“Get me the best doctor here right now!” As I stepped out of the staff-only elevator, I was greeted by the sight of my husband, Nelson Fairclough, making a scene outside the operating room. My first thought was, “What is he doing here?” He told me he was away on a business trip today and couldn’t celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary with me. Before I could process what was happening, he yelled at the nurse again. “You’d better save my wife and baby, or I’ll make sure this hospital goes bankrupt!” I froze at his words. I thought, “If his wife is the one lying in that operating room, then who am I?” The realization hit me like a freight train. I’d been betrayed. I was still standing there in shock when a young doctor hurried toward me. “Dr. Fairclough, you’re just in time. All the senior surgeons are tied up with other cases. Please, you need to head into the OR now!” I took a deep breath, clenched my fists, and made my way toward the operating room. Nelson blocked my path, his voice dripping with hostility. “Are you the lead surgeon?” I was momentarily stunned that he didn’t recognize me. “Even with the surgical cap and mask covering most of my face, how could he not recognize his wife of seven years?” I thought. But then again, I realized that he probably never imagined I’d be here. Last month, I was temporarily assigned to this small-town hospital as part of an exchange program. I remembered telling Nelson about it, but it was obvious that he had been too engrossed in his phone and hadn’t paid attention. From behind my mask, I said calmly, “Please step aside, Sir.” I brushed past him. Nelson shouted after me, “There aren’t any men in that OR, right? My wife’s body isn’t for other men to see!” I cursed him silently, disgusted by his absurd possessiveness. But my curiosity grew. His words intrigued me more about the identity of the “wife” he was so protective of. After scrubbing in, I entered the OR. A pregnant woman lay pale and weak on the operating table. The moment I saw her face, my chest tightened. It was Olivia Hilton, the wife of Edmund Hilton, Nelson’s cousin. Edmund was a soldier and was often away on duty. Olivia would frequently call Nelson over to her house with excuses like a broken appliance or a plumbing issue. I’d been so busy with work that I never paid much attention to these things. But now, I realized they had been carrying on behind my back! The nurse handed me Olivia’s medical chart. Olivia was eight months pregnant. Her premature contractions were triggered by sexual activity during her pregnancy. I flipped through the chart, my mind racing. Edmund had been away for nearly a year. I couldn’t help but think, “Could the baby Olivia is carrying be Nelson’s?” My stomach churned. Memories of suspicious moments surfaced. Despite years of marriage, I hadn’t been able to conceive. My cycles were irregular, and last year, I’d suggested Nelson get tested. He’d flatly refused, insisting he was perfectly fine. Even his mother, Rosina Fairclough, had taken his side. I thought, “No wonder he was so sure of himself. He’s already gotten someone else pregnant.” It dawned on me that Rosina must have known all along. “Dr. Fairclough,” my assistant interrupted, “should we prepare for a C-section?” I checked the fetal heart rate and ultrasound. The baby was developed enough to survive outside the womb. “The irony,” I thought bitterly. “I’m about to perform a C-section on the woman who’s been sleeping with my husband.” But as a doctor, I had no other choice. Taking a steadying breath, I said, “Yes. Prep for anesthesia.” As we began preparations, Olivia suddenly screamed, “I want my husband here! I don’t want to do this alone!” The nurse tried to soothe her. “Ms. Hilton, that’s against protocol…” “Why not? I’ve seen husbands in the delivery room on TV!” After the anesthesia kicked in, Olivia’s contractions eased, and she began shouting energetically. The nurse explained patiently, “Those require prior approval, and our hospital doesn’t…” Olivia shouted, “I don’t care! My husband is a high-ranking executive! If you don’t let him in, you’ll regret it!” I thought, “Your real husband is a soldier, Olivia. Nelson’s just your lover, isn’t he? How shameless.” Clearly, neither Olivia nor Nelson cared about their marriage. They openly called each other husband and wife. “I won’t deliver unless my husband is here!” Olivia declared.
