Chapter 2

What a picture-perfect family of three.

The sight of them was so jarring that it hurt my eyes.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white. I barely managed to keep my composure. Willow had just come out of surgery, and I had only recently been transferred to this top-tier hospital.

This wasn't the right time or place to expose the truth.

After she regained a little strength, Willow's gaze landed on me. "Thank you so much, doctor. May I ask your name?"

With my face concealed behind my surgical cap and mask, Willow didn't recognize me.

I stared into her eyes, trying to find even the slightest trace of guilt. "Just call me Dr. Stuart."

Unfortunately, Simon quickly drew her attention away, and she didn't spare me another glance.

The moment I returned to the duty room, the phone in my pocket vibrated.

I swiped to answer, and Willow's voice came through. "Zayn, something urgent suddenly came up at the company. I probably won't be able to come back for a while."

I was infuriated and had so many questions. But just as the words reached my lips, the blow to both my body and spirit left me without even the desire to speak.

My silence gave Willow the wrong idea. She thought I was sulking, so she continued talking on her own.

She rambled, "I hope you understand. Once I'm done here, I'll definitely make time for our honeymoon—"

"Willow."

Before she could finish, Simon called her name. Along with his voice, the baby's cries rang out one after another on the other end of the line.

"I have to go!" Willow hung up in a fluster.

Too much had happened in a single day. The overwhelming absurdity of it all made my stomach churn, and I ended up vomiting violently in the restroom.

In my dazed state, I made a phone call.

I instructed, "Mail me the marriage certificate from the cabinet in the study. Tell my dad that Willow cheated on me. I want him to withdraw all financial support he's been giving her from now on."

According to the schedule, I was responsible for the next patient rounds. Forcing myself to stay focused, I picked up the patient chart.

Standing outside the door and looking through the glass, I saw Willow and Simon squeezed together on the narrow hospital bed. She was curled up in his arms, and he was gently patting her back with one hand. She had dark circles under her eyes from staying up all night.

Even though I had completely given up on her, the bitterness in my heart still welled up uncontrollably at the sight.

The knock on the door immediately woke Willow. I adjusted my mask and walked in.

Although it was a hospital room, it was decorated warmly. The table was piled high with maternity and baby supplies. There was everything imaginable from large items to small necessities.

Without exception, every single one of those items had been recommended by me.

A year earlier, on the night before Willow left on a business trip, she had suddenly shaken me awake.

She said, "Zayn, you're an obstetrician. Can you tell me what needs to be prepared for having a baby?"

Still half asleep, I looked at her in confusion. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

Willow answered hesitantly, saying that a coworker's baby was due soon and that they'd asked her to consult me.

I had just finished a grueling 36-hour shift and was so exhausted that I was barely conscious. In the next second, Willow suddenly sat up and turned on every light in the house while dragging me out of bed.

"Zayn, hurry up and write everything down," she urged.

She shoved a pen into my hand with force. Then, she gave the tender flesh on the inside of my arm a hard twist.

The searing pain instantly jolted me awake. I worked on that checklist until dawn broke.

Before she left, Willow carefully tucked it into the inner pocket of her coat. Then, she turned and walked away without even saying so much as a "thank you".