Chapter 2

Tears mixed with blood seeped into my mouth.

It tasted bitter beyond words.

Justin couldn't meet my gaze. His lips trembled as he choked out, "Natalie, I'm sorry... Chloe needs justice. The public needs an answer. My hands are tied!"

"But you still have me. I swear, I will take care of you for the rest of your life!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he pinned my arms down with brutal force and ordered the hired doctor to sever my wrist tendons.

Under the glare of flashing lights and hundreds of watchful eyes, I was stripped of my dignity and the thing I treasured most in this world.

I would never hold a scalpel again. I would never save another life.

"Don't worry, honey. No matter what you become, I will never divorce you."

Drained of strength and losing blood rapidly, I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I woke up, the news had gone viral across the internet.

*“Malpractice Surgeon Has Tendons Severed! Billionaire Husband Apologizes on Behalf of Disgraced Doctor!”*

*“A Win for the Underdog: Justice Served for the Poor Honor Student!”*

*“Money and Privilege Can’t Bury the Truth Anymore!”*

Justin had released a formal public apology under my name.

He claimed it was the only way to quell the public's fury.

But I hadn't made a mistake. Why was I the one apologizing?

I stared intently at Justin, my voice hoarse with despair. "Deep down... do you really believe I botched it?"

Justin pulled off his shirt, revealing bruised, lacerated flesh.

"I begged Mom for mercy. I pulled strings with board directors to keep you out of prison. But look at this! Look at what the official report says!"

I opened the manila envelope. Inside was the clinical malpractice review.

Surveillance footage, the anesthesiologist's testimony, surgical logs—everything pointed conclusively to me as the sole cause of the catastrophic failure.

Tears streamed down his face as he pulled me into his arms. "It's okay, baby. Everything is handled now. No one will come after you."

"So what if you can't practice medicine? Your husband will provide for you forever."

True to his word, Justin took me on trips around the world and spared no expense consulting top specialists to see if my nerve damage could be repaired.

Aside from the horrific event itself, it almost felt like nothing had changed.

"Wipe it up! There's water all over the floor! What if Chloe slips and falls?!"

Evelyn's sharp, irritated screech snapped me back to reality.

Chloe stood nearby, clapping her hands with a vacant, childish grin. "Mommy, is she playing doggie? Look at her crawl! That looks like so much fun!"

Evelyn nodded, her face softening. "Do you want to watch her do it?"

"Yes! Yes, please!"

Evelyn kicked my side. "Are you deaf? Crawl! You owe Chloe this! If it weren't for your butchery, she’d be graduating from an Ivy League school right now, making her parents proud!"

I bit my lower lip hard, digging my fingernails into my palms.

*Just endure a little longer.* Once Justin came home, I would demand a divorce.

The front door swung open, and Chloe ran toward him squealing with delight.

"Justin! Justin! You're finally home! Chloe missed you so, so much!"

He shifted his briefcase to scoop her up with one arm, pulling a wrapped present from his pocket.

"Look what I brought you, sweetie!"

Chloe planted a wet kiss on his cheek, giggling shyly. "Thank you, Justin! I have a show for you! Watch Natalie crawl like a dog!"

I had confronted Justin about Chloe more times than I could count.

"She's a grown woman, Justin, not a toddler! Can you please set some boundaries?!"

"So what if she's a woman? You're the one who trapped her brain at the age of five!" he would fire back. "I'm doing this to atone for *your* sins! Are you really going to be petty and jealous over a mentally disabled girl? Have you lost your mind?"

I grabbed the cleaning rag, tossed it into the trash bin, and kicked the can aside. "Justin, you're home early. Good. Come to the bedroom. We need to talk."