Chapter 7

The next few days were surprisingly calm.

It was like the storm that had torn through my life had never even happened.

I'd sleep in as long as I wanted, then stroll over to the neighborhood market to buy fresh veggies.

I'd bargain with the sellers at the stalls, like any regular shopper.

Back home, I'd pore over cookbooks and experiment with all kinds of complicated recipes.

Work always kept me too busy before. I tried things I never got to try before.

Now, I had all the time in the world.

I even started planting something in tiny pots out on my balcony.

Watching them push out new shoots day after day, I felt my spirits lift a little more each morning.

I cut myself off from everything and everyone in my past.

I stayed offline, ignored the news, and refused to pick up any calls from strangers.

I had no clue and didn't care what was going on at Stoverein Medical Center, or how the whole bribe-taking drama was blowing up.

I knew it'd be a tidal wave of hate and blame.

Why should I torture myself by looking at it?

Julia called me every day to check in.

She never brought up the stressful stuff about the case. She only talked about easy, cheerful things to keep my mind off it.

I knew she was worried I might do something reckless.

Julia had drafted the divorce papers at lightning speed and sent them straight to Sean.

Along with demanding a split of the assets, she included a detailed bill under my name.

It itemized every major expense I'd paid for our family, for him, and for his mother, starting from the day we got married.

The total of cars, houses, and daily expenses was a figure that would make him choke.

Julia told me that after Sean got the papers, he called her office and started cursing up a storm.

He called me a heartless bitch, saying I not only wanted a divorce, but I was out to ruin him financially.

Julia shut him down so hard he couldn't even get a word in.

"Mr. Newman, every single payment is documented. This is Taylor's hard-earned money. She worked her ass off in the operating room for it. You chose to betray her and tear her life apart, so now it's time to pay the price for what you've done.

"Pay what you owe. That's the law of the universe."

I could picture Sean fuming on the other end, but honestly, it didn't stir a single emotion in me.

It was enough to break him down?

The real drama was yet to come.

Julia was quietly digging into Linda, pulling every string she had to keep things hush-hush.

It turned out to be way more complicated than I'd expected.

Linda had covered her tracks so well that there was barely any direct link between her and Sean.

The money that got dumped into my so-called black account came from a shell company in another city.

And the person running that company had no obvious ties to Linda or Sean whatsoever.

The trail went cold right there.

"Taylor, don't worry," Julia said on the phone, her voice steady. "There's no way something like this leaves zero trace. If they did it, I'll find the evidence. Give me a bit more time. I'll get to the bottom of it."

"I'm not worried," I replied. "Don't rush. Be careful."

After hanging up, I stared out the window.

I knew there had to be a more secret web behind all this.

Sean himself didn't have the brains or the guts to pull off something this slick.

Linda might be the mastermind, but she definitely had an accomplice.

And that accomplice was most likely someone inside the hospital.

I closed my eyes, running a rapid-fire scan through all the people I'd crossed paths with at the hospital over the years.

Who'd been gunning for my position?

Whoever held a grudge against me for being too cold or distant?

And who would be most likely to join forces with Linda?

Names and faces flashed through my mind, one after another.

But I dismissed them all.

Without solid evidence, any guess was meaningless.

I needed an opportunity that would force the snake lurking beneath the surface to reveal itself.

I was waiting quietly and patiently like a seasoned hunter, biding my time until the prey walked right into the trap.

I knew that day would come.

I was so sure because Sean and Linda had one thing in common.

Once they got a little power, they'd get carried away and lose all sense of caution.

And when people got cocky, they were most likely to mess up.

All I had to do was sit back and watch, waiting for them to make their move and their mistake.

And when that happened, I'd strike with the deadliest blow.

*****

That afternoon, I was watering the scallions I'd planted. Suddenly, my phone started ringing.

It was a number I didn't recognize.

I was about to hit decline, but on a whim, I picked up.

"Hello?" I said.

On the other end, a nervous, almost shaky female voice spoke up.

"Um... Is this Dr. Garcia?" the girl said.

Her voice sounded familiar.

I paused, thinking for a second, and remembered her.

It was Emily Lawson, a nurse from cardiology.

She was a young girl, new to the hospital. She was quiet but really diligent.

I had a pretty good impression of her.

"Yes," I replied. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Dr. Garcia..." Emily's voice was shaky, almost stuttering. "I... I have something I want to tell you, but I'm not sure if I should."

"It's okay. Go ahead," I reassured her.

She went silent for a moment, clearly trying to summon up the courage. "After you left, Dr. Linda Richardson... She..."

"What happened with her?" I pressed.

"She's got your former grad students doing nothing but grunt work now. And... she shut down that major research project you were leading.

"She claimed it was a vanity project for you, said it had no real scientific value.

"A lot of us in the department can't stand it, but no one has the guts to speak up."

I listened quietly, my heart went cold.

She'd only been in charge for a month, and she was already erasing every trace I ever existed.

She really didn't waste any time.

"And..." Emily's voice dropped even lower. "A few days ago, I... I overheard her on the phone in the hallway.

"She sounded like she was arguing with someone, and she mentioned... a shell company, and... some money."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Did you catch what she said?" I asked.

"I... I didn't catch everything. She was speaking really quietly, like she was afraid someone might overhear. All I heard was her saying, 'Everything's done. Why hasn't the final payment come through?' And something like, 'Don't try to hide what you're plotting. If you push me, nobody's going to walk away unscathed.'

"Then she spotted me and snapped at me, really harsh."

Shell company, unpaid balance, threats.

The clues were finally connecting.

"Emily," I said, fighting to keep my voice calm even though my heart was racing, "thank you for telling me all this."

"Don't mention it. I... I simply can't stand seeing you treated like this..." Emily's voice was shaky, almost breaking into tears.

"Did anyone see you making this call today?" I asked.

"No, I used a payphone outside the hospital," she replied.

I told her, "Good. Remember, don't breathe a word of this to anyone, not even your best friend.

"And from now on, don't use this number to contact me anymore. Make sure you stay safe, alright?"

She said, "Oh! Got it, Dr. Garcia. Take care of yourself too!"

After hanging up, my palms were slick with sweat.

I called Julia right away. "Julia, I've got a new clue!"

I told her everything Emily had said, leaving nothing out.

"Linda's pushing for the final payment? And threatening the other side?" Julia's voice was buzzing with excitement. "This means they're turning on each other!"

"Exactly!" I said. "This is our breakthrough! Follow the money trail from that shell company. See if anyone's had any disputes with them lately.

"I suspect Linda's following orders. There's someone else behind her, pulling the strings. They promised her something, but now that it's over, they're not paying up.

"So now Linda's desperate. She's cornered and starting to lash out."

"Got it!" Julia said. "I'll get my team on it right away! Taylor, this time, we're going to take them all down!"

After hanging up, I watched the daylight fade outside my window.

After all this time, the calm inside me was finally stirring. I could feel the storm rising.

Linda, Sean, your reckoning was coming.