Chapter 1

On the night of my birthday, a woman suffering from abdominal pain was rushed into the ER.

Ethan Ford rushed Isla James into the emergency room. Her ovarian cyst had ruptured from intense sex. Yet he lied to me, saying he was in a meeting.

I personally operated on my rival, only to be ordered by him afterward to quit my job and stay home to care for his mistress.

Ten years of deep love, exchanged for repeated humiliation and betrayal. Finally, I dialed the Lancaster family number. "Dad, I want a divorce. I'm coming home to the Lancaster family."

When I stunned everyone at the charity gala as the Lancaster family heiress, when I personally destroyed the Ford Corporation as a doctor, he knelt on the ground, sobbing and begging to get back together.

I smiled as I tore up the old letters and said to Pierce, "Honey, the ring is beautiful."

Sophia's POV

On the night of my birthday, a young woman was rushed into the ER.

She was in unbearable pain, her face deathly pale.

I put on gloves, pressed her abdomen, and made my diagnosis.

"Ruptured ovarian cyst, intra-abdominal bleeding. Prep for surgery."

I looked up and locked eyes with a familiar pair of slightly panicked eyes.

It was my husband, Ethan Ford.

Ten minutes ago, this man had been sweet-talking me on the phone, saying there was a last-minute international conference at the office and he couldn't make it back to blow out candles with me.

Ten minutes later, he brought another woman to my operating table.

Even the cause was deeply ironic-a ruptured ovarian cyst from overly intense sex.

Outside the ER, Ethan's friends were poking their heads in, their faces screaming "we're screwed."

"Holy shit, Sophia's on duty tonight?"

"This is gonna blow up. Ethan really stepped in it this time."

"What's there to worry about? You all know what Sophia's like, right? She's crazy about Ethan. She'll probably just cry for a bit and that'll be the end of it."

The nurse looked at my face, her hands trembling with anger. "Dr. Morgan, should I... call Dr. Lee down? This patient's situation is delicate. Maybe you should recuse yourself?"

The whole hospital knew that the woman lying on the bed, Isla James, was Ethan Ford's precious "sister"-and the thorn lodged in my heart.

I removed my stethoscope.

"No need. Prep anesthesia. I'll operate myself."

The murmuring outside immediately grew louder.

"Seriously? Sophia's going to do it herself?"

"You think she's gonna try to hurt Isla while she's on the table? I mean, she is her rival."

"Last time Isla sat on Ethan's lap in a bikini, Sophia straight up poured a whole table of drinks on them. She's way too calm today. Something's definitely up."

Amid all the noise, Ethan yanked his tie loose in frustration.

He strode over and stared hard at my lowered lashes.

"Family consent form."

I handed him the surgical consent form without even looking at him.

Ethan gripped the pen so hard his knuckles turned white, pressing down with enough force to nearly tear the paper.

He lowered his voice, his tone tinged with inexplicable anger.

"Sophia, don't you have anything you want to ask me?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

"The patient's bleeding is increasing. Any more delay and she'll go into shock. Mr. Ford, please hurry."

Mr. Ford.

Ethan gritted his teeth and scrawled his signature, then shoved the form back at me.

"Fine. Dr. Morgan, so professional. Then you better listen carefully. If anything happens to Isla, I'm holding you personally responsible!"

I took the form and turned to leave.

The operating room doors slowly closed, and the "Surgery in Progress" light turned on like some kind of alarm.

I knew.

Ethan thought I would make a scene, lose my mind, and hysterically interrogate him like I used to.

But I didn't.

2 a.m. Surgery complete.

I removed my mask and walked out of the OR, utterly exhausted.

Ethan immediately rushed over. The first thing he said was:

"How's Isla?"

"The surgery was successful. She'll need a month to recover."

My voice was hoarse.

"During this month, sex is strictly prohibited. Next time Mr. Ford engages in such 'strenuous activities,' please show more restraint."

Dead silence all around.

Ethan's buddies looked like their jaws were about to hit the floor.

Ethan's face turned ashen. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

"Sophia, who the hell are you being sarcastic for? You're my wife. Can't you show a little grace? Isla's health is fragile. I was worried about her and brought her here!"

I looked down at the large hand gripping my wrist and gently pulled free.

"Mr. Ford misunderstood."

I looked up and smiled faintly.

"I'm a doctor. Saving lives is my duty. As for how you two play around or what happens. That's your private business. I don't care."

"You don't care?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes as if he'd heard a joke.

"Sophia, aren't you tired of playing hard to get? Don't think acting like you don't care will make me look at you any differently."

Just then, Isla was wheeled out, still groggy from anesthesia, mumbling incoherently.

"Ethan... it hurts..."

Ethan immediately released me, spun around, and rushed to the gurney, his voice dripping with tenderness.

"I'm here, I'm here. Don't be scared. I'm right here."

A crowd of people swarmed around the bed toward the VIP room.

The corridor instantly emptied.

I stood there, watching their retreating figures, the fake smile on my face slowly fading.

I pulled out my phone and found a number with no label saved, one I'd kept for a long time.

I dialed.

Someone picked up quickly. An elderly but authoritative voice came through, tinged with cautious hope.

"...Sophia?"

I looked out at the pitch-black night, my voice cold and resolute.

"Dad, it's Sophia Morgan."

"Within a month, help me finalize the divorce."

"I'm coming home to the Lancaster family."