Chapter 2
As soon as I made it back to my room, my spine gave out.
Cold sweat soaked my back.
Eight years of bending over, planting mandrakes-
The damage was deep.
Sometimes I couldn’t even stand up.
I lived at the hospital.
Back when it wasn’t this bad, Nathaniel used to care.
He always made time for my appointments, no matter how busy.
But that was before Isabella became his assistant.
Now?
He couldn’t be bothered to come with me to see my parents.
He forgot my birthday.
The last time my spine gave out and I collapsed?
He didn’t even call an ambulance.
Ten days ago, at our son’s birthday party-
I lost it when I saw Isabella “accidentally” stomp on the rare mandrake I’d been raising for years.
I was still in shock when she burst into tears.
“I didn’t mean to! I was just curious about the plant!”
12:10
The Interne
Chapter 2
Nathaniel?
He snapped.
In front of all the guests, he made me kneel on the thorns of the plant she’d crushed.
“Consider this a lesson. Don’t make a scene over a damn flower.”
“You’re Mrs. Morgan. Act like it.”
The thorns cut deep.
But worse than that was the jolt through my already–damaged spine.
Three hours later, he finally let me go.
By then, I couldn’t stand.
The pain had me drenched in sweat, but I refused to shed a single tear.
With help, I made it to the hospital.
The doctor told me if I’d waited any longer, I might’ve ended up paralyzed.
The mandrake had been a symbol of our love.
Ten years ago, Nathaniel was desperately looking for a cure for his condition.
That’s when he met me–an herbal medicine student following her mentor.
He always said his heart was racing that day not from illness, but because of me.
We fell in love.
I started planting mandrakes one by one, trying to grow the legendary hybrid.
Nathaniel said he’d buy up every hillside around the city just to help.
He said my flowers were proof of my love.
12:10 C
Chapter 2
And the mandrake fields? His love for me.
But now, eight years later…
The man who once wanted the world to know Nathaniel loved Vivianne-
Fell in love with someone else before he even got the chance to say it out loud.
