The General's Replacement Doctor Wife

Chapter Twenty

“Are you out of your mind, Olivia!?” Clayton's voice hissed with venom.

Olivia took one look at his face before instinctively taking a step back. 

The last time she had seen him so consumed by rage was a long time ago. That memory surged back unexpectedly, reminding her that nothing is more terrifying than an enraged Clayton Bradford.

Now was not the right moment to provoke his anger with a response he surely wouldn't appreciate. Instead, her gaze shifted to the man sprawled on the floor. She leaned in, intending to check for signs of breath, but before her fingertips could reach him, Clayton gently grasped her arm, turning her to face him.

“What were you thinking, Olivia? Do you think you're a meat shield?” Clayton appeared calm on the surface, but his eyes, which seemed darker than usual betrayed the fury that boiled inside him.

Olivia swallowed her fear then replied, “I had to protect the patient. That was my job.”

“He could have seriously injured you! What if I hadn’t arrived in time? If he had even left a tiny mark on your skin, I would have tracked him down, no matter where he was hiding—even to the depths of hell—and beat the shit out of him.”

He definitely wasn't joking with the last remark, Olivia thought. She had known him for so long and was well aware that he would go through with it. Thankfully, she was alright; otherwise, that man on the floor would have never seen the light of day again.

“I’m fine, Clayton. I’ve been trained for this kind of situation,” she assured him. Yet her words hardly penetrated his anger. He looked as though he wanted to smack her bottom, much like a parent scolding a stubborn child. It was only the patient in the bed, watching their exchange, that held him back.

In the end, he swallowed his frustration and pressed his lips into a tight line. “We’ll talk later, Olivia.” 

Clayton’s eyes shifted back to the unconscious man sprawled on the floor. “I’ll take him to the officer myself.” Without waiting for her reply, he seized the man by his shirt and dragged him toward the door. Olivia stood there, her mouth slightly open, unable to look away as the door swung shut behind him.

“W-water please…”

Olivia turned to Mrs. Tan, a wave of relief washing over her upon noticing the color gradually returning to the patient's face. 

She quickly grabbed a glass, filled it from the water dispenser and handed it to the patient. The older woman gulped down the water. Once the last drop of water was gone, Mrs. Tan set the glass down on the bedside table with a shaky hand. “Don't let my hus— that monster near me again. I don't want to see him ever again.”

Olivia felt her profound suffering, yet all she could offer in this moment was a small measure of comfort. “Please rest assured, Mrs. Tan. He will be banned from the hospital. You won’t have to see his shadow anymore.”

“Thank you…” Mrs. Tan whispered. 

As soon as a nurse arrived to keep the patient company, Olivia left to look for Clayton. 

She searched everywhere but failed to find him. She was about to return to her office to finish the task she left on her table when she met Nurse Jessy in the hallway. “Doc, Bea Perez had finally woken up!”

Olivia's mouth parted. She ran to the patient's room like her life depended on it. She was just too happy to know that the child had woken up.

The scene before her when she entered was overwhelming. Bea lay in the hospital bed with her eyes wide open, observing her surroundings. Her mother was beside her crying happily. Her father sat on the other side holding her hand, trying to fight back the tears.