I heard footsteps behind me and quickly turned off my phone.

It was Michael.He walked over slowly while still wearing a satisfied smile.

“How's Archer?”he asked.

“His condition got worse.He’s been moved to the ICU.”Thinking of Archer’s pale face,I looked straight at Michael.“Even if Archer died right in front of you,would you even care?”

Seeing the tears in my eyes,Michael showed no reaction.Instead,he frowned and scolded me,“Elizabeth,stop being unreasonable.”

My chest felt heavy,like a stone pressing down on it.

“Fine.Then explain this to me:Is this your‘important matter’being with Alicia?”I raised my phone and showed him my phone screen.

It was a post Alicia had made three minutes ago:[Sometimes,just being with you makes me feel happy,even if we do nothing.]

The photo was Michael’s side profile.

Before he could speak,Alicia’s sweet voice came from behind.“Eliza,this is all my fault!I shouldn’t have taken up Mike’s time.That’s why your son ended up in the ICU.”

“If you want to punish someone,punish me.”As she spoke,she raised her hand to slap herself.

Before her hand touched her face,Michael grabbed her wrist.He looked at Alicia with deep concern.

“This has nothing to do with you.You don’t need to punish yourself for me.”Then he turned to me coldly.“Alicia was just being kind.She wanted to visit Archer.Don’t take advantage of her kindness and harass her!”

I almost laughed out loud in anger.

From the moment Alicia arrived,I hadn’t said a single word to her.Yet now I was the one bullying her.

Smack!

I suddenly raised my hand and slapped Alicia.

Rubbing my aching palm,I said slowly,“Is this the harassment you meant?”

I raised my arm to hit her again,but Michael grabbed my wrist tightly.

His grip was so strong I couldn’t move.Soon his eyes were dark.“Elizabeth,why on earth are you hitting her?”

I shot back,“She knows you’re married and still seduces you.Why do you think I wouldn’t hit her?”

Alicia immediately explained in panic.“Eliza,you misunderstood.I only see Mike as a good brother,nothing more!If you’re still angry,then hit me again.”

After saying that,she looked at Michael with a pitiful expression.

Before Michael could react,I lifted my other hand and slapped her hard again.The force knocked her straight to the ground.

Alicia screamed and clutched her stomach.“Mike,my stomach hurts!Is our baby in danger?”

Michael froze for a second,then released my wrist and rushed to her.

He held her in his arms.“What’s going on?”

Alicia’s eyes filled with tears.“I’m pregnant with our child.I wanted to tell you at your promotion celebration as a surprise…but I didn’t expect this to happen.”

“But I don’t blame Eliza.Maybe I’m just not meant to keep this baby…”Tears fell from her eyes.It was a perfect act.

Michael panicked instantly.“Doctor!Someone call a doctor!”

He carefully placed Alicia onto a hospital bed.Then he turned to me.

He stared at me with full hatred.“Elizabeth,if anything happens to Alicia or the baby,I will never forgive you.”

Watching his back disappear,my strength left my body.I slid down the wall and fell onto the floor.My heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.Tears blurred my vision.

Not long after that,my phone vibrated.It was messages from Alicia.

[Eliza,looks like I won this round.Your little Archer is lying in the ICU fighting for life,while I just had to fake a fall and I took Mike away from you.]

[You and your son are really pathetic.]

I was barely able to breathe as I read them.

Her acting was actually terrible.Anyone could see through it.But Michael loved her,so he got blind and couldn’t stand to see her suffer for a bit.

Another message came.

[By the way,the wound on your arm…Mike didn’t even notice it,did he?]

I looked down at my arm.The bloody cut stung my eyes.

It happened when someone pushed me out of the ICU.It was still bleeding.

I laughed bitterly.The wound was so obvious that even Alicia saw it.But Michael never noticed at all.

So this was the obvious of whom Michael actually care about.

I didn’t reply.Instead,I sent a message to my lawyer:[Prepare a divorce agreement and a resignation letter for me.]

Almost immediately,my lawyer replied:[Okay.]

At that moment,tears dropped onto my screen.

"Michael,you and I are about to become strangers."

I closed the chat and sent a message to Franco with trembling fingers:[I want you to operate on Archer.And I want Michael and Alicia to be completely ruined.]

My lawyer worked quickly.The next day,he sent me the divorce agreement and a resignation letter.

Holding the two thin documents,I took the elevator to the floor where Michael’s office was.

