A video of my husband's one true love and her supervisor fooling around in the operating room was leaked online.

The scandal exploded across the internet, and people online demanded that the hospital launch a full investigation.

To shield that woman, my husband, Desmond Calderon, went live and insisted that the woman in the video was me.

I instantly became the target. People online called me a shameless slut, a homewrecker, and some even hunted me down in real life to harass me.

My mother stormed into Desmond's office to confront him, but he just lashed out at her and drove her away.

To prove my innocence, she leaped from the 18th-floor rooftop of the hospital and died right in front of me.

In utter despair, I asked Desmond why he'd done this to me.

He shrugged it off with a casual indifference. "Kate's got a fragile ego—she couldn't handle the cyberbullying. But you're tough; a little storm like this won't break you."

Desmond and I had been together for seven years and married for three. I once believed we had something real.

But hearing his words, I felt every ounce of love I'd ever had for him shatter instantly.

Something in me died that day.

*****

I clutched the divorce papers tightly, my face a blank mask as I slipped them into an envelope.

Pushing open the door to Desmond Calderon's office, I found him hunched over his computer, deep in work.

The moment he saw me, a flicker of annoyance crossed his eyes. "You just won't let it go, will you? Making a big deal out of something so trivial—you still haven't learned your lesson!"

My hands curled into tight fists at my sides. I lowered my head, trying my best to control myself, and said, "This is my suspension report. It needs your signature."

He snatched the report without a glance. Just then, his phone rang.

I glanced over and caught sight of Katherine Figueroa's number flashing on the screen.

He answered eagerly, and her voice came through, thick with sobs. "Des, he's after me again! I'm so scared!"

Desmond shot up from his chair. Without even looking at the document, he scribbled his signature on it.

Then, he hurled the papers at my face, the sharp edges slicing across my cheek.

But he didn't spare me a second look—he just bolted out the door.

I crouched down, gathering the scattered sheets from the floor. As I stared at his hasty scrawl, a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Tucking the divorce agreement away, I gazed at the now-empty office and whispered, "Desmond, let's end this marriage."

Desmond and I had shared seven years of passionate love; he'd once treated me like I was the center of his universe, granting my every whim.

Everyone in St. Louis knew Desmond as a powerful, arrogant heir, yet he'd fallen head over heels for me. His favoritism made me untouchable—no one dared cross me.

The night he proposed, fireworks lit up the entire city of St. Louis for hours on end. He said he wanted the world to see how blissful we were.

He'd placed me on a pedestal until Katherine walked back into his life—then he tossed me aside without a second glance.

It was then that I realized the painful truth: he'd only fallen for me because my face bore an uncanny resemblance to Katherine's.

His devotion to me paled in comparison to his all-consuming love for Katherine.

I wanted a divorce, but he flat-out refused.

He told me our marriage would only end if I died.

Gradually, I observed that whenever Katherine was involved, Desmond would lose all sense of reason.

What kind of expression would he have when he finally saw my signed divorce papers?

A soft laugh escaped me, and tears streamed down my cheeks.

I thought to myself, "This might be for the best.

"Desmond, I hope you never come to regret this!"

I turned and headed to the office of Stephen Wilde, the head of the hospital, to bid him farewell.

"Tina, it's you!" Stephen's hair had mostly turned white—I realized how heavily my ordeal had weighed upon him, draining him with endless worry.

"Dr. Wilde, I'm here to say goodbye." I pulled out my resignation letter. "Once I leave, the internet should stop targeting the hospital."

Stephen let out a heavy sigh, his face etched with regret. "Tina, the matter hasn't been fully investigated yet. Wait a while longer; there might be a positive turn!"

I forced a wry smile, showing my frustration for the first time. "Dr. Wilde, I stand no chance against them."

Stephen was like a mentor to me; he knew the full story behind all this.

Desmond was dead set on protecting Katherine. As the heir to the Calderon Group—and with the family being the hospital's largest investor—he held unshakable influence.

