Elaine's POV

"Don’t talk nonsense! You’ll ruin that girl’s reputation."

I stared at him for a few seconds, stunned, but said nothing. In the end, I just turned and quietly walked away.

Outside the ER, a young nurse hurried over, curiosity written all over her face.

"Doc, do you know those two? That guy was talking to you like he was giving orders or something."

I gave a half-smile and calmly said, "Didn’t you notice? That’s my husband, standing there with the girl I’ve been financially supporting."

The nurse froze, eyes wide. She muttered under her breath, "That’s… insane."

Since it was just a local anesthetic, Laura had been conscious throughout the procedure. Once I removed the object lodged inside her, she suddenly spoke, timidly, "Elaine, can we talk? Just the two of us?"

My hands paused for a moment as I packed up the tools. Then I looked up and said to the others, "You guys can go. I’ll handle post-op observation myself."

Soon, the recovery room was quiet as we were just the two of us.

Looking at the girl I had been sponsoring since right before her college entrance exams, my emotions were a mess.

"Go ahead. What is it you want to talk about?"

The fragile, tearful look on her face vanished instantly, replaced by smugness and provocation.

"What do you think we’re gonna talk about?" she said with a mocking smile. "Elaine, are you really gonna keep pretending? So what if you’re married? You’re just an aging woman now. Milton loves me now. You should just get divorced already and stop trying to hold on to him with a marriage certificate or a kid."

My heart sank as I took in her expression.

"I helped you go to school, gave you a chance to escape that poor, backward village and study in the city. Not so you could turn around and become someone’s mistress without an ounce of shame."

She just shrugged, indifferent. "And where do you think that money came from? You think you could afford to support me on your own? Wasn’t it all because of Milton supporting you? But now, he loves me. Do you have any idea how wild he is in bed? You’re old news. He probably doesn’t even want to touch you anymore, does he?"

Listening to her smug rambling, I suddenly realized that no matter how far I’d brought her away from poverty, away from ignorance, I’d failed to teach her a thing.

I let out a soft, humorless laugh and brushed her damp bangs from her forehead. Leaning in, I whispered into her ear, "Laura, you might be younger now, but how long do you think that'll last? And tell me, how could you possibly trust me to perform your surgery? Aren’t you afraid something might end up missing or added?"

I watched as the satisfaction slowly drained from her face, her eyes growing wide with panic.

I gave a slight smirk.

Of course, I would never risk my career for her. But making her squirm for just a moment? That gave me a tiny bit of satisfaction.

Back in the ward, Laura was hysterical, demanding a full-body examination.

I ignored her and turned to Milton, who was standing stiffly just outside the door. I calmly but firmly said, "Come to my office. We need to talk."

He followed me without a word. Once inside, he shut the door and locked it behind him.

I took off my white coat, then glanced at the lock, unable to hold back a sarcastic laugh.

"So, you do know how shameful this whole thing is."

Milton pressed his lips together, pretending not to hear. Then he changed the subject like nothing had happened.

"Why are you here?"

He stood tall, composed, not a hint of guilt on his face. That same cool, aloof look he always wore, but now, it just made me feel sick.

A heavy ache settled in my chest. My voice was tinged with irony as I answered, "Why else? You always complained the old hospital was too far. So this time, I gave up my chance for a promotion and requested a transfer. Thought it'd be easier to take care of you and our daughter."

Elaine's POV

Milton’s expression shifted slightly when he heard me, and his voice softened a little.

“That’s a good thing. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

I gave him a small smile. “I wanted to surprise you.” I paused, my smile turning bitter. “Though looking at it now, maybe it was more of a shock.”

Maybe my sarcasm had finally gotten under his skin. He raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose and let out a long, tired sigh.

“Elaine, I already explained everything to you. Why won’t you believe me?”

His tone was sincere. There wasn’t even a trace of guilt in his voice.

Before, whenever he showed the slightest hint of frustration, I’d fold, apologize, and back down, even if none of it was my fault.

But this time, it was different.

I lowered my eyes, trying to hide the sting behind them. My voice trembled as I choked out the words, “Milton, if the two of you really had nothing to hide, then why didn’t you go to the hospital near her home? You couldn’t, could you? Because that’s where I used to work. You were scared I’d find out.”

The room went quiet.

He stared at me, mouth twitching slightly like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

In that heavy silence, I spoke again, my voice hoarse and cracked as I said, “I think we need some space. Let’s separate for a while and cool off.”

I thought he might agree.

But instead, he let out a tired sigh and said, “What about our daughter? How are you going to explain it to her? Elaine, it’s time to grow up. Sometimes being smart isn’t always a good thing. Think about the kid. Don’t be so stubborn.”

His words hit me like a truck.

My ears rang, and my mind went blank. I don’t even remember what I said back.

All I know was, before he left, he said, “I’ll stay at a hotel for now. Just tell our daughter I’m on a business trip, teaching at a university out of town.”

I didn't even remember how I got home.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the edge of my daughter’s bed, watching her sleep peacefully, so sweet and innocent.

And I was a mess inside.

Should I really give in?

For her sake, for our family’s sake, should I just pretend everything’s okay and accept Milton’s betrayal?

Was that really the right thing to do?

Even when I stepped out of her room, I still didn’t have an answer.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, lost in thought, when my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Laura.

[Elaine, don’t think you’ve won.]

[You can only scare me. What good does that do? I just cried a little, and Milton had already arranged a full check-up for me. He even stayed with me the whole time.]

[Want to see something fun? Let me show you what that perfect little marriage of yours really looks like on the inside. It’s more broken than you think.]

