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.

The bruising on her ankle had swollen severely. It hadn't been this bad at first, but forcing herself to walk earlier had worsened it, making the injury look even more alarming.

Dr. Shaw, sitting beside Gianna, immediately called over a nurse. “Quick, go get Dr. Thompson. His little fiancée is hurt—we can’t risk him taking it out on our department.”

Gianna panicked and tried to stop them. “No, don’t—”

But before she could finish, the nurse had already darted off.

Sighing, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Steven:

[The team noticed I sprained my ankle and sent a nurse to inform you. I tried to stop them but couldn’t. Don’t mind it.]

After sending the message, she waited for a reply, but none came.

By the time the nurse returned, her expression was awkward. She glanced at Gianna hesitantly before speaking. “Dr. Thompson said he knows, but... there’s a woman in his office. They seem to be laughing and chatting happily. I don’t think he’s planning to come over.”

Gianna kept her head down, saying nothing, as if trying to hide her emotions from the curious eyes of others.

“He... he must be busy...” she murmured, though even she didn’t know how she managed to get the words out. They tasted bitter.

Just then, her phone vibrated. A voice message from Steven.

Gianna opened it quickly, but the calm tone on the other end offered no concern, no comfort—just a simple, indifferent “Okay.”

In that moment, it felt as if the entire department was looking at her with pity.

“Dr. Wilson, could you step outside? A patient is asking for you,” the nurse at the front desk promptly called out Gianna's name.

Relieved to have an excuse to leave the room, Gianna quickly got up.

The last time she had felt such urgency to escape was at their engagement party.

Steven was always like this. Wherever Chloe was involved, Gianna would inevitably find herself in the shadows, always the afterthought.

That day, Steven had shown up late to their engagement party.

“Sorry, something came up at the hospital. I got held up,” he had said casually, brushing aside the hours she had spent awkwardly fielding questions and looks from their guests, all alone.

For her, it was a monumental day. However, it seemed as trivial as dust it was for him.

Later, she overheard colleagues at the hospital mention that Steven had left early that day with a woman. Gianna didn’t need to guess who that woman was, she knew that it was Chloe.

Now, she pulled on her white coat and limped her way out of the office.

The rest of the day was a blur of work. It wasn’t until evening that she finally finished her tasks.

As she stood up, a sharp pain shot through her ankle, jolting her to clarity. She realized she had forgotten to apply any medicine after leaving the office earlier. The injury had worsened, swelling grotesquely.

Sighing, Gianna sank back into her chair, deciding to wait for Steven to come and pick her up after his shift.

But she waited and waited. By the time most of the hospital had quieted, with only the night shift staff remaining, there was still no sign of him—not even a phone call.

Determined, she decided to check his office herself.

She only managed a few steps before the pain became unbearable, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Defeated, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number.

He answered quickly, his voice calm. “What’s up, Gianna?”

For a moment, she hesitated. It seemed he had completely forgotten his earlier promise to pick her up.

Biting her lip, she swallowed her pride. “Steven, you said you’d pick me up after work. I’m still waiting for you.”