"Kailey, Kailey..."

The deep and slightly hoarse voice next to Kailey Campbell's ear was both sweet and loving.

Although she had been married to Derrick Garrett for three years, she still thought he transformed into a different person when they had sex.

In the daytime, he was a thoughtful gentleman. At night, he was a beast and Kailey always failed to keep up with his stamina.

When he finally stopped, Kailey was so tired that she couldn't lift her arm, feeling sore all over.

One second later, Derrick grabbed her arm.

Kailey didn't even have the energy to open her eyes and pled sweetly, "I think that's enough. We both have to go to work tomorrow."

She had been busy preparing for her annual valuation lately. When she finished writing the report that night, it was past midnight. Yet, she was pulled into bed for their nighttime exercise immediately afterward. Kailey was exhausted and could gasp for air like a fish out of water.

Derrick chuckled, "What are you talking about?"

She blushed slightly. "Aren't you..."

A pair of slender large hands held her scapula and started pressing lightly. He massaged her sore spots slowly.

He was strong and found the right spots accurately. Once he started the massage, she felt the pleasure of an aching sensation surge through her limbs and involuntarily moaned.

"Does that feel nice?"

He whispered in her ear, his voice deep and husky. But his tone was as gentle as always. Kailey couldn't help but blush harder.

As a gynecologist, she believed she was more knowledgeable than regular people.

However, she was only good at the theory. When it came to the actual practice, she had to admit that she knew nothing and was weak.

Luckily, Derrick was a gentleman. Although they didn't have the lovey-dovey newly-wed phase, they were a happy couple.

Kailey didn't mind it. After all, they met each other on a blind date and got married immediately, skipping the dating phase. She thought that they had both done well in this marriage.

"Try moving your arms again. Are they better now?"

Kailey tentatively rolled her shoulders, and the soreness indeed lessened a lot after his massage.

"Thank you. I feel much better." She turned on her back. "Since when did you learn massage skills?"

"I learned from a doctor a long time ago. Good thing that I'm not rusty."

He tenderly put her hand under the quilt and said, "Sleep."

What was a happy marriage like?

Everyone had their unique answer.

Sometimes, Kailey would regret not experiencing a whirlwind romance when she was younger. She was busy with her study and job before.

However, Kailey was content with her life. From all aspects, including family background, appearance, character, and education, Derrick was almost perfect husband material.

He didn't smoke or drink. He seldom engaged in social activities and would go home to keep her company after work.

Eliana Wright, Kailey's best friend, who never liked men, had given Derrick a rare good review. She called him the model husband.

Kailey was happy with her husband.

In particular, they were going to have a baby soon.

Kailey caressed her belly softly and whispered, "Derrick, I have prepared a present for your birthday next week."

Suddenly, Derrick's phone vibrated twice.

He picked it up. His relaxed expression disappeared once he looked at the screen.

Kailey asked, "What's wrong?"

Derrick got up. "There's an emergency. I need to handle it."

"Is it the office?"

"Yes..." He sounded weak. But his tone was filled with anxiety the next second. "I need to go."

"OK. Be careful..."

She didn't finish speaking.

The door shut with a loud sound.

"Be careful on the road," she murmured, insisting on finishing her words.

She had never seen him look so worried in their three years of marriage.

She assumed something big had happened in the office. A few days ago, she read in the newspaper that the Garrett Group was working on an equity acquisition. Even the financial channel of the local network had reported it.

She was a medicine major and knew little about commerce. But since it had been on the financial news channel, it must be important.

Kailey crossed her fingers and prayed inwardly, wishing both Derrick and the company good luck.

As she was about to sleep, her phone started ringing loudly. "Dr. Campbell, come back to the hospital. There is a pregnant lady who is in a critical situation."

She had been in the medical field long enough to not be surprised by calls like this. She hung up and immediately left the house after changing.

When she arrived at the hospital, Lyla Foley, her assistant, was waiting for her anxiously at the door.

Once Lyla caught sight of Kailey, Lyla hurried over and handed Kailey a lab coat and a pair of gloves. "Finally."

Kailey always stayed professional at work. She strode inside while putting on the equipment swiftly. "Tell me the patient's situation."

"She had a car accident. I heard it was a bad one. She's six months pregnant and has lost a lot of blood. She has fainted and started to go in shock."

The baby was big as the patient was in the second trimester. Whether she chose to perform a cervical cerclage or an induced abortion for the patient, it meant surgery.

"Have you contacted the patient's family?"

"Yes."

"Ask her family to sign the consent. The patient needs surgery instantly."

"Yes."

Kailey went directly to the operating room.

The patient's condition wasn't good. After reading the medical record that was written by the doctor on duty, Kailey immediately decided to perform a cervical cerclage.

Then she went through the familiar routine and went into the operating room as soon as she changed into her scrubs. It took her almost six hours to rescue the injured patient and perform the surgery.

When she walked out of the operating room, she almost fell to the floor.

Luckily, Lyla caught her in time. "Are you OK, Dr. Campbell?"

