Free Web NovelChapter 2: Corrine
How I wish Marcus would stop giving me hope.
How I wish Henry would stop pressuring me about my virginity.
’’Miss Winfield, Miss Winfield...?’’
How I wish Dad would just stop hiring these tall, dark men in suits to monitor my progress in life?
Her dark green eyes flickered over to the tall, dark man hanging ’’not-so-suspiciously’’ around in the lobby of the clinic with her. He looked away the moment their eyes met. He sat relaxed, his dark glasses tilting a bit from the bridge of his nose before using his index finger to adjust the frame.
One long leg crossed over the other as his gloved fingers rested clasped against his knees.
How I wished they would all just die or come down with some horrible disease...
’’Miss Winfield, Miss Winfield? Hello, Miss Winfield...’’
Corrine gasped as light fingers touched her shoulder. She was about to rise when a familiar nurse, stationed at the front desk of this small yet absurdly expensive private clinic held her back before giving her a soft, worried look.
’’Oh...Miss Poppi.’’ She appeared slightly flustered, her eyes wide as her heart raced when the nurse kept giving her that concerned, almost sympathetic look.
’’Are you alright?’’ Miss Poppi asked, her hands still resting on her shoulders.
Corrine looked over to one of the many private detectives hired by her arrogant dad to stalk her life forever. Miss Poppi followed her gaze and lowered her voice, ’’Is that man over there making you uncomfortable? I can ask him to leave.’’ frёewebnoѵēl.com
Corrine smiled, before relaxing more on her seat.
’’Oh, it’s fine. I am starting to get used to having them all around me. What’s the problem, Miss Poppi? Is Doctor Lyzer back from his meeting yet? He sent me an email this morning concerning the test I did weeks ago about the constant headaches and dizziness I’ve been having. I came as soon as my work was over to see him...’’
’’Oh, I was just here to inform you that he has been waiting in his office for you for almost ten minutes.’’
’’My goodness,’’ Corrine jumped to her feet, grabbing her black purse as she struggled to gather the rest of her things in her arms. The half-empty bottle of Pepsi she held poured on her plain long-sleeved white shirt.
Corrine cursed as Miss Poppi ran quickly to get a tissue to wipe the stain. She glared at the small smile of amusement over the detective’s face at her clumsiness and she hoped he would suffer more great misfortunes if he dared report back to her family ’’how great’’ her life has been since they threw her out of the house.
’’Here, Miss Winfield, a tissue,’’ the kind nurse said, and Corrine offered her a smile of gratitude before taking it to rid her blouse of the stain. Miss Poppi was kind enough to collect her things as she did so.
As she wiped her blouse, she remembered today’s predictions from her favourite fortune-telling app.
If it rains on you today, you are so close to getting rewarded by life.
Corrine stared down at her ruined blouse and wondered if her monthly subscription to the fortune telling app might finally work in her favor.
’’Doctor Lyzer is waiting for you, Miss Winfield. Right this way, please,’’ Miss Poppi said, while showing her the way.
A quiet excitement stirred in her chest and a tiny hopeful smile at what her reward was going to be.
What was it?
Could it finally be a real contract offer from Marcus concerning her latest playwright?
A final proposal from her basketball-player boyfriend of a year and a half?
Her heart picked up a bit in response as she turned, still locked in a trance.
A house? A new car? A lottery?
The news of her father’s death and the sudden ruin of his billion dollar company?
Corrine couldn’t wait to receive her reward.
’’Don’t worry, Miss Poppi, I know the way to his office. Thank you.’’
’’Sure,’’ the slightly overweight nurse nodded, her rosy cheeks turning an even brighter shade of pink as she offered to keep her things till she returned.
Corrine then proceeded to Doctor Lyzer’s office.
After three years of being disowned and thrown out of the Ashworth’s house, the detective assigned to monitor Neal Ashworths’ only surviving child and disowned heiress straightened from his chair, adjusting his three-piece suit.
There was nothing else more interesting to document and report other than Miss Corrine Winfield’s frequent night visits to her uncle’s clinic in the last three years.
The reason?
The detective moved his tall form down the well lit hallway, following after the disgraced heiress as he was determined to find out why.
☆☆
Her name was Corrine Anais Ashworth. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Her small hands wrapped around the cold and smooth metal surface of the doorknob. She took in three deep breaths and mumbled to herself that she can do this before pushing the door open and stepping in.
Three years ago, shortly after graduation, she became Corrine Anais Winfield after one disastrous argument with her parents.
’’Good evening, doctor Lyzer,’’ She smiled, and stepped inside a pristine modern office washed in white tones and a small robot named Zero that moved about to disinfect and sanitize the place once in a while, producing a rich fragrance to dull the antiseptic scent.