Just as I was about to push the door open,I saw Alicia.She was wearing a hospital gown and leaning against Michael.She looked even weaker than before.

Michael’s voice was low but gentle as he looked at her with concern.“You’re not fully recovered yet.Didn’t I tell you to rest?Why did you come here?”

Alicia held onto his arm and said softly,“You always forget to eat.I came to check up on you.”

Michael raised his hand and lightly pinched her nose.“You clever girl.Do I really need you to check up on me?”

Despite his denial,the happiness in his eyes was impossible to hide.

As soon as he finished speaking,the doctors and nurses in the office started talking.

“Dr.Michael,can you stop showing off?We can’t take it anymore!”

“Ms.Moore,you probably don’t know this,but when you were sick a few days ago,Dr.Michael booked an entire VIP floor just for you,so no one would disturb your rest.”

Alicia looked shocked for a moment,then deeply moved.“No wonder this floor has been so quiet these days!So it was because of you,Mike.”

A doctor pointed at Michael with a pen and joked,“Be honest.What exactly is your relationship with Ms.Moore?You two are so close!You guys are definitely more than just friends.”

Michael looked at Alicia,smiling.Then he raised his head.“She is my wife,”he told everyone clearly.

The room fell into silence.A moment later,everyone burst into applause and said congratulations for them.

“Dr.Michael,you really hid this well.Such a beautiful wife and you only introduce her now?”

“Seriously?Dr.Michael and Ms.Moore are married?”

Alicia casually touched her stomach and nodded sweetly.

Immediately,the congratulations became even louder.

“Ms.Moore,if Dr.Michael scolds us in the future,you have to stand up for us!”

Alicia shook her head gently but said with a sharp smile,“Eh?Probably not.I will always stand on my husband’s side!”

The office was filled with laughter and blessings.Michael stood there smiling,looking at Alicia with tenderness.

But my world collapsed completely.It felt like someone was squeezing my heart tightly.I couldn’t breathe.The pain forced tears out of my eyes.

From the first year I was with Michael,I had been waiting for him to say,“This is my wife.”

I had waited for him to publicly acknowledge me.But he always said he wanted to separate his work and personal life.

I believed him.Yet,now he told everyone that Alicia was his wife.

The cheers in the office continued.

“Don’t joke around!Alicia is pregnant with my child.Don’t bump into her,”Michael said.

“Got it,Dr.Michael!You’re really a wife-loving man,”said a doctor.

“Dr.Michael has been single for so many years.Now that he finally found someone he loves,of course he has to hold onto her!”a nurse chimed in.

“Dr.Michael and Ms.Moore look perfect together.We wish you a lifetime of happiness!When the baby is born,remember to tell us!”said another.

Their blessings felt extremely painful.Without realizing it,I had gripped the office door handle tightly until my fingers hurt.

The next second,I pushed the door open.The office fell silent instantly.

When Michael saw me,his expression darkened.

“Miss,are you looking for someone?”someone asked.

My throat was painfully dry.“I’m looking for Michael Turner.”

Michael smiled lightly.“She’s just one of my patients.”

Then he lowered his head and kissed Alicia’s forehead.“You don’t like hearing me talk about work,do you?I’ll talk to her outside.”

Without giving me a chance to speak,Michael pulled me out of the office.

Before I could even react,he scolded me.“What are you trying to do?Who allowed you to come here?Didn’t I tell you not to come to my office without my permission?”

He had just publicly admitted that Alicia was his wife,but he wasn’t allowed to enter his office?

My heart turned completely cold.“So my presence ruined your little romantic moment with Alicia?”

Michael avoided my eyes.“I don’t feel like explaining.”

Was it that he didn’t feel like explaining,or that he simply didn’t care anymore?

I closed my eyes and suddenly remembered when we first got together.Even over the smallest misunderstanding,he would write long messages to explain everything,afraid I might feel hurt.

Now all that was left were six cold words.

Before I could speak again,chaos came from the office.“Dr.Michael,come back quickly!Ms.Moore suddenly fainted!”

I grabbed Michael’s arm,my voice trembling,“Michael,if you don’t go to her this time,I will pretend nothing happened between us three…”

But before I finished,Michael interrupted loudly.“Elizabeth,can you stop being so selfish?Alice fainted.As a doctor,I cannot ignore her!I’m really disappointed in you!”

At that moment,I could hear my heart shatter inside my chest.The heart that had loved Michael so deeply had broken completely.

