My Fiancé's Countdown Mistress

Synopsis

I peeled off my latex gloves with a satisfying snap and tossed them into the biohazard bin. Thirty-six hours on my feet, four cardiac arrests, one multi-car pileup, and a toddler who'd swallowed his mother's wedding ring. Just another marathon shift at San Francisco General. "You're still standing. Impressive," Dr. Ramirez said, passing me in the hallway. I managed a tired smile. "Barely." But exhaustion couldn't touch the flutter of excitement in my chest. I pulled out my phone and texted Marcus: *Still on for City Hall at 2? Can't wait to make this official! ❤️* His response came quickly: *Wouldn't miss it. See you soon, beautiful.* Five years together, and his messages still made me smile. I stared at the three dots that appeared, then disappeared without another text following. Probably just got distracted with work. Marcus was always juggling a dozen things at once—the curse of being a tech entrepreneur in San Francisco. I gathered my things from my locker, changing from scrubs into a simple navy dress I'd brought specially for our appointment. The marriage license was just