Chapter 3

During a gynecological surgery that I had personally handled, the patient experienced postpartum hemorrhage and was in critical condition.

I immediately arranged for emergency surgery, but Cynthia came up to me then and insisted on entering the operating room to observe the procedure.

"I'll definitely become a leading gynecologist if I follow you around, right, Ellie?" she asked.

I originally refused her request, but she planted herself on the floor and clung to me tightly, crying and begging nonstop.

While this was happening, Xavier hurried over and lectured me for arguing over trivial matters instead of worrying for the patient's wellbeing.

In the end, Cynthia followed me into the operating room.

The operation lasted eight hours, and I was already thoroughly exhausted by that point.

Right after walking out of the delivery room—barely having closed my eyes for two seconds—a nurse rushed in and yelled, "Dr. Livingston! We're missing one piece of gauze! It may have been sutured into the patient's body!"

If that were true, it would be considered major medical malpractice.

But at that time, Cynthia had clearly reported that everything was accounted for!

Without pausing to rest, I resterilized and entered the operating room again.

The gauze was successfully removed, but the patient remained unconscious, and the hospital demanded accountability.

Cynthia and I confronted each other in Hubert's office. All I had to do was call on the scrub nurse who was present at the time, and the truth would come to light.

However, Xavier came forward at that moment and, under my incredulous gaze, admitted my guilt for me while vouching for Cynthia.

In the end, I was suspended from my job.

I questioned him directly in the office, but he simply frowned as if he didn't understand why I was being so emotional.

"You've already achieved fame and success, so suspension is nothing to you, but Cynthia only just joined the industry. How is she going to remain in the hospital if there's a stain on her records?"

What about me? I had been close to being promoted to the position of head of the Gynecology Department, and a suspension would render all my efforts throughout the past few years useless.

Was my future not important?

All he told me in return was, "Are you done making a fuss?"

From that day onward, we started giving each other the cold shoulder, and the situation lasted for an entire month. During that time, I ignored the various text messages Cynthia sent me.

I knew without even having to look at them that her messages contained photos of Xavier having meals with her three times a day, photos of the two of them doing the rounds together, and photos of them with other patients.

Xavier and I were so busy with work that we rarely got together in the first place. Therefore, even if we weren't giving each other the silent treatment, he and I probably wouldn't have seen each other for a month.

Our marriage had already been coming apart at the seams. Cynthia didn't even need to give it more than a gentle nudge, and our relationship just fell apart.

When the doctor who came to take over Xavier's shift—Bryan Errington—saw him coming out of Cynthia's ward, his face was full of surprise.

Immediately afterward, he recalled my surgery last night. Even if it was a normal death, he still felt guilty at the sight of Xavier, who was my family member.

He said quietly, "We're all very sorry about what happened with Dr. Livingston…"

Xavier frowned slightly as he undid the buttons on his shirt collar.

"Is Elena still clinging onto such a trivial matter?" he asked, looking Bryan up and down with a baffled expression. "She's getting more and more petty as time goes on. Sorry for the trouble last night. I'll tell her off when I go home tomorrow."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Bryan suddenly raised his voice. "Dr. Goodwin! Aren't you going to see Dr. Livingston now?"

I poked at Xavier's handsome face.

Even if he came to see me now, it was too late!

Xavier simply left without the slightest pause. "I have to change the dressing on Cynthia's wounds later, so tell Elena to go home by herself first."

The nurses behind Xavier gesticulated at him, silently judging his behavior, but Bryan didn't stop them.

"To think Dr. Goodwin was actually so cold and heartless. What a terrible man."

"I heard that Dr. Goodwin flew into a great rage when Bella made one negative comment about Cynthia. He'd probably believe Cynthia even if she told him that rotten food smelled good."

I burst into laughter. That's right. He'd not just believe it but taste it too.

Even someone like you has become the subject of ridicule, Xavier.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout from ahead. The voice sounded quite familiar to me.

I suddenly paused before starting to drift forward quickly.

My soul was bound to the accessory on Xavier's chest—a lucky charm I had gone to great lengths to obtain from a church on the mountain.

Judging from the speed at which my soul was being tugged along, Xavier was likely being dragged along the floor by someone. There was no other explanation for it.

A gloomy-looking young man with messy hair that pretty much covered his entire face was dragging Xavier across the floor. The young man looked like he wanted to kill someone, and his target was Xavier.

The young man looked incredibly angry, but there was an unconcealable sadness on his face.

Feeling distressed, I tried to wipe his tears away, only for my hand to pass through him time and again.

"Don't cry anymore, Elio. You're going to become an adult soon, and you have to take good care of Mom," I thought silently.

"So, you abandoned Ellie for Cynthia?" yelled my younger brother, Elio Livingston. "Do you know that you're basically cheating? Ellie really was blind to have fallen for you! I want you to come back, kneel in front of her, and apologize to her right now!"

Everyone around Elio was scrambling to try and stop him.

Just then, Cynthia suddenly rushed over from out of nowhere and grabbed his arm. "It's a misunderstanding, Elio! Xav was just worried that I got hurt protecting Ellie from the attacker's knife. If Ellie's angry, I'll go and apologize to her right now."

Elio slapped her hand away. "I don't need any of your fake kindness!"

I felt alarm bells going off in my head. Elio was going to fall right into Cynthia's trap.