Billionaire Doctor's Surprize Baby: A Second Chance Romance., page 1
Billionaire Doctor's surprise Baby
A Second Chance Romance
Jade Marnie
Copyright © 1/1/2024 by Jade Marnie.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
23. Chapter 23
24. Chapter 24
25. Chapter 25
26. Chapter 26
27. Chapter 27
28. Chapter 28
29. Chapter 29
30. Chapter 30
31. Chapter 31
32. Chapter 32
1
MIA
As I sat in the expansive living room of my apartment with my clothes and other essential items all packed into a box, I couldn’t help but feel a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.
I was about to embark on a new adventure, moving to an entirely different city where I knew nobody. This was one of the disadvantages of being in the Medical field, especially in this part of the world. My residency program at Rutgers was over, and now I had to begin my career as an Emergency nurse at New York University Hospital. The uncertainty of it all weighed heavily on my mind.
“How are you feeling?” My best, Sasha said as she slipped her fingers into mine. Aside from the time I had to leave for New Jersey, I had never really done this before.
The universe had it out for me; New York held many painful memories I had sworn to let go of. It also held beautiful ones—that was where I met and fell in love with the father of my child. It also happened to be where I got betrayed by the same person; Manhattan and Brooklyn might not be the same place, but it was still the same New York.
“I don’t know, I’m nervous,” I took a deep breath as I held up one of my picture books. I knew it sounded cliché, but I loved stacking up old pictures. They were my form of therapy and often reminded me that I had good things going for me at some point.
“Don’t worry, you will be fine. I heard NYU has the biggest hospital complex in New York,” She teased, quickly putting me at ease. If there was anything I loved Sasha for, she knew what to say to make me feel better.
“Even bigger than Columbia?” I scoffed, and I watched as her face fell. This was weird; It was supposed to be the other way around. I was the one who attended Columbia University, and I was the one who got her heart broken. Sasha would take up any chance to remind me that I was denying my three-year-old daughter the opportunity to know her father like I knew where William Hayes lived.
“Not now, Sasha. Please,” I pleaded.
“This is New York, Mia. Don’t you think it’s high time to brace yourself and see William while you are at the job,” I couldn’t believe she was talking about this on a day like this. My flight was literally in a few hours.
“What are the odds of me bumping into him? His family resides in the Bronx. I don’t think his father would allow him to pursue his medical career,” I rolled my eyes as I violently placed the book I was holding in its previous position. “Besides, what if he’s married? Ava and I are better off,”
She threw me an unfriendly glance as she placed her hands on my shoulders. “Think about what I’ve been saying, and watch how things would fall in place for you,” She said, and I rolled my eyes. I wondered why she had refused to drop the idea.
Everyone acted like it was so easy to forget the hurt I faced in the past few years. There was no day I didn’t think of how my life would have panned out if I did end up with William Hayes. Many thoughts crossed my mind as to his welfare.
Did he end up taking over his family’s business?
Did he follow his dreams of being a medical doctor?
I had a lot of questions that needed answers, but I wasn’t ready to face my fears because I knew I would eventually find out why William cheated on me that fateful day.
I was already freaking out. If Sasha was right about me seeing him in New York, I didn’t think I was ready to face all that alone. I would need my best friend solidly behind me. Even if she was mad at me, she didn’t let that come between us as she squeezed my fingers slightly, giving it a gentle kiss.
“Listen, Mia. I’m not pressuring you to do this if you don’t want to, but I know you have answers, and doing this will give you the needed closure you seek,” she advised, and I could swear I felt a teardrop down my face. How was I supposed to cope in New York without my best friend? This was all too much for me.
“I love you, Sasha. I mean it,” I reassured her, patting her back gently.
“Three years, Mia. You’ve been seeking that closure for three years. You can find it when you go there,” She whispered into my ears before my daughter broke us up.
My heart shattered as she begged me not to leave her behind. I wondered where she thought I would leave her behind and travel to New York. I loved my girl so much.
“Sasha, can I ask a favor?” Holding Ava, I turned toward my best friend, who was helping me pack the rest of my belongings. My flight was in a few hours, and I was still packing my things; that was to show how nervous I was about moving to New York.
“What is it?” She didn’t bother looking up as she stuffed my bag with my favorite chocolates.
“Move with me to New York,” I blurted without thinking of the consequences of what I was about to say.
I couldn’t believe I was asking Sasha to uproot her life for me. This was a huge one.
She froze as the words flew out of my mouth. What other expression was I expecting from her? I had told her to end her career here.
“Look, Sasha. I know it sounds crazy, but I need you there. I don’t know. I don't think I can survive in New York without you, besides I don't want to have to deal with Ava's father. I have no idea where he works right now, but I have this huge feeling I might meet him soon. I can only do it with you by my side,” I figured I needed to do more than just ask her to move with me. I needed her to see reasons why it was necessary.
