Chapter 1171: Chapter 1171: Follow-Up Examination
Aunt Pritt waited a long time to receive Isabelle Martin’s message. Although disappointed, she was not surprised.
She had guessed from the recent unusual behavior of Isabelle and Mr. Foster that something was amiss between them. She deliberately messaged Isabelle, hoping to help in some way but didn’t expect someone who cherished Mr. Foster so much to be so resolute.
Aunt Pritt sighed, tidied up the kitchen, and glanced again in the direction of the study upstairs. In the end, she silently shook her head. Although she did not know why the two had ended up this way, she understood that Mr. Foster must have hurt Isabelle’s heart.
Otherwise, how could a young girl just give up on her job?
Upstairs, Jeffrey Foster quietly sat in the study, listening to his subordinate report on the investigation of the Fosters’ affairs. But as he listened, Jeffrey inexplicably let his mind wander until the person on the other side had to call out "Sir" a few times to get his attention.
"Hmm?" Jeffrey Foster’s voice sounded a bit bewildered.
"How would you like to proceed next?" the subordinate cautiously asked.
"Keep a close watch, and help them if necessary." Jeffrey Foster seemed to finally remember what he was doing, and his voice suddenly turned cold.
The subordinate was a bit puzzled, "Help them?"
"Yes, aren’t they planning to deal with me? You help them," Jeffrey said, a shadow passing through his listless eyes, and he then detailed instructions to the person on the phone.
The other party instinctively opposed, "Sir, this is too risky. If something happens to you..."
"It’s fine." Jeffrey interrupted the persuasion. Given his current state, there was no such thing as an accident. A self-mocking smile played on his lips, though his mind involuntarily conjured the blurry figure he saw that day, causing his heart to skip a beat, but he quickly suppressed that odd feeling.
Deciding not to involve the girl in his troubles, he should no longer think of her.
The subordinate wanted to say more but had to comply with Jeffrey’s instructions, knowing his temper well.
After hanging up, Jeffrey fumbled on a nearby table until he found a half-empty pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
After finishing the cigarette, Jeffrey regained his composure, and only then did he slowly get up and walk back to his bedroom.
Compared to the living room, his bedroom held more memories related to Isabelle. Previously, he didn’t pay much attention, but now that she had left, he realized that those once mundane details were now the balm for his lonely days.
Thinking about this, Jeffrey couldn’t help but curl his lips in self-mockery.
The next day, Cloud Parker came to pick him up.
Seeing the fully ready Jeffrey, Cloud Parker glanced around, "Hmm, teacher, isn’t your little girlfriend here today?"
Cloud Parker had also seen the clarification notice issued by the university’s administrative office. He was nearly jaw-dropped; he didn’t expect his teacher to take such a turn after falling in love, having forced the school to issue a statement due to a little girl’s nonsense, even revoking the bachelor’s degree of that girl who had slandered Isabelle.
Medical degrees aren’t easily come by, and without them, it’s nearly impossible to enter a major hospital.
Because of this, Cloud Parker assumed Isabelle and Jeffrey Foster were a couple, and he unwittingly voiced the thought in his mind.
Who would have guessed that once he asked, the air suddenly froze, even Aunt Pritt’s expression turned somewhat peculiar.
Cloud Parker was confused; was there something wrong with his question? Could it be that his teacher hadn’t settled things with the young lady yet?
"Let’s go." Jeffrey Foster shot a displeased look at Cloud Parker, his two words laced with coldness.
"Alright, let’s go," Cloud Parker responded quickly, sneaking glances at Aunt Pritt, his meaning clear—what’s up with this guy?
Aunt Pritt edged closer helplessly, whispering, "Isabelle resigned, seems to have something to do with Mr. Foster."
"What?" Cloud Parker exclaimed but immediately covered his mouth and glanced at Jeffrey ahead, seeing no reaction from him. He lowered his voice, "Do you know what happened?"
Aunt Pritt shook her head; if she knew, she would have solved it for them.
With her response, Cloud Parker turned his gaze to Jeffrey again, seemingly trying to discern something from him. But suddenly, Jeffrey halted, "Am I good-looking?"
"Uh, the car is over here. Please," Cloud Parker shivered involuntarily at Jeffrey’s question, unable to fathom how someone so blind could feel that he was being looked at.
It was quite bizarre. If he weren’t sure the teacher was genuinely blind, he’d suspect he was pretending.
Jeffrey didn’t trouble Cloud Parker further and followed him into the car.