My assistant hesitated. “Dr. Fairclough, what should we do?” Suppressing my rage, I replied, “Call the director. I don’t have the authority to make that decision.” The director approved it quickly, saying the paperwork could be handled later. Soon, Nelson entered the room, dressed in scrubs. Olivia immediately started whining. “Honey, it hurts so much…” She was lying, of course. In her semi-anesthetized state, she wouldn’t feel pain. Nelson held her hand tenderly. “Hang in there, sweetheart. Once the baby’s born, I’ll reward you.” “I want that limited-edition designer bag…” “Anything you want. Just name it.” Watching this despicable pair, I no longer felt anger. I only felt self-loathing for being so stupid. Nelson had been so distant recently, even forgetting my birthday and our anniversary, but I’d foolishly chalked it up to work stress. “Anstey,” I told myself, “you’re a doctor. No matter who’s on the table, you must do your duty.” Resolving to stay professional, I picked up the scalpel. The first incision was smooth. Nelson leaned over to look, then promptly fainted. Ignoring him, I moved on to the second layer. “Nelson! Are you okay?” Olivia shrieked, trying to sit up. My assistant held her down. “Ms. Hilton, please remain still.” Two nurses dragged Nelson to a corner. I knew what was going on. Nelson must have fainted from the sight of blood. “How touching,” I thought sarcastically. “He really does care for Olivia.” We successfully delivered the baby. It was a frail boy, his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, his skin a sickly purple. “Is the baby out?” Olivia asked anxiously. “It’s a boy,” my assistant replied. She was overjoyed and immediately asked, “Why isn’t he crying?” The assistant didn’t answer. I calmly cleared the mucus from the baby’s airway and gave his foot a firm tap. The baby’s first cry finally pierced the room. Nelson stirred, attempting to sit up, but fainted again when he saw the bloodied newborn. The nurse measured the baby’s vitals and weight before showing him to Olivia. “He’s a little weak and needs to be placed in an incubator,” the nurse explained. “What? Incubator? You’re just trying to scam us for money!” Olivia snapped. I lost my patience. “Premature babies often require incubators. If you don’t trust our hospital, you’re welcome to transfer elsewhere.” Her defiance flared. “Fine! We’ll transfer! My husband can afford it. If it weren’t for…” She stopped short, then muttered, “Who’d come to this crappy hospital otherwise?” I knew what she meant. They came here to avoid gossip. After all, I was the best doctor at the city’s top hospital, and if they had born this kid in the city, I might have found out about their affair. I handed over the post-op procedures to my team and stepped out. Just as I was about to take a break, I heard loud yelling from the corridor. “The baby wasn’t even due yet! Why was he born? I’ll sue this hospital into the ground!” Looking up, I saw the source of the commotion. It was Nelson’s mother, Rosina.
