The affection was just an act. I'm not going to continue this

I used to believe Adrian Farley was the universe's apology to me. A fair trade: a defective heart in exchange for a perfect lover.

Because of my congenital heart disease, Adrian abandoned his lifelong dream of finance. He chose medicine instead, clawing his way up to become the renowned Dr. Farleya name spoken with reverence in every hospital corridor.

In my second year of graduate school, a speech he gave became legend on the university forums. He'd stood before hundreds of people and declared he'd chosen medicine for one reason only: to save his girlfriend.

Everyone said Adrian Farley was living proof that true love still existed.

I believed it too.

Until the tenth time I visited his hospital.

"Ms. Mason, Dr. Farley is currently discussing your medical records with Dr. Preston." The nurse's eyes darted away, unable to hold my gaze.

Ten no-shows. And every single time, Zoe Preston was the reason.

"Do you need me to page Dr. Farley for you?"

"No. Thank you."

The hysteria that usually clawed at my chest in these momentsthe begging, the tearsstayed silent. I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and placed it in the nurse's trembling hands.

"Adrian wins."

1.

The antiseptic chill of the hospital fell away as I stepped outside. I returned to the villa.

*Our* home. *Our* sanctuary.

I packed my belongings in silence. Just as I opened the door to leave, I collided with a solid chest.

Adrian.

"Fiona. What is the meaning of this?"

His voice was low. Dangerous. Between his fingers, he held the divorce papers I had signed only an hour ago.

"It means exactly what it says." I met his gaze without flinching. "Or has the brilliant Dr. Farley forgotten how to read?"

Confusion flickered across his facegenuine, uncomprehending. As if he couldn't fathom why I would ever want to leave. In his mind, we were perfect. Childhood sweethearts who'd walked down the aisle. A man who'd sacrificed his career for his dying wife. When I lay in the ICU with machines breathing for me, he'd knelt on the cold hospital tiles and prayed to a God neither of us believed in.

We were materialists. But in that moment, Adrian's desperation had felt a hundred times more sacred than our wedding vows.

His gaze dropped to the suitcase at my side. The confusion hardened into ice.

"You're leaving?" He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing me whole. "Just because I was two hours late?"

A dry laugh scraped up my throat.

"This is the tenth time, Adrian."

"Ten times you've stood me up for Zoe Preston."

"Last time, you claimed she was exhausted from researching my case. So you stayed at her apartment all night to *care for her*."

"The time before that, you said a patient's family slapped her because she was trying to find me a heart donor. So you abandoned me to *comfort her*."

"And this time?" I tilted my head. "What's the excuse today?"

The temperature around him plummeted. "Fiona Mason, do you have no heart? Zoe is my junior. Everything she doeseverything *we* dois for *you*."

*Ding.*

The elevator doors slid open. Zoe Preston rushed out, her face arranged into a mask of frantic worry. Her gaze ping-ponged between us, and her expression shifteddisapproval dripping from every pore.

"Fiona, I heard you arguing. Please, don't fight with Senior Brother because of me. I can explain. He was reviewing your charts with me all day, and yesterday he performed surgery until dawn. You shouldn't be so"

"The hospital shift ends at six." My voice cut through her rehearsed speech like a scalpel. "Dr. Preston, your acting surpasses your medical skills."

She froze.

She thought I didn't know the hospital had released staff early today. She thought I didn't know Adrian wasn't even on the schedule.

They used "my health" as a shield for their affair, performing this noble act while stabbing me in the back.

The color drained from Zoe's face. We both turned to Adrian.

"Adrian." I gestured between them. "Miss Preston clearly thinks the world of you. Why hesitate? Sign the papers. Consider it my final giftmaking room for the two of you."

*Slap.*

The force snapped my head to the side. My cheek erupted in heat, a dull throb spreading through my jaw.

"Fiona! Apologize to Dr. Preston! *Now!*"

Zoe gasped, one hand flying to cover her mouth. Her eyes darted between Adrian's fury and my stinging face.

The performance was flawless.

The silence stretched, thick enough to suffocate. It seemed the sting of his own hand against my face finally reminded him who I was.

Not just his wife.

His *patient*.

"Senior Brother!" Zoe grabbed his arm. "Fiona has a heart condition! How could you hit her?"

*Bravo.* But I was done being the audience for this particular melodrama.

I shoved Adrian aside, ignoring the shock frozen on his face, and dragged my suitcase into the elevator.

"Remember to sign the papers, Adrian." The doors began to close. "Don't keep Dr. Preston waiting."

Outside the villa complex, I stood on the curb, shivering in the night air. My fingers brushed my cheek. Tender. Hot.

That was the first time Adrian had ever raised a hand against me.

And he had done it for *her*.