Then came dozens of explicit, vulgar photos, and a voice recording.

I hit play.

The room was dead silent as Milton’s voice filled the air, low, strained, trying to stay in control.

“Arch your back a little more.”

Then came another voice, sweet and whimpering, like she was both flirting and begging.

“Mr. West… I was wrong. Please, be gentle.”

His voice again, hoarse and full of lust.

“Shut up. Don’t overact.”

“You don’t like it?”

But there was no longer an answer, only action.

What followed was unmistakable. The kind of sounds no wife should ever have to hear her husband make with someone else.

Even so, I forced myself to keep listening.

At some point, Laura’s voice, trembling and full of emotion, broke through.

“You’re leaving again? You never spend the night. If you love your wife so much, if you’re so loyal to Elaine, then why are you still sleeping with me?”

The silence stretched afterward, so I thought the recording had ended.

But the progress bar kept moving.

Then, his voice came again.

“Elaine is a gynecologist. She touches those things every day. I can’t help but feel… she’s a little dirty.”

Elaine's POV

The recording ended there.

His voice had been sharp as ice, each word like a blade cutting deep, mercilessly.

In that moment, everything I’d been holding onto shattered. And the saddest part? My efforts now felt like a cruel joke.

Dirty? Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?

Six years of marriage. Ten years together. Thirteen years since we first met.

And not once had I realized the boy who once soothed my broken heart with quiet kindness had become someone so cold and unrecognizable.

Tears welled in my eyes. I shut them tight, letting the warmth silently streak down my cheeks.

Turned out, I couldn’t endure it. Not even for our daughter. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself.

Children’s Day was coming up in a few days. I figured I'd use the event as an opportunity to speak with Milton face-to-face to end things properly. But I didn’t expect him to back out at the last minute, claiming something came up at the university. He bailed on the performance our daughter had practiced for weeks.

Still, I didn’t want her effort and excitement to be wasted. So after settling her in at the venue, I went to speak with the director. I asked them to switch from live piano to a pre-recorded accompaniment, something to fill the silence Milton left behind.

When I returned, I saw my daughter sitting alone in the audience. She looked so quiet, completely out of place amid the laughter and chatter of the other kids. At first, I assumed she was just being shy. I crouched beside her, gently encouraging her to join in.

She glanced at me but didn’t move. So I smiled and took her hand, guiding her over.

“Hi there,” I said to the group of children nearby, “Can we join you guys?”

But one boy turned to us with a smug grin and said, “I don’t want to play with someone who doesn’t even have a dad!”

The others giggled and chimed in, “Just admit it! You don’t have a dad!”

“Poor thing, no dad at all!”

My daughter bit down on her lip, trying her hardest not to cry. Still, she held her head high and retorted, “I do have a dad!”

The boy sneered, “Then why isn’t he here? Just like Miss Laura said, you’re a little liar!”

The kids surrounded her, laughing and calling her names.

My expression hardened, and my fists clenched. She was being bullied. And not for the first time, I was sure of it now.

Miss Laura, who even was that?

Just as I stepped forward, ready to scoop my daughter into my arms and demand answers, her eyes suddenly lit up. She pointed excitedly toward the entrance and cried out, “Daddy! You came!”

I turned and followed her gaze. Milton had arrived, after all.

But how did he know the address of this event?

Then, a figure appeared behind him, answering all my questions.

He came with Laura.

So, she was the new teacher, who’d been isolating our daughter. The one poisoning her classmates against her.

No wonder the kids turned to look at the entrance with disgust and disbelief. One of them crossed his arms and scoffed, “What are you shouting about? That’s Miss Laura’s boyfriend. Like she said, you're really a liar! You don’t have a dad. You're just making stuff up so people will play with you.”

The other children nodded in agreement, their faces full of judgment.

Suddenly, one kid lunged while I wasn’t looking. He shoved my daughter hard, and she fell to the ground.

I rushed to her, lifting her trembling body in my arms. Her palms were scraped open, blood oozing from both hands. Her little face twisted in pain, and my heart broke right along with it.

Meanwhile, the boy who pushed her clapped his hands like he’d just won a prize.

“I helped the teacher punish the bad kid! I’m a hero!”

My fury exploded, and I moved toward him, ready to teach him a lesson myself. But before I could say a word, the director rushed over and stepped between us, plastering on a smile to play peacemaker.

Elaine's POV

“This is just kids playing around,” the kindergarten director said with a forced smile. “A simple talk should be enough.”

I was shaking from head to toe, my voice trembling with fury as I bit out, “Playing around? Your school turns a blind eye while a teacher has an affair with a married man and bullies the child of his wife. Now my daughter’s hurt, and you still call it playing around?”

Just then, Laura walked over with an expression full of fake concern.

“Elaine,” she said sweetly, “how could you take your anger out on a child?”

Milton hadn’t bothered to ask what happened. Maybe he just thought I was making a scene. Either way, his brows pulled together in a frown as he asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Disappointment and rage twisted inside me like a storm. I stared straight into his eyes and said flatly, “Mr. West must’ve been too busy playing family with his mistress to remember the promise he made to his daughter for Children’s Day.”

He froze. For once, the calm in his eyes cracked, guilt flickering across his face.

We stood there in tense silence until I felt a small hand on my cheek. My daughter was gently wiping away my tears. I hadn’t even realized I was crying.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder, her voice barely a whisper as she sobbed, “Mommy… I don’t want a daddy anymore.”

I hugged her tight, holding back my own sobs.

“That’s okay,” I whispered. “We don’t need him.”

Milton’s face changed instantly. Shock washed over his features as he looked at us like he didn’t recognize either of us anymore.