Chapter 3

Nathan looked caught off guard seeing me here. "What are you doing at the hospital?"

I looked at the two of them and fired back, "It's the middle of a workday. What are you two doing at the hospital?"

That shut him right up.

It was Emily who spoke first. "I just bumped into something by accident, and Mr. Sullivan insisted on bringing me in to get it cleaned up."

Her voice was soft and coy, and she made a point of emphasizing that Nathan had been the one who absolutely had to bring her here.

I glanced at Emily's wound.

If they had waited any longer, the scratch probably would have healed on its own.

It reminded me of something that happened not long ago. I had driven through a rainstorm to deliver documents to Nathan at the office.

But the rain was so heavy that the roads were completely flooded, and my car couldn't get through.

I was going to call Nathan and tell him I couldn't make it, but he tore into me before I could explain.

He said I was useless for anything besides spending his money and couldn't even handle something this simple.

Then he blamed me for wasting his time and said he should have just asked Emily to come pick up the files instead.

I was naive back then. I didn't realize Nathan had brought up Emily on purpose to provoke me.

So I gritted my teeth like a fool and walked the rest of the way in the pouring rain to deliver those documents.

By the time I arrived at the office, I was a complete mess.

My clothes were caked in mud, my hair was plastered to my face, and I looked like I had crawled out of a ditch.

The receptionist didn't even recognize me at first and gave me an attitude.

It wasn't until I told her my name that her expression changed, and she waved me through with a stiff smile.

But as I walked past the security gate, I heard them whispering behind me.

"Mrs. Sullivan really has let herself go. She doesn't hold a candle to Ms. Lane."

"I bet Ms. Lane is going to be the new Mrs. Sullivan any day now."

"Keep it down. Don't let Mrs. Sullivan hear you."

I had heard rumors like that a hundred times before, but standing there soaking wet and covered in dirt, they still cut deep.

I walked straight to Nathan's office and pushed the door open without knocking.

Inside, Emily was sitting in Nathan's chair, staring at something on the computer screen.

Nathan was leaning over her shoulder with his hand on the mouse, his body practically pressed against her back.

The sudden noise startled them both, and they looked up at the same time.

The moment Nathan saw me, he frowned. "Why would you just show up like this?"

I glanced toward the window. "It's pouring outside."

"That's no excuse to let yourself look like a mess."

For a split second, I thought he actually cared about me getting caught in the rain.

But his next words hit me like a punch to the gut.

He said, "It's embarrassing. You're my wife. If you don't care about how you look, at least think about my reputation and the company's image."

His voice dripped with disgust, as if I were something shameful he wanted to hide from the world.

Emily quickly stood up and hurried over to Nathan's private closet. She pulled out a disposable towel and handed it to me with a soft, careful smile. "Mrs. Sullivan, you should dry off before you catch a cold."

Every move she made was gentle and deliberate, and with that perfect face of hers, it was no wonder she had Nathan wrapped around her finger.

Nathan wouldn't even look at me. "Just leave it and go. Head home and stop wandering around."

I wanted to argue, but then I remembered Emily was standing right there.

She probably wanted us to fight so she could play the sweet, composed one by comparison.

I clenched my jaw, swallowed my words, and turned to leave.

But the moment I took a step, a sharp pain shot through my leg.

I looked down and pulled up the hem of my pants to find a long gash running down my shin. I had no idea when a branch had caught me.

Blood was seeping through the wound, mixing with streaks of dirt, and it looked bad.

Nathan barely glanced at my hand. "You're a grown woman and you still can't keep yourself from getting hurt. Useless."

Emily tried to help me with the bandage, but Nathan stopped her. "Go get the materials ready for the meeting. She can handle it herself."

I bit back the pain and took the first aid kit from Emily's hands.

Nathan didn't even look at me. "Patch yourself up and get out of here. People are coming soon, and I don't need them seeing you like this."

He walked out of the office without a single glance back, and he never once asked if it hurt.