Chapter 1

Back inside the operating room, I finally got a clear look at the patient lying on the table.

It was Renee Becker, my wife, the one who had disappeared for a month under the pretense of a business trip.

I never realized she was that wild in bed. She even allowed Liam Cassidy to stick a tennis ball into her lower region, which resulted in the need for emergency surgery.

Well, it seemed as though those scandalous stories I'd read about online weren't made up after all.

Renee's face was pale from the pain, and she kept muttering Liam's name. "I'm too scared to be alone, Liam. Stay with me."

She also said to me, "Doctor, I want him in the operating room with me. I know that the hospital will allow it under special circumstances."

I flung off her hand. It was digging so hard into mine that her nails nearly clawed off my skin.

"You're not in labor. Companions aren't allowed for regular surgery."

Renee suddenly pushed away the doctor who was trying to administer anesthesia to her and started throwing a tantrum. "Then I'm not getting the surgery. And if anything happens to me, it'll be on you guys!"

All my colleagues in the operating room exchanged looks. In the end, Dr. Reynolds, the chief of surgery, let out a helpless sigh.

"Let him in. Make sure he completes the surgical prep to be properly disinfected first."

Soon, Liam came rushing into the operating room. He grabbed Renee's hand and got on his knees beside the bed. "This is all my fault, Renee. I was too reckless. I'm so sorry…"

Renee smiled weakly and shook her head. "It's not your fault. I did it willingly. You were too bewitching. I couldn't control myself either."

My hand, which was clutching a scalpel, trembled when I heard that.

The next second, Liam shouted angrily, "Is this the standard of the medical team at this hospital? You're letting a doctor with hand tremors operate on my wife? I'm warning you. If anything happens to her, all of you are going down with her!"

He kept calling Renee his wife.

They could've gone to Salvation Hospital, which had an even better reputation than this private hospital, but they didn't. Obviously, it was only because they were afraid that their affair would be exposed had they gone there instead.

Alas, fate played a cruel trick on them.

Just today, I accepted an invitation from this private hospital to conduct a practical demonstration.

Renee thought that no one here knew me, which was why she let Liam bring her here. Little did they know that not only would they end up running into me here, but I would also turn out to be the lead surgeon for this operation.

My sneer seemed to have pissed Liam off, but due to the urgency of the situation, he dared not pick a fight over it. He simply continued to glare daggers at me.

…

After the operation, Renee regained consciousness. As I walked past her hospital room, I heard her on the phone with her assistant, Delia Hudson.

"I'm still tied up here. If Evan asks, tell him that an issue has come up with the project, so I need to deal with it and won't be able to head back home yet. It's his birthday today. Remember to get a bouquet of flowers and a watch delivered to him."

Moments after Renee ended her call, I got a call from Delia.

"Ms. Becker loves you so much, Mr. Lane! Even though she's so busy, she didn't forget about getting you a birthday gift," Delia said.

"I got it."

My indifferent response stunned Delia. In the past, I would've definitely asked more questions to find out what was going on with Renee.

After the call, I was heading back to the office when Liam came out of the hospital room and grabbed me.

"It's all your fault, you quack! If you're such a terrible doctor, you shouldn't even be performing surgeries! Renee just coughed up blood! What are you going to do about it, huh?"

Despite this being a medical crisis, Liam didn't seem the least bit anxious about saving Renee. Instead, he was focused on questioning my medical skills.

However, I had no time for him. I called out to the nearest nurse, "Arrange for a blood test at once!"

Renee had always seen the doctors at Salvation Hospital, so her medical files weren't on hand at this hospital.

As I tried to rush into the hospital room to check on her, Liam, who seemed to have no sense of priority, continued to grab onto me.

"Where do you think you're going? If not for you, why would my wife be coughing up blood, huh? Are you the only doctor available in this huge hospital? Get me someone else!"

"What are you doing?" a nurse exclaimed. "Our hospital had to go to great lengths to invite Dr. Lane here. Many patients can't even get to arrange an appointment with him!"

"That's right. If you think we don't have enough doctors here, then take the patient to Salvation Hospital instead. That's the best hospital in the city."

Flustered, Liam deflated and started rubbing his nose, but he insisted, "No. Since it's your hospital that caused this mess, you guys should be the ones bearing the responsibility for it!"

"Then don't get in the way when we're trying to help the patient!"

Amid the scuffle, the blood test results came back.

The moment I saw the report, I felt utterly disgusted.