A moment later, a nurse came in.
She put a hand to her chest, still catching her breath. “I’ve worked here for years, but I’ve
never seen Dr. Smith get physical with anyone before. He hit Dr. Harris so hard he couldn’t even stand up!”
I snapped out of my daze and stared at her in shock.
The nurse smiled shyly, then seemed to remember something. “You probably don’t know this, but on the day of your surgery, Dr. Smith was actually on vacation. When he got the call from the chief, he came straight to the hospital without hesitation. He looked so grim when he entered the operating room.”
She studied me curiously. “Do you know Dr. Smith from somewhere?”
I was at a loss for words.
Just then, the door to my hospital room opened.
Charles walked in with a stern expression.
The nurse took the hint and left. Charles sat down beside my bed and loosened his tie with a frown. “Madison just told me you’re planning to divorce him?”
I nodded silently.
The tense atmosphere around Charles eased slightly. “Finally making a smart decision,” he
muttered, almost to himself.
When I remained quiet, Charles reached into his white coat pocket and pulled out a piece of candy, holding it out to me.
“Here. You used to say candy always made you feel better.”
I stared at the candy in Charles‘ palm, feeling tears in my eyes.
But before I could say anything, Charles stood up and walked away.
Childhood memories came flooding back.
Back then, Charles and I were neighbors. Whenever he felt down, I would give him a piece of carefully saved candy. “Here,” I would tell him, “have this. Sweet things always make you feel better!”
But after he started dating Madison, everything changed.
Whenever he saw me buy candy, he would look at me with disdain.
“Aren’t you too old to be eating candy? How childish,” he would say.
Yet later, I kept seeing Madison’s social media posts about all the candies she had so much trouble buying for Sally.
I saw Sally’s announcement to everyone: [Best junior in the world!]
I couldn’t help myself. I took a photo of the candy lying in my palm and posted it online.
Madison replied instantly: [Some random guy bought that for you, didn’t he?]
I took a deep breath and put my phone back on the nightstand.
I wouldn’t respond to him anymore.
I closed my eyes and rested for less than half an hour when my phone rang.
It was Madison calling.
I silenced my phone ar
13 Feb
༥ 3 97%–
I silenced my phone and ignored it, but he kept calling. After at least a dozen calls, he started bombarding me with text messages.
Unfortunately, I was being wheeled away for a checkup by the nurse and was utterly
unaware of all this.
After the checkup, the nurse wheeled me back to my room, with Charles carefully explaining my condition.
However, as soon as we arrived at the door of my room, Madison, who had just been kicked out not long ago, showed up again.
The moment he saw me, he stormed over, furious.
Madison shoved the nurse aside and glared at me.
“Well, well, well, Bella. Now I know why you suddenly went crazy and wanted a divorce. You’ve found yourself a new man! I almost forgot, Charles is your childhood sweetheart that you’ve been obsessed with all these years! A married woman, canoodling with another man in public, have you no shame!”
I looked at Madison; he was like a stranger to me.
I had wanted to save face for him and Sally, but now it seemed they didn’t need it.
I walked towards my room without saying a word. Madison wanted to continue his
harassment, but Charles stopped him.
I grabbed my phone and returned to the doorway of my room.
In full view of the patients and their families coming and going, I clicked on that disgusting
video.
In an instant, two naked bodies appeared on the screen, tangled together.
Their disgusting moans echoed through the hallway.
I looked at Madison, who was nearly going insane with rage and raised my voice.
“Everyone can see now who the real shameless one is.”
Madison roared and lunged forward, trying to grab my phone.
I gave a cold laugh. “You had sex with Sally in my house, in my bed, and then you tried to
blame me? Well, why don’t we let everyone enjoy this little performance of yours?”
“Bella! You’re going too far!” Madison bellowed.
They had hurt me again and again, even almost taking my life. And now they had the nerve to say I was going too far? How ridiculous.
“Either we get divorced, or I’ll play this video in court.”
Madison stared at me in disbelief. “Bella, what happened to you? You’ve become so vicious!”
Anyone would become “vicious” after nearly being killed by the person they loved most.
Standing amid the murmuring crowd, I forced myself to stay upright and look him straight.
“Let’s get divorced, Madison. We both know Sally’s the one you’ve always loved.”
Madison, cursing at me seconds ago, suddenly reached for my hand.
Thankfully, Charles was quick to react, swatting Madison’s hand away.
Madison shot Charles a hateful glare before turning back to me with an exaggerated look of
08:21 Thu, 13 Feb
༨ 97%[
In the noisy hospital corridor, Madison gazed at me with what seemed like endless love.