Even Stephen couldn't help me.

He sighed again. "What are your plans after this?"

"I'm thinking of studying abroad."

Stephen's eyes lit up with genuine delight. Back in school, I'd been a top student, and several prestigious universities overseas had extended offers. However, I'd turned down each one of them.

"That's wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Once some time passes and people forget about this whole mess, you can always come back!"

After chatting briefly, I stood up and bowed to him. "Dr. Wilde, thank you for your guidance and support all these years."

As I stepped out of Stephen's office, a wave of relief washed over me.

Back in my own office, I packed up all my belongings.

Just then, Desmond returned, his arm wrapped protectively around Katherine, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

He frowned the second he saw me. "What are you doing here?"

Katherine suddenly wrenched free and lunged toward me, wailing hysterically. "Was it you? Did you bring him into the hospital? Des promised he would never come near me again! Why did you let him in?!"

Desmond's gaze turned icy as it fixed on me. "I thought you finally learned your place, but clearly, your mom's death didn't teach you a damn thing!

"Apologize to Kate—now!"

His words left me stunned, frozen in place.

Ever since Katherine reappeared, every mishap got pinned on me, no matter how absurd.

If she showed up late or left early, it was my fault for botching the schedule and messing with her routine.

When she accidentally prescribed double the dose of blood pressure medication, and the patient complained, she claimed that I wrote the prescription.

When she misdiagnosed a patient's cholecystitis as a simple stomachache, delaying crucial treatment, she blamed me for not reviewing her ultrasound scans.

Anyone with eyes could see through her clumsy attempts at framing me—but Desmond couldn't.

Every time Katherine shed a tear, he would pin all the blame on me.

He crushed my dignity over and over, forcing it into the dirt.

Before, when Katherine's affair came to light, she told Desmond that I had orchestrated it all, that I had sent the deputy dean to force her.

He believed her without a shred of doubt.

He ordered me to go online and admit that I was the woman in the video. When I refused, he actually used the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery's account to livestream, publicly slandering me as that person.

This time, I refused to back down.

I met Katherine's gaze with cool detachment. "You know better than anyone why he's here looking for you. Or have you really forgotten that the woman in that video isn't me?"

Katherine's eyes blazed red with fury. "You sent him to assault me!"

She stepped closer, pleading through her sobs, "I'm begging you—stop tormenting me!"

Desmond yanked her back protectively. "Valentina, I've warned you not to play games! Apologize to Kate right now and beg her forgiveness, or I'll make sure you never work in this field again!"

At his words, the office door burst open with a crash. The vice dean's wife burst in, clutching a small bucket.

"You filthy slut, still seducing my husband! Can't live without a man, huh?"

She swung the bucket at me, and before I could react, a foul mixture of feces and urine splattered across my face and clothes.

Instinctively, Desmond shielded Katherine with his body, using his back to guard her.

"Don't be afraid! No one can hurt you while I'm here!"

I stared at their entwined figures, memories flooding back of when it was me in his arms.

Once, he'd taken me to a bar, and a drunken fool tried to hit on me.

Desmond grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it over the guy's head without hesitation.

His father, Rodger Calderon, had to bail us out at the police station. When he arrived, he slapped Desmond hard across the face.

That was my first encounter with Rodger—and the first time I'd seen Desmond get hit.

It opened my eyes to the fact that life in a wealthy family wasn't all glamour and ease.

This realization only deepened my love for him.

As the years passed, he grew colder and more aloof, towering above everyone like an untouchable king.

I never thought he would still throw himself in front of someone to protect them so fiercely. But now... the person he protected was no longer me.

The vice dean's wife unleashed her rage on me, grabbing a stick and swinging it wildly.

I fought back as best I could, but she was built like a tank—burly and relentless—and I was no match.