She shook her head. "Help me get to a chair. I need to sit down for a while."

Lyla took her arm and helped her sit down on a chair before running off to fetch a glass of warm water for Kailey. She looked at Kailey, her gaze filled with worry. "Dr. Campbell, you're pregnant too. Normally, we shouldn't let you work so hard. But the patient's condition is too tricky. You're the only doctor who could save her in our hospital."

Kailey's hand shook slightly when she heard Lyla say she was pregnant. "How did you know?"

Lyla grinned and winked. "That's good news. Why do you want to keep it from me? I saw the report card on your desk yesterday."

Kailey smiled shyly, "Yes, it's good news."

"Have you told your husband about it?"

"Not yet. His birthday is coming, and I plan to..."

There was a string of loud sounds.

Someone was knocking at the door of the operation room violently.

Lyla said, "It must be the patient's husband. He must be eager to have an update on his wife and his baby. Rest here, Dr. Campbell. I'll talk to him."

"Let me do it," Kailey said. "I'm the surgeon. According to the rules of the hospital, I need to personally report the patient's condition to the family."

Supporting herself with a hand on the wall, she stood up. Lyla instantly opened the door for her.

The man outside practically dashed into the room. "Doctor! How is she?"

"Rest assured. Both the patient and the baby are fine. However, your wife will be kept in for observation..."

As she finished speaking, both she and the man froze in place.

"Kailey?"

Kailey looked at the man in front of her in disbelief. "Derrick?"

Lyla was surprised. "Dr. Campbell, do you know the patient's husband?"

Kailey's eyes bored into the familiar man in front of her. There were a lot of emotions on his face, including shock, surprise, and anxiety. But most of them were worries for the patient.

Although he tried hard to get a hold of himself, he couldn't conceal the desperation and distress.

"You're the patient's..." Kailey glanced at the operating room behind her. "Husband?"

Lyla replied swiftly, "Yes, he is. He signed the consent."

Kailey felt her blood run cold and her face turned pale. "OK..."

Derrick said through gritted teeth, "Kailey, I'll explain it to you later."

Kailey forced herself to calm down to maintain her professional attitude as a doctor. She took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry. The surgery went well. Both the patient and the baby are stable now. But the patient will be kept in for a few days as she needs to be on a drip for the baby. If she's fine by the weekend, she can be discharged."

Derrick relaxed significantly. "OK."

He paused and added, "Thank you, Kailey."

"It's nothing. No matter who the husband is, I'll try my best to save my patient."

Kailey returned to her office and had a glass of ice water. It took her a long time to finally calm down.

After less than 20 minutes, there was a knock on her office's door.

She heard Derrick's voice. "Kailey, it's me."

Kailey stood up and opened the door.

Derrick looked better, but his eyes were still red-rimmed and the worried-stricken look hadn't left his face.

Caught off guard in the operating room, she didn't notice how disheveled Derrick was before. His white shirt was covered in blood stains and was wrinkled. There were wet patches on his sleeves.

Only two things could cause it. Maybe it was dampened by the amniotic fluid when he carried the woman to the hospital. Or the woman had cried in the ward and used his sleeves to wipe her tears.

Kailey turned around and went back behind her desk before asking indifferently, "Have you checked on the patient?"

Derrick nodded slowly. "Yes. She's sleeping now."

"She's..."

Derrick said, "I'm not the father of her baby."

Kailey suddenly felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders and slumped down on her chair.

"She had a car accident and was in a critical situation. I brought her to the hospital. I was notified that someone needed to sign on the consent for her surgery. But only her family has the right to do so. I have no choice..."

Kailey figured out what happened. "I sent my assistant to find her family to sign the consent."

"I know it now," Derrick said. "There were too many people outside of the operating room earlier. So, I couldn't explain it to you. If others find out I'm not her family, nobody can sign her paper. Saving people is more important."

Kailey thought that explained everything.

She felt slightly guilty. Derrick was a tender and mature man. Why would he cheat on her?

She assumed he witnessed the car accident on his way to the office and couldn't leave a pregnant woman on the side of the road. She was alone and needed help. So, he hurriedly brought her to the hospital.

"Have you handled the emergency in the office? I'm here. You don't have to worry about the patient anymore."

Derrick opened and closed his mouth, as if he was trying to say something but stopped himself. "Kailey, I..."

Kailey asked, "What is it?"

Derrick shook his head. "The office is fine. Are you done here? I ... I'll wait for you outside. We can go home together."

Kailey didn't have pressing work to handle as the surgery was done and the nurses would take care of the patient.

She took off her lab coat and took out the report card from her drawer. She carefully folded it and put it in her wallet before walking out of her office with her purse.

She knew Derrick's white Cayenne well enough to recognize it with mere a glance. She hurried over.

Yet, she smelt the stink of tobacco in the distance.

Under the dimmed light of a dark night, she saw Derrick's tall shadow leaning on the car and an orange glimmer.

Kailey frowned and asked as she came nearer. "Why did you start smoking?"

Shocked, Derrick dropped the cigarette on the ground.

