Everyone Can Hear My Thoughts, and Now They're Panicking

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: See You Next Month, Dr. Sheffield

Mrs. Everett was completely baffled. What was going on?

She said in a quiet, hushed voice, "I’m sorry, sir. I was misled by rumors. I also didn’t do my job well, which caused everyone to misunderstand Miss Lancaster."

Alvin Lancaster’s mood calmed. "It has nothing to do with you. This was all a misunderstanding, so don’t blame yourself."

If he hadn’t heard his sister’s inner thoughts, he never would have guessed this was the truth.

Mrs. Everett looked even more guilt-ridden. "No, I am responsible. I failed in my duty to the Master and the Eldest Young Master. I didn’t take good care of Miss Lancaster."

"Sir, I’d like to bring everyone to formally apologize to Miss Lancaster. Is that alright?"

On second thought, Alvin Lancaster figured this was for the best. "It’s thoughtful of you. I’ll make the arrangements."

Pauline Shaw was also surprised. She had interacted with Claire Sheffield a few times, and her impression was that he was a man of strong principles and not easy to get along with.

She hadn’t expected him to be so attentive today.

But on second thought, she found it understandable. It was probably for her cousin’s sake.

The Lowell Family was one of the company’s major shareholders. No matter how brilliant a doctor was, they couldn’t avoid sucking up to the shareholders.

She had wanted to embarrass Jane Lancaster, but in the end, the only one embarrassed was herself for putting on such an act.

Jane Lancaster always had this knack. She could be completely in the wrong and still end up looking like she was in the right.

Pauline Shaw felt it was pointless. Just then, her phone rang, and she stepped out to answer it.

"It’s just a local soft tissue contusion, nothing serious," Claire Sheffield explained, listing the necessary precautions.

Jane Lancaster looked up, her gaze sweeping the room. "Dr. Sheffield, your consultation room at The Regent Clinic is fixed. Is it the same for the general outpatient clinic?"

Alvin Lancaster knocked on the door and walked in, leaning on a crutch. "Of course. A lot of people come here specifically for Dr. Sheffield."

"The registration fee for The Regent Clinic is too expensive; ordinary people simply can’t afford it. So the hospital arranges for some doctors to spend one day a week at the general clinic. That way, regular people can get a consultation too."

Because of this initiative, the hospital had always maintained a very good public image.

Jane Lancaster couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

’Right. This is why you can’t be a good person. Isn’t this how trouble starts?’

Alvin Lancaster couldn’t help but glance sideways at her. ’Trouble? What kind of trouble?’

’Next Thursday at noon, Dr. Sheffield will be working overtime at the general outpatient clinic. He’ll be stabbed by a patient’s family member, spend months in the ICU just barely clinging to life, and will never be able to hold a scalpel again.’

In the book, Claire Sheffield was just a background character with few interactions with the heroine, so of course, there were no detailed descriptions of his injury.

Jane Lancaster only noticed these details because one of the others injured was a caregiver.

The caregiver’s daughter was a nurse at this hospital and happened to be an acquaintance of Luna Morgan’s.

Luna Morgan was the best at empathizing with people from the lower class. After learning about the nurse’s family crisis, she took the initiative to lend the nurse all the money she had on her.

This scene happened to be witnessed by the main villain, who fell in love with her at first sight.

’As expected of the heroine. She can harvest men’s admiration anytime, anywhere.’

Alvin Lancaster was frantic. ’Isn’t my sister going to warn him?’ he thought.

This was no small matter. Claire Sheffield was young, promising, and had a boundless future. An injured hand would completely destroy him!

’What’s all this about men’s admiration? Is that what’s important right now?’

Caleb Lowell suddenly spoke up. "Dr. Sheffield, do you often work overtime during lunch at the general outpatient clinic?"

Claire Sheffield was a bit surprised. ’Why is he asking about this?’ He considered them acquaintances, though, so he answered, "I do sometimes work a little extra at the general clinic."

"No! Dr. Sheffield, you can’t work overtime during lunch!" Alvin Lancaster blurted out.

Claire Sheffield froze for a moment. Jane Lancaster and Caleb Lowell also turned to look at him.