Rosina blocked the midwife, refusing to let her take the baby to the NICU. The midwife, growing anxious, tried to reason with her. “Mrs. Fairclough, due to the risk of losing the baby, we had to perform an emergency C-section…” “What?” Rosina’s voice shot up. “A C-section? Natural birth makes smarter kids! Who gave you permission to do this? Call your director here, now!” I had never realized how ignorant Rosina could be. My emotions churned, but I wanted no part in this mess. I only wanted to leave. I made up my mind. As soon as I got home, I would divorce Nelson and sever all ties with these shameless people. I tried to avoid her and walk away. But Rosina spotted me and quickly stepped in my path. “Was it you who performed the C-section on my daughter-in-law?” I answered calmly, “The procedure was done with the patient’s and her family’s consent. If you have questions, take them up with your son.” Rosina didn’t recognize me. She started shouting again. “Hey! How dare you talk to me like that? Do you even know who I am? Who do you think you are? You are just a doctor!” Taking advantage of the distraction, the midwife hurriedly wheeled the baby into the elevator. Rosina, too focused on berating me, failed to stop her. She redirected her fury toward me. “You’re the reason my grandson was born prematurely! What kind of evil person are you? Are you trying to ruin his future?” The other people waiting outside the operating room couldn’t stand it anymore and began to speak up. “How unreasonable can you get? The doctor only acted to save your grandson!” “Exactly. Both your son and his wife signed off on the surgery. Why are you blaming the doctor?” Someone discreetly began recording the scene on his phone. Rosina, unfazed, lashed out. “Mind your own business! If it’s not the doctor’s fault, then whose is it? My grandson wasn’t due for two more months! It’s all because of this quack!” “You’re heartless,” an elderly woman interjected. “The doctor saved your grandson’s life!” The argument spiraled into chaos. In her rage, Rosina suddenly swung a fist at the elderly woman. I quickly intervened, warning Rosina. “Madam, if you keep this up, I’ll have to call security.” “You wouldn’t dare! Go ahead and try!” Rosina screamed, now completely unhinged. I shielded the older woman, urging her to step back. “Please, Madam, step aside for your safety…” Taking advantage of my momentary distraction, Rosina shoved me hard. I staggered, unable to steady myself, and fell heavily to the ground. A wave of dizziness hit me, followed by sharp pain in my lower abdomen. Concerned bystanders rushed to help me up. “Doctor, are you okay?” I couldn’t stand straight. Rosina, however, began shouting as if she were the victim. “Stop pretending! I barely touched you!” The pain was unbearable. I pressed my stomach, too weak to argue with her. Suddenly, I noticed a warm sensation trickling down my thigh. I froze, too terrified to move. Just then, Nelson appeared, pushing Olivia’s hospital bed out of the operating room. Seeing Rosina, Nelson asked in surprise, “Mom? What are you doing here?” Rosina, emboldened now that her son was present, twisted the story. “Your assistant told me Olivia was delivering the baby here! Nelson, tell me, did this quack doctor trick you into agreeing to a C-section? It was such a major decision, and you didn’t even consult me first! Hospitals like this always exaggerate risks to scam people into expensive procedures!” Several staff members lost their patience and spoke up. “Don’t you dare accuse us without evidence!” “The patient’s water broke! We had no choice but to perform the surgery!” Rosina, hands on her hips, snapped back. “And why did her water break, huh? Don’t try to fool me!” I couldn’t listen to her nonsense any longer. Summoning my remaining strength, I retorted, “Your son and his wife caused this by having sex during her pregnancy!”
Nelson froze, unable to refute me. Rosina hesitated briefly before flying into a rage. “That’s a lie! My son would never do something like that!” A nurse came over to support me. “Dr. Fairclough, don’t stoop to her level. Let’s get you out of here…” But Rosina wouldn’t let it go. She grabbed my arm, trying to stop me. “Hold it right there! Do you think you can just walk away? You owe my grandson an explanation!” Pain tore through my abdomen, and I felt cold sweat on my forehead. I realized something was very wrong. I broke free from her grip in desperation, pushing her away. Rosina stumbled back into the wall, clutching her back. She immediately began wailing dramatically. “Oh, my head! You’ve hurt me!” The nurse snapped at her. “You hit your back, not your head! Stop lying!” Rosina whined, “I don’t care! Apologize to me, or you’ll regret it!” She turned to Nelson for backup. “Your mother’s being mistreated, and you’re just standing there? Do something!” Nelson, still angry with me from the operating room, saw his chance to lash out. He marched over, pointing a finger in my face. “Apologize to my mother right now!” I gritted my teeth through the pain and whispered to the nurse, “I… I can’t… My stomach hurts. Take me away, please…” The nurse tried to lead me away, but Nelson grabbed my arm roughly. “Where do you think you’re going? You’re not leaving until you apologize!” The nurse tried to intervene, only for Nelson to shove her aside. “Nelson! You’d better see who I am!” I shouted hoarsely.
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