The Amazing Doctor Irvington

Chapter Two

"Lucy?" Derek's voice was low and quivering as he walked inside the room. 

Immediately, Lucy heard him, she quickly turned to look at him.

It was strange, Derek wasn't supposed to be out by now. Her eyes squinted further, and when she realized it was him, a scornful laugh escaped her lips.

"It's really you. What are you doing here?" She sat on the bed, latching on the man's arms as she smiled at Derek.

Derek could swear his eyes stretched deceiving him. She was smiling, as though there was nothing wrong, as if, he was nothing.

He could feel the vibration of shock, flowing through his veins and his knees, struggling to keep him on his feet.

Derek was surprised that Lucy made no effort to cover herself up. And her gaze towards him was filled with nothing but contempt.

"I thought it weren't time yet..." Lucy turned to the man on the bed and asked, "Easton, wasn't he supposed to be in jail for ten years?"

Easton laughed and said, "I don't know, and I don't care. Do you care?" Easton raised his brows, and an evil laughter erupted from Lucy's lips-

"As if..." She responded.

Derek's brows raised as his gaze wavered between them,but before he could utter a word, Lucy grabbed her luxurious lingerie as she got off the bed.

"Derek…” Lucy’s voice was cold, devoid of the warmth he had imagined. “I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.” There was no fear, no guilt, only an icy indifference in her tone.

Derek couldn't believe his eyes, so he took a step closer to her as he asked, “I thought you would wait for me. I thought you loved me.” His voice broke at the last word, the pain in his chest unbearable.

Lucy scoffed, her lips curling in disdain. “Wait for you? What for? You have nothing to offer me, Derek. Five years in prison and you still come out with nothing.”

His heart sank as he stared at the woman he had once adored. “Lucy… we promised each other…” His voice softened, filled with disbelief. “I was wrongfully imprisoned. I would’ve come back for you.”

“Promises?” Lucy laughed bitterly. “You think promises can buy me the life I want? The luxury? The comfort? You were always poor, Derek. You couldn’t give me what I needed.”

Derek’s face hardened. "So you traded me for this? For Easton Lough? Of all people, you chose this moron?"

"Well that moron is worth millions of dollars, while you..." Lucy scoffed, "You are nothing but a riffraff."

Derek couldn't believe his ears, but before he could utter a word, Easton, lounging in the bed as if this confrontation was nothing more than entertainment interrupted-

 “Let’s not make this dramatic, Derek. Lucy’s been mine for years. She chose me because I’m better for her. You? You’re just... well, a footnote in her story now.”

The smugness in Easton’s voice set Derek’s blood boiling. His body trembled with fury, and before he could think, his hand flew across Easton’s face.

 The force of the slap sent Easton reeling, blood splattering across the white bedsheets as a tooth flew out. He groaned, clutching his face.

“You piece of—” Easton tried to struggle but Derek pushed him on the ground again.

"Derek!" Lucy screamed as she pushed Derek away from Easton. She quickly grabbed a small towel and placed it to stop Easton's bleeding.

 Tears trickled down Derek's face as he stared at them. Never in his wildest dream would he have thought he would witness Lucy's betrayal.

“Leave him alone!” Lucy screamed, glaring at Derek with venom. “You don’t belong here anymore. This house is his now. I’m his now!"

Derek stared at her in disbelief, every word hitting him like a dagger. “This house… this was our home,” he whispered. “I built this for us.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Easton bought it from the settlement. It belongs to him now. If you want it back, maybe he’ll sell it to you… but we both know you can’t afford it, Derek. You’re just a poor ex-convict now.”

Her words cut deeper than he could have ever imagined. The cruelty, the disdain in her voice—it was as if the last five years had erased everything they had once meant to each other.

 Derek stepped back, shaking his head. “You’ll regret this, Lucy. One day, you’ll regret choosing him over me.”

Lucy snorted. “I doubt it."

Without another word, Derek stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. His chest heaved with a mixture of rage and heartbreak as he stepped out into the cold evening air. 

The world outside felt different now, colder, crueler. The image of Lucy’s mocking face haunted him, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the bitterness gnawing at his heart.

He grabbed the phone Collin had given to him, about to dial the number, but he scoffed and placed the phone back in his pocket.

As he was about to dial Collin number he paused suddenly, as if forgetting something. 

"My parents!"

Derek's bite his lips so much that it bleed. He was trembling just by the thought of where his parents could be.

He had imagined that during his imprisonment, Lucy and her family might have taken care of them. 

But he was wrong. 

Without another doubt, the only place he remembered his parents would be was their old home.

Derek hailed a van i***a and hurried there.

When the cab stopped, the house came into view, and his heart sank at the sight. The once well-kept cottage had fallen into disrepair.

 The roof sagged, the windows were covered in grime, and the garden, once his mother’s pride, was now overgrown with weeds. How had things gotten this bad?

As Derek stood at the edge of the property, a delivery bike pulled up. 

A woman handed an envelope to an elderly figure standing at the door—his mother, Judith. She looked frail, her hands trembling as she collected the package.

She then turned to go back inside, and Derek felt his heart squeeze painfully.

He approached slowly, his footsteps hesitant. “Mom?”

Judith froze at the sound of his voice. She immediately spun around, her eyes wide with disbelief, and for a moment, neither of them moved. Then, with a sob, she rushed toward him, her arms outstretched.

"Derek!” Her voice broke as she threw her arms around him, holding him tight. "Derek, you’re home.”

Derek felt the muscles of his heart tightened as he hugged her back, tears filling his eyes. “I’m home, Mom. I’m finally home.”

Judith pulled back, her hands cupping his face as she studied him, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

“I prayed for this day, every day. They told me… they told me you wouldn’t come back.”

Derek’s throat tightened as he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry.”

Derek whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. 

“I didn’t know... I didn’t know things would get this bad. I should’ve been here. I should’ve protected you and Dad.”

Judith's lips widened a bit as she pulled back slightly, her tired eyes met Derek. 

Though the lines on her face revealed the countless nights she had spent worrying and the days of struggle that had worn her down. 

“Derek, don’t apologize. You were taken from us. None of this is your fault. Your father and I, we survived. It wasn’t easy, but we did what we had to. And now, you’re home. That’s all that matters. You’re home, and we can start over.”

Her words brought some comfort, but Derek’s heart still ached. 

Before Derek could respond, 

The sound of a bike bursting into the yard caused his heart to almost lunge out of his chest.

There were about four bikes and eight hefty men in total. One the men removed his helmet, revealing the scar on his face.

He looked like a thug.

“Oi! Old lady, where’s my money?”

The others removed their helmet revealing their rough appearance. 

The thugs flanked him, their eyes scanning the property with greedy intent.

Instantly, Judith fell to her knees as she pleaded-

"I will bring it over tomorrow, just leave for tonight I beg you."