LOGINAt our daughter’s three-month milestone party, my husband Garrett’s so-called "best friend" publicly humiliated me. “Hey, Vivian. I heard you're a little loose down there after popping out the kid.” "If it's that bad, you better get some tightening surgery quick—don't wanna mess up your marriage vibes!" Garrett shot her a playful glare and snapped, "Knock it off, Scarlett! You can't just say whatever pops into your head." Then he turned to me with a breezy shrug. "She's just like that—total tomboy. We grew up together; she means no harm." Scarlett shook her half-exposed breast and pouted, "Oh, come on, don't take it personally, Vivian. Honestly, I'm kind of jealous of you." "See, my problem is the opposite. I'm way too tight—hurts like hell during my period. No clue who's gonna get lucky with this later." Then she cut her eyes toward Garrett with a playful wink. " Oh right, you've tried it before, haven't you?" The room went dead silent. Every pair of eyes drifted toward me, barely concealing their curiosity. I smiled, set down my wine glass, and looked at Scarlett with fake concern. "That's strange. I don't remember making it that tight when I did your surgery."
View MoreOn the livestream, Donald and Patricia were propping up a weeping Scarlett, holding up the body of an infant for the camera.Donald jabbed his finger at the screen, bellowing."Plastic surgeon Vivian Hale -- during what was supposed to be a routine cosmetic procedure -- she sewed my daughter-in-law’s virgina shut on purpose.""My grandson... my grandson never even took a breath. What kind of monster does that?"Patricia, still wearing a back brace, collapsed to the floor, rocking back and forth, wailing."My grandson! My poor, poor grandson... killed before he ever drew breath!"Scarlett played her part to perfection -- trembling, tears streaming, the picture of devastated fragility."Dr. Hale... Garrett and I grew up together. You took him from me -- fine, I made my peace with that. But why did you have to go after my baby?""If you hate me, come after me. The baby was innocent..."She wept beautifully, a woman transformed from the crass bully she'd always been.The comments section w
Garrett started reaching out constantly -- calls, messages, always circling back to the same thing: the good old days.But those once-sweet memories felt like a slap in the face now.Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I called him, gave him an earful, and blocked his number for good.Almost immediately, an unknown number rang through.Scarlett's voice came shrieking down the line."Vivian Hale, you pathetic little leech! You're divorced and you still can't leave Garrett alone!""Let me tell you something -- he got bored of you a long time ago--""Scarlett." I cut through her tirade. "How do you think Garrett's parents would react if they found out about your little procedure?"Dead silence on the other end.Then her voice came back, louder and shriller than before."You wouldn't dare! That's patient confidentiality -- I'll sue you into the ground!""This is my last warning. Stop leading him on!"The line went dead. I exhaled slowly.I had my professional ethics. I had my boundaries.
With Mrs. Bennet handling things at home, I threw myself back into work.Ethan’s father old Dr. Aldridge adjusted my schedule and surgical roster personally, giving me flexible hours so I could take care of Sophie.I buried myself at the operating table, using my skills to give people a second chance -- patients scarred by birth defects, accidents, trauma. I rebuilt what life had broken.Thank-you letters and commendations came pouring in. In the industry, people started calling me "The Scalpel" -- the surgeon who got it right the first time, every time.It felt good to be useful again.Then one afternoon, shouting erupted from old Dr. Aldridge's office.Through the walls I caught fragments -- "affair," "compensation," "partnership" -- before Ethan stormed out, his face like stone, and slammed the door behind him.He told me what had happened. Donald and Patricia had marched into old Dr. Aldridge's office, pounding the desk, declaring that I was a tramp who'd run out on her family and
The new apartment was small -- one bedroom, one living room -- but the sunlight was good. There was a children's playground downstairs, and the hospital was just a short drive away.Ethan pushed the last suitcase through the door, sweat beading on his forehead."That should be everything. If you need anything else, just let me know -- I'll bring it over."I handed him a bottle of water."You already found me the apartment and helped me move. You've done enough -- really. Whatever else I need, I'll get it myself."He took a sip, smiling. "Come on, don't worry about it. Consider it a signing bonus from Aldridge Medical."I knew he was trying to spare my pride. No hospital perk came with this level of detail -- the soundproofing had been checked, the crib was a specific brand, and there was even a bottle warmer already set up in the kitchen.He followed my gaze and saw it too. He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish."That was my parents, actually.""When they heard about the divorce, th






Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.