She only stopped when exhaustion set in. Finally, she spat viciously at me. "You stinking whore, if I catch you sniffing around my husband again, I won't let you off easy!"

After she finally left, I stayed curled on the cold floor, too bruised to even stand. Pain pulsed through every inch of my body.

Desmond took one hesitant step toward me, as if wanting to help, but the moment his eyes landed on the filth smeared all over me, he stepped back.

Guilt flickered in his eyes, though his voice dripped with irritation. "You've been suspended, so just stay home and lie low. Once this gossip dies down, I'll pull some strings to get you back on the job."

Before he could finish, Katherine burst into tears. "Des, that woman's so vicious! If she ever finds out it was me in that video, she'll probably do the same to me!

"Des! What am I supposed to do? I'd rather die than live like this!"

With that, she covered her face dramatically and bolted out of the room.

Desmond didn't even look back at me—he just ran after her.

Slowly, I hauled myself to my feet, enduring the reek of waste clinging to my skin as I shuffled away from that wretched place.

The divorce proceedings would take a full month to finalize. In the meantime, I had to get my affairs in order for my move abroad.

Dragging my battered body through the streets, enduring people's disgusted stares, I limped all the way home.

Desmond and I both worked at the hospital, so when we tied the knot, we'd splurged on a top-floor duplex nearby for convenience.

Every inch of this place bore my personal touch—I'd designed it all myself, infusing it with memories of our shared life.

Now, gazing around, it all felt like a cruel joke, a mocking echo of what we'd once had.

I took out my suitcase and began packing. I barely owned anything expensive—most of my belongings were things purchased with my own salary.

I left behind everything Desmond had bought and all the gifts from the Calderon family.

As I ventured into the walk-in closet, my eyes landed on two knitted dolls perched on a shelf.

When Desmond proposed, he hadn't given me a diamond ring. Instead, he'd handmade these two little figures as his token.

He'd said we were just like them—bound together forever, inseparable no matter what life threw our way.

I grabbed a pair of scissors, snipping through the yarn that linked their tiny hands, and tossed the female doll into the trash bin with a hollow thud.

"Everything here should've been mine," someone screamed.

I spun around abruptly and saw Katherine standing in the doorway of the closet. She was wearing a fiery red slip dress and the matching couple's slippers Desmond and I had bought together.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked.

Katherine sauntered into the bedroom, her eyes greedily roaming over the bags and jewelry scattered about.

"Des brought me, of course. He wanted me to see which room I'd like to live in."

She plopped down on the edge of the bed, her fingers tracing the silky sheets with a possessive caress. "I think the master bedroom suits me just fine. The view is good, and it was quiet—what do you say?"

My fists tightened until my nails dug deep into my palms. I never imagined Desmond would bring her here—to our home, flaunting her like a trophy.

"If I hadn't left back then, you'd never have stood a chance as Des's wife," Katherine hissed, her gaze seething with resentment. "I was his first—his one true love!"

I had already faced that stark realization. So, hearing her say it now, I felt nothing.

I simply continued packing, ignoring her entirely. Seeing that she couldn't provoke a reaction, she pouted and started examining the master bedroom with feigned nonchalance.

The next time I glanced her way, she was at the vanity, admiring an emerald bracelet dangling from her wrist.

My face drained of color—that was the only keepsake my mother had left me, a shimmering token of her enduring love.

"Put that down!"

Katherine jolted, shooting me a petulant glare. "What's with the yelling? Everything here will be mine soon enough!"

"I said, put it down!" I lunged forward, desperate to wrench the bracelet free.

But it snagged on her wrist, refusing to budge. She yelped in pain, thrashing wildly. "Let go! That hurts!"

I grabbed a fistful of her hair, my vision blurring with rage. "Give me back the bracelet—now!"

Desmond burst in from the living room, shoving me aside with brute force as he gathered Katherine into his arms, his voice laced with frantic concern. "What happened? Where does it hurt?"

