Early the next morning, I went to the hospital and submitted my resignation. The director, Ted Johnson, read my letter with clear regret and tried several times to talk me out of it.

I stood firm. I only said that I wanted some time off.

I had just finished packing my things when the clinic door burst open.

Amanda rushed in while half supporting Donovan. Worry tightened her face. "Ced, good. You're here. Hurry and take a look at Don. He says his chest feels tight. Something feels wrong with his heart."

I frowned and started to explain that I had already resigned.

Donovan slumped into a chair and cut me off with a pained expression, "Cedric, I've lived abroad too long. I don't trust the skill level of other doctors here. Manda said you're the best doctor in this hospital. I booked your consultation. Hurry and check me. My heart really hurts."

In my previous life, Donovan had pulled the same stunt. He had faked an illness and insisted that I prescribe something.

I had followed the symptoms he described and had given him a painkiller. That afternoon, he had shown up in the ER and claimed the medication caused complications. I had lost my job because of it.

Now I stayed where I was.

"You can go to the ER," I said. "I'm not qualified to practice here anymore. I've resigned—"

"Cedric!" Amanda snapped and cut me off. "Can you stop being so petty? Don is in this much pain and you're still putting on airs. Where are your medical ethics? Did a dog eat them?"

The shouting drew people into the hallway, and a small crowd gathered.

The hospital director hurried over when he heard the commotion. He took one look at the scene and sighed. Then he pulled me aside and lowered his voice. "Cedric, you did submit your resignation, but the paperwork isn't finished yet. And this is a friend your family brought here. If this turns into a scene, it won't help your reputation. Just treat it as doing someone a favor. Take a look at him."

A cold laugh rose in my chest.

Fine. He wanted an exam.

"Come in," I said flatly.

I turned and walked back into the clinic.

Donovan followed.

I picked up my stethoscope and leaned closer.

Donovan casually tugged open his collar. His neck, which had been half hidden before, came fully into view. Fresh kiss marks covered it. They were dense and dark, worse than what I had seen last night.

He met my eyes and spoke with lazy pride. "Cedric, Manda went a little crazy last night. She kept dragging me around half the night. Almost broke these old bones.

"She said you're too stiff in bed. Said these past years felt like living with a priest. Things got a little loud. We didn't keep you awake, did we?"

My hand paused on the stethoscope. I already knew what kind of person Amanda was. Even so, something pricked my chest like a needle.

It was really annoying.

"Is that so?" I said, my voice calm with a trace of mockery. "Then be more careful next time. Only men who are all show and no substance need to prove themselves that way."

Donovan's face froze, and his expression darkened.

I finished the examination in silence. His heartbeat was strong and his breathing steady. Aside from the bruised love bites, the man was healthy enough to step into a boxing ring.

"No major problem," I said. "Just a little too much indulgence."

I printed a prescription and handed it to him. "Pick it up at the pharmacy."

The paper listed nothing more than a bottle of ordinary vitamin B.

Donovan took the prescription without even glancing at it. He stepped out of the clinic and said to Amanda, "Manda, Cedric really is skilled. I already feel much better after that checkup."

Amanda finally relaxed. She patted his shoulder, then set a box on my desk. "Ced, Don brought you a gift from overseas. He wanted to thank you."

It was a box of imported macadamia nuts.

Donovan stood beside her and adjusted his collar. He looked at me with bored indifference.

Amanda turned back to him. "All right, all done. Let's go. I'll take you to that Sayorese place you love."

I stared at the box of nuts on my desk.

The irony was almost funny. We had dated for six years. We had been married for three.

Amanda still did not know that I was severely allergic to nuts. Yet she remembered perfectly that Donovan, who had lived overseas for five years, loved Sayorese food.

"Take it away." I pushed the box of macadamia nuts back across the desk. "I'm allergic to nuts."

Amanda froze. Panic flashed across her face. "Allergic? Why have you never said that before?"

Donovan frowned. Impatience crept into his voice. "Cedric, I had someone track those down for me. They're top quality. If you don't appreciate it, fine. But do you really need to make up excuses just to kill the mood?"

The trace of guilt on Amanda's face vanished at once.

"Enough, Cedric!" she snapped. "Don meant well. He didn't know you were allergic. If you don't want to eat them, just leave them there. Why make a scene in front of everyone? Do you only feel satisfied when you ruin the atmosphere?"

She grabbed Donovan's arm and stormed out, her expression cold.

I watched them disappear down the hallway. Then I tore the carbon copy from the prescription pad and slipped it into the medical file.

…

That afternoon, I had barely reached the hospital entrance when I received a complaint notice from the medical affairs office.

The office door slammed open.

Amanda rushed in, her face dark with fury.

Donovan followed behind her. A rash had broken out across his neck and arms, and he scratched at it irritably.

"Cedric! What the hell did you prescribe for him?" Her eyes were bloodshot. She grabbed my collar with both hands. "Don's covered in rashes now. Did you do this on purpose? Did you?"

Donovan clenched his teeth. His stare turned vicious. "Cedric, I always thought you were a decent man. I didn't expect you to play dirty behind people's backs under the excuse of your job.

"If you don't like me, we can settle it outside. But secretly prescribing the wrong medication? What kind of man does that?"

His accusation ignited Amanda's anger. "Cedric! What do you have to say for yourself?"

I pried her hands off my collar.

"I prescribed vitamins," I said coldly. "How exactly do vitamins cause an allergic reaction? Use your brain."

"Vitamins? Who are you trying to fool?" Amanda roared. The veins in her temples bulged. "The proof is right in front of us. Am I blind? If anything happens to Don, I'll make you pay for it."

She suddenly grabbed the box of macadamia nuts that still sat on my desk.

