My supposed best friend, Briana, was supposed to be performing a critical surgery. Instead, she was on a video call, openly flirting with my fiancé, Julian. Her distraction led to a catastrophic mistake – her scalpel slipped. The patient was left permanently paralyzed, trapped in a vegetative state. Afterward, she threw me to the wolves – the patient’s devastated family, who were absolutely consumed by rage and grief. She shamelessly claimed *I* was the lead surgeon. I begged Julian to testify for me, but he simply said he’d already married Briana in secret and didn’t want his wife to get jealous. He turned his back on me and escorted Briana away. I was stabbed over a dozen times. The tendons in both my hands were completely severed, and the ring and pinky fingers on both hands were crushed into an unrecognizable pulp. In my darkest moment of despair, my childhood friend, Julian Hayes, appeared with his bodyguards. He cradled my hands, tears streaming down his face. He sent a private jet, flew in dozens of top experts from all over the world, and begged them on his knees to save me. Two years later, I overheard him talking to his assistant: “Mr. Hayes, because of Ms. Thorne’s mistake, the patient died right there on the operating table. Their family is flying back from overseas, and I doubt they’ll let her get away with it.” “Are we going to push the blame onto your wife again, just like last time? This is already her second time taking the fall for Ms. Thorne. What if someone ends up dead for real?” Julian scoffed: “She was stabbed ’til she looked like a sieve, her hands completely useless, and she still survived, didn’t she? If she can take the hit once, she can do it again. I’m supporting her anyway; as long as she doesn’t actually *die*, it’s fine.” “Briana is preparing for the ‘Golden Scalpel’ competition. Becoming Dr. Serena Reed’s disciple is her dream, and I will not allow any danger or obstacle to come near her!”
The assistant, Mr. Davies, looked pained: “But that competition spot originally belonged to your wife, Ellie! She was once the most brilliant surgeon in the country, and becoming Dr. Reed’s disciple was *her* dream too. You deliberately had her hands crippled, making her lose her eligibility.” “Your wife worked tirelessly for ten years to get that spot. Is this truly fair to her?” “Fair? What’s fair about it? Her hands are useless anyway. She’s just a cripple; she can’t compete. Period.” Mr. Davies still hesitated: “But you spent thirty million just to get Ms. Thorne a substitute spot, and then another two hundred million to bribe the organizers for the competition questions. If news gets out that you helped her cheat, your reputation and the company’s stock will suffer incalculable losses.” Julian looked annoyed: “Enough! From the moment I met Briana, I decided I’d do anything for her. Since I couldn’t make her choose me, then I’ll do everything in my power to lift her dreams. As long as Briana is happy, what’s a little reputation or stock loss?” “Briana *must* win that competition. Only then can she become Dr. Reed’s disciple. As for Eleanor… if she’s crippled, then she’s crippled. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her.” Outside the door, I trembled, recording everything on my phone, then stumbled downstairs. So, the patient’s family member who stabbed me and severed my tendons, who crushed four of my fingers all those years ago—he was acting on Julian’s orders! He saved me, he married me, not out of love, but to keep me penned up like a sacrificial lamb, ready to be offered up for his beloved woman whenever needed. I had survived, but both my hands were useless, and four fingers had been amputated. Now, I could barely even hold a fork, let alone pick up a scalpel again. But I never imagined that behind all of this was my own husband’s meticulous scheme. The thought that while I lay there in a pool of my own blood, my dreams shattered and my heart filled with utter despair, he might have been lurking in the shadows, savoring his ‘achievement’—it sent shivers down my spine that I couldn’t control. The scars on my wrists throbbed faintly, my hands trembling uncontrollably. A glass slipped from my grip and shattered on the floor, the sound drawing Julian’s attention. He instantly swept me into his arms, protecting me from stepping on the shards. His voice was full of feigned concern: “Ellie, I’ve told you countless times, in this house, *I* am your hands. Whatever you need, just tell me, and I’ll get it for you.” “Or there’s Mrs. Gable. Your hands aren’t fully healed yet. What if you make them worse? Do you want to break my heart?” I instinctively reached for the gloves on the bar. Julian stopped me, gently lifting my mutilated, grotesque hands, and kissed the scars where my fingers had been amputated. “Ellie, with