“Please don’t divorce me, Bella. I admit I made a terrible mistake, but you’re the only one I’ve
ever truly loved. Please, don’t leave me.”
His eyes held such intensity, like on our wedding day when he’d tearfully vowed to spend the
rest of his life with me.
I remember those early years when he was establishing himself at the hospital. He barely
slept four or five hours a night, let alone had time for me or his parents.
To help him focus on his career, I’d quit my high–paying job without hesitation to take care of
his parents full–time.
But now…
I noticed the fresh hickey on his collarbone.
I let out a bitter laugh. Those sweet memories of our happiness now made me sick to my
stomach.
“Stop lying to yourself, Madison. You never loved me, maybe not even from the start. The
divorce papers are ready. Either you sign them, or I’ll file with the court. Your choice.”
As I finished speaking, I spotted Sally hovering behind Madison.
She put on an act like she was about to die of shame, sobbing theatrically towards Madison.
“I’m so sorry, Madison,” she wailed, tears streaming down her face. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t
have let myself fall for you, shouldn’t have let myself get so close. I never meant to hurt your
family.”
Then, she turned to me, her face a mask of sorrow. “I’m so sorry, Bella. I never meant to break
up your marriage, never meant to hurt you. I’m so sorry. I’ll leave Madison, I’ll get out of your lives,
and I’ll never appear in front of him again.”
With that, Sally covered her face and turned to leave.
“Sally!”
Madison, wholly taken in by her performance, grabbed her arm and pulled her into an
embrace right there in front of everyone.
His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me and said, each word dripping with anger, “Fine!
We’re getting a divorce!”
Madison hastily signed the divorce papers, but he didn’t see the triumphant, venomous look
Sally shot me as he signed.
Once he was done, Madison and Sally walked away, hand in hand.
Watching their retreating figures, I felt a surge of… relief. Maybe before the surgery, I would
have been heartbroken, devastated even. But now, all I felt was an overwhelming sense of
liberation.
Finally, finally, I was free of this je*k.
Suddenly, a large hand waved in front of my face, followed by Charles‘ disgruntled voice
“Still watching? Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts about this loser.”
I stared at him momentarily, watching his expression grow increasingly uncomfortable,
before bursting into laughter Playfully flicked him on the forehead like Lused to when we were
08:21 Thu, 13 Feb
“Second thoughts? I’m overjoyed, why would I regret it? Charlie, cut the crap!”
Whenever he pissed me off as a kid, I’d call him that on purpose.
“You…”
Called out by his nickname, Charles glared at me, his cheeks flushed, while the nurse
struggled to stifle a laugh. He turned and left without another word.
I yawned, exhausted from the past few days. Finally, I could get a decent night’s sleep.
The next day, I saw two new posts on Sally’s Instagram.
[Waited so long for you!]
[Congrats to myself! My newly developed miracle drug is finally going into production!]
She seemed to have it all. Love and career success served on a silver platter.
But seriously? The love life I could stomach, but her career achievements? Please.
97%
During Charles‘ rounds, I asked him about the proper channels for reporting academic fraud.
He immediately caught on to who I was planning to report.
“You want to report Sally?”
He was still as sharp as ever, just as we were kids. It took all the fun out of it.
I frowned. “What? Is there a problem?”
Charles shrugged. “Nah, it’s your right to report whoever you want.”
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
As he finished his routine rounds before leaving, Charles added, “If you need any help, just let
me know.”
I carefully memorized the reporting procedure he’d explained and thanked him.
“Right, thanks.”
I didn’t see Madison again until the day after the cooling–off period had passed when I was
at the Courthouse.
And, of course, Sally was there with him, decked out in designer clothes and carrying a luxury
handbag.
Oh, and they were even wearing matching outfits.
How nauseating.
After getting the divorce certificate, we walked outside.
Sally hung onto Madison’s arm, brazenly resting her head on his shoulder.
“Bella, why do you still look so pale? Is it because you haven’t recovered, or are you missing Madison again?”
- me.
Under the sunlight, the necklace on her neck caught my eye with a flash.
I looked closer and found out that it was mine!
Without warning, I reached out and yanked the necklace off Sally’s neck.
Sure enough, my initials were engraved on the pendant, which was Madison’s birthday
A few months ago, this necklace had suddenly disappeared. I remember how Madison had
blown up at me then, saying I was careless my whole life, losing such an expensive necklace just
08:22 Thu, 13 Feb
like that.