Kailey looked down and saw more than a dozen stubs. It seemed that he had already taken a pack.

Derrick was acting strange.

"What's going on exactly?"

Derrick shook his head, weariness written all over his face. Still, he opened the door for her like a gentleman. "It's about the company. Get into the car."

"Is it bad?"

"It's nothing."

Kailey sat on the front passenger's seat and fastened the seatbelt.

She sat in the car for a while before Derrick got into the car and started the engine, his foot stepping on the gas pedal.

"Wait." Kailey stopped him hastily.

Derrick was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

Then he heard a string of colorful words outside. "Are you blind? How did you get a driver's license? Can't you see that there's a person standing right here? Can you shoulder the responsibility if you hurt me?"

Derrick often picked Kailey up from the hospital and had always been a careful driver. He never made a mistake. Kailey wondered what happened to him.

Luckily, the person didn't hold him accountable and left after chiding him.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Derrick restarted the car and joined the stream of traffic smoothly.

Kailey was a little worried. "Are you sure you're OK?"

Derrick seemed a little annoyed and impatient. "I told you that I was fine."

Kailey paused for a second and fell silent.

After a few minutes, Derrick said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Kailey. I have had a lot on my plate recently and have been in a foul mood. I didn't mean to snap at you."

Kailey nodded lightly. "Got it. Keep your eyes on the road now."

"Yes."

Derrick paused.

"Kailey."

"What?"

"The patient..." Derrick licked his lips, seemingly struggling to find the right words. "The one who just had the surgery. Will she be OK? She's alone in the hospital."

Kailey chuckled, "You've been thinking about her?"

"No. I'm not thinking about her. I'm just curious."

"The ward has nurses and they will take care of her. The hospital will contact her family and ask them to come over."

"What if her family can't make it?"

"How would you know?"

Derrick opened his mouth but said nothing.

He was staring ahead, as if he had followed her order and was driving carefully.

Neither of them had said a word on the rest of the drive.

When they arrived home, the sky was brightening up.

Derrick pulled up in front of the house. He didn't even get out of the car and merely lowered the window to speak to her. "Get some rest. I have to hurry back to the office for work."

Kailey nodded.

She didn't want to know whether he was going to the office or not.

Sometimes, having a sharp sixth sense wasn't a good thing for a woman. If she was more careless, she could overlook all his strange behaviors that night and pretend nothing had happened.

***

The Saturday that week was Derrick's 31st birthday. Kailey and Derrick had both agreed to return to the Garrett's house a long time ago.

She had a night shift the day before and got off work at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.

Before she left the hospital, she opened her wallet and looked inside. The report card was folded into the size of a matchbox and was hidden quietly in the compartment of her wallet.

She had prepared to use the surprise as a birthday present since a long time ago. But she suddenly hesitated, feeling unsure about giving it to Derrick.

Kailey dropped her wallet back in her purse and took off the lab coat, getting ready to leave. Suddenly, her phone rang.

It was a call from Eliana.

"Kailey, I just saw your husband go home with a pregnant woman."

Was it surprising news?

Honestly, Kailey wasn't surprised.

Although she and Derrick didn't date before they got married, she believed that she knew him well as they had lived together for almost three years.

Derrick was a nice man and was nothing like the mean and overbearing millionaires in the novels or TV shows.

On the contrary, he was a tender, sweet, and thoughtful man who paid attention to details. All in all, he's an emotionally stable mature gentleman.

Yet, he lost his cool when it came to that woman. The woman must be important to him.

Kailey had prepared herself to witness a soap opera about two star-crossed lovers' tearful reunion. She was ready to hear about their romantic past. But things didn't go as she imagined.

When she arrived at the Garrett's house, there was indeed a pregnant woman.

However, she was sitting with Tessa Garrett, Derrick's mom, while Derrick sat on the armchair on the side. When he saw her walk through the door, he stood up swiftly as usual and took her coat and her purse from her. "I'll hang them up for you."

Tessa greeted her warmly, "Hello, Kailey. Come here. Sit down."

Kailey greeted Tessa and looked at the pregnant woman next to her. "Who is this..."

Tessa smiled, "Let me introduce her. This is Caylee. Her dad, Miguel Cameron, is our next-door neighbor. She had been living abroad with her husband and only returned to the country. Caylee, this is Kailey, Derrick's wife. I just told you about her."

With a hand on her belly, Caylee smiled and stood up gingerly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Caylee Cameron."

Kailey was taken aback. "What's ... your name again?"

"What are the odds? Our names sound similar. But I'm Caylee with a C. C-A-Y-L-E-E."

Tessa echoed with a smile, "Yes. What are the odds? I was surprised too when Derrick got married. Maybe Derrick is fated to know women with this name. One of you has been his best friend since you were little and the other is his wife."

Caylee said, "Yes. It must be fate. Tessa, I don’t think you know that Dr. Campbell is the doctor who performed the surgery for me."

Tessa was stunned. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Caylee extended her hand, gesturing for a handshake. "Dr. Campbell, I never have the chance to thank you. Without you, my baby and I wouldn't be here, alive and kicking."