Alvin Lancaster pointed to the nurse on duty and said with a laugh, "When you work overtime, the nurses and assistants have to as well. Don’t let the poor girls starve."

The fact that he could read his sister’s thoughts was too incredible to believe; he didn’t plan on letting anyone know.

’So that’s why,’ Claire Sheffield thought. "I’ve been thoughtless. I won’t work overtime anymore."

His expression was serious; he had clearly taken the advice to heart.

Alvin Lancaster breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’Great, this should avert the risk!’

However... his sister didn’t seem as happy as he was. In fact, she looked completely unconcerned.

If this were Luna Morgan, she would have spoken up, even at the risk of being misunderstood.

It would have only taken a single sentence, yet his sister wasn’t even willing to say it.

Jane Lancaster found it a bit strange. ’Why does this lunatic keep looking at me?’

’Then again, I finally get why Alvin Lancaster is just a simp tool. This flirty, charming act of his is just so cheap!’

Alvin Lancaster: "..."

’How am I a simp tool now?’

"Well, we won’t disturb you any further, Dr. Sheffield." Jane Lancaster stood up to leave.

Claire Sheffield glanced at his calendar. "Miss Lancaster, your recovery seems to be going well lately. In that case, I’ll see you at next month’s follow-up."

Jane Lancaster paused and turned back to look at him.

Alvin Lancaster’s heart tightened. ’Is she going to give him some kind of warning...?’

"See you next month, Dr. Sheffield." With that, Jane Lancaster was the first to walk out.

Alvin Lancaster was overcome with an indescribable disappointment. How could she say "see you next month" so calmly?

If her inner thoughts were true, Dr. Sheffield might not even have a next month.

Pauline Shaw finished her call and walked over. Seeing him looking dejected, she asked in confusion, "What’s wrong, Alvin?"

"It’s nothing." Alvin Lancaster shook his head.

"Jay, you head down first. I need to make a call." Reaching the elevator, Caleb Lowell suddenly spoke, then stepped aside.

He stopped in a quiet corridor and dialed a number.

Since the Lowell Family were shareholders in this hospital, he could naturally intervene with management and make some decisions.

He made two requests over the phone: first, to change Claire Sheffield’s shift; second, to increase security.

Simply not working overtime wasn’t a foolproof guarantee. The risk could only be completely avoided by having Claire Sheffield not work at all that day.

Jane Lancaster had surely thought of this, just as he had.

But she hadn’t mentioned it at all before she left.

Jane Lancaster walked ahead of the others, somewhat distractedly.

She didn’t look up until she heard Pauline Shaw’s voice, blinking her eyes.

Pauline Shaw: "Jay, I still have work. I can’t stay with you."

Since she’d already brought it up, she decided to make things crystal clear once and for all. It was too annoying having Mama Knight constantly dropping hints and asking if she had free time.

"I’ve taken on a project recently, so I’m afraid I’ll be very busy for a while."

Mama Knight immediately grew anxious. "What about the jewelry exhibition in a few days? Can you accompany Miss Lancaster to that?"

"...I’m afraid I won’t have time for that either," Pauline Shaw said with a polite smile.

Mama Knight wouldn’t give up. "You can’t even spare a little time...?"

"Mama Knight, if Pauline could spare the time, she would," Jane Lancaster said, stopping her from pestering Pauline.

She understood the look in Mama Knight’s eyes and couldn’t help but feel a little helpless.

’Mama Knight thinks that since Pauline Shaw could find time to visit Luna Morgan, she can definitely make time to accompany me.’

’She thought that since Pauline Shaw promised she could be reached anytime, it meant she should actually reach out, not realizing those were just polite words.’

Pauline Shaw’s head was lowered, her eyes filled with cold indifference.

Three years ago, she truly had considered Jane Lancaster the most important person in her life.

Back then, she felt that whatever Jane Lancaster did was right. She thought she was so lucky to be friends with someone like her and that she should support and trust her unconditionally.

Conversely, she had looked down on Luna Morgan, who was still a scholarship student at the time. She thought Luna was too good at currying favor and was probably hiding some ulterior motive, and she had warned Jane Lancaster to be wary.