Chapter 2

The next day, I drafted divorce papers and went to the hospital where he worked.

As soon as I entered the office, I saw Alex—who had severe germophobia—kneeling on one knee, gently applying medicine to Lily's injured ankle.

In his eyes was a tenderness I'd never seen before.

The moment Lily saw me, she immediately feigned alarm:

"Mata, don't misunderstand! My ankle's sprained, and Alex was kind enough to help me apply medicine."

She pulled her foot back and tugged at Alex, her voice anxious:

"Quick, explain! I don't want to be reported again..."

Alex patted her back affectionately, softly comforting her:

"Don't worry. She's here to apologize to you."

Then he looked at me with disgust, his tone cold:

"Didn't I tell you to bring something? Why are you empty-handed?"

"At your age, you don't even know how to apologize properly?"

Too lazy to argue, I coldly pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and placed it in front of Alex:

"Sign it. We're getting divorced."

Alex stared at the divorce papers, stunned for a moment.

Then his brow furrowed in anger: "What are you making a fuss about now?"

"You know my mother... she approves of you. She'll never agree to our divorce."

"You're pulling this stunt just to make her criticize me, aren't you?"

So he still had his mother in his heart after all.

I produced a bitter smile and said coldly: "Your mother can never criticize you again."

Alex's expression changed slightly. He asked: "What do you mean?"

I remained serious: "Go home and see for yourself."

Alex glared at me impatiently: "Stop being so cryptic with me."

"Your mother's dead—isn't that it? Why are you still going on about this?"

"Just leave. Don't embarrass yourself at the hospital. I'm not divorcing you!"

Seeing this, Lily—who had been watching the drama unfold—suddenly wiped away non-existent tears and sobbed on cue:

"Mata, even though my medical license was forged and my experience insufficient, that day was truly just a momentary lapse!"

"Are you bringing up divorce now to threaten Dr. Alex into sending me to prison?!"

Lily spoke so pitifully, as if she were the true victim who had suffered all the injustice.

Her tear-filled eyes broke Alex's heart.

He pulled Lily into his embrace:

"Lily, don't cry. As long as I'm here, nothing will ever happen to you."

Then he glared at me furiously:

"Mata, Lily is so young—is it really necessary to target her like this?"

"You think threatening me with divorce will make me stop protecting Lily? Dream on!"

"Let me tell you—your mother could only have died from illness. You'll never get any malpractice compensation, and you'll never harm Lily in the slightest!"

Watching Alex turn hostile against me to protect the person directly responsible for killing his mother.

My heart couldn't help but ache again for Rose.

Forget it. Since her own son had taken this stance, what more could I—an outsider—say?

I took a deep breath and enunciated clearly:

"I'm definitely getting this divorce."

Alex was so angry he tore up the divorce agreement on the spot, threw the pieces into the air, and said through gritted teeth:

"You want a divorce that badly?"

"Fine! I'll grant your wish!"

"But let me tell you—even if we divorce, I'll be the one drafting the agreement. I'll make sure you're ruined and leave with nothing!"

"I'll make everyone see clearly that you're nothing but a malicious woman using her own mother's death to extort the hospital and smear its reputation!"

Through the shower of paper scraps, I saw the cruel determination in Alex's eyes.

And the barely perceptible triumphant smile at the corner of Lily's mouth.

In the end, I said nothing.

I turned and left the doctor's office.