As Caylee acted magnanimously, Kailey didn't see the reason to act timidly.

She extended her hand and shook Caylee's hand. "It's nothing. It's my duty to save patients. Your condition might seem critical at that moment, but it wasn't a big deal. After the cervical cerclage, you'll be fine as you rest for a few days. However, you should be careful."

"Thank you, Dr. Campbell. I'll keep that in mind."

As the maids brought out the dishes, Tessa beckoned them to the dining table.

Derrick tended to keep a low profile and never lived a luxurious lifestyle. And the 31st birthday wasn't an important milestone. Therefore, he didn't hold a large party to celebrate and only asked the maids to prepare a rich dinner for him and his family.

Kailey wasn't a talkative person. During dinner, she listened quietly to Tessa and Caylee chat lively and got to know Caylee better from their conversation.

The Cameron family lived next door to the Garrett family for decades. Caylee and Derrick were born in the same year, but Derrick was six months older than Caylee. They had been classmates from elementary school to high school and only parted ways when they went to different universities.

Derrick was a business major at the No.1 university in the country and Caylee went abroad to study law.

In Tessa's words, they were like siblings.

Tessa was a member of the cultural circle. She had written books and was wise. Kailey understood that Tessa was insinuating that Derrick and Caylee were like families to each other and their relationship was purely platonic.

In the end, Tessa was worried that Kailey didn't get the hint as she was a medical student. So, she held Kailey's hand and patted. "They were so close then that I mistook them as a couple. Turns out... It was just a big misunderstanding."

Tessa turned and explained to Kailey with a smile, "Turns out Caylee liked a friend of Derrick. And she asked Derrick to send notes to that boy every day."

Derrick looked sad and said in a mocking tone, "Yes. I was just a means to an end."

Kailey smiled and asked, "Did it work out?"

Caylee, who had been kept quiet, spoke up before Derrick could answer, "Yes. But it didn't last long. Teenagers. We were all young and were driven by hormones. Not many couples have a happy ending."

"Make sense."

Tessa teased, "Caylee, why didn't you like Derrick? I think he's as good as that boyfriend of yours."

Caylee shrugged and tutted, "We know each other too well. I can't do it."

The answer was what Tessa was aiming for. And Caylee's playful tone had successfully lightened up the mood. Tessa's laughter echoed through the dining room.

Kailey appreciated Tessa's effort. Tessa had noticed that Kailey had doubts and didn't think she could ask about their relationship directly. So, Tessa spoke up and explained the situation.

Honestly, Kailey was happy with her marriage.

Derrick was a sweetheart and Tessa was nice. Unlike some rich families, they never pressured Kailey for heirs once she married Derrick. On the contrary, both of them encouraged her to keep working and supported her.

Her marriage was nearly perfect if she ignored the part that there wasn't love between her and Derrick.

However...

Kailey and Caylee. The two names were so familiar that Kailey couldn't help but have questions.

According to Tessa, Miguel had moved to a nursing home in the mountains a few years ago in order to accompany his wife. His wife was in poor health and the fresh air in the mountains was good for her recovery. Therefore, the Cameron's house next door had been vacant for more than three years and wasn't fit to live in for the moment.

As Caylee was pregnant, she had more than enough reasons to stay in the Garrett's house for the night, whether it was out of the consideration of her safety or the love between the neighbors.

When Kailey returned to the bedroom after a shower, Derrick was leaning on the headboard and reading a book, gold-rimmed glasses on his face.

He put away the book when he saw her. He took the towel from Kailey and started drying her hair. "Are you tired?"

To go back to the Garrett's house for Derrick's birthday, Kailey had worked 24 hours. And she didn't get any rest when she went home from work. She hadn't gotten any sleep in 36 hours at that moment.

"I'm alright," she replied.

Derrick's hands were gentle and his tone was softer. "That day in the hospital, I didn't have the time to explain to you about Caylee. She came back to the country to celebrate my birthday for me. Yet, she had a car accident on her way home after leaving the airport."

"OK. I see."

So, Derrick left home in a hurry that night wasn't because something urgent came up in the office. He was going to pick up Caylee at the airport.

Derrick said, "Caylee and I are the best of best friends."

When he said friends, he drawled and stressed the word, as if he was making a point.

Kailey acknowledged it and said slowly, "She's six months pregnant, yet she took a flight to come back for your birthday. You and she must be close."

Derrick's hands stopped drying her hair for a second. She heard his deep voice next to her ear, his tone hesitant. "Yes..."

"By the way," Derrick changed the subject. "You told me that you prepared a birthday gift. My birthday is almost over. Where's the gift?"

As Kailey thought about the report card in her wallet, she clenched her hands so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"Did you forget to get me a gift?" Derrick chuckled. "Never mind. I understand that you're a busy woman. I'm glad that you can make time to have dinner with me. It's a great gift."

"Derrick, I've applied for annual leave next week. Let's have a vacation."

Derrick was surprised. "Aren't you working on that report? Can you go away for a while?"