At the hospital, after taking an X-ray, it was found that Jeffrey’s fracture wasn’t too severe, and the recovery was going well. But the doctor did not recommend removing the cast so soon, though Jeffrey insisted.
With his vision issues, life with a cast was extremely inconvenient.
"Maybe you should persuade him. The cast has only been on for just over two weeks, and typically it takes a hundred days for bones and tendons to heal properly, requiring at least a month before removing it," the attending doctor, knowing through Dr. Jonson that Jeffrey was once a surgeon, genuinely advised despite not being aware of Jeffrey’s reputation.
"I’ve been saying it can’t be removed yet; you should endure it a bit longer," Cloud Parker said. He arranged with Jeffrey to come for cast removal not on his own accord but upon Jeffrey’s insistence the previous day. After the orthopedic doctor’s same advice, he naturally didn’t want Jeffrey to rashly remove the cast.
"No need, take it off." Jeffrey dismissed everyone’s advice with a calm yet unyielding voice.
"Teacher, your hand saves lives. Removing it now might affect recovery; how will you operate in the future?" Cloud Parker was annoyed by his teacher’s stubbornness.
"You think I can still hold a scalpel?" Jeffrey retorted mockingly.
Cloud Parker got anxious, "Didn’t you promise to undergo treatment once your arm recovered? Are you going back on your word?"
"I... do you really think it can be cured?" Jeffrey suddenly lowered his head and quietly asked.
"Of course it can..."
.........
Update tomorrow.
Isabelle Martin read the message at seven in the evening after coming out of the operating room. These days, she was learning semihemp techniques from her department’s senior, with the evaluation next month, on top of on-call duties documenting patient conditions each night, making her so busy she rarely had time to check her phone. Only after a long pause did she gather herself.
Isabelle assumed the incessant busy life had worn away the pain of heartbreak, but upon seeing a message related to Jeffrey Foster, she realized it hadn’t. Her heart still ached.
Taking a deep breath, Isabelle restrained her impulse, typing each word on the keyboard only to delete repeatedly, until a colleague urged her, and she bit her lip, saying, "Sorry Aunt Pritt, I don’t have time tomorrow."
After replying, Isabelle put her phone back in her pocket, only to hear a familiar new colleague teasing her, "Checking your phone for so long, is it your boyfriend messaging?"
"What? No," Isabelle was surprised, then shook her head.
The colleague, about the same age as Isabelle and quite cheerful, didn’t believe her reply, saying, "Not your boyfriend? You wouldn’t stare at your phone for so long. Don’t worry, tell me, I won’t spread it around, at most I’ll ask your boyfriend to treat us, hahaha."
"Really, I’m not, I don’t have a boyfriend." Isabelle Martin hung her head with a bitter smile, feeling like her heart was being torn apart as she said she had no boyfriend.
Originally, she thought that after having hot pot and watching the opera that night, they would confirm their relationship, and then she could openly introduce to others, "This is my boyfriend, Mr. Foster."
But... just when she thought she had the most hope, her dream shattered.
Everyone returned to their own paths, becoming two parallel lines...
Isabelle’s eyes suddenly started to sting again.
Mr. Foster, you’re really so hateful!
Chapter 1171
Aunt Pritt, although disappointed, was not surprised to receive a message from Isabelle after waiting for a long time.
She had guessed something was wrong between Isabelle and Mr. Foster from their unusual behavior lately. She had intentionally sent messages to Isabelle hoping to make some effort, but she didn’t expect that Isabelle, who used to be so fond of Mr. Foster, would be so determined.
Aunt Pritt sighed, tidying up the kitchen, then glanced towards the study upstairs, and finally shook her head silently. Although she didn’t know why the two had become like this, she understood that Mr. Foster must have hurt Isabelle’s heart.
Otherwise, how could the young girl even quit her job?
Upstairs, Jeffrey Foster sat quietly in the study, listening to his subordinate report on the movements from the Foster’s side. But as he listened, he inexplicably drifted off until his subordinate noticed the lack of a response and tentatively called out "sir" a few times, snapping him back to reality.
"Hmm?" Jeffrey’s voice carried a hint of confusion.
"How would you like to proceed next?" the subordinate cautiously asked.
"Keep a close watch, and help them if necessary." Jeffrey seemingly remembered what he was doing, his voice suddenly turning cold.
The subordinate, however, seemed puzzled, "Help them out?"
"Yes, they want to deal with me, so you help them," Jeffrey said, a shadow flashing in his bleak eyes, then he carefully explained over the phone.
Upon hearing this, the other side instinctively objected, "Sir, this is too risky, if something happens to you..."
