I Just Loved You

Ever since Chloe appeared, the passenger seat of the car had never been hers again.

Until, in an increasingly impatient tone, Steven's voice broke through the silence.

"Are you getting in or not? If not, just take a cab, don’t keep dawdling."

Gianna silently released the handle of the car door and took two steps back.

"You guys go ahead," she said, "I just remembered I left something at home."

She turned and walked away, her steps deliberate.

It wasn’t until the roar of the Audi A8 engine faded into the distance that Gianna turned back around.

The parking lot was empty, save for the rising dust and two tears that fell silently from her eyes.

This was the first time Gianna had been late to work since she started at the hospital.

"Gianna, how’s your foot? Is it feeling better? How come you’re at work today?"

"Doctor Thompson really doesn't have a heart, does he? He didn’t let you rest for a few more days?"

Her colleagues’ concern was genuine, but Gianna only smiled and responded in kind.

But Steven’s mind was no longer on her. He had long since disappeared with Chloe, leaving her to fend for herself.

At that moment, Gianna felt an overwhelming urge to escape this city.

Without a second thought, she headed straight for the hospital director’s office.

As soon as she presented the consent letter, the director immediately signed her application for the "Médecins Sans Frontières" program without hesitation.

"Dr. Wilson, I’ll be sure to congratulate you in advance. I hope you return safely."

Gianna nodded heavily, her heart finally feeling lighter.

After leaving the office, she went straight to buy a plane ticket and then returned home to pack.

Her three years with Steven hadn’t left her with much. There was so little she could take with her, and the tiny suitcase she packed was barely filled. It only contained a few thin garments.

"Gianna, why are you back so early today?"

As Gianna placed her suitcase by the living room door, she heard the sound of the door opening.

It was Steven and Chloe, Chloe carrying several bags of gifts, all bought by Steven for her.

"Gianna I didn’t expect you to be home. I forgot to bring you a gift," Chloe said with an apologetic smile.

Steven, standing next to her, looked somewhat awkward.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "Gianna, the season's changing. Let’s go shopping tomorrow and buy you a few new clothes."

Gianna smiled and declined. She had a flight the next day. She couldn’t let such trivial matters delay her chance to leave.

"No need," she said, "As long as you two are happy, don’t worry about me." Her dismissal made Steven frown, and he snorted in annoyance.

He decided that from now on, he would ignore Gianna until she came crawling back to him. However, he didn’t realize this was exactly what Gianna wanted.

Even the next day at work, Gianna didn’t say a word to him.

In the afternoon, Dr. Shaw from her department approached Steven.

"Dr. Thompson, do you know what happened to Dr. Wilson? She hasn’t come to the hospital all day. Have you heard from her?"

Steven, who had been on the phone with Chloe, was irritated by the interruption.

He waved his hand dismissively. "She’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Where she goes, I have no idea. She doesn’t like me to control her, so I can’t do anything about it."

Whenever Steven spoke of Gianna, his tone became more biting.

He clenched his teeth, seething with anger. Last night, she dared to ignore him, to use the silent treatment against him. Not a single word from her all night.

"Well, Dr. Thompson, don’t you think you should call Dr. Wilson? See if you can get in touch with her?" Dr. Shaw suggested.