"I'll make arrangements."

Derrick thought for a while and nodded. "OK. We didn't go on a honeymoon when we got married. Let's make up for it."

"Sure." Then Kailey asked, "Will it affect your work?"

"We won't leave until next week. I can assign the work in advance this week."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Derrick asked, "When will you go to work tomorrow?"

"I exchanged shifts with others and have a day off tomorrow."

Derrick said, "We're having a high school reunion tomorrow. Would you come with me?"

Although she had been Mrs. Garrett, Kailey hadn't met Derrick's friends or classmates. Most of it was because she was too busy. But she also thought it wasn't necessary.

However, since she failed to deliver her promise of the birthday gift, she was willing to make it up to him. "Yes."

***

As she had stayed awake for 36 hours, Kailey slept like a log that night.

When she woke up, the spot next to her was empty.

It was a normal situation. Kailey was a doctor and needed to go to work whenever her patients needed her. And it happened a lot. Although she and Derrick shared a bed, they barely had time to talk.

She went downstairs after her morning routine. Tessa said to her, "You're awake. Derrick is waiting for you outside."

Kailey greeted Tessa and left the house quickly. As she expected, the familiar white Cayenne was parked outside.

She walked over and opened the front door to get in. But she jumped when she saw the unexpected person inside.

The person was shocked too. "Dr. Campbell?"

"Ms. Cameron..."

Caylee had dressed up. She covered her large belly with a long red dress. Her dark hair was down, and she wore light makeup.

Kailey wondered what happened as Caylee's eyes were red and she got a nasal voice. "Well. I'm attending the reunion too. Derrick offers me a ride."

It reminded Kailey that Derrick and Caylee were classmates from elementary school to high school. It would be a high school reunion for Caylee too.

She was fine with Derrick giving Caylee a ride. However, in a normal situation, the front passenger's seat was reserved for the partner of the car's owner.

Kailey stood in the spot for a while, yet Caylee showed no signs of moving to the backseat.

She reminded Caylee softly, "Ms. Cameron, there's more legroom in the backseat. You'll be more comfortable."

Caylee suddenly beamed and tossed a strand of her hair backward.

The car was an SUV, hence the high chassis. Sitting in the car, Caylee looked down at Kailey condescendingly. "I'll get car sick in the backseat. So, I can't sit there."

For some reason, Caylee acted differently than yesterday.

She seemed to be hostile toward Kailey.

Kailey felt a prickle in her heart but kept the smile on her face. "So, you're saying that..."

"I'm sorry, but you have to sit in the back during the period, Dr. Campbell. Consider it a favor for a pregnant woman."

"The period?"

"Yes," Caylee said, sounding almost innocent. "I haven't returned to the country for years and plan to stay for a while. I also don't want to give birth to the baby overseas as I want the baby to have citizenship here."

Caylee was six months pregnant. If she wouldn't leave until she gave birth to the baby and rested for a while, she would be staying in the Garrett's house for nearly half a year.

"Caylee, do you plan to continue to stay at the Garrett's house after you give birth to the baby?"

"Both my parents are living in a nursing home in the mountains. I have no choice but to stay in the Garrett's house. However, it's a little too far from downtown. It is not convenient for regular checkups. I heard that you and Derrick were living downtown and your house was close to the hospital. I want to stay at your home afterward."

Caylee didn't say it as a question. It was an announcement.

It sounded like it was decided and she merely notified Kailey.

Kailey tilted her head and looked at Derrick, who was in the driver's seat. "Derrick, what do you think of this?"

Derrick looked apologetic. "Our house is closer to the hospital than here."

"So, you two have discussed it and made a decision already, right?"

"Kailey, Caylee is pregnant, and she's my best friend..."

Kailey thought, "Best friend.

"If he even called her or mentioned her name in the past three years, I would believe his story.

"He claims that they're best friends repeatedly. Yet, they never interacted in three years. Why would two best friends stop contacting each other for such a long time?

"And why did he choose to lie to me about their relationship when he could just tell me that they were friends honestly?"

Derrick urged, "Kailey, it's almost time. We need to go."

He was urging her, not Caylee.

And he didn't show any signs of asking Caylee to switch seats.

Kailey lowered her head and chuckled. She opened the door of the back row and got into the car.

The reunion was held in a lounge bar.

It barely had any customers in the daytime and had a large space, making it a good location for a school reunion.

Perhaps because there was a pregnant woman in the car, Derrick drove slowly.

Sitting in the front, Caylee took out a hand mirror to retouch her makeup. "Derrick, do I look OK?"

Derrick turned and glanced at her. "Yes. You look fine."

Caylee pouted, looking upset. "I can't even wear full makeup as I'm pregnant. I look just like I don't have any makeup on."

"You look fine even without makeup."

"It's a special occasion. It's important that I look glamorous and jaw-droppingly beautiful at a school reunion." She put down the mirror and asked Derrick naturally, "Where's my phone?"

Resigned, Derrick took out her phone from his pocket naturally and handed it to her. "You haven't changed. You always leave your phone behind and forget about it until you need it. Here."

