~ Seattle ~

May 13, 2019

9:38 AM

"Our system detected a collision…", the robotic female voice filled up the interior of the Porsche Panamera. "Stay calm and don't panic. 911 is called. Help is on the way… Our system detected a collision. Stay calm and…"

Maximilian (aka Max) grunted and pressed a button in front of the steering wheel to get that voice to shut up.

Now the only sound he can hear is from the persistent rain which is slamming on the car. But Max can ignore that. He is Seattleite, and rain is something he is used to.

He checked himself… his hands are shaky, and he has a splitting headache.

What happened?

Yeah, a car came behind a curve and it was going in his lane… he swerved and ended up in a ditch. Max scowled. That other car didn't even stop to check on him.

But he can't deny that he was speeding. He does that when he is upset and needs to steam out. Why was he upset? Ah, yes… he remembers. This Monday morning started by his father lecturing him (again) how he needs to stop partying, and settle down, and buckle up, and get his own family, take over CEO position from his father in their company, and… blah, blah, blah.

"You are 31 years old! How long do you plan to play around?! Do you want to be my assistant forever?!", Max can still hear his father shouting at him.

Who cares about all those serious things?

Many years ago, Max figured it all out. Life is too short to be spent on non-fun things. He was serious about everything, excelling in sports and school and anything else he touched… and what did that get him? Heartbreak and ridicule by… everyone! Not anymore. That old boring Max is gone. This current Max knows that as long as he is having fun, he is doing the right thing.

He checked the time. How long does it take for the ambulance to arrive? His head is killing him…

…

Nearby, a few minutes ago…

Elizabeth (aka Liz) is in the cab, heading for a job interview at Franciscan Medical Center.

She is looking through the window. Ugh, rain. She is in Seattle for five days now and the rain is not stopping! As a New Yorker, born and raised, this is too much rain. And she heard that it can go on for months! If she knew that Seattle is this wet, she would pick Los Angeles.

Why is she here?

Oh, yes… Liz's father is the chairman of Williams Medical corp. which consists of three large hospitals and numerous smaller medical facilities that cover specialized treatments, urgent care, and research in various areas of medicine.

Liz graduated as a Valedictorian and at the age of 26 earned herself a degree in neurosurgery.

She was ecstatic to start working next to her father who is a renowned surgeon. Liz's enthusiasm dampened only a few weeks after she started working, when she overheard a number of doctors, and nurses gossip about how she would not get what she has if Isaac Williams, MD is not her father. After that incident, her happy-veil fell, and she noticed strange looks, smirks, and condescending tones her older coworkers are giving her.

Eventually, she got sick of it. Those people will not acknowledge her until she proves herself, but no matter what she does, they always pin her achievements to the glory that comes by having a famous father. Liz decided: she will go to the West coast and prove herself.

Her father was not happy about that. After his wife passed away, more than ten years ago, he only has Liz. But as any doting father, he relented.

"You have one year to make a name for yourself. If you don't succeed, you will come back and work here, no matter what others say.", Isaac was firm on this.

Liz accepted. "What happens if I succeed?"

"Then... you will get a chance to decide what you want to do and I will support you fully.", he reluctantly said.

They agreed that success is proven if she gets an invitation to the next Symposium of Neurosurgeons which will be held in June 2020 in Las Vegas. And she needs to be invited as a speaker.

That is a tough challenge, but she would not anticipate anything less from her father. He always set a high bar for her, and she always exceeded his expectations.

Back to the present…

"Stop the car!", Liz exclaimed when she noticed a metallic Porsche in the ditch on the side of the road.

Despite this heavy rain, she can see that the car is damaged, and the driver is inside. He might be hurt!

The cab stopped and Liz dashed out while using her Chanel leather bag to protect her head from the downpour.

Liz can see that the driver is moving. She knocked on his window and Max lowered it a bit.

"Are you hurt?", she asked, ignoring Max's frown. Liz assumed that it's because of the rain that is coming inside the car.

Max grunted and raised the window back up.

Liz inhaled sharply. "How rude!"

She was confident that he is fine if he can be so… uncultured. She came to help out and he just brushed her away. Hmph! Why did she even bother?

Liz turned toward her cab just to realize in horror that the blasted yellow vehicle is gone! He just left her! Is it because she is drenched? Now what?

She looked back at the silver Porsche and knocked a few times on the driver's window, but he ignored her. Liz decided to try the other side. She knows that this is the latest Porsche model, and with any luck, it will have installed the safety feature which automatically unlocks the car when it's in an accident.

Max watched Liz walk in front of the car. She lost her balance and slammed her hand on the hood of the car to support herself. Max frowned. When is this woman going to leave him alone? Where did she come from? He had a fight with his father, and totaled the car, and he has a splitting headache… why is she not going away? What is she doing?

His frown deepened when he saw her enter the car from the passenger's side.

"Ah, this is better!", Liz said while shaking her now drenched hair. At least she is out of the rain. She decided to call for another cab. But how does she explain where the cab to come? Where is this? Looks like some neighborhood park on her right. Shit! At this rate, she will be late for her job interview!

"You are getting my car wet.", Max grunted.

Liz turned toward him and grimaced. "Really? You totaled your car and you are worried about a few drops of water?"

"Get out of my car!", Max roared.

Liz narrowed her eyes at him. "What kind of a man are you to chase away a helpless woman out in this rain?"

Max was outraged. "What kind of a woman are you to just enter into a man's car?"

Liz was not sure how to answer this. To her relief, she saw that the ambulance arrived.

Max lowered his window for the paramedic.

"Sir, do you need medical assistance?", the man asked.

"Yes, I am hurt.", Max responded pitifully. His head is aching, and he suffered the stress of an accident and one outrageous woman.

The paramedic looked at Liz, but Max blocked him. "She is perfectly fine."

Liz rolled her eyes.

"Sir, can you walk? We should take you to the hospital.", the man spoke to Max while helping him get out of the car.

Liz's sight landed on the ambulance. It has the FMC logo on it!

"Excuse me…", she asked the paramedic. "To what hospital are you taking him?"

"Franciscan Medical Center.", the man responded.

Liz's face lit up. She will not be late for the interview!

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.