ICU Livestream: My Ex-Wife and My Subordinate

The emergency room, which was typically bustling, was now deathly silent. The once-crowded hospital corridor felt as though time itself had stopped.Medical staff surrounded me as they escorted me toward the isolation room. Through the glass window, my ex-wife, Erica Scarver, lay on the hospital bed. The ventilator's shallow movements weakened by the second.In the resuscitation room, Erica Scarver hovered at the edge of death. Her vital signs continued to decline.I recognized the virus strain at a glance. It was one of the core research projects our hospital had worked on for years. No one understood how lethal it was better than I did.Dr. Lionel Silva's face went pale as he grabbed my white coat. "That's impossible. Dr. Dahmer, you said it yourself. In our profession, we must always be ready to save lives. You made us swear to it. How can you turn away at a time like this? Dr. Scarver is hanging by a thread. Only you can save her."To prove his point, Lionel pulled up Erica's

I looked up at him with a faint, mischievous smile.Lionel's face drained of color, but he straightened immediately. "I'm a doctor. I can't just stand by while a patient dies. Dr. Scarver has been my mentor and a true friend for years, and I owe it to her to try everything I can to save her."Lionel's sincere words didn't just stir the staff—they even made Michelle's eyes well up.Soft whispers of praise echoed through the room, all for Lionel, not me."Look at him, then look at yourself. As a hospital director, you can't even compare to a regular doctor. Do you have any shame? If it were me, I'd hide myself away in embarrassment," a head nurse mocked.Since I showed no reaction, Michelle finally lost her composure. "What exactly do you want? Set any condition you want. Just promise me you will save Erica. I know you've always dreamed of becoming a professor. If you save her, I'll call the former dean myself and make sure you get promoted immediately."I raised an eyebrow. "Mom,

The crowd lining the hospital corridor slowly came to their senses. When they realized they had been toyed with, they surged forward and boxed Erica in, leaving her nowhere to run.Most of the medical staff had never actually seen Erica before. Without their own relentless hype and rumor-spreading, this so-called drama would have fizzled out before it ever caught fire.Erica had been clever. From the very beginning, she blended in with the doctors and nurses. Everyone was wearing masks anyway. Who could tell who was who? It also conveniently shifted suspicion away from her. I was fairly sure the first person who had clapped for Lionel earlier had been her.Erica grew flustered and made a hurried attempt to escape. She ducked her head and blurted out, "You're mistaken. I'm an intern nurse called Rika, not Erica."Michelle and Lionel, who had been standing there in shock, finally snapped out of it."What nonsense are you talking about?" Michelle said. "My daughter is clearly in the

"Is this person for real? We've been used as pawns by someone like this for so long.""This world is unbelievable—it's pure madness.""He should be acting in a soap opera, but look at him. He couldn't even get an extra part.""How can he call himself a top escort? I heard that old professor only pays him 300 dollars a session. That's ridiculously low. Even college tutors make more than that per hour.""Maybe the professor's just stingy, and Lionel dropped his price to get attention.""Don't insult our profession. We have high standards for looks. Even the bouncer at our club is more handsome than him.""Seriously, Dr. Scarver, what were you thinking? He's bald, has a beer belly, and doesn't hold a candle to your ex. Plus, he works as an escort for old men.""I think Dr. Dahmer is the real unlucky one. His wife and subordinate are hooking up, and who knows what he might catch?"The gossip kept flowing, but Lionel didn't even seem bothered. Instead, he wriggled a little and calle

I asked Erica, "Why go through all this just to marry me? You could have gotten what you wanted without dragging me into it."Erica gave me a sweet smile. "Because I really like you."I stared at her in disbelief. "Are you insane? You like me, and yet you went so far as to set a trap to ruin me?"She laughed coldly. "What's wrong with that? I loved Ronnie, too. I took care of him with everything I had, and in the end, I still planned for him to die. I want to destroy you because I love you. You should feel honored to be the one I chose."Erica expected me to explode with rage, but I stayed calm. "Keep that honor for yourself," I said.She looked shocked at my composure. The truth was, my tears had all dried the day I discovered their plot.It happened during dinner. Erica and Lionel had both drunk too much. As I was tidying up, I noticed them rolling onto the bed in the duty room. It didn't feel right, and since one was my wife and the other my colleague, I stepped in to separa