Chapter 2

Sophie's POV

I decided to quit my job.

I went to work at the hospital as usual the next day. However, I also told the hospital director that I'd be leaving in a week. He was deeply disappointed by the news and repeatedly tried to convince me to stay.

"Is something bothering you at work? Did something happen?" he asked. "You're a brilliant doctor. Losing someone like you would be a huge loss for our hospital, Sophie."

I felt tears prick at my eyes, but I still turned him down.

I loved my job, and I intended to stay in the medical field. I just needed to continue my work elsewhere.

The director had always recognized my abilities and given me valuable opportunities. Because of that, I felt incredibly grateful to him. Afraid that staying any longer would cause me to waver, I quickly came up with an excuse and left.

When I returned to my consultation room, I saw a familiar figure.

Melanie walked in and removed her mask. "I want you to perform the surgery on me, Dr. Smith."

I forced myself to remain composed.

"Your… Your husband doesn't want you to have the surgery, Ms. Sanders. I really think you should reconsider."

I didn't want to make things difficult for a woman who had no idea what was actually going on. Besides, I was leaving soon anyway.

To my surprise, Melanie grabbed my hand and pleaded, "Please help me, Dr. Smith. You've seen how handsome my husband is. He loves me very much, so he suppresses his urges every time for fear of hurting me. But the longer this goes on, the more I'm afraid that another woman will come along and seduce him.

"We've been together for a year now, but he's never been able to fully satisfy his desires with me. When I tried to give myself to him last month, I ended up with a small tear. Afterward, he spent the rest of the month taking medication to restrain himself…"

Melanie was still talking, but I could no longer hear a single word she was saying.

Zachary's sex drive had always been extremely high. The balcony, the couch, the kitchen… At this point, we'd practically had sex in every corner of our house.

But one year ago, he began working late and going on business trips more frequently.

He'd be away for nearly half of every month. Every time he came home, he'd be incredibly rough with me in bed.

Last month, he was away for two weeks. When he finally returned, he left me so exhausted that I couldn't get out of bed for three whole days. Yet now, another woman was telling me about how restrained and considerate he'd been with her.

"Dr. Smith! W-why are you crying?" Melanie stared at me in alarm.

I hastily wiped away my tears and flashed her a smile. "It's nothing. I just found your story a little touching."

"You're a woman too, Dr. Smith. You must understand how I feel," she told me. "So, please, perform the surgery on me."

I clenched my fist and ultimately agreed. As a doctor, I simply couldn't refuse a patient's request. Besides, her surgery had already been scheduled the day before.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed all my thoughts and emotions aside and focused on the procedure.

…

Everything went smoothly, and the surgery was a success.

Afterward, I removed my mask and went over the postoperative instructions with Melanie.

"Get plenty of rest and avoid strenuous activities. Most importantly, you'll need to abstain from sex," I instructed.

After watching her leave, I turned my attention back to work.

…

Later that night, I was suddenly dragged out of my bed while I was asleep.

My elbow slammed against the floor, and I inhaled sharply from the pain. When I opened my eyes, I found Zachary standing over me, his expression dark with fury.

"Sophie Smith, what did you do to Melanie?"