"It's nothing," Katherine whimpered, nestling deeper into his embrace. "I just thought the bracelet looked pretty and tried it on, but she went berserk—attacked me and called me a slut for stealing you away!"

With her feigned vulnerability on full display, Desmond's heart melted. He turned to me with a scowl of disapproval. "How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing's going on between Kate and me. Why do you always have to pick on her?"

Watching this farce unfold, nausea churned in my stomach, a sour wave threatening to overwhelm me.

Desmond and I had shared seven years of romance and three of marriage—a decade of what I'd thought was unbreakable devotion. However, it had only earned me Desmond's insults and scorn.

"Desmond," I said, pointing at the bracelet still on Katherine's wrist, "give that back to me!"

He glanced down dismissively. "It's just a bracelet. If Kate likes it, let her have it."

"That's my mother's heirloom!" My voice quivered with fury, the words catching in my throat. "Don't you dare forget how my mother died!"

"Ah!" Katherine, who'd been clinging to it possessively moments ago, shrieked and yanked it off, hurling it at me with venom. "Why didn't you say so sooner? Yuck!"

I scrambled to catch it, but it clattered to the floor, shattering with a crisp, heartbreaking crack.

Time seemed to freeze, the world narrowing to that devastating sound.

I stared at the emerald bracelet, now fractured into three jagged pieces, my body rigid with shock. I'd already failed to protect my mother, watching helplessly as she plunged from the hospital's 18th-floor rooftop to defend my honor.

And now, the bracelet she had entrusted to me before her death had been broken by Katherine.

"Oops, my bad," Katherine said, covering her mouth in mock horror, though her eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. "But seriously, who wears a dead person's junk? What if it brings bad luck and jinxes Des?"

Desmond's expression softened at her words.

He shot me an impatient look. "Valentina, stop being so uncouth. You should learn what things are appropriate to keep in a respectable home."

I dropped to my knees, scooping up the fragments and clutching them tightly in my palm.

A flicker of unease crossed Desmond's face. "Come on, it's not like it's worth much. I'll buy you a better one."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Katherine and steered her toward the downstairs living room.

I shot to my feet and strode quickly after them. Grabbing Katherine's wrist in a vise-like grip, I slapped her hard across the face. "Apologize! Say sorry to my mother!"

Katherine screamed, her body dramatically pitching backward. Before Desmond could react, she tumbled down the stairs in a chaotic heap.

"Kate!" Desmond roared, his hand flying up to deliver a stinging slap across my cheek.

I staggered back, my face burning with fire.

He raced down the stairs, gently lifting Katherine from the floor, his voice a soothing murmur as he checked for her injuries.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I had merely grabbed Katherine to stop her—she'd wrenched free on her own, staging the fall for maximum drama.

"We're heading to the hospital," Desmond snarled, glaring daggers at me. "You'd better pray Kate's okay. If anything happens to her, you can forget about ever getting your job back!"

The door slammed shut with a thunderous bang, plunging the room into oppressive silence.

I let out a scoff, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out without looking back.

I quickly checked into a hotel. The moment I entered the room, I received a text message from Desmond.

It read, "Clear up the master bedroom. Kate sprained her ankle because of you—she needs a good place to recover.

"You have to apologize and take care of her until she's fully healed!

"Otherwise, I won't forgive you!"

I spent an entire month recuperating in the hotel before the wounds on my body finally healed enough not to sting every time I moved.

During that time, Desmond called and messaged me every single day.

At first, he was furious—his messages were full of blazing anger and accusations. Then, his tone slowly shifted to anxiety and worry. And these past few days, he had almost gone silent.

Today, I was heading to the hospital to tie up some loose ends from my old job. All my paperwork for going abroad was complete; I was ready to leave at any moment.

At the nurses' station, a few nurses were huddled together, whispering conspiratorially.

I approached with my mask pulled up and heard their conversation.