me, you never need to feel inferior, and you certainly don’t need to wear gloves to hide yourself. I love you, and I love everything about you.” “I only regret that I arrived too late. Otherwise, your hands wouldn’t be like this, and you wouldn’t have lost your dream of being a doctor. Don’t worry, I will take good care of you.” His tone and gaze were so tender, yet his words filled my heart with immeasurable sorrow. The deep affection and salvation I thought I’d found were nothing but his elaborate disguise. I forced a smile: “Don’t say that. You did your best.” “You’ve worked hard. Go back to the bedroom first; I’ll ask Mrs. Gable to warm some milk for you.” I secretly put two sleeping pills in the milk, and after Julian fell asleep, I went to the villa’s garage. I intended to check the dash cam, but accidentally brushed against a button in the corner. The floor tiles beneath me flipped open, revealing a downward staircase. Beneath it lay a hidden room. The room was secured by an electronic lock. On the small screen, there was a heart-shaped sticker with pictures of Briana and Julian. As expected, the password was Briana’s birthday.
Once inside, the scene that greeted me pierced my heart like a sharp blade. Julian had transformed the secret room into a private cinema. On the best display screen money could buy, a video was playing: Briana in college, practicing vascular sutures on a white mouse. Briana’s pores were clearly visible, as if I could reach out and touch her. Her hands weren’t steady enough; the needle pierced right through the mouse’s heart, killing it instantly. Despite such clumsy technique, such idiotic操作, Julian had overlaid the video with heart stickers and a caption: “October 3rd, 2018, Sunny. My dearest Briana, a future medical star, you look so beautiful when you’re focused.” I once wanted to record our daily life after marriage, to keep as memories for our old age. Julian had told me that true memories should only be kept in the heart, and we shouldn’t waste time on such meaningless things. Yet, he had recorded so many videos of Briana’s daily life and work. The playlist held over a thousand videos, more than the days we’d been married. Each one was accompanied by his heartfelt confessions. In the secret room, there were also a dozen small wooden shelves, displaying hundreds of bottles of women’s hand cream. When I was still a doctor, I’d seen a similar bottle in Briana’s bag. Curious, I’d asked her where she bought it. Briana had scoffed: “Ellie, don’t even think about it. You can’t buy it, and you can’t afford it. This was specially formulated for me by an international master, commissioned by someone who loves me. The ingredients are expensive and rare, the best for nourishing skin. One bottle costs hundreds of thousands!” It turned out that ‘someone’ was Julian. Three years of marriage, and I had never received such favoritism. But what truly broke my heart was the comic poster titled ‘Briana’s Dream.’ A cartoon version of Briana was depicted, battling her way through, winning the ‘Golden Scalpel’ championship, and becoming Dr. Reed’s disciple. Next to it was Julian’s handwriting: “Briana, I will definitely lead you to the pinnacle.” And on this path to the pinnacle, I saw my own image: covered in blood, my fingers crushed to pulp, lying in a pool of blood. My face was crossed out with a vivid red ‘X,’ and a note read: Briana’s Obstacle, resolved. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I booked a plane ticket for three days later. Julian, since I was such an eyesore to you, I would leave for good. As for your Briana, she’d enjoyed my pain and spilled blood for long enough. It was time for it to end. I returned to the villa and drafted a divorce agreement on my phone. To leave with nothing was easy; there were plenty of templates. I sat on the sofa, staring blankly at my mutilated hands, sleepless through the night. The next morning, Julian, assuming I had simply woken up early, didn’t suspect a thing. He pulled out a thumb-sized tube of hand cream and meticulously massaged it into my hands. “Ellie, this is a new product developed by an international master. It can nourish your skin and help it regenerate. It’s incredibly hard to get; I finally managed to buy just one tube. It’s perfect for you.” Looking at the hand cream, I inwardly scoffed. This was a free sample he got from buying Briana’s expensive hand creams, piled up in dusty boxes in the corner of the secret room. Before I could even suggest divorce, Julian hurriedly got dressed and left. “Ellie, things are a bit chaotic outside lately. Stay home, be good, and don’t run around.” No sooner had he walked out the front door than I pulled out my phone. The recording device I’d secretly placed in his car transmitted Julian and his assistant, Mr. Davies, talking.
