Harriet chuckled when she spotted Vien in her office once again. She shook her head and rubbed her temple, still feeling the fatigue from an eight-hour surgery. The last thing she wanted was to encounter Vien, but luck wasn't on her side today.
"Why are you here again?" she asked, clearly displeased by Vien's presence. Harriet looked at Vien's face and scoffed. "Too much pretending to be Sophie," she added, laughing in disbelief.
"Well, you can't deny you like seeing it," Vien replied, sauntering toward Harriet's desk. "So, that girl from last timeâshe's really your girlfriend?" she asked, leaning in and looking down at Harriet.
Harriet glanced up and smirked. "Yeah, Zoey's my girlfriend, and she'll clearly be my wife soon."
Vien shrugged and scoffed. "She's just a typical girl, Harriet. What's so special about her? What do you even see in her?" Vien crossed her arms, challenging Harriet.
Harriet laughed and clicked her tongue. "Clearly, you don't know her well enough," she replied. "She's not typicalâshe's special. And you can never be that special."
Vien rolled her eyes, clearly displeased. "Right, so you want me to stop?" she asked, a sly smile creeping onto her lips.
"Yeah, just stop and get lost. Don't come back here again," Harriet said in a serious tone.
Vien reached out and lifted Harriet's chin. "Come on, Harriet. No one can stop me from returning if I want to. I'm a Swiss citizen, after all," she said, shrugging.
Harriet raised an eyebrow. "I don't even care. I'd spend a penny just to get you banned from coming back here," she said coolly.
"Go ahead and try. After all, what is money to a Pierce like you? Your money is like useless crap right now since you have everything," Vien replied, clicking her tongue. "Must be nice having it all, huh?"
"Yeah, it is nice. And you know what? It's even nicer having Zoey around. She completes everything," Harriet said, crossing her legs.
"Right, then if you want me to leave the country," Vien paused, a sheepish smile creeping onto her face, "let's hurt each other again."
Harriet gulped, fully understanding what Vien meant. "We're both surgeons, Vien."
"And? Afraid to lose your profession? It's just a game, Harriet. You have the moneyâwhat's the harm if you lose your job?" Vien asked, smirking.
Harriet looked at her hands, feeling the weight of the situation. "Vienâ"
"What now? Afraid of a little fight? I thought you were a daredevil. What a killjoy," Vien said, rolling her eyes and chuckling.
Running her fingers through her hair, Harriet sighed. "Name the place and time, and I'll be there."
Vien laughed like a lunatic, slowly clapping her hands. "Well, make sure you invite them, including your little girlfriend. Same place this Saturday, maybe around eleven in the morning."
Harriet chuckled as Vien waved at her and opened the office door. But then Vien paused, spotting Zoey leaning against the wall outside. Turning back to Harriet with a smirk, she said, "Right, your girlfriend is here, Doc."
Harriet's heart raced as shock washed over her. She hastily stood up and jogged toward the door, the urgency in her steps matching her growing anxiety. Vien chuckled as she left, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Zoey..." Harriet mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she reached the doorway, her pulse quickening at the sight of her girlfriend.
Harriet gulped and ran her fingers through her hair, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. Zoey hadn't spoken to her since their confrontation, walking a few inches ahead, her posture tense. Though Harriet carried both Zoey's shoulder bag and her own sling bag, the weight felt heavier than usual. Zoey was slightly kicking the ground, her hands tucked inside Harriet's coat, which she had insisted Zoey wear to fend off the chill in the air.
Sighing, Harriet watched her breath create clouds of vapor in the cold. "Zoey," she called, jogging to catch up. Gently, she pulled Zoey to face her. "Sweetheart, talk to me, please," she pleaded.
Zoey looked up, bitterness in her eyes. "I literally told you, no funny business, Harriet," she said, her tone serious. Harriet gulped, seeing the fierce determination in Zoey's gazeâit was like staring into the eye of a tiger, ready to pounce.
"That's justâ"
"What is it again? A little fight?" Zoey scoffed, trying to shake off Harriet's hand. "You're a surgeon, may I remind you?" Her gaze bore into Harriet's, challenging her.
"I know," Harriet said, averting her eyes. Why does she look like this? she thought to herself, feeling the weight of the moment.
"You know? But you'll still do it, right? You'll still fight? When was that? This Saturday?" Harriet bit her lower lip, feeling the tension crackling between them.
Heaving a sigh, Harriet cleared her throat. "It's not like I'll hurt myself, Zoey," she mumbled.
"Still!" Zoey replied, her voice tightening as she struggled to maintain her composure. "Why do you need to do this? Was it because of me? Because you need to prove something?"
"Because I want Vien out of the picture," Harriet said, her fists clenching at her sides. "I'm not comfortable with her lurking around. I don't want her to lay a finger on you."
"Harriet, risking your hands just for thisâ"
Harriet cupped Zoey's cheeks, desperation rising in her chest. "Just at least trust me? Please?" she implored. "I know what I'm doing. Just give your trust to me. I won't hurt myself. I just need to fight," she added, her voice softening.
Zoey shook her head, disapproving. "Harriet, we're talking about your profession."
"You don't understand, Zoeyâ"
"Then at least let me understand," Zoey said, her tone shifting as her eyes softened, meeting Harriet's gaze with concern.
Harriet sighed, looking around before pulling Zoey closer. "It's about the past, sweetheart," she explained, rubbing her thumbs gently over Zoey's cheeks. "I... uh... I accidentally hurt Vien's hand during an incident. We were young, and she got injured, but luckily, she managed to stay a surgeon. But in cold weather like this, her injury flares up."
"That's why she wants revenge?" Zoey asked, her voice gentle yet probing.
Harriet nodded, glancing down. "I guess. I didn't mean for it to happen. We both threw punches at each other, but she was wearing gloves with four fingers, and I didn't know. Her knuckles got misaligned."
Zoey frowned. "So it's not entirely your fault. Why does she need to get revenge over something so petty?"
"Zoey," Harriet said, reaching to hold Zoey's waist. "Just allow me to handle this. I promise I won't hurt my hands."
"And what if you do?" Zoey challenged, her voice rising with concern. "What if you lose your profession? What then?"
Harriet chuckled softly as she pulled Zoey into a warm embrace, burying her face in her shoulder. "I'll make sure I won't hurt myself, sweetheart. Please don't be mad at me," she murmured.
"I'm still not convinced you won't hurt yourself," Zoey replied, returning the hug tightly. "If you do, I swear, I'll just cut your hands off," she said, half-joking yet half-serious, which made Harriet chuckle.
"I won't, I won't," Harriet reassured her, tightening the embrace as warmth spread between them.