Chapter 7

Beatrice didn't go home with Nelson. Instead, she insisted on checking into a hotel. Nelson was worried and offered to stay with her.

Beatrice wrote in her notebook, "It's fine. You can go back."

"Beatrice, I know you blame me." Nelson started explaining on his own. "After you went missing, I drank every day. Raine put something in my drink, and I mistook her for you. I was angry afterward and cut things off, but she kept coming back. Then, she said she was pregnant...

"When she got pregnant, I asked her to end it, but she refused. She had the baby alone, and raised the child for two years. It wasn't easy for her, either..."

Beatrice's fingers tightened.

Nelson felt sorry for Raine, who had tricked him to have his child.

Ha...

"Later, her daughter got sick. Since she became a mother before marriage, Krauss cut her off and kicked her out of the house. She really had nowhere else to go, so she came to me. At first, I just wanted to help because of Fia. Beatrice... Fia's innocent."

Nelson squatted at the edge of the bed, watching her anxiously.

Beatrice never said a word, her mind somewhere far away.

"Beatrice, I know you've suffered a lot these past years. The thing I regret most is letting you go." Nelson's voice broke, eyes red as he gripped her hand.

But now, nothing he said could change anything.

"What do you plan to do about me and her?" Beatrice wrote on the paper.

The law was clear. One man, one wife. Nelson had to choose between her and Raine.

"Beatrice, please... Just give me some time, alright?" Nelson held her hand, begging for time.

Beatrice took a slow breath, looked down, and wrote with shaking fingers, "It's fine, Nelson. Let's just get a divorce."

She chose to give up on this marriage.

No one knew how much it hurt, how much pain she was in.

She had nothing left. Now, her only reason to keep going was to uncover the truth about what happened to her team and give her parents the answers they deserved.

"Beatrice..."

Nelson's eyes reddened as he grabbed her hand, snatching away her pen.

"Don't say that. Please. I just need time to process all of this. I can't let you go. You know you're the one I love... But Raine has been with me all these years, and there's Fia, too. It hasn't been easy for them, either. I just… I just need some time to sort everything out. Please, just give me a little more time."

He kept begging, asking her for more time.

But the gap between them now was far more than just the five years.

Nelson's phone kept ringing. He hung up, annoyed, but it rang again almost immediately. Beatrice knew it was Raine.

"You should go back," Beatrice signed.

Nelson seemed to understand and shook his head. "Beatrice, I spoke with Dr. Hale Miller in psychiatry. He said your condition is a trauma response, a kind of PTSD. What you need right now is support. I'll be staying with you until you get better."

Beatrice pulled her hand away, her whole body and soul resisting him. She used to think that as long as Nelson was with her, she would eventually heal. He would be her medicine, her comfort.

But now, he and Raine had become the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Nelson, Fia has a fever. What are you doing? Why aren't you home with your wife and daughter in the middle of the night?"

This time, the call was from Krauss. He was the hospital director as well as Raine's father.

Nelson got up and moved to the corner, not wanting Beatrice to listen in.

"Dad... Professor Jonathan Smith's team is back. You've probably heard that Beatrice is back, too."

Nelson's voice was low.

There was a long silence. Then Krauss spoke, his voice heavy.

"Nelson, you know how much my daughter has sacrificed for you. She gave you a daughter and stood by you for five years. Yes, Beatrice was your wife, but you two barely got married. There wasn't even a proper wedding. You know what you need to do, so make a choice."

He paused, then added, "Your career is just taking off. Make a decision soon and clean up this mess. After all, Beatrice is also a doctor at our hospital."

"She has no family left, and there's nothing you need to worry about," Krauss reminded Nelson. "It's your decision."

"Yes..." Nelson answered in a low voice as he glanced back at Beatrice. She sat quietly on the bed, looking small and defeated.

Krauss was right. Beatrice now had nothing left. No parents, no voice... She couldn't even defend herself. She had truly become someone anyone could ignore or harass.

People always said misfortune found the vulnerable, that fate picked on those with nothing. But that was just reality.

"Beatrice... Fia is sick, so I have to go home for a bit," Nelson said softly, moving as if to kiss her forehead.

Beatrice flinched and moved away, her hands clenched tight. She knew. Nelson had already made his choice.

Between her and Raine...

He chose Raine.

"Beatrice, we're not naive children anymore. The adult world is cruel."

Nelson squatted in front of her, his gaze intense.

"But you have to believe me. I love you, so I'll make sure everything is handled right. Even if we get divorced, I'll always protect you. I'll always be here for you, okay? As long as I'm around, I won't let anyone hurt you."

Beatrice stared at him, disbelief in her eyes.

He wanted her to divorce him and then stay as his mistress.