"I just don't get it—how on earth did Dr. Figueroa snag the spot to represent our hospital at the international medical forum?"

"No way she's got the brains to whip up a paper like that. She must've had some man do it for her."

"I heard her rep from school was trash—rumor has it she traded her body for those graduation theses!"

"Poor Dr. Johnson. She's such a good person. How could they just push her to the brink like this? It's heartbreaking!"

A sharp-eyed young nurse noticed me and quickly nudged her companions to stop talking. She greeted me nervously, "Dr. Johnson, what brings you here?"

"I'm no longer a doctor at the hospital, so you don't need to call me that." A dreadful premonition settled in my gut, and I asked, my voice strained, "What papers were you talking about?"

The nurses exchanged uneasy glances, none of them speaking.

Just then, someone cranked up the volume on the TV in the waiting area.

Desmond's voice abruptly cut through the silence.

"It's my great honor to introduce my fiancée and research partner, Dr. Katherine Figueroa. Today, she'll be presenting her groundbreaking new theory to us all!"

Katherine stepped beside Desmond and took the microphone from his hand. They exchanged a look, both smiling brightly.

The patients glued to the screen erupted in waves of admiration.

"Dr. Calderon and Dr. Figueroa are a match. I hope they tie the knot soon!"

"I had no idea Dr. Figueroa was such a genius. After this stint abroad, she'll probably get promoted to department head!"

Desmond and I had kept our marriage under wraps; only a handful of close confidants knew we were husband and wife.

The medical forum had ended days ago, and the hospital had been replaying the footage on loop.

Naturally, the patients believed Desmond and Katherine were a couple.

And it wasn't just the patients—even some nurses, swayed by Desmond's blatant favoritism toward Katherine, had started whispering that Katherine was his real girlfriend, the one who truly held his heart.

But honestly, I didn't care anymore. Our divorce papers were on the verge of being finalized.

Whoever he wanted to marry was none of my business now.

I thought I could remain composed, but when I heard the "new theory" Katherine was presenting, my eyes widened in shock.

My blood ran cold, freezing in my veins. On the giant screen, I saw my work.

Every chart, every slide, every dataset—I had developed them myself over two relentless, sleepless years.

When I left, I only packed clothes and documents. I'd forgotten about the computer in the study.

But I never imagined Desmond would be brazen enough to take the research I had stored in our home safe and hand it directly to Katherine on a silver platter, letting her bask in the spotlight.

I'd pulled all-nighters for two relentless years, staking out data through endless vigils, all to crack this medical puzzle. It had cost me dearly—I'd even developed a chronic stomach ailment.

A wry, hollow laugh escaped my lips as I shook my head. There was no turning back now. All I could hope was that Katherine was ready to bear the consequences of taking shortcuts.

Just then, a nervous, breathless voice called out, "Dr. Johnson..."

I turned, and an intern nurse hurried over, slipped something into my hand, and whispered, trembling, "I filmed this..."

She murmured, head bowed, her fingers twisting nervously at the hem of her scrubs. "I've been terrified they'd come after me for it, but you helped me once—I couldn't just stand by..."

Not long ago, Katherine was on the night shift and prescribed a high-risk drug to a patient. This intern caught the mistake and called her out—right in front of others.

From that moment, Katherine had made her life hell, targeting her at every turn. I couldn't stomach it and stepped in a few times to shield her.

After that, Katherine redirected her venom toward me.

The intern swallowed hard. "That night—I came back to get something, and... I accidentally recorded this. I've been hiding it this whole time.

"When your mom came to the nurses' station, begging for proof of your innocence, I was petrified—so I hesitated!

"If I could do it over, I'd run to you right away. I'm sorry.

"I'm so sorry! Truly, deeply sorry!"

She bowed deeply, then ran down the corridor, wiping her tears with trembling hands.

My hand clenched into a fist around the drive, its edges digging into my skin, a sharp pang mirroring the ache in my heart.

