Bella looked into his cold eyes, feeling embarrassed. Standing so close to Dominic made her heart race. "——"

"You should know your place," Dominic said derisively, cutting her off. "To me, you're just like any other woman I've met at the club. The only difference is that I've allowed you to stay here." Her face paled as he left. She tried to suppress the overwhelming heartache. It wasn't the first time; she should have known better.

Dominic was referring to the breakfast Bella had prepared, which he saw merely as an attempt to win his favor.

She left for the hospital. Arriving, she took the elevator to the third-floor cardiac department.

"When can I get my lab results?" A crisp voice caught Bella's attention as she passed the laboratory.

Bella recognized the voice from yesterday—the woman who had cried to Dominic about an abortion.

She stopped. The woman wore a black, tight-fitting slip dress and high heels, revealing slender legs. Tall and attractive, she was strikingly made-up. Dominic clearly preferred this type of woman.

Seeing her, Bella imagined Dominic and the woman together, a feeling of discomfort fleetingly surfacing before subsiding.

The laboratory was usually on the third floor. The woman seemed to be returning for a post-abortion checkup.

Bella didn't linger, going to her office to put on her white coat. Yet, the woman's image persisted.

Somehow, she ended up in the gynecology department.

"Dr. Clarkson, the woman in the black slip dress—she had an abortion yesterday, right? How is she?"

Amelie Clarkson paused. "Oh, her I think her name is Mandy Lloyd. Yes, she had an abortion yesterday. Dressing so lightly in early spring, she should be careful not to catch a cold. But I suppose it wouldn't matter, she's young and strong. Do you know her, Dr. Jones?"

Bella shook her head awkwardly. "No, I don't. She's she's my friend's girlfriend, but we've never met."

For years, Bella struggled to define her relationship with Dominic. It was absurd and humiliating; she found it hard to even call him a friend. Suddenly, Mandy rushed in with lab results. "Dr. Clarkson, my lab results are out. Help me take a look."

Their earlier conversation ended abruptly. Feeling awkward, Bella stuffed her hands in her pockets. She felt guilty about prying and sometimes even felt crazy about Dominic.

Why did she want to know about Mandy's condition? Was it to confirm the abortion? If Mandy had kept the baby, Dominic might have married her.

Bella didn't understand her own thoughts and preferred not to dwell on them. The promotional sentence at the end has been removed because it is irrelevant to the story and inappropriate for inclusion.

"I think I've seen you somewhere," Mandy said, studying Bella.

Bella looked at Mandy calmly, searching her memory. They'd never met, except perhaps as doctor and patient. After a moment, Mandy seemed to recall something.

"Oh, I think it was at Dom…"

The passage has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and style. The promotional material was removed. Word choices were improved for clarity and flow. The narrative is now more concise and engaging.