Chapter 3

As soon as I heard Andrew's voice, irritation bubbled up inside me.

After hanging up, I headed back to my office.

Before I even opened the door, I heard soft, intimate sounds through the crack.

Peeking in, I saw Melissa nestled in Andrew's arms, catching her breath, her lips suspiciously moist.

She was clutching his shirt gently, fingers curling around the fabric.

"Andrew, would you really give me your very own heart?" Melissa whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.

Andrew pulled her even closer, comforting her in a hushed, soothing tone.

"Of course. For you, I'd give you my heart, even my whole life if you needed it," he murmured.

"I love you," he said softly.

As soon as the words left his lips, they leaned in, ready to kiss once more.

I kicked the door open hard. "This is an office, not a hotel. Take your business elsewhere and don't defile my place."

Melissa shrieked in fright, immediately burying herself deeper into Andrew's arms.

I just scoffed at her pathetic act. "Why bother hiding? The whole hospital's already gossiping about you two."

Andrew patted Melissa's back soothingly, then turned to me.

"Evelyn, after everything Mel's done for you, she was so worried about your hand and insisted on staying to take care of you, and this is how you treat her? How ungrateful can you be!" he said.

Then he continued. "Now apologize to Mel right now. If you don't, I'll divorce you."

Before I could even get a word out, Melissa's sobs grew louder and more pitiful.

"Andrew, don't blame Evelyn. It's my fault. If Evelyn dislikes me so much, I'll just go. Let's not contact each other anymore. I don't want people calling me a homewrecker," she cried out.

Andrew's face grew even darker. He lifted Melissa's chin, looking at her with intense sincerity.

"Mel, you're not the other woman," he said firmly. "I knew you way before I met Evelyn. She's the one who came later. The real homewrecker is her, not you."

They stared deep into each other's eyes, completely caught up in their own drama.

I jumped in coldly, cutting off their sickly-sweet moment. "You make me sick. Andrew, I've wanted a divorce for a long time. Do you really think you're such a prize that everyone has to fawn over you?"

Andrew stared, then flew into a rage. "What did you say? Evelyn, what nonsense are you spouting?

"You've grown a spine, huh? Using divorce to threaten me? I've spoiled you too much lately.

"Your hand's busted anyway, so you're out of commission. Just get out of here and go home. Don't show your face around here until you've straightened yourself out."

Seeing him act so damn sure he's right, pain crawled all over my heart.

I felt bad for myself. How could I spend all those years never really seeing what kind of person he was?

It took dying to see this man was never worthy of my love.

I strode to my desk, picked up the phone, and called security. "There are two disruptive lunatics in my office. Come remove them, please."

"You!" Andrew snapped, his face twisted with rage.

But before Andrew could finish, Melissa reached out and stopped him. "Andrew, please don't be angry. Can you step out for a minute? I want to talk to Evelyn alone."

Melissa gazed up at him with pleading eyes, and after a pause, Andrew finally turned and walked out.

At the door, Andrew stopped and glared back at me. "Don't you dare try anything. If you hurt Mel, you'll regret it."

As soon as the door clicked shut, Melissa dropped that helpless little act of hers.

She looked down at me. "Evelyn, you're just as pathetic as before. Andrew was my devoted puppy then, and he still is now."

She circled me, then raised an eyebrow mockingly. "You're a doctor, and you still managed to get poisoned? But watching you die last time, it was so satisfying."

My face hardened. She had come back too.

Her cold hand closed around my neck, squeezing tighter. "Last time, I didn't expect to die on the operating table. But fate gave me a second chance. This time, I will have a healthy body."

That suffocating feeling crashed over me, and for a terrifying moment, I couldn't breathe. My heart lurched. I threw her off me as hard as I could.

All she ever wanted was Andrew's healthy heart.

Melissa took the opportunity to clutch her chest and collapse dramatically on the floor, wailing. "My medicine! Evelyn, please, my medicine!"

"Mel!" Andrew yelled, panic in his voice.

Hearing the commotion, he burst in from behind and shoved me out of the way, hard.

My cast-encased wrist slammed directly into the wall, sending a wave of nauseating pain through me.

He frantically laid Melissa flat, searching her pockets. "Where is it?"

His eyes were frantic. He turned to me, his voice deadly. "You're dead!"

I ignored him, observing Melissa through the pain. Her complexion was rosy, her cries strong. This wasn't a real cardiac episode.

"Melissa, aren't you tired of this act? I'm certainly tired of watching it. Can't you try a new trick?" I calmly listed her non-symptoms, but she kept her eyes tightly shut.

Andrew gritted his teeth, finally snapping. He grabbed my injured wrist and squeezed, his voice like ice. "Evelyn, you're still making snide remarks? Do you really have a death wish?"

I met his gaze fearlessly, a small smile playing on my lips. "Go ahead. Try to kill me right here in the hospital. Let's see if you can get away with it."

His face contorted, and he increased the pressure.

I gritted my teeth, enduring the sharp, agonizing pain.

Suddenly, Andrew let go, turning to scoop up Melissa. "Mel is having an episode. Evelyn, you'll pay for this."

He charged out into the hallway with Melissa in his arms, shouting for help like his life depended on it.