I took out the divorce agreement and resignation letter from my bag and handed them to him.

“Fine.Sign these two documents and I’ll let you go to Alicia.”

Meanwhile,the voices urging him from the office kept coming.

Michael didn’t even look at the papers.He flipped to the last page and signed his name quickly.

Before leaving,he said,“Elizabeth,after I deal with Alice’s situation,I’ll come back to you.”

Then he returned into the office without hesitation.

He didn’t see the tears falling from my eyes,or hear the words I whispered,“No need.From now on,I won’t need you anymore.”

That night,I went back to the villa.

I packed up everything that belonged to Michael and me and threw it all away without hesitation.After I was done with it all,I looked around at the now empty place.My heart soon felt unbearably lonely.

In the evening,I lay on the bed,unable to sleep.Suddenly,I smelled the familiar scent beside me.Michael reached out like he used to,trying to pull me into his arms,but I quietly avoided him.

His body stiffened for a moment.After a while,he explained,“The things I said this afternoon was because...I didn’t want Alice’s child to be born without a proper status."

He continued,"Elizabeth,you are still my legal wife.That will never change.Tomorrow,I’ll go with you to see Archer,okay?”

He didn’t want Alicia’s child to be born without a father,yet he could watch my child grow up without one.

I didn’t want to listen to his empty excuses anymore.I turned over and closed my eyes.

The next morning,Michael was already gone.When I opened my phone,I saw a message he sent thirty minutes earlier:[I had something to do and left early.I’ll come to the hospital to be with you and Archer after I’m done.]

***

The moment I arrived at the hospital,urgent medical sounds came from Archer’s room.My son's condition had worsened again.

I stood there helplessly,watching doctors rush in and out of his room.

Soon,a doctor came to me anxiously.“Mrs.Turner,Archer’s condition is critical.He needs surgery immediately."

"But this operation is extremely difficult.Only Dr.Michael Turner can perform it…and we can’t reach him right now.”

Remembering what Michael said last night,I took out my phone with hope and called him.

My high heels echoed back and forth in the hallway as if it was stepping on my already broken heart.

Just when I was about to lose hope,the call connected.

Before he could speak,I begged,“Michael,Archer is getting worse again.Please come to the hospital and operate on him!”

But instead of Michael,Alicia’s spoiled voice came through the phone.“Mike,can you not go?Our puppy also needs company.”

A few seconds later,Michael’s voice stabbed into my heart like a knife.“I’m sorry,Elizabeth.Alice’s dog is injured today too.I can’t leave.”

He didn’t even wait for my reply.As if he wanted to escape,he hung up quickly.

“Beep…beep…beep…”

The busy tone sounded like mocking laughter.

Then my phone vibrated again.It was a voice recording from Alicia.

I heard both her and Michael’s voices.

[Mike,maybe you should go first.I can take care of the dog alone.From Eliza’s voice,it sounds like that boy really needs your surgery.]

Michael replied gently.[Silly girl,why are you pushing me toward another woman?This dog is something we adopted together.Now that it’s sick,of course I’ll stay with you.]

[Besides,you’re carrying our child now.Even if Elizabeth’s Archer really dies,so what?That bastard kid,I wish he would die immediately!]

His vicious words echoed in my ears.My world spun.I collapsed to the floor,tears blurring my vision.

I turned my head and stared at Archer.He lay on the hospital bed,his chest rising and falling more and more weakly.The next second,I burst into uncontrollable sobs.

So Michael couldn’t come today because he was taking care of their dog.In his heart,my son wasn’t even as important as a dog.

Michael…I hate you.If I had never married you,would everything be different?Would Archer be healthy and safe?

I cried until I had no strength left.

Just then,I heard footsteps.A familiar figure stopped in front of me.

I looked up and saw Franco Williams.

I grabbed his clothes tightly,my voice full of desperation.“Franco,please save my son.As long as you can save him,I’ll do anything.”

Franco gently patted my back.“Don’t worry.As long as I’m here,he will be fine.”

Franco quickly changed into surgical clothes and went into the operating room.

My phone vibrated again.This time,it was a message from Michael:[Don’t forget to come to my promotion celebration tonight.]

I let out a cold laugh,tears sliding down my face.

My son almost died because of his first love and he was thinking about his promotion party!

I replied with one word:[Sure.]

I would definitely attend that banquet.With a huge surprise Michael wouldn't ever forget !