I had already started talking gibberish and freaking out when she held me by the arms as she told me to calm my nerves. On her instructions, I took a deep breath and sat on the nearest chair I could find.
“Relax! I get what you mean. I know moving to a new city can be scary,” She spoke to me while Ava watched the drama unfold.
“Is that not selfish of me?” I said after a while.
“No, Mia. You aired your opinion. It’s a valid one. Now it’s time for me to air mine,” She sat beside me, not breaking eye contact as she cupped my face in her hands.
“I love you, and God knows how much I will miss you when you leave, so yes. I don’t mind
moving to New York with you; I have nothing here anyways,” She said as if it was nothing. I wiped my eyes clean as she showed me the plane tickets she had bought to surprise me. I knew Sasha had been having problems at work, and with her family not being appreciative of her efforts, she needed a breather. I just didn't think she would go to such an extent for me.
"Really?" I asked, grabbing the plane tickets from her to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"Yes, Mia. I need a break, and I figured a new environment will make me more productive," She explained, and a smile formed on my face.
Unknown to me, my best friend had planned to join me there, but she wanted to make it a surprise.
“Sasha,” I cried into her arms, hugging her tightly.
“Do you think I would let you go just like that? I want to live in New York too, you know. Besides, it’s not like I’m running a physical store here that my presence would be needed,” By this time, we had already messed up our eyes with so many tears. Ava joined in on the hug even if she had no idea what had happened between her Aunt and me.
“Thank you, Sash. I honestly don’t know what I would do without you,” I said.
“Ava can stay with me for a while, pending when you get settled in,” Sasha offered, and I noticed my daughter had already started acting up. Sasha worked her magic, and she soon calmed down.
“I will miss you, Mommy,” She hugged me tight. I wondered what Sasha had offered her.
My best friend and I stared at each other as we burst into laughter despite the tears flowing from our eyes. I loved how we were. She knew how to make me laugh even in the most serious times. My alarm soon beeped, indicating it was time to head to the airport. I didn’t want Sasha and Ava to follow me because it would be so painful for them to watch me leave.
I bade them goodbye as I headed for the airport.
***********
I arrived in New York sooner than I expected. My flight went without a hitch, and I stood in front of the airport, waiting for my Uber to arrive. I felt the pang of nosta
The memories of the day I left New York came flooding back. I couldn’t deal with the hurt and betrayal I felt after I saw William in bed with someone I considered my worst enemy back then in Medical school, so I left in a hurry without a word. I didn’t need to hear his side of the story because I wasn’t ready to listen. Leaving New York to be with my best friend was one of the best decisions I made—I found out I was pregnant with Ava, and I vividly recalled how many emotions I felt that day.
As I stood there, I felt hot tears stream down my face. This was a bitter-sweet feeling for me. For a minute, I wished I had told Sasha to move with me, the moment I saw that placement letter, it would have been easier to process my feelings.
“Hi, Are you New to New York?” A friendly woman walked to me. I wiped my face clean as I managed to fake a smile. Everyone wished to get to their places of appointment, but the reverse was the case for me because I was here shedding tears over something I had no control over.
“No, ma’am. I can manage to find my way,” I said. I didn’t want to get rude to this lovely woman.
“I’m Katherine, by the way, and I am a tour guide; I can show you around New York. I’m sure you haven’t been to all the places here,” It was obvious she mistook me for a tourist. I smiled, silently rejecting her offer.
“Thanks, it’s nice you offered to show me around, but I’m not here on a visit. I was posted here for work,” I revealed. Thankfully, my Uber soon arrived, saving me from the awkward situation I had found myself in.
The ride from the airport to the house I bought was a short one. I called Sasha when I got home, letting her know I had safely arrived in New York.
“So, How are you feeling?” She asked for the umpteenth time. If there was anything I loved about my best friend, she never failed to check up on me, no matter the number of times she had asked previously.
“Sasha, I’m fine. It’s just New York. I can scale through this, I promise,” I reassured her. Ava’s tiny voice soon filled the air as she demanded to speak to me.
“Give it to her, babe. We have all the time in the world to catch up,” I told her.
I laughed hard when the tiny shrill of my daughter’s voice echoed through the phone. This was my first time since her birth of being away from her, and I didn’t know how to feel about it.
“Hey, Baby. Hope you aren’t disturbing Aunt Sasha?” I asked because I knew how troublesome she could be at times.
"YeS, Mommy. I’m not. I miss you, and I love you,” She said. I knew Sasha must have told her to say those words.
“I miss you too, baby. I can’t wait to have you join me here,” She hung up the call before I got to talk to Sasha again.