Before I could react, she tore open the package and marched toward me with a twisted expression. "If you enjoy hurting people so much, then you can find out what an allergic reaction feels like."

She pinned my shoulder with one hand and shoved a fistful of nuts toward my mouth with the other.

"Amanda! Are you insane? Let go!"

I struggled, but several crushed pieces forced their way down my throat. My airway swelled almost instantly, and my vision blurred.

Just before I blacked out, I saw Donovan standing nearby, watching with cold satisfaction.

…

When I woke, the hospital director stood beside the bed. An IV line hung from my hand. The swelling had eased, and my breathing felt clearer.

Amanda stood nearby. The moment she saw my eyes open, she turned to the director and spoke with sharp indignation. "Dr. Johnson, this man is narrow-minded. He deliberately prescribed the wrong medication to harm my friend. I hope the hospital handles this fairly."

Ted's face darkened as he looked at me. "Dr. Lunsford, what exactly happened?"

I turned toward the nurse standing nearby. "Pull today's prescription record."

The nurse quickly printed it and handed it to the director.

He glanced at the sheet, then slapped it down in front of Amanda. "Dr. Lunsford prescribed Vitamin B tablets. How could that possibly cause such a severe allergic reaction?"

Amanda froze and stared at the paper. It clearly read: Vitamin B.

Donovan's irritated expression stiffened for a split second. Panic flickered across his eyes.

He coughed and quickly stepped back. "Manda, maybe I ate some bad seafood at lunch. I told you it might not be the medicine. You got too worked up earlier. Now everyone looks bad."

Amanda let out a breath. Her face still looked unpleasant, but her tone softened. "If it was a misunderstanding, then forget it."

She glanced at me and added with complete confidence, "Don's a victim too. As the doctor, you should have asked more about his dietary history. Let's all be a little generous. We'll call this even."

"Even?" I actually laughed. "Amanda, you almost killed me just now. And you're telling me we're even? You two apologize right now, or I'm calling the police."

Her expression darkened at once. "Cedric, don't push your luck—"

"Enough," Donovan cut her off and looked at me with open impatience. "Cedric, fine. My bad luck. I ate the wrong thing and blamed you. Manda was only protecting me. If you want to call the police, go ahead. But don't stand here pretending you're the victim."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word. Amanda shot me a vicious glare and hurried after him. "Cedric, you're impossible!"

Exhaustion settled deep in my bones.

…

I checked out of the hospital and went home to pack. My flight left early the next morning. I did not want to stay here a second longer.

The moment I stepped inside, I heard Donovan complaining in an irritated voice. "Manda, those debt collectors gave me a deadline. If the money isn't wired by tomorrow, they'll break one of my legs. Or they'll drag me into some underground fight club and make me fight to pay it back."

He kicked the sofa in frustration.

Amanda rushed to soothe him. "Don't worry. I'm here. Let's see who dares lay a finger on you."

She noticed me then. Her expression cooled immediately, and her voice turned impatient. "Ced, can you hurry up with the patent transfer? Don doesn't have time to wait."

Perhaps she remembered the scene at the hospital because her tone softened slightly.

"As long as you transfer the patent to Don and help him cover the debt, I promise I'll come back to the family. We'll live properly together from now on. And after what happened at the hospital today, you owe Don some compensation anyway."

I swallowed the wave of disgust.

From my bag, I pulled out a thick stack of documents I had prepared earlier. They looked like copies of the patent transfer agreement.

The stack was heavy and appeared official. Buried in the middle pages, however, was something else: a divorce agreement.

I flipped to the final page and pointed to the signature line.

"Sign here."

Amanda did not even glance at the terms. She grabbed a pen and scribbled her name without hesitation.

Donovan's gloomy face finally broke into a smile. "Manda, you really know how to handle things. I owe you one this time."

Amanda patted his shoulder and looked at him with a gentle gaze. "Why are you being polite with me? Your problems are my problems."

I watched the scene with cold detachment. Then I turned and walked into the bedroom and pulled out my suitcase.

The sound caught Amanda's attention. She frowned slightly. "Where are you going?"

"A business trip," I said calmly.

It was the first lie I had ever told her.

She did not question it. She waved a dismissive hand. "Put the trip on hold for now. There's a business reception tomorrow night. Bring the detailed technical materials for the patent. I want to announce the good news publicly and introduce Don to a few investors."

She not only wanted to use my life's work to fill his bottomless debt, but she also wanted to squeeze out its remaining value and pave his future for him. What a perfect plan.

A faint, cold smile touched my lips. I took out a USB drive and handed it to her.

"I might arrive a little late," I said. "But the core data is all in here."

Amanda weighed the USB drive in her hand and studied my calm expression. For some reason, a strange unease stirred in her chest. It felt as though something important was quietly slipping away, something she would never be able to catch again.

While she stepped aside to answer a phone call, Donovan walked over to me. His tone dripped with arrogant mockery. "Cedric, what does it matter if you're talented? Your woman and your life's work all end up dressing me for the wedding in the end, don't they?"

I smiled slightly. "Really? Then I wish you good luck."

…

The next morning, Amanda left early. Before she went out, she reminded me to arrive early that night.

The apartment remained silent behind her. She did not think much of it. She assumed I was sleeping in. A trace of softness crossed her mind. After all this was over, she would make it up to me. Perhaps it was time to start seriously planning for a baby.

Lost in those thoughts, she left with Donovan urging her along.

…

More than ten hours later, my plane landed. The moment I turned my phone on, calls and messages flooded the screen like a bombardment.

Every single one was from Amanda.

[Cedric! Where are you?!]

[Why did the patent office say the patent was transferred to someone else three days ago?!]

[That USB drive was full of viruses! The company's computers are completely down! The investors are accusing me of fraud!]