"It doesn’t matter," Jeffrey interrupted the other’s persuasion. In his current situation, there was nothing to worry about, a self-mocking smile curling at his lips as his mind inexplicably recalled the blurry figure he had seen that day. His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly suppressed that abnormal feeling.
With all his troubles, he decided not to provoke the girl and should not miss her again.
The subordinate wanted to say something else but could only follow orders, understanding Jeffrey’s temperament.
After hanging up the phone, Jeffrey fumbled on the table beside him for a while until he found a box of half-smoked cigarettes and lit one with a lighter.
Once he finished smoking, Jeffrey’s mood returned to calm, and he slowly rose to make his way back to the bedroom, step by step.
Compared to the living room, his bedroom held more memories related to Isabelle, though he hadn’t cared much before. It was only after she left that he realized all those ordinary moments had become vital in soothing his empty days.
Thinking of this, Jeffrey couldn’t help but curl his lips in self-mockery again.
The next day, Cloud Parker came to pick him up.
Seeing Jeffrey all set to go, Cloud looked around, "Huh, your little girlfriend isn’t here today?"
Cloud had also seen the clarification notice from the medical school’s office, almost dropping his jaw in shock. He never expected the way the school handled things after Mr. Foster’s relationship became a topic, forcing a school announcement and revoking the accusations made by a fellow student against Isabelle, which cost them their degree.
As a medical student, obtaining a degree wasn’t easy, and without it, aspiring to work in a big hospital was nearly impossible. Thus, Cloud assumed Isabelle and Jeffrey were in a relationship, and his mouth slipped as he spoke his mind.
Little did he know that after asking, the air suddenly froze, and even Aunt Pritt’s expression turned a bit strange.
Cloud was confused. Did he ask the wrong question? Could it be Mr. Foster hadn’t won the girl yet?
"Let’s go." Jeffrey didn’t look pleased, casting Cloud a cold glance, his two words tinged with a chilly tone.
"Okay, let’s go." Cloud was chilled by the atmosphere and responded quickly, frequently casting glances at Aunt Pritt. His meaning was clear: What’s wrong with this guy?
Aunt Pritt helplessly leaned in and whispered, "Martin resigned, it seems to be related to Mr. Foster."
"Ah?" Cloud exclaimed softly but immediately covered his mouth, glancing at Jeffrey ahead. Seeing no reaction, he lowered his voice, "Do you know what’s going on?"
Aunt Pritt shook her head. If she knew, she would’ve solved it for them herself.
Hearing this, Cloud directed his gaze towards Jeffrey again, seeming eager to figure out something from his expression. Suddenly, Jeffrey’s steps came to a halt, "Am I a sight to see?"
"Uh, the car’s over here, please," Cloud shook a bit, bewildered by Jeffrey’s words. How did this man, thoroughly blind, know he was being looked at?
It’s truly bizarre, and if he weren’t certain that Mr. Foster was truly blind, he would suspect it was an act.
Jeffrey didn’t make it difficult for Cloud, following him into the car.
At the hospital, after getting his x-ray, Jeffrey’s fracture was not very severe to begin with, and the healing condition was good. However, the doctor didn’t recommend removing the cast too soon, yet Jeffrey insisted.
With his current vision problems, living with a cast was extremely inconvenient.
"You might want to try persuading him. The cast has only been on for a little over two weeks. Injury to bones and muscles takes a hundred days, at least a month before removing the cast," the responsible doctor, knowing from Dr. Jonson that Jeffrey was a former surgeon, though not fully aware of his reputation, suggested sincerely out of medical ethics.
"I told you it can’t be removed yet, just bear with it a bit longer." Cloud was prompted to come to the villa and schedule an appointment to remove the cast because Jeffrey had texted him about it the day before. Cloud had initially advised against it, but since Jeffrey was insistent, he agreed to take him in for a follow-up. Now that the orthopedic doctor gave the same recommendation, Cloud naturally didn’t want Jeffrey to rashly get the cast removed.
"No need, remove it," Jeffrey disregarded everyone’s advice, his voice calm yet unyielding.
"Sir, your hands are meant to save lives. Removing it now would affect recovery. How would you perform surgeries in the future?" Cloud was frustrated with Mr. Foster’s stubbornness.
"Do you think I can still hold a scalpel?" Jeffrey asked in self-mockery.
Cloud became anxious, "Didn’t you agree to pursue treatment after your arm recovered? Are you going to go back on your word?"
"I... do you really think it can be healed?" Jeffrey suddenly lowered his gaze and asked softly.
"Of course it can..."