Chapter 1

Ethan loved me. Everyone knew it.

He spoiled me so much that I didn't even know how to boil water. He turned me into a completely dependent princess.

And then, he suddenly let me catch him being intimate with another woman.

That woman lived right across the hall. They even had a three-year-old son. Our home and theirs were practically connected.

Taking advantage of a career transfer, I chose to leave.

Ethan went crazy looking for me: "Do you really have no feelings left for me?"

I held my new boyfriend's hand, showing off a giant diamond ring: "I'm getting married."

"Dr. Claire, your transfer application has been approved. Remember to report on time after the New Year holiday. Are you free after shift tonight? The department booked a restaurant to send you off."

Dr. Miller, the chief of surgery, was incredibly warm to me.

Actually, all my colleagues in the department treated me well.

As the only female urologist specializing in male reproductive health in the entire hospital, I was naturally the pampered favorite of the department.

"I can't let you spend your money, Chief. I should buy the dinner. But my schedule is tight, so I'll have to skip the meal."

As a married woman, I always kept a strict professional distance from my male colleagues.

I always steered clear of social dinners where drinking was guaranteed.

I had no choice. I had a husband who got jealous incredibly easily. It was a sweet, yet exhausting burden.

Excited about my upcoming transfer, I headed home.

Before I even opened the door, I heard loud, rowdy laughter coming from inside.

"Ethan, man, you've been married for seven years. Why don't you have a kid yet?"

Ethan's childhood friend, Luke, teased him. "Don't tell me you have performance issues? Why don't you let your wife treat you?"

Ethan sneered, "I'm perfectly fine, damn it!"

Luke laughed. "Well, I really want a son. Maybe I should have a doctor check me out. Claire is pretty good. I'll just have her examine me. I'm sure she has a magic touch!"

I froze, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I waited for Ethan to curse out the classless Luke.

There was an unwritten rule among friends: you don't disrespect a friend's wife. Luke acted like he had never heard of it.

If he had formally booked an appointment at the hospital, it would be different. To a doctor, patients have no gender.

But saying it like this, in a casual setting, felt incredibly dirty and suggestive.

Luke had always been a creep. He had looked at me inappropriately a few times. Fearing Ethan would misunderstand, I always avoided him and never brought it up to Ethan.

Then, Ethan spoke, his voice casual. "As soon as Claire gets back, I'll have her take a look at you. Don't be shy. She looks at dozens of men's junk every single day. What's one more?"

The sheer humiliation in his words was impossible to ignore.

I couldn't even pretend to misunderstand.

Another familiar voice interrupted. "Ethan, that's not right."

"Nothing wrong with it. Honestly, she seems to enjoy it. When the time comes, I'll have her check all of you. You can even compare sizes right in front of her."

His tone was completely indifferent. He spoke of me as if I were a piece of property, a toy he could generously share with his buddies on a whim.

My legs went weak. I stumbled and fell to the cold floor of the hallway.

My purse unzipped, and my things spilled everywhere.

My transfer approval letter landed right in front of my eyes. If it had eyes, it would be mocking me right now.

This was the marriage I had fought so hard to protect.

It was a total joke.

I had always known Ethan hated that I was a urologist. But I believed my conscience was clear. I kept my relationships with patients strictly professional.

I had never crossed the line with my colleagues either.

We had fought about it before.

"You lie there like a dead fish when you're with me. Did some other guy feed you well at the hospital?"

"Are you sleeping with your patients? Or those male colleagues who kiss your ass every day?"

"I must have been blind to marry you. You put a green hat on my head every single day!"

Back then, I thought he was just frustrated with my career and talking nonsense because he was drunk.

Now I realized those were his true thoughts.

He had always looked down on me.

Snowflakes drifted down, landing on my skin. The cold seeped straight into my chest.

People on the street were rushing home to their families.

But where could I go?

It was time to end this.