Under the shocked gaze of everyone, I said calmly, "My husband paid a hefty sum to hire me to operate on his lover, so I returned to the medical field now."
Nicolas trembled and seemed to have been hit by a thunderbolt.
The room was silent for a few seconds and then erupted in an uproar.
Camera shutters clicked like a storm, and reporters surged forward madly. Microphones nearly touched my nose. "Dr. Sini, are you saying you and Nicolas are married?"
"Dr. Sini, did Nicolas ask you to operate on his lover? Is that true?"
"Why did he fake your death? It's unbelievable."
Amid the barrage of questions, I turned to face Nicolas, who had been pushed into a corner.
He clenched his fists, and his lips trembled uncontrollably.
I took a deep breath and answered the reporters' questions. "Every word I said is true. Nicolas and I were once married."
Then I took out my phone and played recordings from Nicolas's heartfelt confession to me three years ago, and then Nicolas's threatening words demanding a divorce from a month ago. Each word echoed through the venue via the sound system.
"Lorna, you are my love forever. I want to cherish and protect you forever."
"Lorna, if you insist on doing this, I'll freeze all your bank accounts. You won't even be able to afford basic living expenses. You're just a housewife now, without a job or savings. You're nothing and have no right to negotiate with me."
With each word broadcast, Nicolas's face grew paler.
When the recording finished, the sound of gasps filled the room.
I turned my gaze to Nicolas. "As for why he faked my death, I think that question should be answered by him."
The cameras followed and focused on Nicolas.
I calmly looked at Nicolas, who always prided himself on being a "gentleman." At that moment, sweat beaded on his forehead, and his body shivered. His clothes were rumpled from being jostled. He was completely devoid of any gentlemanly image.
His fear was captured by countless high-definition cameras and magnified on the screen.
A reporter handed him a microphone. "Mr. Shaw, why did you fake your wife's death? Did you prevent Dr. Sini from exposing your affair?"
"You've always presented yourself as a devoted husband to the public. Do you have nothing to say in your defense now?"
The flashlights and cameras were pointed at Nicolas, capturing his every subtle reaction.
Nicolas's Adam's apple quivered, but he said nothing.
"Mr. Shaw, please answer the question."
"Mr. Nicolas, please respond to our questions."
With reporters urging him repeatedly, Nicolas's mouth twitched, and he glared at me viciously. "She's slandering me! She's saying all this just to get back at me. She can't possibly be Dr. Sini."
Nicolas shouted wildly, "Who can prove she's Dr. Sini? Can she prove her identity just with a few words? From start to finish, there's no document to prove she's Dr. Sini. She's a fraud."
The reporters became agitated again and turned their cameras back to me.
Nicolas looked at me like a beast and hoped to see me panic under the spotlight.
But he miscalculated.
I stood tall and gestured to my mentor to the stage. "I would like to ask my professor, the dean of the First Affiliated Hospital, Andres Hayes, to retrieve my identification documents."
Andres stood up and greeted the audience. His deep voice echoed through the venue. "Of course, there are documents proving Sini's identity."
Under the gaze of numerous media outlets, Andres stood beside me and took out a sealed envelope. "Three years ago, Sini temporarily retired due to personal reasons, and she entrusted her documents and honors to me. Now, I have the responsibility to stand up when her identity is questioned and tell everyone that Sini, also known as Lorna Norris, is my student. I am proud of her. She has upheld the compassion of a healer and created many medical miracles."
Andres laid out the documents from the envelope on the table for reporters to photograph and examine.
There were my student ID, work ID, and various award certificates.
On my international gold award certificate, my photo was clearly printed, along with my name, Sini (Lorna Norris).
Andres held my hand and said to all reporters, "Lorna is Sini, an exceptional surgeon in our country without any doubt."
The reporters broke into applause.
I looked at Andres with gratitude and realized that I was willing to maintain my passion for this field just because of upright and kind people like him.
Nicolas finally collapsed weakly into his chair.
I turned to Nicolas again. "Nicolas, I think the real question should be about you. As the youngest chairman of a listed company, you have received endless praise and admiration. But do you truly deserve it?"
I pressed him further, "Do you dare to let everyone know the means you used to secure the bidding projects?"
