Chapter 3

Mia quietly finished dinner.

The wounds all over her body burned so badly that she went upstairs early and lay down.

In the middle of the night, her phone suddenly began vibrating nonstop beside her pillow.

The screen lit up with one name.

Marianne Hayes, Mark's mother.

Mia had barely answered when her mother-in-law's shrill voice came blasting through the phone.

"The hospital called me because they couldn't reach you, and you're still lying around at home?

"Don't you know Mark got into a fight and ended up in the hospital?"

Mia opened her mouth to respond, but Marianne immediately shouted over her.

"I must have been blind to let you marry into the Hayes family!

"You've been spoiled your whole life. You're lazy, selfish, and you don't know the first thing about being a proper wife!

"Mark works himself to the bone while you stay home enjoying yourself. Now he's injured and in the hospital, and you're still lying there like you couldn't care less.

"Get to the hospital right now and take care of him!"

The call ended abruptly.

The harsh dial tone rang in Mia's ear.

She pressed her lips together, her nails digging deep into her palms.

It wasn't as though she had never tried.

She was the treasured heiress of the Sterling family.

She had grown up surrounded by people who adored her.

Yet for Mark, she had broken off an engagement and defied her father.

After they married, she had put aside all the pride she once had and taught herself to be gentle and considerate.

She waited for him until late at night, day after day.

She remembered everything he liked.

She tolerated his coldness.

She endured the distance he constantly put between them.

She had given him everything she had for five years.

And what had she gotten in return?

A quiet, bitter laugh escaped her throat.

Fine.

If nothing she did could ever earn his love,

then she didn't want any of it anymore.

Expressionless, Mia powered off her phone and tossed it aside.

Then she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she turned her phone back on.

A trending-news alert immediately popped up on the screen.

'Ice-Cold Chief Researcher Loses His Cool for Love: Mark Hayes Hospitalized After Fight Over Mystery Woman'

The photo was blurry.

But it was still clear enough to show Mark shielding a woman in his arms.

Mia's finger paused over the screen.

She had already decided to divorce him.

But until the paperwork was finalized, she was still Mrs. Hayes.

If she refused to show up at all, the media would inevitably start speculating.

And that could drag the Sterling family into unnecessary gossip.

After getting ready, Mia drove to the hospital.

The moment she pushed open the door to the VIP room, the sight inside hit her like a slap.

Sienna was holding an insulated food container and spoon-feeding Mark homemade soup.

Her movements were gentle and intimate.

And Mark, who had always been cold and distant toward Mia, sat there with his eyes lowered, looking at Sienna with a tenderness Mia had never once received in five years of marriage.

When Sienna noticed Mia, she startled and quickly pulled her hand back.

"Mia, don't misunderstand."

Her explanation came out hurriedly.

"Mark was having dinner with some friends last night when he saw someone harassing me. He only got hurt because he stepped in to help."

Mia stood there, finding the whole thing almost laughable.

So Mark had gotten into a fight for Sienna.

She suddenly remembered the first business dinner she had ever attended with him.

One of the men had gotten drunk and started touching her.

His hand had even slid around her waist.

Mia had frozen.

Helpless, she had looked toward Mark beside her.

He had seen everything.

But instead of standing up for her, the first thing he had done was calmly explain the pros and cons.

"He didn't actually do anything serious to you. Even if you go to the police, he'll probably only get a warning or spend a few days in custody."

"If you make a big deal out of it, it could hurt you more than him."

"Just let it go."

The man who had once told her to let it go

had now gotten into a fight for Sienna.

Mia looked away.

Her voice held no warmth at all.

"It's fine."

"Thank you for taking care of him for me."

"But next time, I hope you can take better care of yourself instead of dragging other people into your problems."

Sienna froze.

Her eyes immediately turned red.

"I'm sorry, Mark."

"I caused trouble for you again."

Mark's brows drew together.

Something stirred faintly in his chest, but he quickly suppressed it.

He turned a cold expression toward Mia.

"This had nothing to do with Sienna."

"That man harassed her first. I wasn't going to stand there and do nothing."

Mia didn't argue.

Her gaze merely swept over the way their arms were pressed together without the slightest space between them.

When she spoke, her tone was so calm it sounded as though none of this had anything to do with her.

"I know."

"She doesn't have anyone else to rely on, and you've always been her senior."

"Of course you should look out for her."

Mark went still.

He clearly hadn't expected that reaction.

In the past, even if Mia hadn't caused a scene, the hurt would have been written all over her face.

But now,

there was nothing there at all.