4
The door to the office flew open. Ethan stood there, his eyes burning with disgust.
“A history? You mean your one–sided obsession with hating her and trying to ruin her life!” he spat. “Audrey, I thought you were just jealous. I never imagined you would sink this low!”
His voice was laced with venom. “Do you have any idea how serious a malpractice claim is? I can’t believe you would gamble with a patient’s life just to win some petty rivalry. You don’t deserve to be a doctor! You don’t deserve to be my wife!”
I stood frozen, a thousand tiny needles piercing my throat. It took a long moment before I could force out
the words.
“Ethan… in your heart, do you really think I’m the kind of person who would let a patient die out of spite?”
His chest heaved, his gaze dark and stormy. “What else am I supposed to think?” he shot back. “I saw them.
The bottles of liquor in our fridge at home.”
That one sentence sealed my fate.
The director handed me my termination papers on the spot. The spit and scorn of my colleagues followed
me out of the room.
I walked out of the hospital in a daze. I hadn’t ev
reached the main entrance when the patient’s family,
alerted by the news, swarmed me. A foot slammed into my stomach, sending me sprawling to the paveme-
- nt.
Carink b
“You monster! You killed my son! Who told you you surgery?!”
The woman kicked me again and again, her hands slapping my face, her rings cutting my skin.
My vision blurred. Through the haze, I saw Ethan, standing by the main desk. He gave me a single, indifferent glance before turning and stepping into the elevator.
Security finally intervened, but it was too late. My wrist was badly injured. It wasn’t completely ruined, but the delicate nerves were damaged. I would never be able to perform high–precision surgery again.
With a ruined reputation and a black mark on my record, every professional door in the city was closed to me. Hounded by the family, I had no choice but to buy a one–way ticket out of the country.
Just before I boarded the plane, a series of texts from Ethan lit up my phone.
What does the ring in the drawer mean? Are you still pouting?
I wasn’t siding against you. I just wanted you to learn your lesson and reflect on your actions.
Go find a job at another hospital. Be a good doctor. Stop causing trouble.
3/11
2013
Chapter 2
20:33
The memory faded, and I was back in the rose–filled room. I looked at Mr. Grant, my voice firm and clear.
“Please, don’t bother me again. I have nothing to do with Ethan, or with the Grant family.”
He acted as if he hadn’t heard me. “Ethan’s surgery just finished. He’s on his way here now,” he continued, a proud gleam in his eye. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. After you left, he was transferred to Johns Hopkins. He’s the youngest department head there now, makes over a million a year.”
He leaned in, his voice dropping. “You’ll never find another man as good as him, Audrey.”
At that, I couldn’t help but laugh. A real, genuine laugh. I held up my left hand, letting the diamond on my ring finger catch the light.
“I forgot to mention,” I said, my voice bright and cheerful. “I’m married.”
