Someone wrapped their arms around me in my sleep. I startled awake and shoved the person away, only to see Mia. The moment I smelled Afton's cigarette scent on her, my whole body went rigid.

Mia did not notice as she frowned. "It was just a joke. Did you really have to take it so seriously and throw a tantrum over it? Stop being so dramatic. Everyone in Oceanton knows you're going to be my husband. Who would actually bid on you?"

I could not say a word as she took my hand herself. "Does your hand still hurt? I'll massage it for you. It'll heal in two or three days at most. It won't affect your future. You should apologize now, right?"

Her tone was gentle, but it only made my heart ache even more.

"Mia, I think we should break up." After I said that, she did not respond for a long time.

When I turned my head, I saw her smiling at her phone. After a while, she waved me off dismissively. "What did you say? Just tell my secretary what you want and have him buy it for you. Afton said he wants to help us rehearse the wedding. Come with me now."

After she said that, she ignored my injured hand and dragged me to the hotel forcefully.

Afton still looked as harmless as ever, without even the slightest guilt toward me.

When the staff brought out the custom wedding ring Mia had specially bought for me, Afton took Mia's hand and said in a pained tone, "Mia, I have Syphilis now, and no woman will ever want to marry me. I want to experience exchanging wedding rings, too. Help me fulfill my dream, okay?"

Mia's eyes filled with pity. "Of course."

They acted as if no one else was there, gazing at each other lovingly as they exchanged rings to the wedding music. And I stood there watching it all, as if I were the homewrecker.

After the ceremony, Afton noticed my watch, and his eyes lit up. "Mia, Ryan's watch matches the ring perfectly. Can you give it to me as a keepsake?"

Mia immediately yanked off my watch and gave it to him. "You owe Afton, anyway. Consider this your compensation to him."

My heart tightened. I grabbed the watch and begged her. "Mia, I'll give him anything else he wants, but not this watch! This is the only thing my grandfather left me!"

As soon as I finished speaking, Afton screamed in pain. "Ryan, it's my fault! Stop pinching me!"

Mia's expression changed instantly. She shoved me away hard, then rushed to check on Afton.

I struck the window ledge and tumbled out in terror.

I was in so much pain, as though all my internal organs had exploded, as I spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, my vision went black as darkness consumed me.

-

When I woke up again, my colleague's eyes were full of pity. "You've injured your spine, Ryan. You're completely paralyzed from the waist down."

The news sent me reeling.

When I thought about how I would never stand at an operating table again, I finally broke down crying. My colleague could hardly bear to look at me and cursed under his breath angrily, "Your injury is so serious, but all Mia cares about is that man's escape. She even called every doctor in the hospital to look at it. This… This is just wrong!"

I thought those words would make my heart ache, but I had already been hurt too deeply. My heart was calm, without the slightest ripple.

Just then, my phone lit up: [I'm here.]

I held my phone, wiped away my tears, and sent Afton's medical records and the evidence that he had framed me to Mia.

From then on, whatever bond I had with Mia was considered severed.

I had just finished packing and was about to ask my colleague to send me away when Mia pushed open the door and slapped me across the face in a furious rush. The blow sent me falling from the wheelchair, and my head hit the floor hard.

My colleague rushed over to help me. "Ms. Jackson, why did you hit him when you finally decided to see him?! Do you know..."

Mia cut him off with a cold laugh. "Ryan, I never thought you'd be this shameless. You actually forged evidence to frame Afton?!"

She threw the syphilis test report in front of me. "If Afton hadn't found this in your office, I would've really believed your lies!"

"You've misunderstood. That was..." My colleague still tried to defend me, but Mia raised her hand, and the bodyguard who was with her immediately punched him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, unable to say anything more.

I tried to check on him, but Mia kicked my injured spine instead. The pain was enough to make my face turn as pale as a ghost, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably.

Mia dug her heel deep into my injury as she said, "Ryan Hathaway, you're really quite the actor. I pursued you for two years, and you pretended to be aloof, like no woman could ever touch you. I never thought your private life would be this filthy. Even beggars are cleaner than you!

"You were jealous that Afton was healthy, so you deliberately used your own contaminated instruments on him. Now, you've even ruined his face! How can you be this vicious?!"

I gasped through the pain and struggled to speak. "No. That report was..."

Before I could say it was Afton's report, Mia cut me off in a fury. "Enough! You still want to make things up?! After doing something so savage, you don't deserve to be my husband! The engagement is off! Afton suffered so much because of you. I'll never forgive you!

"I've already contacted the person who claimed you. No matter what happens, I'll never care about you again!"

After that, she kicked my face away in disgust and slammed the door behind her.

A few minutes later, someone pushed the ward door open.

I struggled to raise my head, thinking it would be that person. But standing in front of me were several obese middle-aged women with sores all over their faces. They grabbed at my belt, and the stench from them was enough to suffocate me. I struggled desperately to escape, but then I saw Afton at the door.

He looked down at me and smiled venomously. "This is what you get for stealing my woman, you low-life. You didn't know, did you? I was Mia's first love. Back then, she locked herself in the family chapel for seven days and nights and nearly died because she insisted on being with me.

"You thought Mia got together with you because she loved you? It was only because her family finally gave in and stated that she had to get married before I could return to the country!"

He made no effort to hide the provocation in his eyes. "Mia said she was thinking of me every time she slept with you. Too bad you've never satisfied her."

My heart clenched as my eyes reddened, as I wished I could throw myself at him. "How could you?!"

But the women pinned me down, and I could only roar in helplessness.

Afton laughed proudly. "No one stops until I say so. I want him filthy to the core, so Mia will never want to see him again."

He walked out and locked the door.

The women's hideous faces leaned closer as they tore at my clothes, and I closed my eyes in despair.

In the next room, Mia clenched her hand uneasily. Afton held it and comforted her. "Don't worry. They're only scaring him a bit. I'll make them leave and take Ryan for treatment in a little while."

Mia hugged him tightly in gratitude. "Afton, I really do love Ryan. Thank you for being willing to forgive him. Don't worry. I'll send him to training classes so he can learn the rules properly. I promise he won't target you again after he marries me."

A dark flicker crossed Afton's eyes, and his hand slid suggestively into her clothes. "Mia, I can't leave you. Can you stay with me one last time before Ryan comes out?"

The two of them were kissing when they suddenly heard a loud crash.

Chaotic footsteps came from outside. "Oh, no! Dr. Hathaway jumped from the building!"