I couldn't blame her. If even I couldn't stand up to them, how could a young nurse like her not be paralyzed by fear?

She wasn't the one who ruined my mother. Katherine and Desmond did.

I knew, though, that now was not the time to use this USB drive. I would wait until Desmond and Katherine were at the absolute peak of their arrogance and then send them crashing down into the abyss!

As I tucked the drive away, Stephen rushed toward me, breathless and sweating. "Tina! Wait up!"

I blinked in surprise. "Dr. Wilde? What's going on?"

He grabbed my arm and hustled me back inside. "There's an operation—only you can handle it!

"This patient's special; she's specifically requested you for the surgery."

Stepping into the luxurious private room, I was stunned to see Desmond's mother, Meghan Hanson, lying pale and frail on the bed.

Her face was ashen, lips tinged with blue, dark circles hollowing her eyes—she looked utterly drained, teetering on the edge of collapse.

From the day Desmond and I started dating, Meghan had deemed me unworthy of her golden boy.

After our marriage, her attitude toward me remained lukewarm at best, a polite frost that never thawed. I couldn't fathom why, in this life-or-death crisis, she'd insist on me wielding the scalpel.

I shook my head firmly. "I'm sorry, but I'm no longer a doctor here. I can't perform surgeries for the hospital anymore."

Meghan, propped weakly against the pillows, fixed me with a steady gaze. "This operation—I trust only you with it."

But I held my ground, shaking my head again. "You should have your son do it for you."

"I haven't told Desmond about my illness," Meghan replied, unfazed by my refusal. "I know my son—he couldn't handle this."

Stephen handed me her medical file then, and I flipped through it quickly, absorbing the details.

From the records, Meghan had noticed heart issues two years back, and her condition had spiraled rapidly. Now, surgery was her only lifeline.

Her case was intricate, demanding the exact techniques from the research Katherine had pilfered.

With her wealth and connections, she'd undoubtedly consulted top specialists far and wide long ago. Yet here she was, seeking me out. It was odd. After all, since my paper had been hijacked and presented under Katherine's name, how could she know I was the right person for her?

A soft, ironic chuckle escaped me. "You should turn to Katherine for this. Hasn't she already unveiled that technology at the international forum?

"That empty-headed fool doesn't have what it takes," Meghan scoffed, her disdain unfiltered and raw. "She only climbs by latching onto men. Desmond is the only one blind to it, fooled by her games."

Desmond and Katherine had a tumultuous, passionate relationship in high school, and it was Meghan who forcefully stepped in and broke them up.

Ever since, the rift between Desmond and his mother had grown into a chasm of icy distance.

Meghan studied me intently. "Besides, the fact that you instantly recognized what treatment my illness requires proves my suspicion. That paper—it's yours, isn't it?"

Meghan had just returned from a brief medical retreat overseas when she saw the news about me online. The shock triggered a heart attack.

When she questioned Desmond's inner circle, she discovered the full extent of the foolish things he'd done for Katherine.

She wanted to confront him directly, but he was still abroad. Her health, already fragile from the attack, was deteriorating rapidly.

Her only option was to come to me.

"Desmond and I are divorced," I said flatly. "He destroyed my life. His actions drove my mother to jump from the hospital's 18th floor. Why should I save you, the woman who raised him?"

Rage made my eyes sting. I struggled not to scream at her.

"I failed as a mother. I'm sorry!" Meghan sighed. "But I did warn you. I told you he would bring you nothing but pain."

She was right. I remembered the pity in her eyes the first day we met.

She'd repeated that warning many times.

But Desmond always fought with her, swearing he'd treat me right.

I thought he was defending our love, standing up to his family for me.

Foolishly touched, I'd worked tirelessly to become a chief surgeon, believing it would make me worthy of him.

It seemed utterly ridiculous now.

"Will you really let Katherine steal everything you worked for?" Meghan knew how to negotiate. "Save me, and I'll become your strongest ally against them."

