Chapter 5

The bus rattled along. I leaned my head against the window, watching the neon lights of the city blur past.

The doctor on duty frowned deeply as he reviewed my chart.

"Why did you wait so long to come in? We need to schedule the surgery immediately. This could become life-threatening."

The doctor handed me a stack of forms.

"Have your husband or a family member come in tomorrow to sign the consent forms and pay the deposit."

I took the papers, my hands trembling slightly.

"Can't I just sign them myself?"

The doctor looked at me with pity.

"This is a major procedure. Hospital policy requires an emergency contact or a family member's signature for post-op release."

I walked out of the hospital clutching the papers.

The cold wind slipped down my collar, and I wrapped my old coat tighter around myself.

I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram.

The post had reached the top of the local trending page.

The author had updated the thread just thirty minutes ago:

"She threw a tantrum today, but I easily managed her with a cheap cake. Women who have never seen the world are so easy to control. Once I get my company shares, I'll find an excuse to send her back to her small town."

That was posted right after I left the apartment.

I closed the app and walked to an ATM on the corner.

I inserted my card to check my balance.

Seven thousand two hundred dollars.

It wasn't even half of what the surgery would cost.

The next morning, I went to Ethan's company.

It was located in a luxurious skyscraper downtown.

Wearing my faded jeans and worn sneakers, I stood in the lobby looking completely out of place.

The receptionist eyed me suspiciously.

"Can I help you? Do you have an appointment?"

"I'm here to see Ethan Miller. I'm his..."

I paused. "...an old friend. I need to drop something off."

The receptionist made a quick call and then pointed to the elevators.

"Mr. Miller is in the conference room on the 16th floor."

I took the elevator up.

The door to the conference room at the end of the hall was slightly ajar.

As I approached, I heard Ethan's voice.

"Ms. Sterling, you can leave this project entirely to me. I won't let you down."

"I trust your capability, Ethan," a woman's voice replied.

"But I heard you're getting married soon? Your janitor girlfriend isn't giving you any trouble, is she?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked through the gap in the door.

Ethan was standing near the desk, leaning forward slightly in a highly submissive posture.

Victoria Sterling sat in her executive chair, casually spinning a pen in her hand.

"You must be joking, Ms. Sterling."

Ethan let out a self-deprecating laugh, his voice filled with contempt.

"That's not a real marriage. It's just a ceremony to quiet her down."

"Someone like her can barely read a complex spreadsheet. There's no way I'd legally register a marriage with her."

"Once the project bonus is cleared, I'll give her a lump sum of cash and send her back to her hometown."

Victoria chuckled.

"You're quite heartless. She did support you for ten years, after all."

"She did that of her own free will."

"She gave me her best years, but honestly, looking back, she had no self-respect."

Ethan spoke with absolute self-righteousness.

"Besides, I give her a monthly allowance now. I've done more than enough for her."

I stood outside the door, listening to him dismiss my ten years of sweat and blood as nothing to another woman.

Victoria stood up and walked toward Ethan.

Her high heel accidentally caught the edge of a coffee cup on the desk.

The dark liquid splashed all over her designer leather shoes.

"Oh, great. They're ruined," Victoria grumbled, frowning.

Ethan immediately grabbed some tissues and knelt down to clean them.

I pushed the door open and walked in.

Ethan's face drained of color instantly.

"Ava? What are you doing here?"

Victoria looked me up and down, a mocking smirk playing on her lips.

"So this is your janitor girlfriend? She does look... obedient."

She pointed to her shoe.

"Since you're a professional cleaner, why don't you clean my shoes for me?"

Ethan rushed over, grabbing my wrist tightly.

"Ava, please. Just clean Ms. Sterling's shoes. My promotion next month depends entirely on her. Be reasonable."