Doctor's Delight(76)
“Good.” His eyes crinkled at the corners in quiet amusement. “Because I don’t want any excuses later.”
“Excuses? This sounds intriguing.”
“You’re intriguing.” The amusement faded from his eyes as he regarded her seriously. “Cherry, I want you to listen to me, because I’m going to lay my—”
“Dr Reed!”
Rick looked up and over Cherry’s head towards the archway through which they’d entered. “Don’t answer.” There was a definite touch of annoyance in his tone.
“Dr Reed!” A man dressed in a suit and tie hurried through the archway. “Thank God. There’s an urgent call for you.”
“I’m not on-call for the hospital tonight—”
“The doctor is concerned about one of the patients you treated today.
“Which doctor?” Cherry felt the tension spiral through Rick.
“I don’t know his name, I’m just delivering the message.”
“I’ve got my mobile on me, why didn’t he ring me on it?” Rick glanced down at her ruefully. “I’m sorry, love, I’d better go in and take this call.”
“No problems. I’ll wait here for you.”
He dropped a quick kiss on the top of her head. “I won’t be long. Don’t leave without me.”
“Not likely.” She laughed. “You’ve got the car keys.”
Within seconds he was gone, and the man spared her a brief glance before following. Left alone, she turned and walked slowly over to the pool, stopping near the edge to gaze down into the shimmering water.
Whatever Rick had been about to say to her, it was important to him, and she wondered what it could have been.
“So, left all alone?” Annabelle appeared suddenly beside Cherry.
Surprised, Cherry took a step back. “Annabelle. Hello. I didn’t hear you arrive.”
“No doubt you were thinking silly little things.” The disdain in Annabelle’s tone was clear.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Do you really think anyone could care for someone like you?” Annabelle’s cold gaze raked up and down Cherry. “You need to miss a few feeds, Cherry, lose some weight. No one likes a fatty.”
Shocked, Cherry’s mouth fell open.
“Don’t look so surprised.” With a toss of her head, Annabelle continued. “You’ll always be a fat woman trying to impress a man who is far above you. Don’t kid yourself. Rick is just being nice to you. He’s too noble for his own good.”
“Annabelle, what on earth is wrong with you?” Cherry’s heart pounded a little faster at the direct attack, but she stood her ground.
The beautiful blonde folded her arms and looked coldly at her. “Look at you, pretending to be all pretty in that gown when you just look like a piece of fat rump steak shoved into a sleeve. You’re a pathetic excuse for a human, Cherry. Fat, undisciplined with her weight, disgusting people around you with your bloated figure.”
The words hurt. Cherry spun on her heel to stride away from the blonde’s poisonous words, only to stop when Annabelle snapped out, “Rick is mine.”
Heart thumping, Cherry moistened her dry lips, wincing as every cruel word tore into her.
“Rick’s mine, Cherry. He’s always been mine. He’s going places and he needs a wife who’s comfortable in the company he’s mingling with. He needs a wife who won’t embarrass him. A fat slut is not that kind of wife.”
“But you are?” The words hung in the air between them.
Annabelle’s laugh was cruel. “He deserves a beautiful wife with class. Yes, I am what he needs. Get your fat arse out of here, Cherry. Everyone’s laughing at you, no one wants you here. They only tolerate you because of Rick. He’ll soon see that you’re not who he wants, who he needs. Fat bitches belong in the gutter, they’re not fit to be seen in society.”
Teeth clenched, Cherry closed her eyes against the sting of tears. “Why are you saying this, Annabelle? Is it because you love him?”
“Good God, no. Love has no place in this. He’s perfect husband material, though, and he’s mine. So run along, fatso. Go hide in your little cave and shove more potato chips in your mouth.”
Never one to react well to confrontation, Cherry trembled, but she didn’t back down because something deep inside her made her stand her ground. Something. Her voice shook a little. “And if I don’t?”
“You keep chasing him and I’ll destroy you,” Annabelle told her coldly. “I’ll destroy you, I’ll make your family ashamed of you. I’ll make your name mud. And I’ll get you deregistered as a nurse. That’s what I’ll do.”