Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)



NEW BEGINNING

LILY

ONE YEAR LATER

Ryan and I have been married for a year now, and I must say, it has been the most wonderful, joy-filled year of my life. Everything between us has gone incredibly smoothly.

His parents have been nothing short of amazing, offering their support to us in every possible way. As for the boys, they've grown so fond of Ryan's parents that they actually prefer spending the holidays with them instead of with us.

But I don't mind at all-it just means I get to enjoy more moments alone with my husband.

"Ma'am?" My secretary's voice broke through my thoughts, drawing my attention back to the present. She had just poked her head into my office. "The resident doctors are here."

The hospital decided it was a good idea to bring in more resident doctors this year, and today is the day they're arriving. "Where are they?"

"In the conference room with the new neurosurgeon," she responded.

Ah, right. *Amell Windsor* is arriving today. He's not just any neurosurgeon; he's a renowned figure in the field, known far and wide for his expertise. However, I should add that his reputation for being exceptionally skilled is also matched by his arrogance.

The hospital spared no expense, practically throwing a fortune his way to entice him to join our team.

The decision to bring him on board wasn't really mine, though. It was more of a board directive, and here I am, about to meet a man who blatantly ignored my calls, left my emails sitting unanswered in his inbox, only to turn around and respond immediately to the chairman of the board's message.

How much more arrogant can one person be?

"I'll be with them shortly," I finally replied. Grace nodded in acknowledgment before quietly retreating, closing the door behind her.

Amell made me wait, so he can wait for me, too. Yes, I'm that petty.

Thirty minutes and one lengthy Zoom call later, I finally decided to make my way to the conference room.

When I walked into the room, the three resident doctors immediately stood up, their expressions shifting into respectful acknowledgment of my presence. However, the smug bastard remained seated, casually taking a sip of his coffee with an annoying arrogance.

His legs were crossed nonchalantly, and he had the audacity to stare at me with an expression of almost deliberate disinterest, as if he had far better things to do than be in this room.

We locked eyes for a tense moment, each of us silently measuring the other. I could feel the irritation building up inside me, and it took everything in me to pull my gaze away before I lost my cool and snapped at him. Instead, I redirected my focus to the new resident doctors, pushing aside my annoyance.

"It's a pleasure to work with you all," I said, my voice calm and professional.

The first resident, a young woman, stepped forward with a tentative smile, extending her hand for a handshake. "My name is Dr. Dinny," she introduced herself. Her name was already clearly displayed on her ID badge, but I allowed her to introduce herself nheless, understanding that it might help her feel more comfortable.

The other two residents followed her lead, introducing themselves in turn. I could see the nervousness in their eyes, as they tried to present themselves with confidence.

"You don't have to be nervous," I assured them, offering a reassuring smile. "The hospital, and myself, are glad to have you on our team. We're here to support you as you grow and learn, so please feel free to reach out if you need anything."

Amell cleared his throat, drawing my attention away from the new residents. He uncrossed his legs, placed his coffee cup on the desk with a thud, and leaned forward slightly, glancing at his wristwatch. "If you're truly happy to work with us, you wouldn't have kept us waiting for over thirty minutes," he said, his tone deadpan. He then rose to his feet.

There was something about his haughty demeanor that irked me deeply. It reminded me of Ryan, though the distinction was clear: with Ryan, I found his arrogance somewhat endearing, even attractive. But with Amell, his arrogance was nothing short of irritating and unsettling.

"Perhaps I had other pressing matters to attend to," I shot back, my tone equally deadpan. "You know, important issues like matters of life and death, or perhaps hospital affairs."

Amell's smirk only widened. "Or maybe you just intentionally kept us waiting."

He approached me and extended his hand, a gesture that was more about asserting dominance than genuine friendliness. For the sake of maintaining some courtesy, I shook his hand. “My name is Dr. Amell Windsor," he said. "And you can call me Dr. Windsor."

"I'm Dr. Lily Williams," I replied, offering a firm handshake. Amell squeezed my hand with a slight, condescending pressure before releasing it.

