Chapter 6
The sharp smell of disinfectant stung her nose. Stephanie slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the white hospital ceiling.
“You’re finally awake,” a nurse said as she adjusted the IV drip. “How are you feeling?”
Stephanie’s throat ached as she asked, “Who brought me here?”
“The cruise ship staff,” the nurse replied, handing her a cup of warm water. “You’ve been unconscious for two days. Should I help you call your family?”
Just then, the other nurses‘ discussions came from outside.
“Mr. Ferguson treats Ms. Gibson so well. He booked an entire hospital floor just because of a small allergy and even called in a bunch of specialists for her.”
“Right? I heard that he stayed with her for two days and even skipped out on a big company meeting.”
Stephanie gave a dry smile. “No need. I don’t have anyone to call.”
***
After getting released from the hospital, Stephanie returned to her empty
home.
She started packing her things, tossing anything tied to Edgar into the trash like it meant nothing.
The first necklace he ever gave her, their wedding anniversary photo, the souvenirs he brought back from business trips–she threw them away.
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208 Voce hery
While Edgar was off playing the perfect boyfriend to Amelia, he never even noticed what was disappearing from their home. Until one evening, he got back earlier than usual and saw Stephanie sitting there, staring into
space.
“Why haven’t you been at the college lately?” he asked casually, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up.
Without looking at him, she replied, “I quit.”
Edgar frowned. “What for? I thought everything was going fine.”
“I’m exhausted,” she said quietly. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”
He didn’t push. He nodded and went to pour himself a glass of water. After a moment, he remembered something. “Oh yeah, your old research project is finished, right?”
Stephanie froze. “What’s wrong?”
“Amelia needs research achievements to secure a spot in the graduate program,” he said, like it was no big deal. “Your project is impressive, so I let her publish it under her name.”
“What?!” Stephanie jumped to her feet, her voice shaking. “That project took me three years!”
Edgar didn’t even flinch. “It’s just a research paper. No need to hold onto it.”
She was shaking with anger. “I’m going to tell the principal everything!”
Grabbing her coat, she stormed out and headed straight for the campus.
Inside the principal’s office, she explained the situation. The principal just sighed. “Stephanie, I get that you’re upset. But Mr. Ferguson made the request.
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“He donated several buildings to our college. We have no choice.”
It felt like ice water ran through her veins.
Only then did she understand why Edgar wasn’t worried at all.
He already knew that no matter how much she made a fuss, nothing would change.
Her marriage, her career, her pride–it had all been crushed under Edgar and Amelia’s feet.
It started raining as she left the campus.
Stephanie didn’t move. She just stood there, letting the rain soak her completely.
Her mind drifted back to a rainy night years ago. Edgar had been waiting outside her dorm, drenched, holding a rose that had been ruined by the
storm.
He stood there stubbornly until she gave in and came downstairs.
“Stephanie, be with me. I’ll love you forever. You’ll be the only one.”
Thinking about it now, those sweet words were like the rain–dramatic at that time, but meaningless once they dried up.
“Forever” was just something he said to sound romantic.
She slowly squatted down, hugged her knees, and finally let herself cry.
The next day, Stephanie was putting away the last of her things when the doorbell rang.
She opened the door and saw Amelia standing there with a fancy gift box.
“Edgar isn’t here,” Stephanie said flatly. “He left for work. You shouldn’t
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Chapter 6
be here.”
“I know.” Amelia smiled sweetly. “I came to see you.”
1281-2015
She walked right in and placed the box on the table. “I just wanted to say thanks. If it weren’t for your research, I wouldn’t have won that award or gotten into the graduate program early.
”
She tilted her head and smirked. “And it’s not just that one project. A bunch of your previous work is under my name now. Ms. Sanchez, you’re indeed talented. Quitting was the best move for you.”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Now you’ll have time to help me with my future projects. My career depends on you.”
Stephanie stared at Amelia without flinching, her eyes calm. “Are you done? You can leave now.”
Amelia was stunned. She clearly expected a different reaction.
“What’s wrong, Ms. Sanchez?” she said sharply, “Are you so crushed that you can’t even be mad anymore?”
Just then, the sound of a car engine came from outside. Edgar was back.
Amelia’s eyes lit up. She suddenly stumbled backward, tears in her eyes. “Ms. Sanchez, please let me go! I promised I would go abroad and never bother Mr. Ferguson again! I don’t want to die…”
Chapter 7
