Chapter 3

Although what happened last night was normal for them, Nanette still had her dignity. She could not expose her wounds in front of a mistress!

Enduring the pain, she straightened her back and walked with composure.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Nanette. I've been experiencing severe abdominal pain, so I booked an appointment with you early this morning. I didn't expect you to be on leave at the last minute. I must've caused you trouble."

Isla's sweet, soft voice carried an undertone of restraint. Her brows were furrowed together, and her small face appeared pitiful.

"I'm a gynecologist, so abdominal pain should..."

Before Nanette could finish, Harley scoffed. "What a delicate little lady. To think Mr. Hanson would personally bring her here for period cramps."

Isla's face flushed instantly the moment she heard Harley's words. As she looked down, she could not resist glancing at Sterling. Her embarrassment was evident.

"Nanette, please don't misunderstand. I went to bring breakfast to Sterling, and he brought me here because he saw I wasn't feeling well."

Nanette smiled faintly. Isla probably had not had enough of showing off their relationship at last night's gathering and deliberately wanted to flaunt it in front of her early in the morning.

Harley frowned at Isla. She followed another woman's husband around daily, expressing concern for him while using such an endearing tone. How could Isla say such a thing without shame?

She was not just any woman; she was a pick-me girl.

Meanwhile, Sterling, who was sitting beside her, wore an indifferent expression. He showed no signs of embarrassment.

"Since Dr. Wood is here, let's get on with the examination. We've already been waiting for quite a while."

His words lacked warmth. They were also accompanied by a cold, frosty gaze that radiated chill. He seemed completely unaware of Nanette's discomfort, or perhaps he simply did not care.

For a man as busy as Sterling, why on earth would he be willing to accompany a woman for a gynecological appointment? His intentions were obvious. He treated Isla with utmost care, but for Nanette...

Not to mention, he was vicious last night, behaving like a beast. Yet at this moment, he radiated an air of cold elegance, acting as if he did not even recognize Nanette. It seemed he was just here for Isla.

Nanette took a deep breath and forced a meaningless smile. It was time to wake up from this long dream.

Suppressing the waves of pain in her abdomen, she skillfully wrote Isla a prescription.

"Take it three times a day. You can go pick up the medication now." Her voice remained calm, though her brows would occasionally furrow together.

Isla smiled sweetly. Her tone softened as she said, "Thank you. You look like you really aren't feeling well. Please take care of yourself."

As she reached for the prescription in Nanette's hand, Sterling snatched it away.

"Don't walk around if your stomach hurts. Sit outside and wait. I'll get the medication."

Sterling's gentle words and the concern in his eyes were familiar to Nanette. She once knew this softer side of him as well.

Controlling her emotions, she maintained a mostly unchanged expression while still holding onto that smile. "Sterling, we need to settle things between us. Your family has already talked to me. Now that you're back, let's finalize the divorce."

Sterling, who was initially ready to leave, paused in his steps. He slowly turned around.

A sinister glint mingled with a cold smile in his eyes. "Nanette, try saying that again. And about our relationship, I believe you don't need me to clarify, right, Dr. Wood?"

Their relationship? Nanette understood the implication of his words.

Sterling shot her a heavy glance before taking Isla's hand and walking out of the consultation room.

In an instant, the facade Nanette had been maintaining crumbled. She gazed despairingly at Sterling's retreating figure as tears fell uncontrollably.

If he did not love her, why could he not just let her go? Was two years of torment not enough?

"Netty, it's not worth it to be bothered by someone like him. I'll take you back to your ward to rest. Your health is more important."

Harley was worried about her. Nanette had just started to recover, and such turmoil was hard for her to endure. On the way, Harley could not help but advise, "Nanette, you really should..."

She stopped short. She knew that others did not understand the impact Sterling had on Nanette, but she was fully aware of it.

It was hard for Nanette to warm up to a person. Initially, the love Sterling offered was intense and passionate—something Nanette had never experienced before. However, while she was lost in the affection he showered upon her, Sterling suddenly changed.

There were no warnings and certainly no explanations. The heat of their relationship simply turned to cold indifference.

After a brief silence, Nanette spoke up, "Actually, I had already come to terms with it before. I just felt somewhat reluctant to actually end things."

Every time she thought about completely separating from him and having no more connection between them, her heart would ache with pain.

Yet today, after summoning the courage to say it out loud, she realized it was not difficult at all.

...

When they returned to the hospital ward, Nanette's phone rang. Seeing it was her direct supervisor calling, she furrowed her brows slightly.

"Is there something you need, sir?"

"Nanette, why aren't you resting if you're not feeling well? Why are you seeing patients? And now, a patient even filed a complaint against you? What are you thinking?"

The reprimanding voice came through clearly on the phone, and Harley listened intently nearby.

After hanging up, Nanette looked at Harley, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Harley."

"It's not your fault. How on earth did you end up with someone like him?" Harley gritted her teeth at the mention of Sterling.

Nanette truly had no words to reply. She initially thought Sterling was simply trying to teach her a lesson for defying him. To her surprise, that bastard demanded the medical office to temporarily suspend Harley.

Upon receiving the news that evening, Nanette left the hospital and returned to Haven Garden, their marital home.

Seeing her return, the housekeeper, Miriam Reynolds, politely said, "Mrs. Hanson, Mr. Hanson is upstairs. He has already had dinner. Would you like something to eat?"

Miriam was a longtime employee of the Hansons, and she was always adept at navigating situations. Had Sterling not returned, she likely would have already left.

"No thanks."

Nanette had no desire to engage with her and headed straight upstairs.

"Sterling, if you're angry, take it out on me. Don't target my friend."

In the bedroom, Sterling emerged from the bathroom just as she walked in. He glanced at her with his deep-set eyes.

As he casually sat on the edge of the bed, he lazily dried his hair with a towel.

"Looks like you still remember our home address. Good for you."

His mocking tone made Nanette stop in her tracks. She stood in the doorway. Her pale face flushed slightly from both her hurried walk and the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors.

With wide, watery eyes, she focused on the man before her. He was wrapped in a towel, which exposed his muscular chest. His features were perfectly sculpted, but the smile on his lips was filled with cold disdain.

Nanette took a deep breath, trying to keep her tone steady. "Sterling, your target is me. Please let Harley go."

"I wouldn't have pursued this if it were just about you canceling a patient's appointment. After all, not every doctor upholds medical ethics. But your friend insulted me and called me a beast. Do you think she's innocent?"

His tone remained steady and unhurried, showing no signs of embarrassment despite the underlying tension.

"What will it take for you to leave Harley alone?"

Nanette understood that her mention of "settling things" earlier had touched a nerve. He could trample over her at will, but he would not allow her to defy his wishes.

Divorce was not something that she should bring up!