Chapter 1

The hospital was in chaos.

My husband, Stephen Howard, carried Lily Evans into the emergency room.

He glared at me fiercely, his eyes filled with irreconcilable hatred.

A twisting pain in my abdomen sent shivers of terror through me!

As I woke up to the day of my gastric bleeding, my husband had returned from the past as well.

Before his death, he confessed, "With Lily gone, I refuse to cling to life!"

Then he swallowed poison.

Now, he had chosen to save Lily immediately, deciding to abandon me.

I tried to walk away, but I couldn't move.

Other doctors in the emergency room just watched me coldly.

I couldn't accept it and pleaded again, "Please save me! I have a perforated stomach! It's critical!"

Frank Turner burst out laughing, "Who do you think you're fooling? I'm the one with the medical degree here, not you. Everyone in the hospital knows you're jealous of Lily! But there's a limit to making a scene at the hospital; this is a place for saving lives."

The rest of the medical staff looked at me with disdain. I knew I couldn't persuade them. Stephen had already instructed the entire department not to waste medical resources on me.

Clenching my fists, I decided to head to internal medicine instead. Earlier, to apologize on Stephen's behalf to a patient who had complained about him, I had drunk several liters of alcohol. My stomach burned as if it were searing on a stove, both painful and fiery.

The symptoms were exactly the same as in my past life: gastric bleeding compounded by a perforated stomach, a condition that could be fatal at any moment.

If I had known how ruthless Stephen could be, I would never have done such a foolish thing for him.

But who could have foreseen the future?

Even after my rebirth, I was still dealt a poor hand.

Fortunately, my daughter was still alive, and I still had a chance to survive.

Leaning on the wall, I made it to the internal medicine department next door. "Doctor, I've drunk a lot of alcohol, and my stomach is perforated. Could you please..."

The doctor gave me a cold look and pointed to the long line. "Go to the end of the line! If it were really that critical, the emergency room would have taken you. You don't need to come here!"

I wanted to argue, but I found myself too weak.

The pain was unbearable!

I could barely speak clearly. It seemed Stephen hadn’t just informed the emergency department that I was faking my illness; he had communicated with the entire hospital staff.

Stephen, how could you be so cruel?!

Calling an ambulance was futile; this was the closest facility. The emergency system would still direct me here. To save my life, I had no choice but to try another hospital.

As I walked out the door, the medical staff erupted in cheers.

"Can’t keep up the act anymore? Are you leaving now?"

"Ha! She's crazy! Who would bother with her!"

"I hate mistresses the most, those who break up couples to climb on top."

The comments were more venomous than the last. Who had spread such rumors?

I didn't have the strength to figure it out. My only goal was to survive!

At 3 AM, the hospital entrance was deserted and chillingly quiet. I couldn’t even hail a car.

After waiting ten minutes with no luck, I had no choice but to directly call the hospital director, Ronald Thomas.

"Dr. Thomas, I have a perforated stomach, and your emergency department doctors are refusing to treat me, accusing me of faking it! If something happens to me, I’ll make sure the hospital takes full responsibility!"

I always had Ronald’s phone number since he was a friend of my grandfather.

However, I heard from Stephen that he was a cunning and petty man, often making life difficult for his subordinates. Because of this, I was biased against him and never made contact. I didn’t expect Ronald to recognize my voice immediately when I called.

"Is that you, Teresa? You're sick? Who would dare refuse to treat you? Where are you? I'm coming out right now to see you myself!"

Casting aside my prejudices, I replied weakly, "I'm at the hospital entrance."