After hanging up the phone, I turned around and nearly walked straight into Quinn, who was pretending to be out of breath.
"Noah, why did you come out here alone? You just stabilized. It's dangerous."
Watching her rush toward me with such urgent concern, I couldn't help wondering, 'Is she worried about me or about the flawless plan she crafted?'
I let out a bitter laugh and shifted away from her touch. "I'm fine."
For a moment, Quinn's eyes narrowed. Usually, she was the one avoiding me. I had never once deliberately avoided her, even though I was the one suffering the agony of allergic reactions every time.
-
When I was discharged and went back home with Quinn, she took my hand carefully, through my clothes, and placed it on her belly. She spoke softly to the child inside, "Baby, you have to be good in there, okay? Daddy's been so worried about you."
If this had been earlier in our marriage, I would have been dizzy with happiness. I would have felt so grateful that fate had blessed me with a precious child and a loving wife.
Now, every word stabbed straight into my heart. My chest felt like it was bleeding.
As usual, Quinn brought me a warm glass of milk. Her eyes curved into a gentle smile. "Drink it and get some sleep. I'm going to the study to finish work."
Her soft tone and familiar tenderness should have felt comforting. Instead, my whole body trembled.
I didn’t try to resist anymore. I took the milk and forced myself to drink it in one go, as if nothing were wrong.
Before long, my eyelids grew unbearably heavy, and I fell into a deep, drugged sleep.
Through the haze, I faintly heard a video call coming from the study.
"Miles, don't worry. I would never touch him. I won't let you think I'm dirty. And I’ll make sure you secure that research project. You’ll become the rising star of the entire hospital. Trust me, Noah will definitely help me with this."
I didn't even have time to process the meaning behind her words.
What stunned me was that Quinn, who insisted she would never take on male interns, had been personally mentoring her beloved pretty-boy colleague this entire time.
Then what did all her excuses about overtime, meetings, and being busy really mean?
I didn’t dare think about it.
The funniest part was that everyone else seemed to know, except for me. I never suspected a thing.
From the other room, ambiguous intimate sounds drifted over, followed by a thud that sent our perfect wedding photo crashing to the floor.
What a joke.
"What happened, Noah?" Quinn’s anxious voice suddenly came from the doorway. She looked genuinely concerned, but the faint glow still lingering on her lips pierced straight through my chest.
I forced myself to stay calm and pretended I had just woken up. "Nothing, I accidentally knocked the frame over."
She let out a long breath of relief. Tugging awkwardly at her rumpled wool sweater, she quickly turned away.
"I'm going to take a shower."
As she disappeared down the hall, something compelled me to pick up the phone she had left behind.
I unlocked it quickly. Notifications were flooding the screen with pings from a group chat.
Every message hit me like a blow to the ribs.
"Boss, everything's done."
"Just waiting for the right timing. Miles will personally perform the live procedural demonstration for Noah's allergy treatment. That way, Miles can secure his position in the hospital, and Quinn will be delivering in the next room. It'll be a double celebration!"