Caylee took her phone and laughed, "It feels like the old days. When we were in school, you always kept my phone for me."

Derrick seemed to be taken back to the old days as well. "Yes. I even returned the texts for you when the boys messaged you."

"They were so annoying. By the way, I think I heard it chimed. Take a look and see who was texting me on Line."

Despite Derrick was driving, she tossed the phone on his lap and focused on putting on makeup.

Derrick seemed to be used to it. There wasn't any reluctance when he did her bidding. He was willing to do them.

He picked up the phone with one hand and slid left to unlock the phone while asking, "What's the password?"

"The old one. You know which one it is."

Watching them in the backseat, Kailey saw Derrick tap at the screen for a few seconds. He frowned while tapping on the screen. "Your password is like a moss cord. Why do you have to set up such a complicated password?"

"Yet, you still remember it." Caylee sounded proud and smug. "What's taking you so long?"

"One second. I almost..."

"Derrick!" Kailey looked up and suddenly saw the traffic ahead of them. She screamed, "Watch out."

Derrick came out of his trance, only to see an electric scooter driving toward them. He quickly turned the wheel and slammed the brakes to stop the car.

The scooter wheezed past, almost crashing into each other.

Kailey blanched. "Please don't get distracted while driving."

"OK." As fear lingered in Derrick's heart, he handed the phone to Caylee. "Unlock it yourself."

Caylee turned him down without looking at it. "I need to fix my makeup. I'm busy."

"But I need to drive..."

"You aren't driving right now."

Kailey sighed, "Give me the phone. Tell me the password, and I'll unlock it."

"Great." Derrick handed the phone to Kailey. "The password is ryx2..."

"What are you doing, Derrick?" Caylee suddenly went mad. She closed the mirror, tossed it aside, and snatched the phone from Kailey. Then she furiously threw it at Derrick. "You can't tell my password to others!"

Derrick was a little embarrassed.

So was Kailey.

Instead of looking embarrassed or apologetic, Caylee turned her face around and smiled at Kailey. "I'm sorry, Dr. Campbell. Pregnant women tend to be affected by hormones. You know they are capricious, right?"

"True..."

Caylee stated, "Nowadays, our phones have become a symbol of privacy, and we have our right to privacy. So, I was just defending my right. It wasn't personal."

Kailey chuckled, "Ms. Cameron, you're such a good lawyer."

"Professional habit," Caylee explained. "Don't be mad, Dr. Campbell."

"I won't. But, please call me Mrs. Garrett. We aren't in the hospital, and I'm not your attending doctor. The operation I gave me was just a one-time thing."

Caylee refused calmly. "Since you operated on me, you are my doctor. Besides, I have been calling you Dr. Campbell since we met yesterday. It feels weird to suddenly change the title."

"Not weird. I'm Mrs. Garrett."

"Yes, you are." Caylee's smile faded. "But Mrs. Garrett sounds old. It makes you sound like a woman in her forties or fifties. Dr. Campbell is better."

Kailey stared at Caylee for a while and saw a triumphant smile settle on Caylee's face. Then Caylee turned back and instructed, "Start the car, Derrick, or we'll be late."

***

As a medical student, Kailey didn't have time to go to parties.

Eliana invited Kailey a few times, but Kailey declined because of work.

They got out of the car and walked toward the bar. Kailey's phone rang again.

Derrick halted. "Is the hospital calling you again?"

Kailey checked the caller ID. It was indeed from the hospital. "Yeah. Probably an emergency. Otherwise, they won't call me on my day off."

Derrick said, "Let me give you a lift."

"No. I don't want to trouble you..."

"Derrick!" Caylee cried in the distance. "Hurry! Roger called us again!"

Derrick seemed to be in a quandary and knitted his brows.

Kailey's phone kept ringing. She held it and walked to the side. "I should probably take this.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Campbell, it's Lyla. The director said there was a chance to study abroad next month. Do you want to go?"

Kailey felt relieved. "That's why you are calling me? I thought it was an emergency."

"Emergencies won't happen every day. Don't worry. Even if it happens, I can take care of it."

"Good."

"Do you want to go abroad? That's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I even print the application form for you. If you agree, I'll fill it out and hand it over right now."

"No," Kailey put her hand on her belly and said softly. "I don't want my baby to be born in a different country as well."

"As well? Dr. Campbell, is someone also pregnant in your family?"

"Yes. It's a friend of my husband..."

"Well," Lyla said with sympathy. "It's so unfair that a woman always sacrifices her career for her children and family. You're still young, and you become a highly respected gynecologist. If you go on to further study, you can take your career to the next level..."

Though Lyla was Kailey's assistant, she was an undergraduate and only two years younger than Kailey.

Perhaps, being in the gynecology department made Lyla immune to the fickleness of human nature. She recently felt that having kids had such a huge impact on a woman's life and slowly inclined to celibacy.

After consoling Lyla, Kailey looked around. Derrick and Caylee were long gone.

They probably entered the bar.

As soon as Kailey walked in, she was engulfed by the waves of music.

