RABBIT PEEKING THROUGH THE BUSH

In addition to the luxurious desk where the director usually worked, there was also a sofa set that was much more luxurious than the one she had in her apartment.

'How can I compare my old couch to this one made of crocodile skin? But seriously, do I have to sit on this couch? I feel sorry for the crocodile,' cried Lycia to herself thinking that she was sitting on a poor crocodile.

The sofa was indeed made of crocodile skin, and that was why Lycia tried to put more weight on her legs because she didn't want to put too much pressure on the sofa.

She looked like she was sitting down, but actually, she was trying hard not to press her butt on the sofa made of crocodile skin. She felt sorry for the animals that were killed and skinned to make this sofa, but she also didn't want to appear impolite in front of her boss.

"Do you know why I called you to my office today, Dr. Henderson?" The director questioned her before putting the cup back on the coffee table.

Lycia didn't know the director well, but she knew that the director was a man in his 60s. He was no longer young, and that was why his hair had turned gray, and the wrinkles had replaced the firmness on the man's face.

His name was Marlon Petersmith, and when Lycia saw his signature on documents at the hospital, she always thought that it resembled a bush with a rabbit's head peeking through it.

It was a ridiculous imagination running through her head, but in her eyes, the way the director wrote the letter 'M' in his name was like drawing a rabbit, while the rest of his name on the signature was like a bush. It was completely unreadable.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Petersmith. The person who called me earlier didn't tell me the reason why you wanted to see me today, so I don't know what you want to talk about with me, sir."

Lycia might be nervous, but she was still able to answer the director's questions without stuttering.

Since college, the lecturers there often praised her public speaking skills. Her appearance wasn't too fierce, and she was also nervous at times, but she always had the confidence to speak in public, like she was a true leader.

So, although she could be timid when she faced her parents, she never embarrassed herself in front of outsiders like the hospital director.

The director seemed amazed by her calm demeanor when she answered his question, and he smirked before saying, "You don't have to work in this hospital from tomorrow, Dr. Henderson."

And the calm expression on Lycia's face disappeared the moment she heard the director speak. "Pardon?" She asked in disbelief. "I don't have to work in this hospital anymore, sir? Did you just fire me? But what mistake did I make to make you decide to fire me, sir?"

Even if Lycia had thought about the possible mistakes she might have made that caused her to be fired, she still couldn't figure it out.

She always arrived at the hospital on time, and sometimes she even worked overtime if her seniors asked her to. She had never done anything wrong while treating her patients, and she believed that she didn't deserve to be fired from the hospital.

Lycia frowned when she couldn't accept the director's decision, but to her surprise, the director suddenly laughed in amusement.

"Who said I would fire you?" The man asked arrogantly. "I'm just saying that you don't have to work in this hospital anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm going to fire you, Dr. Henderson."

"..." Now, Lycia couldn't directly rebuke because the director was right.

The director simply said that she didn't need to work in the hospital anymore, but he didn't mention the word 'fire' at all. Only she assumed that the director would fire her.

"My apologies, Mr. Petersmith," the young doctor sheepishly apologized after realizing her mistake.

Smiling at her once again, the director replied, "You are a good doctor, and other doctors often praise you for your skills and attitude. I wouldn't want to let you go from this hospital if those powerful people didn't ask me to let you work for them."

The director suddenly said something incomprehensible, and Lycia frowned as she asked, "What do you mean, sir? You said that you weren't going to fire me, but you were going to let me work for someone else?"

It was indeed strange for Lycia, and that was why she had a bewildered expression on her pretty face.

"It's a bit complicated, but actually, it's simple, Dr. Henderson," the director spoke again, looking intently into her hazel eyes. "Those people want you to work with them for three months, but you will remain an employee at this hospital. And after three months, you will also return to work at this hospital. Let's say those people have offered us an exclusive contract, Dr. Henderson."

Instead of using 'you,' the director chose to use 'us' when he explained the situation to Lycia. The female doctor was smart, and she could see the meaning behind the choice of words.

"So, this so-called exclusive contract also benefits you and this hospital, sir?" She immediately questioned the director.

The director showed a satisfied smile upon hearing the question. "You do deserve the title of genius, Dr. Henderson," he replied while smiling proudly. "Every small company in this city has a dream for The Clayton Group to invest in their business, and of course, I wouldn't say no when they said they would invest in this hospital."

Lycia had guessed accurately, but she didn't have time to feel proud of herself when she managed to detect a suspicious word in the director's sentence. "Clayton? You mean this so-called exclusive contract relates to Davel Clayton, sir?"