Genevieve left the Everett estate without a single bag.
Behind her, the household staff were already muttering.
"Hmph. Says she wants a divorce, but she didn't even take her things? She's just playing hard to get. If she's going to put on a show, at least make it look convincing."
"Exactly. Acting all high and mighty, but she only married Julian for his money. I heard they haven't even slept together this whole time."
"Good. A scheming woman like her doesn't deserve Julian. But I bet you anything she won't actually go through with the divorce."
"I don't think she will either. Head of OB-GYN—how much can a job like that possibly pay? It's all for show. She'll end up quitting her job and coming back to look after Elara."
"All talk.
Let's see if she actually does it."
Their jeers grew fainter as she walked away. The words faded behind her, dissolving into the cool morning air.
She felt terrible. The prolonged fever had left her weak, her body aching.
After years as a doctor, she knew her body had reached its absolute limit.
She waited for a taxi, swaying on her feet as she struggled to stay upright.
Without warning, a sudden gust of cold air hit her as a black car sped past, its side mirror nearly clipping her shoulder.
She stumbled back, a moment too late. As she looked up, she caught a glimpse of Julian's sharp profile through the tinted window.
The window slid shut, blocking her view.
After a stunned pause, a bitter, heartbroken smile touched her lips.
Three years of devotion, and he treated her like an enemy. What a fool she'd been.
As the car turned the corner, the driver glanced in the rearview mirror at the woman swaying in the distance. "Mr. Everett, your wife doesn't look well. If she collapses in front of the gate, it could make for some ugly headlines."
Julian's eyes, which had been closed, slowly opened. His gaze was like ice. "She's the reason Elara lost her baby. Death would be too good for her."
Out of Julian's sight, a sly smile crept onto the driver's face. Then, in a steady voice, he answered, "Yes, sir."
The next moment, the car merged into traffic.
Under the blazing sun, Genevieve swayed, dehydrated, her lips cracked and dry.
She fought to stay conscious, shaking her head, but the dizziness only worsened, and she stumbled.
Her heart hammered against her ribs. She clutched her chest, gasping for air.
When she looked up, the world spun violently.
In that instant, her body felt strangely light, like a dead leaf drifting from a nearby tree. Through her blurring vision, she saw a man's sharp, stern face.
Something familiar.
She tried to force her eyes open, but she was too exhausted. As her eyes closed, she heard a voice call out, "Genevieve!"
Chloe Walsh, Genevieve's student, got the call and rushed to the hospital. By the time she arrived, Genevieve was already unconscious.
Her face was deathly pale.
She was shivering uncontrollably, her forehead slick with sweat. She looked as if she were at death's door.
Her colleagues from the OB-GYN department gathered around.
Alistair Finch, the hospital director, took one look at Genevieve lying lifeless on the bed, his voice a mixture of anguish and anger. "She donated all that blood, kept working through surgeries, and when she got sick, she had to take a taxi by herself and collapsed at our front door! The Everetts have gone too far!"
Jessica Vance, the head nurse, was practically vibrating with rage. She pointed toward Elara's hospital room and seethed, "Do the Everetts have no shame?! How can they torment our department head like this, just because they're rich?"
Her coworkers wheeled her into the ward, their faces tight with outrage.
Genevieve's fever raged through the night. When she finally woke, weak and drained, she leaned heavily against the headboard.
She stared blankly ahead. The events of the previous day replayed vividly in her mind.
Her eyes reddened at the memories. Three years of her youth, wasted. The man who had once been like an older brother to her, a source of warmth on so many lonely nights, was now the one causing her the most pain.
She drew her knees up, wrapped her arms around them, and wept silently.
She had believed love would be returned with love.
She had believed that if she tried hard enough, was obedient enough, even the iciest heart would melt.
Such a naive way of thinking. It had nearly destroyed her.
No wonder everyone called her foolish. She realized now that "foolish" didn't even begin to cover it.
When she woke again, daylight was breaking outside.
Her clothes were soaked in a cold, uncomfortable sweat. She changed, and just then, Chloe came in with some of her colleagues from the department.
Chloe was carrying a warm breakfast.
"Genevieve! You're awake." Chloe pressed a hand to her chest, exhaling loudly. "You scared the hell out of me! I thought I was going to lose you!"