There were nearly a hundred people in the bar, seemingly the same age as Derrick, but Kailey found Derrick at first sight.

Derrick was tall and suave. In contrast to his gentle temperament, his face was aggressively outlined. People would think he was fierce and overbearing if they didn't know him well.

"Did Derrick get married with Caylee?"

"Yes! Haven't you seen the interview on the finance channel? He said himself that his wife was Caylee."

"No way. They've been friends for years. Why did they wait till now to get married?"

"How would I know? Probably, they suddenly fell in love with each other. But, back in school, Caylee did have a thing for a caring and gentle man like Roger. She isn't mad about the bad boy type."

"Is Caylee's taste of man changed? No one was as thuggish as Boss D back then!"

"It doesn't have to be her taste of man. It can be that Boss D mellowed out these years. Look at him. He wears suits and golden-rimmed glasses. He looks totally like a gentleman! Who would expect the thug to be tamed?"

Kailey dropped her phone.

It thudded into the ground, which startled the two gossiping people.

One guy in a blue suit picked Kailey's phone up and handed it to her. "Are you alright?"

Kailey took it and smiled gratefully, "I'm fine."

"Which class are you in? Why haven't I seen you before?"

"I'm not your classmate. I'm..."

"Not our classmate? I'm sorry, Miss. We're having a classmate reunion, and we booked the whole bar. It's not open to strangers. You have to find another place to spend your night."

"I'm here to look for someone."

"Who?"

"Derrick."

The man was shocked. "Derrick? Are you his..."

"I'm his wife."

In shock, the two men looked up and down at Kailey. "You..."

"I'm Kailey Campbell."

Then they were both dumbfounded.

Kailey gave a smile and asked, "Is it not allowed to bring the partner to the reunion today?"

"Well, that's not the case."

"If you'll excuse me, I have to go."

Kailey grabbed her purse and walked into the bar. The bar was crowded. Derrick, the center of everyone's attention at the party, was surrounded by all kinds of people and exchanging pleasantries with them.

Kailey didn't want to mingle. She found a booth and sat down.

The music was extremely loud. Derrick probably felt hot. He took off his jacket and carried it over his arm.

Someone quickly reached out for his jacket. "Let me keep it for you."

Derrick turned away to dodge her hand. "It's OK. I can carry it myself."

Caylee chuckled, "They won't stop making you drink until you're drunk as a skunk. Give me your jacket, so you can focus on dealing with them."

Derrick hesitated, but he didn't refuse.

Caylee took the jacket off Derrick's arm and held it in her hands.

Suddenly, she pulled Derrick's sleeve, signaling him to lower his head.

Derrick stooped down and put his ear to her mouth.

After Caylee whispered something to his ear, Derrick's eyes flickered. He smiled and gave her a nod.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?"

Caylee was straightforward. She said vociferously, "I'm telling you. Derrick is under my protection. Go easy on him. Don't let him drink too much."

"Caylee, are you worrying about him?"

Caylee blushed slightly. "Shut it. I'm not."

Derrick knitted his brows. "That's a load of bull. Caylee is married. Can't you see she's pregnant?"

Derrick's classmates seemed terrified of him. They all stopped joking around after Derrick spoke up.

The guy standing next to Derrick chipped in. "Enough of it. Don't shoot your mouth off because you had a little drink. Boss D and Caylee's friendship is indestructible."

"That's right. Even if they book a room in the hotel, they will spend their time playing mobile games together. So, stop that nonsense!"

After that, Caylee secretly slid a decanter into Derrick's hand, which was brimmed with transparent liquid. It looked no different than liquor.

But Kailey witnessed the whole scene.

While everyone was chatting, Caylee emptied the decanter and filled it with water.

Derrick tacitly took the decanter and poured the water into his glass. "Cheers!"

"To our school days!"

"To our youth!"

At the reunion, everyone talked about the silly things that happened during school and reminisced about the joy of adolescence.

In the end, everyone was drunk. Although Derrick's face was flushed red, he was still sober.

He unbuttoned his collar and rolled his sleeves up to his elbow. On his upper arm attached the navy blue sleeve garter. He pushed up the golden-rimmed eyeglasses rakishly, only to make him look more elegant.

Suddenly, Derrick frowned. He looked around and fixed his eyes on a man not afar. Then he walked over and kicked that man. "Stub it out. Caylee is pregnant."

The man recovered from the shock and smiled embarrassingly. He quickly put out the cigarette and tossed it into the dustbin.

"I'm sorry, Boss D. I forgot it."

Derrick shot him a glare. "Keep it in mind."

The man nodded, bowed, and smiled, "Yes, yes, yes. I will."

"I haven't seen Derrick like this."

Someone suddenly sat across Kailey.

Kailey sized up at him. The man was the same age as Derrick, probably one of Derrick's classmates.

His hair was long. He wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and had an air of pedantry. He seemed like a nice man.

"Who are you?"

"The surname is Dodson."

Kailey suddenly guessed he was the man that the two dudes talked about earlier. "Roger?"

