Chapter 4 · I Caught My Husband in First Class

Once I arrived at the Four Seasons, I checked in.

Stepping into the room, I flopped heavily onto the plush king bed.

From the shock on the plane to the showdown at the airport, I'd been wound up tight, like a soldier ready for battle.

Only now, in this completely foreign space, did the sheer exhaustion and betrayal wash over me like a tidal wave.

My tears finally spilled over.

Edward and I were college sweethearts. From campus days to wedding vows, everyone used to envy us as the picture-perfect couple.

When he started his own company, I emptied my savings to back him up.

When he drank himself into stomach bleeding at work dinners, I stayed by his hospital bed for three days straight.

Once his business got on the right track, he promised to give me the world.

I thought we had weathered the worst of the storm and that smooth sailing lay ahead.

It turned out I was plain naive. A man's word was probably the flimsiest thing on earth.

I cried for a long time, until my eyes were dry and stinging.

Once the tears ran dry, everything clicked.

This marriage had reached the end of the line.

I wiped my face, pulled myself out of bed, and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

By the time I stepped out, I'd pulled myself together.

I was Sophia Quinn, the youngest chief cardiothoracic surgeon in the department. My life was not about to fall apart over a cheating scumbag.

My phone screen showed dozens of missed calls from Edward. I didn't return a single one.

As for his messages, I didn't even bother tapping them open. They were nothing more than the usual fluff like apologies, excuses, and desperate pleas for forgiveness.

I tapped open my chat with my best friend, Lily White. [I celebrated my wedding anniversary early for you. I ran into Edward on the plane.]

[He brought a young girl along, sitting right next to me.]

Lily called me back instantly, practically breathing fire over the line. "Holy shit! Are you serious? Where is he? Did you rip them both to shreds?"

"I did," I said calmly. "In the classiest way possible."

I gave her a quick rundown of what happened.

On the other end of the line, Lily was blowing a fuse, cursing out Edward's entire family tree.

"Sophia, don't be sad." She comforted me right after venting her rage. "With garbage like him, the sooner you find out, the better. Get a divorce. You have to. Leave him with nothing."

"I know."

"Where are you now? Are you really okay by yourself overseas? Do you want me to fly over and keep you company?"

"No, I'm good," I said. "The conference starts tomorrow, so I can throw myself into work."

"Don't go soft on him," Lily warned, still anxious. "If he tries to contact you again, give him the cold shoulder. Once you're back home, I'll get you the best lawyer in town."

"Don't worry."

After hanging up, the knot in my chest finally started to loosen. Having someone in your corner who offered unconditional support was a massive comfort.

I opened my laptop and started prepping my slides for tomorrow's speech.

Since I came here for my career, I couldn't let personal drama throw me off track.

As for Edward, he was nothing more than necrotic tissue in my life plan that needed to be carved out, and I was the best surgeon for the job.

*****

The next day, the conference kicked off.

I ran into Edward again at the venue. He wasn't in medicine, but his company dealt in medical devices and was one of the event's top sponsors.

As a special guest, he was sitting front and center in the first row.

Talk about ironic.

He looked pretty beat up, with dark circles under his eyes, and gave me a complex look when he saw me.

I walked right past him without batting an eye and took my seat. I was locked in for the entire day.

When my turn came to take the stage, I delivered my speech in fluent Altenian, presenting my latest research on minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

My presentation brought down the house. From the audience, a number of world-renowned experts showered me with admiring looks.

I caught sight of Edward. He sat there, watching me as I dazzled on stage. His eyes were a storm of shock, regret, and an almost possessive greed that I couldn't quite fathom.

It hit me all at once.

Maybe he never truly loved the Sophia who stayed home to cook and care for him. He loved the Sophia standing here today, the one who could bring him glory and prestige, serving as a trophy to show off to the world.

Chapter 4

Once I arrived at the Four Seasons, I checked in.

Stepping into the room, I flopped heavily onto the plush king bed.

From the shock on the plane to the showdown at the airport, I'd been wound up tight, like a soldier ready for battle.

Only now, in this completely foreign space, did the sheer exhaustion and betrayal wash over me like a tidal wave.

My tears finally spilled over.

Edward and I were college sweethearts. From campus days to wedding vows, everyone used to envy us as the picture-perfect couple.

When he started his own company, I emptied my savings to back him up.

When he drank himself into stomach bleeding at work dinners, I stayed by his hospital bed for three days straight.

Once his business got on the right track, he promised to give me the world.

I thought we had weathered the worst of the storm and that smooth sailing lay ahead.

It turned out I was plain naive. A man's word was probably the flimsiest thing on earth.

I cried for a long time, until my eyes were dry and stinging.

Once the tears ran dry, everything clicked.

This marriage had reached the end of the line.

I wiped my face, pulled myself out of bed, and headed into the bathroom for a shower.

By the time I stepped out, I'd pulled myself together.

I was Sophia Quinn, the youngest chief cardiothoracic surgeon in the department. My life was not about to fall apart over a cheating scumbag.

My phone screen showed dozens of missed calls from Edward. I didn't return a single one.

As for his messages, I didn't even bother tapping them open. They were nothing more than the usual fluff like apologies, excuses, and desperate pleas for forgiveness.

I tapped open my chat with my best friend, Lily White. [I celebrated my wedding anniversary early for you. I ran into Edward on the plane.]

[He brought a young girl along, sitting right next to me.]

Lily called me back instantly, practically breathing fire over the line. "Holy shit! Are you serious? Where is he? Did you rip them both to shreds?"

"I did," I said calmly. "In the classiest way possible."

I gave her a quick rundown of what happened.

On the other end of the line, Lily was blowing a fuse, cursing out Edward's entire family tree.

"Sophia, don't be sad." She comforted me right after venting her rage. "With garbage like him, the sooner you find out, the better. Get a divorce. You have to. Leave him with nothing."

"I know."

"Where are you now? Are you really okay by yourself overseas? Do you want me to fly over and keep you company?"

"No, I'm good," I said. "The conference starts tomorrow, so I can throw myself into work."

"Don't go soft on him," Lily warned, still anxious. "If he tries to contact you again, give him the cold shoulder. Once you're back home, I'll get you the best lawyer in town."

"Don't worry."

After hanging up, the knot in my chest finally started to loosen. Having someone in your corner who offered unconditional support was a massive comfort.

I opened my laptop and started prepping my slides for tomorrow's speech.

Since I came here for my career, I couldn't let personal drama throw me off track.

As for Edward, he was nothing more than necrotic tissue in my life plan that needed to be carved out, and I was the best surgeon for the job.

*****

The next day, the conference kicked off.

I ran into Edward again at the venue. He wasn't in medicine, but his company dealt in medical devices and was one of the event's top sponsors.

As a special guest, he was sitting front and center in the first row.

Talk about ironic.

He looked pretty beat up, with dark circles under his eyes, and gave me a complex look when he saw me.

I walked right past him without batting an eye and took my seat. I was locked in for the entire day.

When my turn came to take the stage, I delivered my speech in fluent Altenian, presenting my latest research on minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

My presentation brought down the house. From the audience, a number of world-renowned experts showered me with admiring looks.

I caught sight of Edward. He sat there, watching me as I dazzled on stage. His eyes were a storm of shock, regret, and an almost possessive greed that I couldn't quite fathom.

It hit me all at once.