Abandoned by my husband, claimed by his brother

MIRIAM POV "Retractor," I said, without looking up, stretching my palm forth. Nora placed the instrument in my hand with a movement too clumsy.I felt the slight tremor coming from her through the handle, and my jaw clenched.Has this ever happened before? YesThis wasn't the first time. Nora was always sloppy, but today was not the day to test me. Suddenly, I heard the monitor shrieking, and the patient's heart rate spiked. My head snapped towards the screen to see the numbers racing. "Nora, what happened?" I questioned, my voice tightening. Her face went pale. Her gloves were streaked with blood. "I-I-made-" "Did you nick the iliac vein?" I asked, almost yelling as I gazed at her. She staggered backward, returning the gaze with a horror dancing on her feature."Get me a clamp now!" I ordered. Within two seconds, a clamp was placed in my hand, and I worked fast, sealing the bleed in seconds. The heart rate steadied, and the beeping slowed back into rhythm. Then I glanced

ARDEN POV I stepped inside the conference room, and I scanned the room, my eyes landing on her. The one person I hadn't set my eyes on for years.Miriam Ford, my brother's wife. My sister-in-law.Her lips parted, shock flashing before she forced her gaze away. I chuckled at her little action, facing the hospital chairman, Mr Gerald.“You don't have to introduce me like this. I'm just a junior surgeon, and not a big surgeon” I asserted, talking to the chairman.He laughed.All eyes were on me except Miriam. Her thumbnail pressed hard against her teeth as she kept glancing toward the door. A nervous she do make. She hadn’t outgrown it.“You deserve the recognition,” Gerald insisted calmly. “Your family name alone deserves it.”I let him talk, but my eyes never left Miriam.She had grown so much.She now look different from the Miriam I had known.“By the way,” I said, interrupting him, “I’ll need a supervisor.”“Of course,” Gerald nodded. “We can assign—”“Dr. Ford.” My voice interjec

MIRIAM POV “No?” I repeated, his response catching me off guard. A dry scoff slipped before I could stop it.Of course.What was I thinking approaching him for help? I was foolish to expect anything different.“I'll go and prepare for the surgery,” I said to Mr Gerald, the hospital chairman.“I'll assist you,” Itzayana offered hastily.“And who will administer anesthesia if your anesthesiologist is suddenly your assistant surgeon?” Nora asked, her voice laced with a sweet poisonous mockery. Her arms were folded, her eyes locked on mine with theatrical interest.A smirk tugged at her lips. She was enjoying everything. Enjoying me being at the edge of a cliff.What a pathetic move.“I'll handle the anesthesia,” Itzayana cut in sharply. “Can we go, Dr Ford?” I glanced at Mr Gerald, giving him a brief nod, beforet following Itzayana out of the conference room.The moment we stepped inside the hallway, she let out a hysterical laugh. “Gosh, did you see the way she looked at you? Those

MIRIAM POV“Dr. Ford.”Her voice cut through my thoughts, loud and firm, pulling me back into the room.“Yes?” I asked, clearing my throat. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears.“What did you say just now?” I added, frowning slightly.She looked at me, confused. “I didn’t say anything. You were staring at me.” She hesitated, then lowered her voice. “Did I do something wrong, ma?”So it was happening again.Those conversations — they hadn’t happened. They were only in my head.“No,” I replied quickly, disciplining my face into a smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just… distracted.”She placed her two hands on her chest, sighing loudly.“I was only looking because you’re quite beautiful,” I added lightly. “Your boyfriend must be taking very good care of you.”Her face lit up instantly. A shy grin curved her lips, and she stuck her tongue out playfully.“He really does,” she said, her voice bright. “He’s very attentive. I’m his priority.”Something twisted sharply inside my c