Roger lowered his head and grinned, "Do you know me?"

"I overheard the conversation of your classmates. They mentioned you," Kailey explained. "Why didn't you drink with them?"

Roger waved his hand. "Derrick is there."

"What's it about him?"

Roger let out a sigh and chuckled, "Caylee pursued me back in school."

Kailey immediately realized he was Derrick's friend that Tessa referred to.

"Are you Derrick's wife?"

"Yes."

"What a lucky man! You're so pretty and demure."

Kailey curled her lip in response, but she didn't say a word.

"Derrick changed a lot. When we were in school, all the boys feared him."

"Good for him."

"Perhaps, the girls at that age had a thing for bad boys. They all had a crush on Derrick." Roger paused. "Except for Caylee."

Kailey said, "Caylee likes you."

"Likes me?" Roger laughed self-mockingly and teased, "That's unlikely."

"How so?"

Roger seemed a little drunk. He raised his glass and stared at the transparent liquid. "Mrs. Garrett, do you think there is pure friendship between man and woman?"

Kailey didn't know if there was pure friendship between men and women, but she was certain of one thing. Derrick was drunk.

Derrick probably drank all the water, and the decanter in his hands went missing. Several men surrounded Derrick and vied to make a toast.

Given that Caylee was pregnant, she couldn't stop this bunch of reckless drunkards. She tried to warn them, but it didn't work anymore.

Derrick was forced to drink a few more glasses. He began to stumble.

Kailey stood up and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have to check on Derrick."

Roger didn't say anything strange and nodded. "Sure. Go ahead."

Kailey rushed over and snatched the glass from Derrick before he had a refill.

"Who is this woman?"

Kailey ignored them. She held Derrick's arm and asked, "Derrick, are you alright?"

Derrick stared at Kailey for a while before he recognized her. He shook his head. "I'm fine."

The drunkards couldn't hear what they were saying. They thought Kailey was the waitress and shoved her. "Who the hell do you think you are? Why did you hit on Boss D? Are you insane?"

Derrick parried away the man's hand and stood in front of Kailey. He knitted his brows and hissed, "Don't touch her."

"Boss D, why are you protecting her? I've seen a lot of women who threw themselves at you..."

"She's my wife."

The drunk man was immediately clear-headed. He glanced at Kailey behind Derrick, then at Caylee whose face turned pale, and asked doubtfully, "If she's your wife, what about Caylee?"

Everyone gawked at Caylee.

Caylee grabbed Derrick's suit jacket, mortified. Her eyes were welling up. "I said Derrick was just my friend."

Her smile wasn't natural as if she forced it on her face.

Derrick's classmates weren't fools. They knew the situation was delicate. Caylee didn't reveal everything.

"Boss D, you and Caylee..."

Derrick came out of his drunken stupor, and his eyes looked sane again. He said in a low voice, "Let's call it a night. Party's over. Kailey, let's go home."

Kailey nodded. "OK."

Kailey looked at Caylee and stretched out her arm. "Thank you for carrying Derrick's jacket, Ms. Cameron. I'll take it from here."

Caylee held the jacket tightly, unwilling to let go. "We're taking the same ride home anyway. Let me keep it."

Kailey stared at Caylee for a while and compromised. "OK. I'll help Derrick to the car. Thanks for your help, Ms. Cameron."

Derrick cut in. "Let's go."

Kailey supported Derrick and walked in the lead. Caylee followed. After they left the bar, the rest of Derrick's classmates became utterly slack-jawed.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea..."

Roger walked over with a glass in hand. He drank the liquor in one gulp, shook his head, and sighed, "Pick the flower when it blooms, not when it withers..."

"Sheesh. Someone tends to be sentimental when he gets drunk! But seriously, what does it mean? We're too shallow to understand it."

"It means..."

Roger put down the glass on the table with a thud, stared at Caylee's lonely silhouette, and gushed, "If I had known this would happen, I would've done it differently."

Outside, the cold wind at night blew onto Kailey's face.

Kailey shivered. Fortunately, Derrick's body was warm enough to ward off the coldness.

Derrick couldn't drive after drinking. He said, "I'll get a designated driver."

Caylee immediately fished out her phone to look for a driver.

Kailey proposed, "Let me drive."

Derrick was a little surprised, "Can you drive?"

Kailey giggled, "Yes. But, I didn't get a chance to drive very often."

In the past three years, Derrick drove Kailey to work and home every day. Even when Kailey walked overtime, Derrick would be a dutiful driver and went to pick her up.

Today, it was the first time he didn't insist on driving her to the hospital.

Kailey inquired, "Where is the car key?"

"In my pocket."

Caylee fumbled in the suit pocket and said, "No car key here."

Derrick was hammered. He couldn't stand still. He rested his head on Kailey's shoulder and frowned. "The pocket of my pants."

"You need to stand up. I can't reach it."

"I can!" Caylee volunteered and walked over.

As Caylee reached into Derrick's pocket, Kailey stopped her. "Ms. Cameron, it's not appropriate for you to do it..."