The Rise of the White Lotus

[FROM: MY WIFE, MY LOVE, MY ALL <3

It's fine. I understand, love. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters. I love you too… I love you so much you can't even measure. Don't forget to eat~! ]

Jaime sighed deeply. His hand that was covered with a mix of fresh and dry blood stained his temple as he massaged it. "Ughh…" He grunted in a low tone, stressed at the sweet response from his wife.

Rika had been very kind and understanding to him. Jaime was well-aware that he was lacking as her husband. Yet, Rika never complained — it was slowly killing him inside. The reason he wanted to make it up to her.

However, fate must have been playing with him. On his way home earlier, he encountered an accident which included a family in one of the car. As a doctor in the scene, Jaime would obviously help and give first aid to the people involved.

After that, everything was hectic. Upon arriving at the hospital, which was where he was working as it was the closest one, he needed to go straight and help out do tend to the victims of the accident. 

Still, although he had done his job, Jaime was asked to stay for a while for other medical assistance and police report as he was in the scene. "It's our anniversary…" He grumbled in distress, grinding his teeth as he had the urge to throw his phone out of frustration.

"Doctor Liao?" Just then, heard a female voice from behind him.

Slowly, he turned around to face a nurse in her scrub uniform. "Yes?" His tone lingered his distress mood which the nurse in front of him noticed.

"The police were looking for you." Yet, the nurse pretended not to notice his foul mood as she offered a meek smile before cocking her head to the side.

"Mhmm," Jaime nodded his head lightly, turning his head to the direction where she tilted her head and saw a group of police not far from the front desk outside the emergency room.

Without a word, Jaime strode towards them. "Doctor Liao," When he stopped several steps away from the police, they turned to him and one of them called out calmly.

Jaime bowed his head slightly as the police did the same. "We were here to ask a few questions since you're in the scene…" As usual, the police explained the reason why they sought him and Jaime listened in silence.

All questions were answered in short yet accurate response. Jaime kept glancing at the wall clock as he had been being held for a long time. Every minute felt like eternity and his patience was shortening.

Fortunately, the police had asked the last question even before his patience run out. "Finally…" Jaime exhaled, watching the police leave him alone.

"Doctor Liao…" Just then, Jaime heard another voice from his side. Upon turning his head to the source of the voice, he could not help but sigh as he saw a female doctor standing not far away from him. "Do I talk to you?" She asked, the side of her lips tilted into a gentle smile.

���Sure," Jaime helplessly nodded his head, "I'll wash my hands." HE raised his hands, showing the blood that was still on him. 

"No problem. Coffee?" 

"Mhmm," As he began to walk to the right, he responded with a hum without stopping in his tracks.

*****

"I heard about the news." Upon reaching the hospital's healing garden, the female doctor stopped in her tracks. Her hand held on two cup of coffee. "Here," She offered the other one as she extended her arm to her left where he stood.

"Thanks." He expressed with a meek smile, accepting the hot beverage from his colleague. 

As soon as he accepted it, Jaime strode towards the bench nearby and perched on the corner. Meanwhile, the female doctor perched on the other end, leaving a large space in between them.

"I'm not accepting it." After taking a light sip from the coffee, Jaime answered her previous remarks without glancing at her.

"Huh? Why?" She asked, knitting her brows together in puzzlement.

"Accepting it means I have less time with my wife. I barely have time with her… I can't." Short and honest, Jaime responded. He tilted his head back, staring at the starless night sky that was in deep blue color from the moon's faint light.

For a moment, the female doctor pursed her lips in a thin line. She gazed at his exhausted side profile, biting her lower lip secretly as if she was a little irked at his response. "Was she asking you to…"

"No." Before she could finish her audacious conclusion, Jaime interrupted her midway. Slowly, he cocked his head to her direction. "It's my own decision." He affirmed, staring at the woman's tantalizing pair of eyes.

"Brother Jaime, I know how much you love helping people. Being a doctor and saving lives had always been your dream — it's your passion. You won't give that up if your wife wasn't stopping you. I know you… that's why I've been looking up to you." Since his response didn't satisfy her, the female doctor fixed her stance as she faced him. Without looking away from his eyes, she reminded him of who he was before he got married.

"You said you wouldn't marry, knowing you wouldn't fulfill your obligation as a husband. You said other people's lives matters more, but it seems you said those because…."

"Because Rika wasn't in my life back then." Once again, Jaime chimed in abruptly and finished the sentence — although it wasn't what the woman wanted to say. "I didn't want to marry before, yes. But now, I'm a married man." Jaime raised his hand, showing the ring on his ring finger.

"It is true that we took an oath, treating other's lives as priority to save them…" He paused, averting his gaze away as he looked up. Jaime leaned his back on the bench, exhaling as the woman's words that were originally his repeated inside his mind. 

"But, I might be going against my principles as a doctor, but my wife matters more for me. She's amazing… choosing me over anything, even though I unintentionally hurt her." He sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them once again.

"So you're giving up your dream because of her? What if she starts working again? What about you?" The female doctor's hand balled into a fist. The cup of coffee trembled in her other hand as she bit her lower lip until it bled.

"I have plans. You know it's our anniversary and…"

"Then what about me?" She abruptly queried out of impulse. "You know I like you…"

"I'm married, Doctor Ye." In a matter-of-fact tone, Jaime responded without batting an eye.

"I don't care." She instantly replied back. "When you suddenly got married, I know for a fact that you will divorce because an actress wouldn't understand your job, nor would you understand that she had to kiss other men as part of her job. I might sound a bad person now, but don't you give up on your career just because of someone."

"Doctor Ye," When Doctor Ye ended her remarks, Jaime slowly returned his gaze at her. However, this time, his eyes were sharper than a scalpel. "I'm not giving up on my dream, I'm chasing — no, staying with her." For a moment, Jaime remained his eye contact with her.

After a minute, he slowly assisted himself up while Doctor Ye raised her head as her gaze followed his figure. "You're right, though. My wife doesn't understand, but she's been trying her best to understand my tight schedule as a doctor. And, you're also right that I would never understand my wife kissing another man as part of her job — never." As he gazed down, Jaime exhaled through his mouth.

"I'll let this one slide, but I hope this is the first and last time you mentioning about me and my wife splitting. I won't let that happen." His tone was firm, warning her for the first and last time as he drew the clear line between them. "Anyway, thank you for the coffee. It's our first wedding anniversary, yet I'm not there to celebrate it with her. Have a good night, Doctor Ye." With that being said, Jaime walked away with the cup of coffee in his hand while waving the other in the air for a second.