After Gianna and Steven got engaged, she discovered that he had a childhood sweetheart.

Steven took care of Chloe, his childhood friend, with meticulous attention and even brought her into their home. He treated Chloe’s needs and feelings as more important than Gianna’s.

Gianna silently observed everything. She stopped competing, stopped arguing, and stopped making demands.

Instead, she quietly submitted an application to the hospital behind Steven’s back.

Once she secured a signed agreement, she began patiently waiting for the day she could leave the country.

In the end, all she left behind for Steven was a termination of their engagement.

“Steven, I don’t love you anymore.”

---

“Director, I’m applying to go abroad to become a Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) volunteer,” Gianna said calmly.

Director Williams, seated across from her, was taken aback, and when he snapped out of his senses, he tried to persuade her earnestly.

“Gianna, with your qualifications and skills, you’re more than capable of handling this role. But I’ve heard your wedding ceremony is scheduled for next month. Leaving now might not be the best timing.”

Gianna, of course, understood what Director Williams was implying. But she was exhausted and wanted to escape, to unravel the tangled mess in her heart.

“Director, I’ve already made up my mind. Here’s my application. Please sign it. The hospital has had this position vacant for over six months, and I want to give it a try. I’ve heard that returning from this experience can fast-track a promotion to the department head—it’s a great opportunity.”

Director Williams hesitated as he looked at the application Gianna handed over.

It was true that such a role could lead to a promotion, but only if one returned safely. After all, the places Médecins Sans Frontières deployed to were often war zones and areas of extreme instability—highly dangerous. No one could be a hundred percent sure that they could return safely.

While Director Williams wasn’t particularly worried about Gianna’s safety, he was concerned about the potential impact on Steven, the hospital’s star surgeon, if she left.

“Gianna, there’s really no need to push yourself so hard. With Dr. Thompson here, whether or not you participate in Médecins Sans Frontières, the hospital will consider your future prospects.”

Though Director Williams spoke ambiguously, Gianna understood the underlying meaning.

But right now, she wanted nothing more than to sever any ties with Steven.

Steven, her fiancé, was also the hospital’s most skilled surgeon, handling numerous complex and challenging operations.

The truth was, the hospital would be willing to sacrifice a promotion if it meant retaining Steven.

In fact, Gianna’s initial entry into the hospital was due to Steven.

Her thoughts drifted back to the past:

She was just a doctor at a small village clinic, barely scraping by. One stormy night, she saved Steven after he was injured in a car accident.

Later, when Director Williams recruited Steven to the hospital, Steven stated, “I’ll join, but only if I can bring someone with me.”

That was how Gianna ended up at this hospital alongside Steven, becoming a doctor.

Over the years, she had worked tirelessly to prove herself, striving to shed the label of being there simply because of her connection to Steven.

But no matter how hard she tried, she found it impossible to escape the tag of “Steven’s fiancée.”

"Did you tell Steven that you wanted to leave and join the Médecins Sans Frontières?" Director Williams asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Don’t worry, Director. I’ll inform Dr. Thompson myself,” Gianna said firmly, though her clenched fists and pale knuckles betrayed her inner anxiety. She could already imagine his furious expression—his clenched jaw and simmering anger as he refused to let her go.

Director Williams, hearing Gianna’s assurance, finally relaxed.

“Alright. As long as Dr. Thompson agrees, the hospital has no objections.”

“Thank you, Director. I’ll make sure he agrees,” Gianna replied confidently as she took back her Médecins Sans Frontières application.

But as soon as she left the director’s office, she began to worry again.

Though she had spoken with conviction, convincing Steven to agree to her going abroad was going to be a challenge. After all, their wedding was only a month away.

There was a time when Gianna dreamed of marrying Steven, but now, she no longer wanted to.

Just a few days ago, they had discussed their wedding plans. Steven had said dismissively, “The hospital is so busy. Who has time for a wedding? Let’s just have a simple meal and register for the certificate—don’t think about these unnecessary things.”

That same evening, Gianna overheard him talking to Chloe on the balcony.

“Don’t worry, Chloe. I won’t have a wedding. As long as I don’t want it, no one can force me.”

It was then that Gianna realized the real reason he didn’t want a wedding—it was for Chloe’s sake.

The realization left her feeling hollow.

Their engagement felt like it had already ended before it even began.

She decided to leave the country to end things sooner.

But would Steven agree?

Frowning, Gianna mulled over the situation. Distracted, she didn’t notice where she was walking and bumped into a firm chest.

“Ow!”

She twisted her ankle and nearly fell, but a strong arm caught her around the waist just in time.

“What’s wrong with you? You're so distracted you didn’t even respond when I called you several times,” a low, magnetic voice interrupted her thoughts.

