That night, Michelle boarded a flight back to Maryland.
The moment she landed, she contacted the institution that backed her and reported that Stuart wanted to terminate the contract ahead of schedule.
Since Stuart had already told her several times to “get lost,” of course, she had no choice but to accept it.
However, the response from her liaison left her with a nagging sense that things weren’t as straightforward as she imagined.
When she arrived at the institution, that uneasy feeling only grew stronger. Her colleagues were all looking at her with strange expressions. Even Alfred Afrin—her mentor, who was usually kind and gentle with her—had a stiff expression.
His face was drawn tight as he said seriously, “Dr. Burnell. Come with me to the office.”
Her chest tightened with unease. Her instincts told her this had to be connected to Stuart and Janet.
Sure enough, once Michelle and Alfred were behind closed doors, he asked bluntly, “What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Huggett?”
“I’m his contracted therapist,” Michelle answered truthfully.
But her mentor’s face fell, laced with disappointment.
“Still refusing to be honest? Take a look at this yourself!”
Her mentor opened an email that had been blasted out to the entire staff. The instant she read the subject line, her heart seized.
[McMullen Medical Scandal: Dr. Michelle Burnell Exposed as a Mistress, See Exclusive Footage of the Affair!]
When she clicked play, the video showed the scene from the hotel last night—Janet striking her, her being hit with an object—captured secretly without audio.
But combined with that damning headline, the implication was clear.
‘No wonder everyone at the institution has been whispering about me. It has to be Janet’s doing!’
“Dr. Afrin, this isn’t what it looks like, I—” Michelle began to explain.
But her mentor cut her off.
“Dr. Burnell, whether I believe you or not doesn’t matter anymore. This email has already been maliciously sent to everyone. The entire institution has seen it. Who knows how long before someone leaks it further? To control the risk, I have no choice but to suspend all your work. I hope you understand.”
Michelle wanted to argue but forced them back down.
She knew how serious this matter was. A psychologist entangled with a patient—worse yet, accused of being a third party in someone’s relationship—was enough to destroy her career if it spread. If this stigma stuck, everything she had worked for would be over.
Still, how could she not feel bitter?
She spent decades studying, nearly ten years of hard work to finally establish herself here.
Now, thanks to Janet’s false accusations, all her years of effort were on the verge of being wiped out.
Why?
There was no reason, and no one to tell her otherwise
When she walked out of the institution, colleagues she once got along with avoided her as if she carried a plague.
And then, out of all people, Stuart sent her a message—asking her to come back.
Perfect timing. She had been wanting to confront them anyway.
When she stepped into Stuart’s home again, sure enough, Janet was right there with him.
Projected across the living room screen was the very same video Michelle had seen that morning at the institution.
The moment she appeared, Janet sneered and was the first to speak.
“Well, look who dared to show her face. The homewrecker herself.”
This time, Michelle didn’t hold back. She fired back coldly, “I never interfered in your relationship. If anything, Miss Janet, it seems you’ve had far too much time on your hands lately.”
Janet’s face twisted with rage. She raised her hand to strike, but Michelle sidestepped neatly.
Corner a rabbit and it would bite. How much more so when the career she’d built, the one thing she treasured above all, was on the brink of destruction thanks to them?
“Enough,” Stuart interjected suddenly. “Arguing over this useless matter—what’s the point?”
What’s the point?
Of course, it was meaningless to them. To people like Stuart and Janet, what she valued was nothing at all.
But at least, right now, he should be more desperate than she was.
After all, even though he had a privileged background, he was still an illegitimate son, always at a disadvantage among his peers.
If word got out that his mental state was unstable—that he had needed five years of continuous therapy—the blow to him would be far more devastating than what she faced.
As expected, the very next moment, Stuart coaxed Janet softly, “Let me handle this, okay? I need a word with her alone.”
Without waiting, Michelle stepped into the consultation room where she had spent years giving him therapy.
Stuart followed soon after, just like he always had in the past.
But this time, to her shock, he came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her.
“Don’t move,” he murmured. “You haven’t been around lately. I haven’t been able to sleep. Let me hold you for a while first.”
