After hanging up the phone with the lab, I felt like I had plunged into an icy abyss. There were abortion pills mixed into the medication bag I gave to Larissa. Ignoring Doctor Swift’s attempts to stop me, I hobbled my way to the lab.

“How could there be abortion pills? Are you sure there's no mistake?”

The lab technician pressed her lips together, her gaze toward me now full of suspicion. “We triple-checked it. There’s no mistake.”

Cold sweat dripped down my back—how could this have happened? The director had investigated everyone involved. When the medication left the pharmacy, it matched exactly what I had prescribed to protect the pregnancy. How could it have turned into abortion pills by the time it reached Larissa?

While I was in a daze, Gerry suddenly appeared, yelling at me, “This is the medication you prescribed to protect her pregnancy? Selena, I’ve always treated you well. Why would you kill my child?”

Doctor Swift, who had followed me, looked back and forth between Gerry and me, her eyes full of confusion.

But I couldn't care less about her confusion—I urgently tried to explain to Gerry, “It’s not possible, I didn’t prescribe the wrong medication…”

My pale face only confirmed Gerry’s belief that I had swapped the medication to harm Larissa.

Suddenly, I remembered the day I found out I was pregnant. Uncertain of Gerry’s reaction, I had secretly bought abortion pills for myself. When Gerry rushed into my department with Larissa in his arms, I hastily shoved the pills into my pocket.

Later, when Larissa miscarried, I was too overwhelmed to remember the pills. I should never have gone to retrieve the medication for Larissa myself. By touching it, I left room for suspicion to fall on me.

Realizing this, I rushed back to my office. The abortion pills I had bought were now gone from the pocket of my lab coat. It was as if I had been struck by lightning.

“What’s going on? I clearly had the pills…”

Gerry followed closely behind, his face cold as he interrogated me, “Clearly what? You bought abortion pills and switched them with Larissa’s, didn’t you?”

His tone was filled with certainty.

The other staff members on duty were now looking at me with changed expressions.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Gerry’s eyes, burning with resentment, rendered me speechless.

“I trusted you so much and this is how you repay me? If you didn’t want to help Larissa keep the baby, you could’ve just refused to help me! Why bother pretending to agree, only to play dirty tricks behind my back?”

I never knew that love for someone could turn into a dagger aimed straight at your heart. And Gerry was the one holding the dagger. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I stubbornly stared at him, refusing to let them fall.

“In your eyes, am I really someone who would disregard a human life and abandon my medical ethics?”

After eight years of being by his side day and night, this was how little he trusted me. Faced with my question, Gerry merely glared at me in anger, saying nothing.

I couldn’t accept it. I continued to ask, “If I told you those pills were for me, would you believe me?”

His gaze grew even more disgusted and a scoffing sound escaped his throat. “You don’t even have a boyfriend. Who would believe it if you said so?”

Doctor Swift furrowed her brows, about to speak on my behalf, but I grabbed her arm.

Gerry was right. I didn’t even have a boyfriend, yet I was pregnant. If this news got out, it would be another bombshell. Given Gerry’s sense of responsibility, he would certainly want to know who the father was.

How could I answer that? Should I tell him the child was his? That would only give him more reason to believe I had a motive to harm Larissa’s baby.

When someone wants to accuse you, they’ll always find an excuse. I suddenly lost the desire to explain myself. Those who trust me wouldn’t need my explanation. Those who don’t, won’t believe me no matter what I say.

In Gerry’s eyes, my guilt was sealed the moment he began to doubt me.

“Believe whatever you want.”

The moment those words left my mouth, I felt completely drained. If Doctor Swift had not been holding me up, I would have collapsed on the spot.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead, but Gerry took it as a sign of my guilt, now that the truth had supposedly been exposed. Our eyes met, but he still remained silent. His gaze, however, was like a blade, cutting me apart piece by piece.

I refused to show weakness, lifting my chin defiantly, even as his fists clenched and unclenched before he finally sneered, "Selena, your love for me disgusts me."

So, he had known all along. He knew I loved him. Yet he had deliberately carried Larissa into my clinic. His reasons were clear now. My pale face drained of any remaining color after that biting remark.

Doctor Swift, who had been holding my arm, tightened her grip unconsciously. “Gerry, Selena isn’t lying to you. She really…”

Before she could finish, Gerry had already turned and stormed off, leaving the rest of her words to dissolve into the disinfectant-scented air of the hospital hallway.

Doctor Swift, with her eyes red, asked me quietly, “Selena, that baby…?”

I forced a weak smile, watching Gerry’s retreating figure as I replied softly, “It’s just an unwanted child.”

Doctor Swift was wise enough not to press further.

I spent the night at my office, barely holding myself together.

***

At eight in the morning, a colleague came by to tell me that the hospital director wanted to see me.

On my way to the office, people pointed and whispered as I passed. I knew the video had gone viral by now.

“How could a doctor do something like that?”

“Who knows? Maybe she can’t have kids of her own and is jealous of pregnant women!”

“Ugh, people like her deserve to never have children!”

It would be a lie to say their words didn’t hurt. But I kept my face expressionless as I walked into the director’s office. Gerry and Larissa were already there, waiting for me. The half-closed door did nothing to block out the gossip. Gerry could hear every word clearly.