Even after three years together, Gianna still blushed during moments of close contact. Looking up at Steven’s composed face, she felt a twinge of discomfort. After all, she had just been plotting how to manipulate him into agreeing to her application. She didn't expect that she would run into him now.

“It’s nothing, just thinking about work at the hospital,” she replied, hiding the truth.

Steven raised an eyebrow, as though he sensed something was off, but he didn’t press her. Instead, he crouched down, rolling up her pant leg to check her ankle.

He pressed gently, and Gianna inhaled sharply in pain.

Without another word, Steven scooped her up effortlessly. “It’s a bad sprain. You’ll need to rest for a few days. Don’t walk too much in the meantime.”

Gianna squirmed uncomfortably in his arms, trying to get down.

“Put me down. If someone sees us, it’ll look bad.”

Steven ignored her protests and gave her a light slap on the hip. “Stop moving! You’re already hurt—stay still!”

But just as he carried her a few steps, his phone rang.

On the other end of the line, a cheerful female voice chirped, “Steven, are you at the hospital? I think I caught a cold and need my big doctor to take a look at me.”

As he listened, the usually aloof expression on Steven’s face softened with a faint smile.

Gianna sighed inwardly, beginning a mental countdown.

Sure enough, before she even reached ten, Steven set her down, seemingly anxious. “The hospital just called. A patient is waiting for me. It’s urgent,” he explained, though Gianna already knew better.

Steven hurried a few steps ahead but seemed to hesitate. He turned back and asked, “Gianna, you’re a doctor. It’s just a minor injury—you can handle it yourself, right?”

Minor injury? He had just said it was serious. Or perhaps, in his world, she would always matter less than Chloe.

She remembered a summer evening long ago. She had nicked her finger slicing a watermelon, barely scratching her nail. Steven had been beside her, scooping her up and forcing her to sit on the sofa while he fussed over her.

Now, thinking of how much had changed, her chest tightened, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She turned her head sharply, unwilling to let him see her fragile state.

Her gaze landed on a coat missing a row of buttons—a bitter reminder of a night just a week ago.

That evening, their department had a gathering. Gianna had drunk a little too much, and since the venue was in a remote area, it was difficult to get a car at night. After waiting for what felt like forever, she dialed Steven with a slight slur in her voice.

“Steven, I can’t find a ride. Can you come pick me up?”

At the time, Steven was out jogging with Chloe. The sound of his labored breathing carried through the phone, mingled with unmistakable impatience.

“I’m with Chloe. It’s late, and it’s not safe for her to head home alone. Wait two hours—I’ll take her home first, or find a cab yourself and send me the fare. I’ll reimburse you.”

He hadn’t even registered her saying she couldn’t find a cab. Steven was so concerned about Chloe’s safety but never stopped to think that she, too, was a woman alone at night.

Gianna walked twenty kilometers in the dark before headlights from an Audi A8 pierced through the night.

“Gianna, are you insane? Do you think it’s fun to lie? I circled the location you gave me and didn’t see you anywhere!” Steven barked.

“I wasn’t lying, I—” Before she could finish, Steven roared, yanked her into the car, and slammed the door shut.

The faint clatter of metal buttons hitting the floor was barely audible amidst his angry tirade.

From that day forward, Gianna understood—she would never be as important to him as Chloe.

Forcing a smile, she said softly, “I’m a doctor, too. I can handle it. You should go—don’t keep the patient waiting.”

Any fleeting concern Steven might have felt for her vanished with her words.

He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Alright, I’ll head out. I’ll come pick you up after work.”

Gianna nodded lightly, her response as indifferent as his gesture was perfunctory.

Without hesitation, Steven disappeared around the corner of the hospital corridor, and only then Gianna finally lifted her head. She dabbed at the damp corners of her eyes, listening to the sound of his footsteps fading away.

In her heart, she tallied the number of times he had left her for Chloe, and she had lost count.

And Chloe’s cheery voice on the phone? Any doctor worth their salt could tell she wasn’t ill. But Steven always acted like he was under her spell, eagerly running to her beck and call.

With a limp, Gianna returned to her office.

Some colleagues who knew her well teased her as she walked in, their tones laced with playful banter.

“Gianna, you and Dr. Thompson really need to take it easy during the day! Don’t tire yourselves out too much.”

“That’s right, Gianna. Dr. Thompson is the backbone of our hospital. If you wear him out and he can’t perform surgeries, you might have the director coming after you!”

Gianna forced an awkward smile and waved her hands in denial. She lifted her pant leg to reveal her swollen, bruised ankle.

“It’s nothing like that. I just twisted my ankle in a rush on my way here,” she explained.