A tall, yet very lean man with glasses looked over from his computer at his rebellious niece and a grim look appeared on his face.
Corrine’s eyes widened a bit as she stood in the middle of the large office, frozen by the strict look she received from her uncle. To ease the tension, she waved at Zero who scooted over to welcome her in his goofy yet programmed way.
Doctor Lyzer looked her over from head to toe and wasn’t sure if she had gained weight or her womanly features were becoming more pronounced with her visits.
’’Sit.’’
He ordered and Corrine settled into a nervous smile, feeling the chill, almost Antarctic weather of this room as she moved over to settle down on the chair before her uncle, who has been her personal doctor and adviser over the years.
She sat with her back straight, her hands resting nervously on her lap as she tried to stop her uncle from giving her those glares with one or two smiles from her.
She shivered at the freezing temperature of the room and wondered how her uncle hadn’t developed pneumonia from sitting in this condition all day for years. Then she thought, maybe that’s one of the perks of being a retired surgeon and now a health specialist or consultant.
She smiled again and he eased his stern gaze from her to return to his laptop.
’’Today is day one thousand two hundred and nine days since you rebelled against my brother and his wife’s plans for your future, Anais.’’
Corrine stiffened, her eyes losing all their warmth at the unusual way her uncle used to greet her every time.
’’Uncle...’’
She was twenty-two when her dad announced she would be taking over his company. Everyone was happy, her mom was proud and gay except her. She didn’t want to be involved in a business that had too many dirty secrets. Secrets that could shake the world once known and being the President of such a company at that age, getting corrupted and shaking hands with other greedy, selfish, immoral men and women of the same business didn’t sound right to her three years ago.
One Sunday morning, she got thrown out of the house by her mom. Her dad erased her name from his will and saw to it that no company employed her even though she was well qualified for the job. They cursed her dreams of becoming a successful movie writer one day. Her father promised to make her regret her decision to forsake a fortune to pursue a mere dream.
’’You wanted to see me about the results of the test I took the other day?’’ She cleverly avoided another heated conversation about how foolish and ignorant she was with her uncle.
He peered at her from his glasses as he paused his fingers from running over the keyboard.
Doctor Lyzer Ashworth leaned back on his chair and said bluntly, almost unapologetically, ’’It’s Cancer.’’
Corrine didn’t know he would be so angry enough to curse her with cancer.
’’What?’’
Her heart made no move, no sound, not even a single heartbeat. There was a lovely view of the bustling city of Los Angeles and the moon to her left. Even Zero paused from his restless scooting about and turned towards them in shock.
Doctor Lyzer almost scoffed as he lowered his glasses from his face to look her dead in the eye. His expression made it painfully clear he was not joking.
’’It’s not just random headaches and nausea from stress and overworking. The last test of you I sent for better examination in one of my friends’ diagnostic centers last Saturday confirmed my suspicion.’’
She didn’t even breathe.
Doctor Lyzer now leaned on the polished surface of his oval table and continued with, ’’There are four deadly tumors growing at specific centers of your brain. Two of them have already been confirmed cancerous, and the other two likely will be soon. It’s a miracle how you haven’t been rushed and isolated in a hospital yet despite the chronic stages of the two cancers in your head.’’
There was a pause and a sudden ominous tension in the room as if the universe was giving her a chance to speak, to say something or catch her breath if she wanted to.
’’Ah,’’ Lyzer sighed as if genuinely remorseful, ’’I didn’t want to quickly assume much or wish ill for my only niece, that’s why I only simply gave you medications for headaches and all without running proper tests on you. Assuming we have done so...let’s say...in 2026? It might have been discovered much earlier and you could have been cured with surgery and the likes.’’
A tear betrayed her facade of appearing strong as it trickled down her face. Her lips parting a bit in disbelief.
’’But we all believed they were headaches and stress from...what was it you said you were doing again?’’
She gulped hard as his words hollowed her out.
’’M–m–movie writer...’’ She said as another tear followed down from her right eye. Doctor Lyzer said nothing for a while.
’’Imagine if you hadn’t arrogantly separated yourself from your family, it might have been discovered earlier and there might have just been a way to save your life. Sadly, the cancers are so bad it will be another miracle if you make it to 2029.’’
Her eyes lowered in grave disappointment.
So, this was it.
This was the reward.
She will take that as having just one more year to fix everything.
’’I have a friend in Chicago that specializes in cases like this. I can have you flown over and taken in for immediate treatment. I will give you one week to think about this and let me know what you think.’’
She didn’t know how she managed that grateful smile after what he said, but all she remembered was how painful and cutting it was to do so in front of him.
’’Thank you...Uncle.’’