Genevieve found that a bit dramatic but gave a faint smile. "I'm fine."
Laura Sutton, another OB-GYN, said with fierce loyalty, "Dr. Beaumont, just rest. We'll rotate to cover all your patients. Don't worry about a thing—we've got your back." Ever since Genevieve joined Gracehaven Medical Center, the cardiac surgery department's performance had shot up. Then, because Elara became pregnant, Genevieve had transferred to become head of OB-GYN.
When she first arrived as an outsider to head the department, no one was happy about it, especially the senior staffers.
But it only took a few of her surgeries to win them over completely. Under Genevieve's leadership, the OB-GYN department at Gracehaven became one of the best back home within months, with a surgical success rate of ninety-nine percent.
Everyone held her in deep respect.
After Laura spoke, the other coworkers nodded in agreement.
Genevieve nodded and sent them all back to their posts, then turned to Chloe at her bedside.
"Where's my phone?" Chloe immediately looked wary.
"Oh, no. Don't tell me you're going to call Julian again. You're not going to go running back to him just so he can give you the cold shoulder, are you?"
Chloe had seen Julian's car speed past Genevieve, and it had taken everything in her not to scream.
Knowing how Genevieve hated hearing anyone speak ill of Julian, Chloe grumbled, "If you're going to go crawling back, at least wait until you're healthy. How else are you supposed to be his walking, talking rare-blood bank?"
A walking rare-blood bank.
Genevieve gave another pained, resigned smile.
She had to admit, the description wasn't entirely wrong.
"No, I just want to check the news online."
Knowing Elara, the moment she lost the baby, she would milk it for every drop of sympathy.
Then she'd cry crocodile tears to the Everetts, blaming Genevieve for being irresponsible.
And since Elara had accused her of tampering with the medication yesterday, there was no way she'd stop at just telling the Everetts.
She remembered how sweetly Elara used to call her "dear Genevieve." Who knew she'd been setting this trap all along?
She'd played the part of a wolf in sheep's clothing for three years, letting Genevieve wait on her hand and foot. And the moment she was finally healthy, she pulled a stunt like this.
The flood of messages on her phone confirmed Genevieve's suspicions. "What's the point of looking?" Chloe said, exasperated.
"I told you a long time ago, Elara is bad. She's a master manipulator. You're too straightforward—you never stood a chance. You kept saying she was kind-hearted.
Well, look now—the internet is calling you vicious and scheming! And Julian is a complete idiot! Some CEO. If that's all it takes to run a company, then anyone could do it!"
Genevieve said nothing, just stared down at her phone.
The flood of news didn't mention Julian or the Everett family. Every article targeted her and Gracehaven Medical Center.
For a doctor, reputation was everything.
Genevieve could live with her own name being smeared, but not Gracehaven's.
It was a cunning, vicious move, aimed at cutting her off at the roots.
What Elara didn't seem to understand was that the same medical knowledge Genevieve used to save her could just as easily be used to ensure her condition became fatal. Besides, congenital heart disease didn't just disappear because she felt fine.
It required careful, long-term management. So there were still people who died from heart disease for a reason.
Genevieve found her own devotion ridiculous, but she found Elara's ignorant smugness even more laughable.
Chloe, standing nearby, felt a chill run down her spine at that smile. "G-Genevieve? What... what's going on with you?
It's okay if you're in shock. We can get back at them later. But that smile... you're scaring me a little.
Okay, okay, I take it back, just don't be mad. I'll stop calling Julian a jerk, and I won't call Elara a wolf in sheep's clothing anymore, alright?"
Genevieve looked up and saw Chloe's cautious expression, realizing her own past defensiveness about Julian had given Chloe the wrong idea.
Her throat was dry, and every sound was a painful scrape. Still, she spoke slowly and deliberately. "Actually... I think you might be right."
She finished her water, set the cup down, and lay back down to rest.
She left Chloe staring as if she'd been struck by lightning, her face a mask of shock. Chloe stood there, stunned. Genevieve?
Had she really just said that?
Had she just... had a complete change of heart?
She'd insulted Julian, and Genevieve had actually agreed with her?
Chloe darted to the window and looked out.
Yep, the sun had still risen in the east.
