Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 18: Kneeling Down In Front of Her
Sean looked past her to Morris. His gentle expression vanished, and his dark eyes filled with unconcealed displeasure. "What are you doing here? Do you need anything from Rory?"
His very demeanor was a silent answer to his own question.
Morris pulled his hands from his pockets and gave an awkward laugh. "Oh, it’s nothing. My mom came to the hospital a few days ago with a stomachache. We thought it was a digestive issue, but Dr. Linden said it might be a heart condition. My mom didn’t take it seriously at first, but it turns out she was right. So, I came specifically to thank Dr. Linden."
"I see." Sean nodded. "Are you finished? If you’re done thanking her, you can leave."
"Ah, okay." Morris didn’t dare say another word and hurried away.
Rory waited until Morris had disappeared down the hall before she went into her office and sat down. She said to Sean who followed up, "Thank you."
"Megan is a powerhouse—swift and decisive in the business world. But her son, Morris, is very ordinary. He’s just a mooch who only knows how to spend money. He’s not a good man."
Sean looked down at Rory, and his tone was so earnest as if he feared she might make the same mistake again.
"I know, Mr. Harrison." Rory couldn’t help but smile at his serious demeanor. "This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with something like this."
Sean looked surprised. "You have this problem often?"
"I do." Rory nodded with a hint of resignation. "A lot of mothers think the same way. A woman like me—highly educated, tall, attractive, with a respectable career and no powerful family to back her up—is seen as the perfect daughter-in-law. Once I’m married with children, they think I’ll be easy to control."
Rory had never considered the Harrington family her safety net.
That was why she had always been so clear-eyed about her situation.
"Then just say you have a boyfriend."
"I used to be able to say that, but now... I’m not a very good liar."
This was a source of frustration for Rory. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
As Sean stood by her desk, he also considered over what to say...
"Uncle, I’d like to have a word with Rory."
Miles’s voice came from the office doorway.
Rory looked toward the sound of his voice.
The man was leaning against the doorframe.
Though they had only been apart for one night, he looked worlds different from the man he was yesterday.
Besides the bruises at the corner of his mouth and on his brow, the most striking thing was how bloodshot his eyes were.
Rory rose from her chair. "Young Master Harrison, please don’t call me Rory anymore. You can call me Dr. Linden or Rory. I took all my things when I left this morning. I won’t ever be going back."
Last night, she had fought off exhaustion to pack everything up, and she had brought it all with her this morning.
She had lived in the Harrington home, in that room, for well over a decade.
Yet the things that truly belonged to her were pitifully few.
Other than a few school uniforms she couldn’t bear to throw out, all she had were a couple of books and some plain clothes.
After sorting through everything, it all fit into a single bag.
"Rory, I know I’m a piece of work. I’ve done so much to wrong you over the years, but... can you just listen to what I have to say...?"
Miles’s voice was hoarse.
Sean glanced at his nephew, hesitated for a moment, then turned and stepped out of the office.
He didn’t go far, just paused outside in the hallway.
Miles walked into the office and knelt before Rory without the slightest hesitation.
"Miles Harrison!"
Startled, Rory shot up from her chair and moved to help him up.
The man grabbed her hand. "Rory, I’m sorry. I drank too much yesterday, I wasn’t thinking straight. My dad reamed me out... he’s making me get engaged to Lucy. I really have to get engaged to her. The wedding is set for a year from now."
"Miles, let go of me," Rory said, struggling to pull her hand away.
Miles gave Rory a long, deep look, tightened his grip on her wrist one last time, and finally let go.
"I’m sorry." As Miles said those two words again, he laughed self-deprecatingly. "If I told you that I always believed you were the one I would marry in the end, would you believe that?"
Rory gave up trying to make him get up.
She stood a few feet away, and watched him calmly. "Young Master Harrison, I’ve done a lot of thinking these past few days. The truth is, no matter what happened, I never would have ended up marrying you. I was bound to come to my senses eventually. It was only a matter of when."
"Rory, I know I’m a piece of work..."
"Young Master Harrison, stop saying that. Just treat Miss Shaw well. Being responsible for your partner is what a man with integrity does."
Rory had no desire to listen to Miles’ self-recriminations.
Even though she had waited years for him to have this moment of reflection.
But now that the moment had arrived, she realized it could never have come any sooner.
It only happened when everything was already lost for good.
"Rory..."
"Young Master Harrison, I’ve completely let go of the past. I sincerely wish you all the best. Wish you utter happiness."
Rory’s tone was exceptionally sincere.
Just then, Sean, who was standing by the door, knocked. "Miles, someone’s coming. Do you plan to keep kneeling there forever?"
Rory’s office wasn’t private. She shared it with several other doctors on her team.
Earlier that morning, while she was operating on Charlotte, the department chief had taken a few others into another surgery that lasted more than hours.
So, no one should have been coming back at this hour.
But Miles didn’t know that.
He was willing to kneel for Rory, but he didn’t want anyone else to see him.
Miles pushed himself up from the floor and bent down to brush the dust from his pants.
Rory said, "Young Master Harrison, you should go andsee Grandma Rhodes. She just got out of surgery and could use the company."
Miles knew she was telling him to leave.
But...
He also knew that staying any longer wouldn’t change anything right now.
Sean stood at the doorway and watched until Miles’ back disappeared down the hall. Only then did he step back into Rory’s office.
"Miles might truly regret this. If, in the coming days, you have any thoughts of reconciling with him, you can come to me anytime. I have ways to help you both."
Sean’s tone was earnest.
He was choosing to put her wishes first.
If Rory really couldn’t let go of Miles and wanted to give him another chance, he would help them.
"His regret is his own business. I will never have any regrets."
"A relationship isn’t a flower in a garden. You can’t just miss its bloom one year and expect to see it again the next."
"I’m a living, breathing person."
"Not some flower planted in his garden."
Rory stated her thoughts, one line after another.
Sean listened intently, with a gentle warmth slowly spreading in the depths of his dark eyes.
Afraid his emotions were becoming too obvious, he expressed his respect for her decision, then said, "I have something to take care of. I’ll come back later for you to change the medicine."
"Okay." Rory switched back into her professional mindset. "But I have an appointment with a real estate agent at six-thirty to look at a place, so make sure you come before six."
"Looking at a place to move in?" Sean paused for a moment before replying, "All right. I get it."
