Chapter 3

"You going to eat?" Samuel asked.

He clearly remembered me—not just because of my earlier help. After all, I was his patient.

I nodded.

Samuel seemed to have a natural way of putting people at ease.

"Where are you planning to eat?" he asked.

Maybe my little intervention had left a good impression. This time, he sounded noticeably more relaxed than before.

"Just somewhere nearby, grab a bite," I said.

Samuel frowned slightly. "With your current condition, you need to be very careful about your diet."

He paused for a moment, then said, "I'm going to the hospital cafeteria. Come with me."

I froze. "Only hospital staff can eat in the cafeteria, right? That doesn't seem appropriate."

"No problem. Consider it my way of thanking you." Without waiting for my reply, he started walking.

After a while, seeing I hadn't followed, he turned back. "Why aren't you coming?"

I nodded quickly and caught up.

In a daze, I ended up in the hospital cafeteria with him. The dishes were plentiful, the soups delicious, the apples fresh and sweet.

Though I normally tried to eat well at home, I had rarely eaten this healthily.

Throughout the meal, whenever I ate too fast, Samuel would gently tell me to slow down.

I knew my stomach couldn't handle carelessness, so I obediently paced myself.

Opposite me, Samuel's tray was far more substantial—fish, eggs, meat—everything. Yet he ate quickly, almost as if he didn't need to chew.

At one point, I tried to tell him not to rush, but without looking up, he said, "There are more patients this afternoon. I have to make the most of my time."

In that one sentence, I glimpsed the pressure of his daily work.

I nodded and stopped urging him.

I didn't eat too much, and he ate quickly. In the end, we finished at the same time.

Since I still had to wait for my next call, I followed him back toward the outpatient building.

As we passed a small garden, I was asking him about stomach cancer when my gaze inadvertently caught a figure, and I froze.

Samuel noticed my reaction and turned to me. "What is it?"

My breath caught. Not far ahead, Eric was walking alongside a visibly pregnant woman. Cold fear shot through me.

Even though I already knew Eric had been unfaithful, I never imagined I'd witness this scene firsthand.

The woman was clearly pregnant, at least seven months along.

I watched silently as they drew nearer. Then, Eric looked up and saw me.

In that moment, my tense anger suddenly shifted to a strange calm.

I had already decided to end this marriage, and I had hoped to do it with dignity. But clearly, that was no longer possible.

Yet at this point, it didn't matter.

After all, I wasn't even afraid of cancer anymore. What else could scare me?

Eric's eyes went wide with shock at seeing me, then quickly filled with panic he couldn't hide.

I felt a flicker of amusement.

I suddenly realized that the moment I knew he already had a mistress, I had gained the upper hand.

"Dr. Stone, this is my husband. You can go ahead without me," I said, straightening my back, refusing to show a hint of weakness.

Samuel hadn't expected this. He frowned. "We'll go together."

Eric had spoken first; I had no chance to send him off.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" He stumbled over his words, flustered.

I glanced at the woman beside him, delicate and soft in appearance, and laughed. "Delphine was right. I really didn't know you at all. Five or six years we've been together, and I had no idea that all along, the type you liked was this?"

Eric frowned at me. "Lucy, how dare you mock my mother? Where's your respect?" he said, blocking the woman beside him with a hand. "This is a hospital. I'm warning you—don't go crazy here."

I hadn't expected that, even in this situation, Eric would instinctively try to scold me.

Over all these years, just how easy did he think I was to bully?

After the initial shock, a wave of uncontrollable anger surged through me. My stomach twisted painfully.

Truthfully, before Eric spoke, I hadn't planned on causing a scene.

But the moment he finished, I changed my mind.

Without hesitation, I stepped forward and slapped him hard.

I hit with all my strength; my hand tingled from the force.

The woman beside Eric hadn't anticipated my action and cried out in shock.

Eric froze, stunned. After a moment, he covered his face and looked at me in disbelief. "Lucy, you dared to hit me?"

I stared at him coldly. "I hit whoever I want. And I say whatever I want. Eric, stop forcing your harsh expectations of a wife onto me. I find it disgusting."

Perhaps he had never seen me so sharp and resolute. Eric was momentarily stunned.

His mistress hurried closer to him, worry etched across her face. "Darling, are you okay?"

She then turned angrily to me. "How can you be so cruel? It's all your fault for being unlikable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have liked me."

I looked at her, self-righteous and infuriating, and almost laughed in disbelief.

After a long breath, I finally spoke. "I didn't want this to end ugly. But since you can do such shameless things, clearly without shame, we might as well settle it once and for all."

My eyes burned as I fixed them both with a glare. "Eric, we're getting a divorce."

Eric had been arrogant, disrespectful, and unfaithful. I didn't want to see him for another second.

I'd had enough of this life.

He hadn't expected me to bring up divorce and immediately went red with anger and humiliation. "Lucy, who are you to accuse me? You dare blame me for cheating? Are you so innocent? Why were you flirting with a doctor behind my back?"

He gestured at Samuel.

I hadn't realized Eric could be so shameless when cornered.

Anger threatened to burn away all my reason.

I grabbed Eric by the collar. "Say that again."

Intimidated by my aggression, he stammered, "I-I just what's the point of saying it again."

I slapped him once more, hard.

Eric was utterly enraged and swung back to hit me.

But halfway through, his wrist was caught.

"Striking a woman is disgraceful," Samuel said calmly, gripping Eric's wrist with firm, immovable force.

Eric struggled in vain, furious. "Lucy, I'm sure he's your lover. Are you still going to deny it?"

I was about to slap him again, but the pregnant woman suddenly cried out in pain.

Eric panicked instantly. "Let go. Emily, what's wrong? Emily?"

Samuel released his grip and glanced at the woman crouched on the ground. "Signs of premature labor. If you want to save the baby, get her to the ER immediately."

As a doctor, Samuel's words carried authority. Even in his anger, Eric didn't dare delay. Casting me a hateful glance, he scooped Emily up and rushed to the emergency room.

I watched their hurried retreat, feeling the tension I'd been holding unravel.

"Dr. Stone, I'm so sorry for all this," I said, forcing a weak smile—but it wouldn't come.

"If you don't feel like smiling, don't. You'd just look awkward," Samuel said.

After that, I fell silent.

So much inside me was collapsing. I forced myself not to dwell on it and reminded myself that my health had to come first.

But thinking of my condition, I realized belatedly that my stomach was in serious pain.

Perhaps he noticed my pale face, and Samuel's tone became serious. "Are you feeling stomach pain?"

I nodded, but before I could say anything, a wave of dizziness swept over me.

Then everything went black, and I knew nothing more.