Something slammed into my shoulder. The man beside me was holding a red banner.
Percy stopped in his tracks, arms crossed, watching me with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"Here you go, Dr. Simmons. Catch."
The banner was shoved toward me. The man holding it gave it a shake, and the fabric unfurled.
The moment I read the words, my expression went dark.
HOMEWRECKER. KNOWS HIS PLACE AS A SIDE PIECE.
Eight bold characters, each one an invisible slap across my face. My skin burned.
My whole body trembled. When I spoke, my voice was ice.
"Mr. Henson. What exactly is this supposed to mean?"
Any pretense of friendliness vanished. Percy's gaze raked over me from head to toe, his entire demeanor transformed.
"Carina's not here. You can drop the act."
"I saw it yesterday, outside the delivery room. Your eyes were glued to her. You couldn't look away if your life depended on it."
"We're both men. Don't think for a second I can't see those filthy little thoughts running through your head."
He pressed his hand over his mouth and made a show of gagging, his eyes full of disgust and self-righteous judgment.
"Some angel in white you are. Spending your days scheming to seduce a patient's wife. Disgusting."
I slammed the banner to the ground. Every instinct screamed at me to fire back, to tear his accusations apart.
But the image of those two marriage certificates, their authenticity still unknown, lodged the words in my throat. Nothing came out.
My silence only fed his arrogance.
"Hit a nerve, didn't I?"
"You picked OB-GYN on purpose. The whole plan was to prey on vulnerable women."
He jerked his chin at the man who'd brought the banner.
"Hold him down."
I backed up several steps, eyes locked on him, and barked out a warning.
"Don't touch me!"
The next second, something heavy cracked against the back of my skull.
A warm stream ran down from my temple.
By the time the world came back into focus, the corridor was packed with onlookers.
Percy's eyes were bloodshot. He jabbed a finger at me and shouted for the crowd.
"Come look! Come see for yourselves! This OB-GYN doctor targets new mothers while they're still weak and tries to seduce them!"
"From the moment he laid eyes on my wife yesterday, he hasn't stopped staring!"
He ordered the men pinning me down to rip off my mask, then grabbed a fistful of my hair and wrenched my face up for every pair of eyes in the hallway.
The instant he got a clear look at my features, a flash of jealousy cut through his expression.
"Just as I thought. A pretty-boy face made for seduction."
He stepped up to me and swung his open hand across my cheek.
A searing sting exploded across my face.
Percy had deliberately twisted the ring on his finger so the jagged setting faced his palm. The edge carved a gash across my skin.
A nurse who'd come running at the commotion went pale. She stamped her foot and sprinted toward the department head's office.
I fought to wrench free of the hands clamping me in place, but blood was pouring from the wound, and my strength was draining fast.
Carina, worried that Percy had been gone too long, wheeled herself out to find him.
The sight of the crowd sent her into a panic.
"Excuse me, move! Let me through!"
She forced her way through the wall of bodies and went straight to Percy, checking him over from head to toe.
"Percy, are you okay? What's going on out here? Why is everyone crowding around?"
Percy grabbed her hand, his face bright with pride.
"Perfect timing, babe. I just exposed Dr. Simmons' true colors in front of everyone!"
"He's been hovering around you on purpose, trying to get his hooks into you!"
Carina reached up and gave his nose an affectionate little tap.
"You and your jealousy. You know there's no one in my heart but you."
"But let me get a look at this Dr. Simmons and see what kind of man thinks he can make a move on my wife."
Percy's finger pointed straight past her, aimed squarely at the person behind her.
Following the direction he pointed, Carina turned and locked eyes with me.
Clatter.
Everything in her hands crashed to the floor.
Carina's pupils contracted sharply, the color draining from her face.
"Donald, what are you doing here?"
