Chapter 1
After Lucas Reed left me mid-surgery to be with Lily Warren, I spent the next three months messing around with every single intern in his department to get back at him.
After kissing the fifth resident goodbye in the on-call room, I cornered Lucas as he was getting out of surgery.
"Dr. Reed, let's get a divorce," I said.
Lucas pulled off his blood-stained gloves, his expression indifferent.
"What now? Is this because I didn't make it to our anniversary?" he asked. "What's got the usually so considerate Mrs. Reed showing up at the hospital to make a scene?"
He brushed past me toward the locker room, his voice cool. "I'm tired, and I don't have time for your drama. I've got patient charts to write tonight."
I watched him go and finally saw clearly the coldness beneath that white coat.
He could save the lives of strangers, but he'd never wasted so much as a shred of that compassion on me.
I slipped the pregnancy test into his chest pocket and flashed him a bright smile. "Lucas, I'm not joking this time.
"The baby's not yours. We're done."
*****
Lucas didn't lose his temper like I'd imagined.
He didn't even raise an eyebrow. With his slender fingers, he picked up the pregnancy test.
With a flawless arc, he tossed it straight into the yellow medical waste bin.
"Emma, that's enough," he said, carelessly unbuttoning his white coat. "You're even resorting to fake props for attention now?
"If Lily's feeling unwell tonight, I still have to check on her. I don't have time for your cry-wolf routine."
He was a neurosurgery specialist. In his eyes, every bit of my hysteria was nothing more than the drama of a bored housewife with nothing better to do.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out, and the screen lit up.
It was a message from the 22-year-old intern I'd just kissed goodbye in the on-call room.
It read: [Hey, gorgeous, Dr. Reed seems to have caught on about my shift, but I don't regret a thing. Your lipstick tasted pretty sweet earlier.]
I looked at the screen, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
Lucas was scrubbing his hands, following the proper surgical protocol, every move precise and practiced.
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Lily calling.
Lucas paused, his hand-washing suddenly halted, and all that indifference disappeared in a flash.
He answered the call, his voice tender in a way I hadn't heard from him in ages. "What's wrong? Is your wound hurting again?"
Lily's soft, breathy voice echoed through the quiet locker room, every word crystal clear.
She said, "Lucas, I'm sorry for calling so late, but I'm really in pain.
"Did I upset Emma again? The nurse said she came looking for you. Maybe you shouldn't come over. I'll try to tough it out."
Lucas held the phone, then turned and cast me a frosty, dismissive glance.
His gaze was loaded with disgust and reproach.
He spoke gently into the phone, his voice reassuring. "Don't overthink it. She's being immature. Don't be like her."
In that moment, all the pent-up rage I'd been holding onto for three years finally exploded.
I strode over and snatched his phone before he could react.
Lucas's brows knitted together. "Emma, give it back."
I ignored him and hung up the call.
Then, with him watching, I hurled his expensive phone straight into the sink.
I cranked the faucet on.
Water gushed over the phone, the screen flickered a few times, then died for good.
"Just giving it a wash for you," I said with a smile.
Lucas's face finally darkened.
He clamped down on my wrist, his grip so fierce it felt like he could crush my bones.
"Emma, are you out of your mind?" he said.
The locker room door swung open.
Lily rushed in, still in her patient gown, looking panicked.
"Lucas, what happened?" she said. "I heard..."
When Lily saw the scene, she covered her mouth, tears sprang to her eyes almost instantly.
"Don't be mad at Lucas, Emma," she said. "It's all my fault."
Her face, delicate and drenched in tears, was suddenly inches from mine.
I stared at her, utterly repulsed.
With a swift backhand, I slapped her hard across the face.
The crisp smack echoed through the cramped locker room.
Lily staggered back a couple steps, clutching her cheek as it turned red and puffy, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
Lucas was stunned, too.
I shook out my numb hand and pointed right at Lily, her phony act written all over her face. "If you admit it's your fault, then stand still and take your punishment.
"As long as I haven't signed those divorce papers, you're nothing but a homewrecker.
"Stop playing the victim. It's disgusting."
Lucas finally snapped out of it and pulled Lily behind him.
He stared at me, his eyes stripped of any warmth, just endless, freezing contempt.
"Emma, you're truly unreasonable," he said.