I remembered when people used to gossip about me, calling me a wild child left behind by my parents. Back then, Gerry would confront those busybodies, his eyes red with anger as he defended me. Now, he just stood there, watching coldly as others ridiculed and cursed me.

The director cleared his throat, gesturing for me to close the door. But those hurtful words still echoed in my ears, cutting deep into my heart.

“Selena, this incident has caused quite a stir. You should apologize to the patient first.”

Gerry held Larissa gently, his eyes full of concern for her. Larissa, with her swollen eyes, glanced at me with a fleeting look of smugness and provocation.

After a sleepless night, I had reviewed all the possibilities. I was now certain—Larissa had stolen my pills and placed them in her own medication bag.

“I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?”

As a doctor, I had already apologized for not being able to save her baby. But I would not apologize for something I didn’t do.

The director, clearly surprised by my stubbornness, sighed heavily and bowed to Gerry and Larissa on my behalf.

Seeing the elderly director, with his graying hair, bow for my sake made my eyes sting with unshed tears.

I turned to glare at Gerry. He responded with a faint, mocking smile. It was strange how that smile, so at odds with the cultured, refined man I once knew, didn’t seem out of place at all now.

“Director, I’m here on behalf of Selena’s parents. As her guardian, I believe she should be punished for this grave mistake.”

With what they called “irrefutable evidence,” even the director couldn’t protect me. I was suspended from my work and duties then forced to apologize to Larissa once again.

She stepped back hypocritically and feigned modesty. “Selena, I hope you can find your way back from your mistakes,” she said, her smile full of hidden meaning.

After sending Gerry away, I resigned from my position. With my reputation ruined, staying on would only be embarrassing. The director made a half-hearted attempt to persuade me to stay but ultimately agreed.

As I walked out of the office, I dialed my parents, “Dad, I miss you and Mom. I want to go abroad.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, then my dad's voice filled with excitement, “Finally, my daughter decided to go abroad! How long are you planning to stay this time?”

I took a deep breath and told him, “I’m not coming back.”

“Great! The family should be together! I’ll book your ticket right away. When do you want to leave?”

“The sooner, the better.” I replied.

After hanging up, I ran into Gerry, who frowned and asked, “Where are you going?”

“Just getting away for a while.”

His lips tightened into a thin line as he condescendingly said, “With everyone against you now, where do you think you can go to relax? Why not just stay home and take care of Larissa during her recovery? It’s the least you can do to make amends.”

I was stunned. How could he say something so shamelessly? Under the guise of concern, he was really just trying to humiliate me and make me give up. He knew everyone was against me, yet he didn’t feel the slightest guilt.

I chuckled bitterly and coldly declined, “I wouldn’t dare get too close to your beloved again. If anything happens, I won’t be able to handle so much blame.”

My indifferent tone made Gerry's face darken. “Selena, how am I supposed to explain this to your parents?”

He really wouldn’t be able to explain to them. If my parents knew he had gotten me pregnant and refused to take responsibility, teamed up with Larissa to frame me, got me canceled online and cost me my job… Knowing my dad’s temper, he’d probably be on the next flight back to beat Gerry up.

“Then you better make sure they never find out,” I said, turning to leave.

Gerry grabbed my arm, “Let’s put an end to this. I’ll give you a ride home.”

“No need, I already called for a taxi.”

But when the cab driver saw me, he rolled up the window and drove off. I waved down a few more cars, but it was the same reaction every time. They cursed at me, calling me unethical. I ignored them, determined to go to the police station and report the incident.

***

As I reached the station, Gerry rushed out to stop me, “Selena, what are you up to now?”

I glanced at Larissa in the passenger seat, looking a bit flustered and asked him, “I’m just filing a report. Why are you so nervous?”

This made Larissa uneasy. She got out of the car, weak and teary-eyed and came over to me.

“Selena, why are you making a scene? Why did you call the police for no reason? People can say what they want; the police can’t control everything, right?”

I didn’t want to waste words with her and went straight in to file my report.

When Gerry heard that I had been assaulted by a patient’s family, he looked incredulous. "You were beaten? How come I didn't know? Selena, it is illegal for you to report a false alarm!"

But when I presented the evidence, Larissa visibly relaxed.

"Selena, I advise you to forget it. If the patient's family pursues you for medical malpractice, you may lose your job!"

Thanked to her, I’d already lost my job. Her gloating was barely concealed.

Gerry, however, stared at the missed call on his phone, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. For a brief moment, I thought I saw guilt and panic in his expression.

I scoffed at myself, thinking I must have imagined it. He wasn’t the Gerry who used to be there for me, always coming to my aid. So, it made sense that when I was nearly beaten to a miscarriage, he had ignored me.

The police filed a case and began to investigate.

I went home alone to pack my luggage.

Dad had bought me a flight for three days later and I quickly listed my apartment with an agent.

When Gerry noticed strangers coming and going from my home, he angrily blocked the door:

“What are you all doing here?” His tone was hostile, as if ready to defend me from any perceived threat.

I pushed him aside and let the people in. He stood at the door with his arms crossed, like a guard.

When the potential buyers left, he slammed the door shut and asked in disbelief, “All I did was enforce some principles, give you a light punishment and now you’re selling your place and leaving me? Is that really necessary?”

At that moment, my phone rang.

After answering a call from the police, I returned to find Gerry holding the miscarriage paperwork I had left by the door.

His voice was cold, “Selena! When did you get a boyfriend? You’re pregnant already?”