13 RELATIONSHIP EXPOSED

"Your brother will be discharged this afternoon," Eli informed since what he has known since the siblings have grown closer to him, especially Neon. That little guy was looking up to him as if he was his real big brother. "Do you have any relatives who can take him in in the meantime while you're recuperating here?" He added. As far as he knew, ever since Belle got sent to the hospital, her godmother never once visited her. He wasn't sure if the news was true but someone told him that her godmother has left the city with all of the valuable items that Belle acquired throughout the years from her hard work.

"Right! I can contact them for you." Dr. Lopez volunteered cheerfully beside Eli. Her close distance to the love of her life didn't escape Ceres' keen observation and it brought a displeased look on her face. "You don't like it?" Dr. Lopez asked awkwardly when she notice that Belle was looking at her with displeasure. "I just wanted to help since you are also my colleague." She even lowered her voice, acting wronged and pitifully in front of them. Eli looked bothered by what was happening as well.

[Drama.] Ceres thought because she could clearly see what the woman was trying to do. [If you want acting then, let's act together.] "I appreciate your kindness, Dr. Lopez. However, I don't remember anyone from my relatives. The memories I could recall were of my brother and godmother. I don't know where my godmother is right now. She has not visited me and I could not reach her through phone calls. If you can get through to her, I will be very happy." [As if you'd get through her. With what she did to Neon, I highly doubt it.]

"Don't worry. I will do my best to help. Eli has been helping you and I felt bad that he has to be burdened alone."

[I'm a burden?! Me?! The fudge! The nerve with this woman!] Feeling so frustrated with the way Peachy say those words, Belle pulled Ceres back to her subconsciousness and took over her body. "Eli?"

It wasn't just Dr. Lopez who got shocked by the way Belle called the doctor, even Eli was quite surprised. The way she said his name, the way it rolled in her tongue felt like a caress on his whole body. There was this nice ring to it as if he belonged to her.

"I didn't know I'm a burden to you." Belle expressed while looking directly into Eli's eyes. "You could have stopped yourself from coming here. I didn't even ask you to come."

"How ungrateful." Dr. Lopez muttered inaudibly.

"Who says you're a burden?" Eli played along after realizing what Belle was doing. "I volunteered to come here and help you. Can't I even do something as simple as that? I know we had a fight before you left for the medical mission but that doesn't mean you have to keep pushing me away when you have remembered me already."

"Hmph! It is your fault."

"I know and I'm sorry."

Standing on the sideline, Dr. Lopez felt something was wrong. The two people in front of her were acting all chummy as if she didn't exist. She didn't even know that they were very close. She thought that the two were just junior-senior at work. Her lips twitched in annoyance but she could not find anything to say. She just really wanted to tear Belle's face right now.

"Excuse me. I have other things to do and I'm getting late. I'll try to contact your godmother as well." She smiled faintly at them before turning around to leave the room. Once she was out of their sight, she gritted her teeth in anger. She felt like she was about to lose her mind from so much hatred.

Worse, when she passed by the nurse station, the nurses there were gossiping and she happened to hear the names that she didn't want to be said together.

"I already felt that something was suspicious when Dr. Rivera volunteered to help Belle. Why would he help her when they were never close? The two of them must have a secret relationship."

"Hey! Don't spread rumors about them. Didn't Dr. Rivera like Jillyanna Madrigal?"

"Duh?! Isn't he allowed to move on? Jillyanna is already married to Travis. Is Dr. Rivera obligated to love her for the rest of his life? That is a waste of his genes. Aside from that, I'm not spreading rumors. I have proof."

"Then, show us."

The four nurses surrounded the other nurse to see the piece of evidence that she was talking about. They were so focused on the gossip at hand that they didn't notice Dr. Lopez was listening to them from a distance.

The woman pulled out her phone and opened the gallery app to let them see what she saw yesterday. Apparently, she witnessed Eli and Belle eating spicy noodles and prawns. The two were very sweet and she could not keep this information to herself. She didn't want to explode alone. Thus, she told the nurses what happened during her next shift.

"You did not edit this?" one of the nurses question the other after watching the sweet moment between the most sought bachelor and the once-cheerful nurse.

"Do I look like a genius IT to you?" The nurse blurted and was about to put away her phone when someone snatched it. "What the he-" the remaining word that she wanted to say got stuck in her throat when she faced Dr. Lopez who was now holding her phone angrily. "Doc, that is my phone." She reminded to prevent the doctor from throwing it away. It was known far and wide that Dr. Peachy Lopez likes Dr. Rivera. They could already tell what was running in her mind right this moment.

"When did you take this?" Dr. Lopez questioned and her eyes were glaring sharply that the nurse had to step back twice. "Tell me!"

"Yes-yesterday. I took them yesterday when I passed by Belle's room from a round check." The doctor clenched the phone in her hand and shoved it back to the owner without saying anything then, she left. "What's wrong with that doctor?! Just because her father is the director?! She should go and have herself checked! I think she has anger issues. No wonder Dr. Rivera won't like her."

"SHHHHHHH!" The other nurses gestured for her to shut up but the other nurse mumbled on and on. She was just really annoyed that her phone got some cracks on the screen. She just bought it from her meager salary!

Hearing what she was saying, the director felt ashamed of what his daughter did but he could not really hate her. He was also at fault for spoiling her so much as she grows up. Now, he could barely control her and her temper. In the end, the director asked the nurse to have her phone screen fixed and send him the bill.

Back in Belle's hospital room, Eli was listening to her plan. Since it was just the two of them, she decided to be honest. "I don't want my brother to live with my relatives. Both sides of my parents hate us so, I cannot entrust my brother's life to them. I already made that mistake once. I can't let it happen twice."

"Why do they hate you? I mean, have done something bad."

"Our existence is bad enough." Eli pursed his mouth in silence and felt really bad for asking. He wanted to apologize but Belle only smiled. "There's nothing we can do with that so; you don't have to feel bad for us. Anyway, since it is summer vacation, I think I'll have him stay here in the hospital with me. The doctor said that I can be discharged in two weeks."

"It's not good for his health to stay here for a long time. You know that hospital has a lot of bacteria and viruses. How can you expose him to that?"

"Then, what should I do? I already found a suitable place where we can move after I get discharged but I have no plan of sending him there without any guardian. I'd rather die than do that."

"Then, how about letting him stay with me?"