In the noisy, bustling cafeteria, Annie waved her hand in front of Mikayla's face, "Mikayla? Mikayla?" "Huh?"
Mikayla snapped back to reality and met her gaze.
"That's the third time you've zoned out. What's up with you?" Annie took a sip of her yogurt.
Mikayla looked wistfully at the blue sky outside the window, "Well, I... have a friend."
Annie looked at her skeptically, as if to say, 'That friend is you, isn't it?'
"Alright, it's me." Mikayla hung her head in defeat.
Annie moved her chair closer, eager for gossip, "Come on, let your emotions guru Annie untangle your heart."
"My family introduced me to a guy, and then we got married."
"I originally planned just to go along with it and then suggest a divorce after a while. But it turns out he likes me?"
Annie blinked, confused, "Is he not allowed to like you?"
Mikayla anxiously replied, "But it wasn't part of my plan!"
Annie looked at her incredulously, "So you two are falling in love after marriage?"
"Oh, have you fallen for him?" she teased.
"Absolutely not!" Mikayla's voice rose, and she looked away, poking at her food with her fork.
Mikayla wasn't sure why she was so quick to deny it. The truth was, Cayden's considerate actions had indeed moved her, but she was most afraid of truly falling for him.
Annie shrugged, "Then just go with the flow. If he's a good person, why not live happily together? Is he handsome? Tall?"
"Ah! You're such a sucker for looks."
"Of course, good looks are justice!" Annie said matter-of-factly.
Zion, who was sitting at the table behind them, slowed his eating as he wondered if Annie considered him handsome...
On an ordinary Friday evening, while heading home from work, Mikayla received a call from her good friend Linda.
"Mikayla! Come to the hospital! I'm in the hospital, sob sob...""Mikayla! Come to the hospital! I'm in the hospital, sob sob..."
"What happened?" Mikayla asked anxiously.
"Acute appendicitis," Linda wailed on the other end.
"Which hospital are you at? I'll be right there!"
"The First Hospital."
"Alright, wait for me."
Cayden, having heard their conversation, immediately set the GPS for the hospital. Mikayla gave him a grateful look, and he smiled without saying a word. As the sun set amidst the bustling traffic, they arrived at the hospital. Linda lay in bed, pouting with an IV drip in her arm. Her eyes lit up when she saw Mikayla.
"Sob, you still care about me." Linda sat up and hugged Mikayla tightly.
"Hey, you should lie down," Mikayla said worriedly, "Did you already have the surgery?"
"It was done this afternoon. The doctor said I'll need to stay for three or four more days. If you hadn't come, I would have reached the peak of loneliness—having surgery alone."
Mikayla stared at her pale face, "Did you tell your parents?"
"I didn't dare. They're back in our hometown, and it's not convenient for them to come."
"I'll come and take care of you for the next few days."
"Thank you, my beautiful and kind Mrs. Mclean!"
Cayden placed a fruit basket on the cabinet beside the bed. Linda, busy chatting with Mikayla, finally noticed him. She leaned close to Mikayla and whispered, "Is that your husband?"
Mikayla's cheeks suddenly warmed, and she awkwardly mumbled, "Yes." Linda forced a smile and greeted Cayden, who nodded with a smile.
Mikayla looked up at the IV stand, "This bottle is almost done. I'll ring for the nurse to come and change it."
"Alright."
While they waited, Linda vented about her recent misfortunes to Mikayla. Cayden sat quietly on a chair, listening to their conversation.
After a while, a handsome doctor in a white coat walked in, "Bed number six, Linda?"
A familiar voice reached her ears, and Mikayla widened her eyes in shock. The doctor across from her was equally stunned, but then he smiled warmly at her.
"Mikayla? Long time no see."
