Rayleigh was talking with the other colleagues when Lauren strode over to where Isabelle was standing, a frown etched on her face.
"Hey," she said brusquely, forgoing any pleasantries. It was clear she had no intention of greeting the younger woman politely.
Isabelle looked up, her professional demeanor still firmly in place. "Yes, what can I help you with?" she responded, her tone even and her smile polite.
Lauren's eyes narrowed as she regarded Isabelle. "You're a gold digger, aren't you?" she accused, her voice dripping with jealousy. "I bet you're cheating on her."
Isabelle's expression remained calm, though a glint of irritation flickered in her eyes. "Mind your words, Miss Lauren," she said, reading the name tag pinned to Lauren's blouse. She knew exactly who Lauren was in relation to Rayleigh, but she decided to play along.
"You're not fit to be with Rayleigh!" Lauren spat, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.
Isabelle raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Oh, says who?" she replied evenly. Her tone seemed to be filled with silent confidence, which made Lauren even more angry.
"I did!" Lauren practically shouted, drawing the attention of several nearby colleagues.
Isabelle's lips curled into a slight smile. "Well, Miss Thompson, but Rayleigh herself said I'm perfect for her," she said, her voice calm and measured. "I'm young, hot, and beautiful; I come from a decent household, and I don't have any difficulty with finances. I'm also quite skilled in bed, if I may say so myself." She paused, her gaze unwavering, as she met Lauren's furious stare. "And I can assure you, I'm certainly not cheating on her, especially not with her brother."
The other doctors who had gathered around, including Thomas, who just happened to be nearby, murmured their disapproval at Lauren's outburst. Isabelle's words were blunt, but they were also undeniably true, and the others could not help but admire her confidence and poise in the face of Lauren's accusations.
"How dare you?" Lauren was about to throw a slap at Isabelle's face, but Rayleigh quickly moved in front of them, allowing Lauren's hand to make contact with her own cheek instead.
"Baby!" Isabelle cried out in concern as she saw Rayleigh's cheek turn red from the impact. She quickly reached out to her, her eyes filled with worry.
"I don't want to hurt my precious hand to stop her hand," Rayleigh said calmly, touching her reddened cheek. "I'm okay," she assured, pulling Isabelle close and shielding her from Lauren's reckless actions.
Thomas, who had been standing nearby, quickly moved to hold Lauren back. "Laur, that's too much," he said, his voice firm yet concerned.
"Why are you protecting her? She's cheating on you! She's not fit to be with you!" Lauren screamed, her face contorting with rage as she glared at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed, and her voice took on a sharp edge. "Doctor Thompson, are you crazy? Who are you to judge whether or not she is cheating on me? How is she going to cheat on me when all she does is talk to me on the phone?" she said.
Lauren's expression faltered, confusion evident on her face. "What do you mean?" Her anger temporarily gave way to confusion.
"If she's not sleeping or working her duty as a stewardess, she's on the phone with me. Even when I'm in surgery, she's right there in my ears," Rayleigh explained, her gaze filled with a deep, unwavering love as she looked at Isabelle. "I hear her soft snore, her breathing, and her sweet, addictive laugh in my ears most of the time."
Lauren's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find a response to Rayleigh's words. "She's definitely a gold digger! She just wants to be with you because of your money." Isabelle rolled her eyes when she heard that.
"Gold digger? Oh, how I wish that's true," Rayleigh continued, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I gave her one of my black cards, and she didn't spend anything on it except the occasional Wi-Fi charges on the plane to talk to me."
Isabelle looked up at Rayleigh, a soft smile on her face. "Told you I don't have any difficulty with finances," she murmured, tenderly touching Rayleigh's cheek.
"You gave her your black card?" Lauren couldn't believe what she heard. "But you said you'd never let anyone use you that way!"
Rayleigh's expression hardened. "Oh, that's after you recklessly spent almost a hundred thousand dollars on my card when we were dating," she stated firmly.
Lauren's face flushed with shame. "You didn't tell me I wasn't supposed to spend on your card!" she tried to reason.
"I didn't tell her either," Rayleigh said, pressing a gentle kiss to Isabelle's cheek. "She chose not to, and that's what we call self-awareness."
"You're saying I don't have self-awareness?" Lauren yelled, her voice rising in pitch as Thomas tried to hold her back, urging her to stop before further humiliating herself.
"You're a good doctor, but you lack self-awareness. And somehow, you also seem to be lacking in dignity," Rayleigh said, her words cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Laur, stop! You're going to humiliate yourself. Let's go!" Thomas warned Lauren, dragging her away.
Rayleigh said to Lauren, her expression hardening. "Lauren Thompson, I'll be putting a restraining order on you, for both me and my fiancée."
"Fiancée?! Fuck off! I'm the only one fit for you! We're good together!" Lauren screamed; her desperation is clearly evident.
"I tolerated you, but we're not a good fit. And I'll never go back to someone who cheated on me with my own brother," Rayleigh said, her voice dripping with finality. She then turned to Isabelle, her expression softening. "George, I'm done here. I'll leave everything to you."
George, who had been observing the exchange, simply smiled. "Oh, well... How am I supposed to tell this to Anthony?"
Jules came to George's side, a concerned expression on her face. "I'll tell the boss that I made a mistake by letting my crazy colleagues come to DC with us. I thought she was a good doctor for the event, but I had no idea it would turn into this drama," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
George chuckled, sipping his champagne. "She's lacking self-awareness; didn't you hear that?" he said, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Aren't you leaving too? You left a gorgeous woman in your hotel room. Why don't you go to her and take her around the town? I'll take care of everything here with the rest."
Jules' eyes widened. "Are you sure?" she asked, hesitating.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure," George reassured her. "Go, have fun. Before we have to head back to New York,
A wide smile spread across Jules' face. "Thanks, George. I owe you one."
"Just buy me a beer next time, and we'll call it even," George said, winking.
Filled with excitement, Jules quickly left the scene, no longer wanting to deal with the drama that Lauren had caused. She was eager to return to her hotel room and spend more time with Mona Bagheri, the amazing stewardess she met last night, and spend all night talking about various things.
As Jules hurried away, George turned his attention back to the rest of the group, who were still shocked by what happened between Lauren, Isabelle, and Rayleigh. He took another sip of his champagne with a smile that showed he understood and was amused.
"Well, well, well," he murmured to himself.