"I know who you are," he said, squaring his shoulders and slipping his hands into his pockets. "I'm aware that you don't particularly like me, but I would appreciate it if you could at least try not to make it so glaringly obvious. We're not exactly in the same department here, so it might be simpler if we just keep our distance."

I felt a flush of embarrassment

creeping up my cheeks. I glanced at the resident doctors, who looked equally taken aback by Amell's bold statement. Trying to deflect the awkwardness, I let out a dry laugh, attempting to downplay his outlandish claim. "How did you come to the conclusion that I don't like you?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

Amell tilted his head and surveyed me with a scrutinizing gaze. "Well, aside from your clear disapproval of my hiring when the board

recommended me," he said, as allet

eyes, including those of the new residents, turned to me. "Or the fact that you deliberately delayed coming téogreet me when I arrived," he continued, noting my growing discomfort. "Or perhaps the way you

glared at me the moment you walked through that door?"

My cheeks reddened further under his pointed scrutiny.

Biting my lower lip, I took a deep breath to steady myself before responding did not keep you waiting intentionally," I said, my voice steady despite the lie. I regretted not waiting an hour before

showing up. "And I apologize if it seemed like I glared at you when I

walked in. Perhaps I was just

stressed, and you're too insensitive to notice that."

"Insensitive?" Amell chuckled, clearly finding amusement in the exchange. "What about opposing my recommendation?"

I bristled at his assumption. “I don't know you from Adam, Mr. Amell. Why would you think I opposed your recommendation for personal reasons?"

"It's Dr. Windsor," he corrected me with a smirk.

I blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Dr. Windsor,” he repeated, his smirk widening. "And I never said you opposed my recommendation for personal reasons. I'm simply trying to understand your position. Why did you oppose it?"

"I was looking out for the hospital's finances," I said through gritted teeth. "Don't take it personally."

"The hospital's finances?" Amell's eyes gleamed with provocative curiosity. "Is the hospital going broke?"

My phone vibrated insistently in my pocket. "Don't you think that's a rather sensitive question to ask?" I said, my irritation rising. Amell shrugged nonchalantly. "Become a board director or part of the hospital management, and maybe I'll answer that question."

The phone continued to ring, and I pulled it out, feeling my frustration grow. "If you'll excuse me, I need to take this," I said tersely. Turning on my heel, I walked out of the conference room, feeling more agitated than when I had entered.

Swiping to answer, I held the phone to my ear. "Hello, love," I said, expecting to hear Ryan's familiar voice. Instead, there was only silence, broken only by his steady breathing. "Ryan?"

"Someone sounds upset," he finally said, his tone concerned. "What's going on?"

Ryan has been in New York for nearly a month now, tied up with a business emergency that demands his full attention. I miss him terribly, and perhaps that's why Amell's attitude is affecting me more than usual.

"I think the hospital just hired one of the most annoying doctors," I muttered, and Ryan chuckled on the other end.

"It's not funny, Ryan. Just a few minutes of talking to him, and I'm extremely upset," I continued, my frustration evident in my voice.

"You signed the employment offer and letter, didn't you?" Ryan asked, his tone neutral but probing.

I grimaced at the thought that my signature might have been the catalyst for bringing Amell here. "Well, the board wanted him here, so I didn't have much choice but to go along with it."

There was a pause on the line as Ryan considered my words. "Do you want me to track him down and have a word with him?" he offered.NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

I know my husband well enough to recognize that he wasn't just teasing or joking. My nose wrinkled in disapproval. "That would only make working with him even more uncomfortable," I said. "I'll manage. Besides, it's not like we'll be seeing each other all that often."

I sighed, feeling the need for something to lift my spirits. A hot cup of chocolate wouldn't be enough.

“I have something that might cheer you up,” Ryan said, his tone hinting at something exciting.

My curiosity peaked. “And what might that be?"

"I'm heading to the airport," he revealed, causing my eyes to widen in both shock and excitement. "I'm coming home tonight."

I let out a delighted shriek. "I'm buying new lingerie!" And I meant every word of it.