The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 51

Mrs. Sterling, the wife who couldn't even compete with a twenty-something intern, would inevitably become the hospital's favorite gossip.

My eyelids drooped, a heavy wave of despair suffocating me, but then I heard Ferris's voice cut through the silence. "Whether you're actively looking for trouble or just trying to play the single woman, only you know best, Dr. Hayes."

I looked up at him, my brow furrowing as my patience finally snapped. Raising my voice, I fired back, "Speaking of playing single, I have you to thank for how successful I've been. If you hadn't left a hickey on my neck when you were so desperately hungry for me, the head nurse wouldn't have even known I had such a..."

I paused, letting out a soft, mocking scoff. "Such a garbage boyfriend."

The elevator chimed perfectly, arriving at the ground floor. I took a deep breath and stepped out, walking away without a single backward glance.

Yes, in the past, my feelings for Ferris meant I had an infinite capacity to forgive him. But that didn't mean I was going to be a doormat forever.

Ferris didn't come home that night. Staring at the empty space beside me in bed, I realized, to my own surprise, that the disappointment wasn't nearly as crushing as it used to be.

Knowing tomorrow was the weekend, I closed my eyes, fully intending to get a peaceful night's sleep.

I figured it was about time I started getting used to living alone.

But that tiny, simple wish was shattered the moment my mother, Lucille, showed up at my door.

It was nine-thirty in the morning.

Looking at the bags from Sullivan's Breakfast spread across my dining table, I instantly knew I was in for some trouble.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for Lucille to get to the point. "Here's the thing, Selena. Your uncle hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days. You know he's had surgery before, so I was wondering... could you ask your husband to pull some strings? Get him an appointment at Capital General for a full checkup?"

Lucille's younger brother, Silas, was forty-nine. He didn't have any real hobbies aside from hitting the bottle hard, which was the exact reason his wife had divorced him the year before last. He had been single ever since.

He also had a history of strokes.

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