“CAN’T YOU BE MORE GENTLE!?” I heard a distressed scream from inside my office, causing me to poke my head out, and was greeted by so much profanity that I thought my ears would bleed. I followed the sounds and realized that Mr. Galloway was the source of the commotion, and he was screaming at the phlebotomist, who looked like she was about to keel over in fear.
“What is the meaning of this!?” I hollered at the scene before me.
“Doc! You said I would be in good hands with this person!” he shouted at me and pointed at Hayley with disdain.
“Mr. Galloway, please keep your voice down. This is a doctor’s office, and we have other patients here!” I chastised him. I swear, it’s like dealing with a child, I huffed to myself.
“Are you telling me what to do!?” he reacted angrily.
“Yes, I am! This is my clinic! And I do not appreciate you screaming profanities at my staff. Even young children are capable of better behavior than yours right now. I understand getting pricked by a needle isn’t pleasant, but neither is getting screamed at by a patient while in the middle of injecting said needle! Perhaps it wouldn’t be as painful if you were calm and more patient with Hayley.”
“There, done,” Hayley chimed in.
“Huh?” Mr. Galloway turned and looked at her as she released the tourniquet and pulled the needle out of his arm. She quickly placed the gauze over the injection site and wrapped it with blue tape.
“See. Not so bad now, was it?” I asked him.
“I … When … How?” he babbled like a toddler.
“Being distracted usually helps,” I explained to him. “Mr. Galloway, I hope this is the first and last time you cause a scene in my clinic, let alone scream at my staff. Patient satisfaction is the lifeblood of our clinic, but in this line of business, the patient is NOT always right. My staff is not only responsible for maintaining the safety of patients but their own as well, and a flustered patient is an accident waiting to happen. Making a fuss while a needle is inserted into your vein can be very dangerous, and flinching alone could cause major damage to you. I suggest you find a healthier coping mechanism or look away while thinking of something else while your blood is being drawn. Screaming and crying like a temper tantrum-throwing child is inappropriate in a medical setting,” I warned him as I mentally drew comparisons between him and his petulant daughter.
“If this happens again, I will have no choice but to dismiss you as my patient as I do not have the patience to deal with such ignorance and disrespect. My staff comes first above all else because it’s a team effort to keep this place up and running. Patients will always come and go, but my staff is my family, and I protect my family.” Mr. Galloway gaped at me as if he had never been scolded in his life. Though I one hundred percent expected him to complain and argue back, to my surprise, he only dropped his head and nodded.
“You’re right, Doctor.”
“Come again?” I replied before I could stop the words from tumbling out of my mouth.
“I said, you’re right. I apologize for my outburst. I told you I’m not the biggest fan of needles, and I guess I let fear get the best of me and took it out on your person here,” he said and gestured to Hayley, who was still sitting idly next to him.
“I’m not the one you should be saying this to, sir. Haley was the one you offended and deserved the apology,” I reminded Mr. Galloway. He faced Hayley and quickly apologized before gathering his belongings to leave. He stopped mid-step and turned to face me. “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
“Actually, I wanted to do something to make up for what just happened. My wife and I are throwing a small dinner party at our home to celebrate our daughter’s 22nd birthday. She’s also a patient here, and it would be an honor if you and her doctor came as our distinguished guests.”
“Pardon me? I must have misheard you.” I did what I could to stall as I tried to wrap my head around what he had just said. Did he actually invite me and Kenzie to his house? I suppose it wasn’t that outlandish, since he had no idea about our connection to Sadie or the mutual hatred between both parties. I thanked my lucky stars for presenting me with an ideal opportunity to expose her effectively. What better way to ruin her than on her birthday? And the kicker? Her father was the one who had extended the olive branch, unknowingly inviting the lionesses into a hyena’s den.
“Just think of it as my way of saying sorry and meaning it. It’s not every day I’m scolded by someone as wise as you. Unless you count my wife.” I stared blankly at him, trying to determine if he was pulling my leg, and to my surprise, he wasn’t.
“Um, I guess that wouldn’t be a problem,” I responded.
“Wonderful! You two may also bring your spouses. I would love to meet the man married to a woman like yourself!” he beamed. Oh, this is going to be fucking glorious!
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to let him know,” I replied with a half-hearted smile. By the time he left the clinic after sharing the party details and his address with me, it was closing hours, and I ran to Kenzie’s office with such haste that I nearly missed the door and had to grab onto the frame so I didn’t slide past it.
“Whoa, where’s the fire?” Kenzie asked when she saw me with a megawatt smile. I rattled off the quickest explanation about how Mr. Galloway had given me all I could ask for and more by upping the ante on the punishment I had in store for Jeff and Sadie. Kenzie’s eyes lit up like a kid inside a candy store as she squealed with delight at realizing that she and Hunter would have front-row seats to the show. I called Leon while Kenzie excitedly told Hunter the story over the phone, and they were both in stitches at the sudden turn of events that conveniently fell into our laps. Unfortunately, because of his past with Galloways, Leon obviously wouldn’t be able to witness the show himself, but I promised him that I would give him the play-by-play when it happened.
But before I could amuse myself by humiliating those two-timing scumbags, we had unfinished business with Judge Malloy to attend to. After that, I would indulge Jeff and play his dirty little games. Lately, Jeff has been trying to get back into my good graces by texting and leaving messages about how sorry he was for slapping me, going on and on about wanting to make it up to me, but I haven’t given him the time of day. Come hell or high water, this party for his mistress would be the most gratifying way to oust him to the public while destroying any fantasies of me forgiving him.
Leon did mention this small dinner party would be anything but; Sadie was an only child, and her parents always went over the top for her. What was described as a small dinner would end up as a massive event where the Galloways invited some of the most prominent people in New York. Politicians and businessmen of every caliber would be invited, which only made my plans for vengeance with this particular audience all the more enticing. Don’t be surprised if the Galloways reached out to the D.A.’s office, so Jeff may have had an invitation extended to him without them knowing who he was. Rather than accompany him, why not just coincidentally meet him there? I recalled Leon’s suggestion over the phone when I had told him I wanted to enjoy myself while fucking with Jeff’s head. Leon’s idea made more sense because showing up out of the blue at his mistress’ house would definitely scare the wits out of Jeff.