“Mr. Hayes, the deceased patient’s family seems to have contacted the media to seek justice for their loved one. I’ve already told the hospital staff to keep their mouths shut, but the public outcry is growing, and it’s very likely to trace back to Ms. Thorne.” “Then what are you waiting for? Leak Eleanor’s photo and our home address to the media. Tell them she’s the one who did it.” “But your wife…” “Don’t waste time! She’ll be safely tucked away at home. Just send two bodyguards to stand guard outside. What could possibly happen? The main thing is, nothing must affect Briana.” For Briana, he shamelessly threw me into the eye of the storm. Truly, his devotion was profound. Not long after Julian left, the media and influencers, having received the tip, swarmed our house. The two bodyguards, of course, were nowhere to be seen. They violently pounded on the door, shouting: “Eleanor Vance, you murderer, you heartless doctor! You killed someone and still have the nerve to hide at home and enjoy yourself? Today, we’re delivering justice! Get out here!” Windows shattered from stones, and rotten eggs splattered on my head, emitting a disgusting stench. Seeing the front door about to give way, Mrs. Gable, the housekeeper, couldn’t bear it. She urged me to change into her clothes and hat and sneak out through the back door. To my dismay, I hadn’t run far when a few influencers spotted me. “There she is! The bitch is running! Quick, catch her! Our livestream is going to go viral!” The trauma of being caught and tormented by the patient’s family years ago resurfaced, and I ran for my life in terror. In a panic, I FaceTimed Julian for help. The moment he picked up, he said: “Ellie, I’m in a meeting. Can we talk later, alright?” Before I could speak, Julian seemed to accidentally turn on his camera. On the screen, Briana was clinging to his arm, and they were leisurely and sweetly shopping at a mall. Briana pointed at a high-end jewelry store in front of them, pouting playfully: “Julian, I love all their diamond rings, but they’re so expensive. What should I do?” Julian’s gaze was full of adoration, his voice doting: “Then I’ll buy them all for you, Briana, as a cheer for your competition tomorrow.” “Oh, you’re spoiling me too much! I’m going to get completely spoiled. How about… you let me try on that pigeon-sized diamond first?” “Whatever makes you happy, Briana. I’ll do anything.” The sales associate next to them looked envious: “Sir, you truly adore your wife! They say loving your partner is like nurturing a flower, and no wonder your wife is so radiant. You two are a perfect match, truly enviable.” “If my husband spoiled me half as much as you spoil yours, I’d die happy.” Julian simply smiled, not denying it. In fact, he seemed quite pleased the sales associate called him Briana’s husband and immediately tipped her a thousand dollars. Briana playfully slapped his arm: “You’re such a spendthrift.” My steps froze instantly, the words caught in my throat, unable to go up or down. Only a sickening ache remained. Briana saw me on the screen and feigned enthusiasm: “Oh, isn’t that Ellie? Oops, it’s all Julian’s fault, he was so busy buying me jewelry, he forgot he was still on a video call with you. You’re so magnanimous, you won’t be mad, right?” She then introduced me to the curious sales associate: “This is my best friend. She’s not just generous, she’s quite special, actually.” “The rest of us normal people have ten fingers, but she only has six! Isn’t that unique? If she came today, you probably wouldn’t earn as much commission, since she doesn’t have as many fingers.” “Ellie, you’re so good at managing your money, always so thrifty.” Julian finally realized he’d pressed the wrong button and awkwardly tried to explain: “Ellie, don’t misunderstand. Briana has a competition tomorrow, and as a friend, I just wanted to get her a gift to cheer her on…”
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