I sighed—Kids these days. It was then it dawned on me that I had to start searching for a school she could attend because there was no way I would juggle caregiving with my job at the hospital, and I didn’t want to overburden Sasha even though she wouldn’t mind.
“Welcome to New York, Mia,” I muttered as I sank into the bed.
Tomorrow was my first day at the hospital. I needed to rest up for it. Packing my things to one corner of the house, I made a mental note to call the cleaning company the next day.
2
WILLIAM
“What are these?” I asked as the chief nurse, Mary, dropped some papers on my table.
I’ve had a long and stressful week, and the last thing I wanted was to get distracted by anyone.
“Will you open it first?” Mary smirked as she sat down beside me. I barely looked up as I was engrossed in the report I was reading. This was more important than the letter she brought because I knew it was brought to me by the board of this hospital. She was just a messenger.
“I’m busy, Mary. Can’t you see that? This is a patient’s medical history; he was brought in a few days ago, and for some reason, no one has been able to find out the root cause of his illness,” I snapped. If there was any member of staff in this hospital that wasn’t phased by my tantrums, it was Mary. She often knew how to challenge me headlong.
“Doesn’t mean you have to be a bitch about it,” She sighed, crossing her legs. It took everything in me not to pour my frustrations on her.
“Fine, Mary. I will look at the documents later. Hope that makes you happy,” I snapped so she could get out of my office as soon as she could. Unlike my other colleagues, she was tolerable to an extent.
“No, Williams. Those are important! Didn’t it ever occur to you that you would be receiving new residents into the department today,” She continued. Shit! I had forgotten about the hospital Medical Board had sent a list of successful applicants to the hospital a few days back, and I never bothered to check.
“Help me go through this patient’s record, and I will look over those files. Not like my presence is needed when welcoming them,” I watched as she sat expressionless. She clenched her fists tight.
I shoved the documents in her direction as I sat back. No matter how many times I looked, something didn’t just add up.
“Mary, this patient’s life is hanging by a thread. I don’t want to lose him,” I pleaded. She softened her expression as she grabbed the document from the table. I might act harsh sometimes, but I hated losing my patients. It broke me in ways no one could imagine.
“I can’t leave my station unattended, and we are short on staff nurses. I will look over this and get back to you,” she said after a while.
I sighed in relief as she stood up. I had a throbbing headache that was ready to rip me apart. I had been on this patient’s records since it was brought to me. I had done all the necessary tests on him, but all tests came back negative. I silently prayed that Mary would reach a breakthrough this time.
“Hold on, William. Are you sure all necessary tests have been conducted on this man?” She asked, and I shook my head. I was not too fond of the fact that in Medicine, not everything was hundred percent. Even if Mary could find something, I hoped it wouldn't be too late.
“You can use Dr. Connor if you need a fresh pair of eyes,” she nodded, leaving my office without another word.
I sank into my chair, the documents staring me in the face. Being the Chief of Emergency Medicine didn't mean I had to be present at the ceremony to welcome the new doctors. Just as I was about to honor my end of the deal, my phone beeped, distracting me. It was a text from my Dad, Richard Hayes. I sighed as I ran my hands along my hair in frustration. I wondered what he wanted this time. With my father, he never cared whether or not I was in the emergency ward; all he knew was his company.
I tried my best to ignore his texts this time because I had tons of things to attend to here at the hospital. When he wouldn’t stop calling, I finally picked up the call.
"What is it this time, Dad?” I was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with him or anyone.
“William Hayes. I trained you better, son! Is that the way you talk to your sick father,” I was confused for a minute. Dad, sick? That was weird. All my life, not once have I seen Dad fall ill.
“What are you talking about, Dad? Or is this some bait to make me come down to your office and sign some stupid shit again,” I said, remembering the last time Dad pulled a stunt like this on me—-He claimed he was sick, only for me to find out, he tricked me into leaving the hospital so I could sign some important office documents for him. Sometimes, it sucked to be an only child because it only meant I had to carry on Dad’s legacy at Hayes Shipping which wasn’t something I wanted to do.
“Dear, your father might be a crook, but I won’t pull such a stunt on a day like this! I have an important meeting with the Navy forces,” I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my coat. At this point, it wasn’t like I had a choice. Dad had me wrapped around his fingers.
“I’m on my way, Dad. You seem always to forget that I’m the Chief of Emergency Medicine here! You can’t just pull me out of this place on a whim. I work in a hospital,” I nagged, but I noticed he didn’t respond. This drew my attention. Dad always had a comeback for me, no matter how silly the situation was.
“Dad! Dad!” I yelled countless times, but still no response, yet his line was on, which meant he didn’t hang up the call.