Seeing my hesitation, she played her final card. "8 million dollars. You need it for your overseas training. Consider it a deserved payment."

"Transfer it now," I said, taking a deep breath.

She nodded.

A single phone call later, my phone buzzed. The money had arrived.

Meghan had a surgical team standing by. They were waiting for my consent.

As I was changing into scrubs, Desmond and Katherine walked in with a group of foreign visitors.

I tried to slip into the OR, but Katherine spotted me. "Valentina! What are you doing here in scrubs?" she shrilled. "Who authorized you to operate?"

"Move. The patient is waiting," I said, frowning.

She strode over and seized my arm. "You don't even work here anymore! You're not authorized! I'm calling the police!"

"Valentina! You no longer work here!" Desmond stormed over. "Or has Dr. Wilde reinstated you?"

"You waste no time, do you? Des's barely gone, and you're already getting Dr. Wilde to pull strings for you," Katherine sneered.

"The patient has a critical heart condition," I said, stopping short. "Every minute you delay risks their life. Is that a responsibility you're willing to take?"

"It's just a cardiac procedure!" Katherine's eyes darted to the watching foreigners. "I can handle it. My internationally recognized research makes me perfectly qualified for this!"

The foreigners immediately brightened, speaking excitedly to their translator about observing the surgery.

"Kate is more than capable," Desmond stated, his gaze fixed on me. "Her groundbreaking work surpasses anything you've ever done."

"Desmond," I said slowly, "do you know who the patient is?"

I started to tell Desmond it was his mother in there, but he cut me off.

"I don't care! No one breaks the rules here. Only staff surgeons operate in this hospital."

I studied his face. "You're really going to let Katherine do this surgery instead of me?"

"Why does it matter so much to you?" He narrowed his eyes. "Is it someone you know? Beg me, Valentina. Admit you were wrong, and I'll reinstate you right now. You can do the surgery."

"Forget it. They're not important," I said, pulling off my surgical cap. "I shouldn't push it. Rules are rules anyway."

Desmond fell silent. Just then, a nurse rushed out from the operating room in panic. "The patient's crashing! We need to operate now!"

The foreigners immediately urged Katherine to proceed, eager to witness her techniques for an international journal.

Flattered by the attention and recent whispers naming her the next youngest professor of cardiothoracic surgery, Katherine had started believing her own stolen accolades.

She confidently promised the foreigners a textbook procedure and hurried to put on scrubs.

As a doctor, my final duty was to look at Desmond. "If she operates, the patient will die."

"Kate needs this opportunity to prove herself," he said coldly.

Watching him sacrifice everything for her, I laughed.

I almost wanted to see his face when he found out the patient was his mother.

But it wasn't my problem anymore. I'd done my part. Any consequences were on Desmond.

"Good luck, then."

I turned to leave.

Desmond grabbed my arm, frowning. "Where do you think you're going? Are you done causing a scene?"

I shook him off. "Should you really be touching me? What will your fiancée think?"

A smug smile touched his lips. "You saw the announcement. You're jealous."

His mood seemed to improve. "Kate doesn't have the right connections for those social circles," he explained, unusually forthcoming. "She's vulnerable there. I was just posing as her fiancé to protect her. Nothing happened between us, I swear."

The hypocrisy was staggering. They shared hotel rooms and beds abroad.

Katherine had sent me photos of them in bed together, of used condoms, all to torment me.

And he dared claim innocence!

Innocent people didn't need to pose as lovers.

"You disgust me," I said, turning away.

"Valentina!" he shouted, fury boiling over. "Don't expect me to take you back when you come crawling!"

I changed back into my own clothes, took a cab straight to the hotel to get my luggage, and then headed directly to the airport.

I bought a ticket for the next flight abroad.

Before takeoff, I blocked every number connected to Desmond.

I'd be back someday, and when I returned, they would pay for what they'd done.