Chapter 3

That night, I stayed outside the ward and barely slept.

The next morning, my father was scheduled for surgery.

The doctor said the risk was not low and told the family to prepare ourselves mentally.

Before the surgery began, I called Ethan three times. He did not answer once.

Half an hour before the operation, he finally replied with two words:

"Busy now."

I looked at the message and deleted it.

At noon, Ethan finally arrived, carrying a container of soup.

He handed it to me. "Eat something first. Don't run yourself into the ground."

I did not take it. I only asked, "Where were you last night?"

Ethan paused. "At the hotel."

"With Chloe?"

His face darkened slightly. "Olivia, can you stop being so extreme? Do you have to cling to one thing forever?"

I stared at him. "My father was in the operating room, and you spent last night with another woman. Now you're standing here pretending to care about me."

"Ethan, don't you think that's hypocritical?"

He looked completely righteous. "Chloe isn't an outsider."

"Her mother was frightened and her heart felt unwell. Was I supposed to ignore that?"

I laughed coldly.

"Of course you had to care. After all, they matter more than my family."

My words stung him, and his face sank. He stopped pretending.

"Fine. Since you insist on thinking that way, I'll be honest."

"Even if yesterday happened again, I would still prioritize the equipment for the person who needed it more."

My entire body went stiff.

"What do you mean?"

Ethan's face was expressionless. "Your father's condition was too sudden. No one could guarantee the AED would arrive in time. Mrs. Bennett has a clear medical history. Precaution was the safer choice."

"I couldn't put Mrs. Bennett at risk just because you're my wife."

At that moment, I finally understood.

He would never reflect on what he had done, because he truly believed he had done nothing wrong.

I swept the soup container to the floor.

Ethan's face changed. "What are you doing? Don't make a scene in the hospital."

"You're the disgrace."

I stared at him. "From today on, you don't deserve to enter my father's ward."

Just then, the doors of the operating room opened. The doctor came out and said the surgery had gone smoothly for now, but they still needed to observe him.

My body swayed, and I had to lean against the wall to steady myself.

My mother and Ryan both let out a breath of relief.

Only Ethan asked, "How long will he need to stay in the hospital after this?"

I turned to look at him, and suddenly I did not want to say another word.

That evening, I went home to get my father's documents and clothes.

When I opened the safe, I froze.

More than half of it was empty.

My premarital assets, certificates of deposit, and cash were all gone.

At the bottom lay only a copy of an account authorization change form. The signature on it was my name, but it was not mine.

I had just picked up the document when I heard the front door open.

Ethan walked in. The moment he saw what was in my hand, his face changed.