settled. You can come visit me when you're free."
"And one more thing. You can't tell anyone where I'm going."
"No matter who asks, you can't say anything. Got it?"
Nurse Sana nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Katherine. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Katherine smiled softly. "I believe you. Oh, right, I'm leaving my car for you."
Hearing that, Nurse Sana quickly waved her hands. "Katherine, no, I can't take it. You'll need money out there. You should sell it instead."
Katherine held her hand and placed the car keys in her palm. "The car is old. It wasn't expensive to begin with, and it won't sell for much now."
"Giving it to you makes me happy. Otherwise, it'll just sit and go to waste."
"Of course, only if you don't mind that it's used."
Tears streamed down Nurse Sana's face. "Katherine, how could I mind? I know you're being kind to me."
"Katherine, let me give you some money for it. It's not much, but it's something."
Katherine knew she would refuse otherwise. "Alright, then transfer me five thousand."
"When I come back, you can drive it to pick me up."
"I'll have someone handle the ownership transfer for me. When you have time, get in touch with him. I'll give you his number."
Nurse Sana choked up, "Okay."
After parting ways with Nurse Sana, Katherine got into a taxi and headed to the maternal and child health hospital.