My phone felt heavy in my palm. My thumb hovered over my mother's contact. The screen blurred as tears finally threatened to spill.

No.

My parents were elderly. I couldn't burden them with this wreckage.

I hailed a taxi to an apartment my parents had bought for me before the marriage. Small. Dusty. But safe.

The familiar furnishings wrapped around me like a forgotten embrace. The tension that had coiled around my spine finally loosened.

I collapsed onto the sofa and slept.

The next morning, a violent pounding on the door jolted me upright.

I stumbled to the entrance, heart slamming against my ribs. When I opened it, my parents stood there, faces carved with worry.

"Fiona! Did you and Adrian have a fight?"

My mother's anxious eyes shattered what remained of my composure. I threw myself into her arms, the dam breaking.

"Mom." My voice cracked against her shoulder. "I want a divorce."

My father shifted his weight, uncomfortable. "Fiona... Adrian has treated you like a princess for years. Why this sudden tantrum?"

"Yes," my mother added, stroking my hair but pulling back to study my face. "He's sacrificed so much for you. You need to have a conscience, child."

I pulled away, wiping my eyes. The cold reality washed over me like ice water.

"Dad. Mom. It's Adrian. He's changed. He's... he's with someone else. I don't want him anymore."

My father's expression hardened to stone. "Fiona, all men make mistakes! Besides, Adrian already called us. He explained everything. He and that Dr. Preston were working *for you*."

My mother nodded vigorously. "Exactly. A man like Adrianwith your health conditionwhere will you find another? You *need* him."

So.

He had gotten to them first.

To the world, Adrian Farley was a saint. A martyr who married a sick woman. I was the lucky one.

I was the *burden*.

My parents didn't give me a choice. They packed me and my luggage into their car and drove straight back to the villa.

Adrian opened the door wearing an apron, looking for all the world like the perfect domestic husband. He took the suitcase from my hand as if nothing had happened.

"Mom, Dad, please. Come in. Sit."

My mother nudged me forward. "Adrian, you're not at work?"

The house was spotless. The aroma of slow-cooked soup drifted from the kitchen.

"I knew you might come by, Mom, so I took the day off." Adrian's smile was gentle, his eyes warm. "Fiona, get slippers for your parents."

The switch was seamless.

Terrifying.

"Mm," I mumbled.

At the dinner table, my parents sang his praises.

"Fiona has a bad temper." My father accepted a bowl of soup from Adrian. "Bear with her, son."

"Dad, Mom, Fiona is wonderful." Adrian placed a choice piece of meat in my bowl. "This was my fault. I didn't consider her feelings enough. It won't happen again."

He was doing it again. Covering everything with a veneer of perfection, making me look like the unreasonable, hysterical wife.

"Fiona."

Under the table, my mother's leg nudged mine. A silent command to apologize. To be *grateful*.

I looked at the three of thema happy family tableau built on lies.

I set my chopsticks down with a sharp *clack*.

"Drop the act, Adrian."

I met his gaze without blinking.

"Aren't you exhausted?"

"Mom. Dad."

My hands trembled in my lap, but my voice stayed steady. "I am still getting this divorce. I only came back so you could witness it with your own eyes."

The smiles vanished from their faces.

"Fiona! How can you be so ungrateful?" my father snapped. "Adrian has"

"Mom, Dad, please go home first." Adrian's calm voice cut through the tension. "There is a misunderstanding between Fiona and me. I need to explain it to her."

He ushered them out. Charming. Respectful. The perfect son-in-law until the elevator doors closed.

He turned.

He shut the door.

The lock clicked.

The warmth evaporated from the room.

"Fiona."

He reached for me. I slapped his hand away.

"You're making me very sad." The sigh that escaped him was patronizing, practiced. "Zoe has done a lot for you. What you said last night... it was cruel."

He stepped closer, his voice taking on that coaxing tone one uses with a toddler. "Alright. About the slap... that was my fault. I apologize."

Before I could react, he grabbed my hand and pressed it against his own cheek. Not hard. Just firm enough.

A performance.

"There. Hit me back. Don't be angry anymore, Fiona."

I wrenched my hand free, staring at him in horror.

He didn't notice.

"Zoe specializes in cardiothoracic surgery," he continued, as if discussing the weather. "Her involvement is critical for your treatment. She wants you to get better. She stayed up for nights researching your case. When we found that potential donor, she was more anxious than I was. Yesterday was just"

"Is that so?"

My voice sliced through his monologue.

"Then her anxiety has certainly paid off. I'm still lingering in this half-life, surviving but not living. Isn't that exactly what you two want? Using my illness as an excuse to play house together?"

The mask of the doting husband cracked.

His eyes went cold. He looked at me the way he looked at a difficult case file. An unruly patient who refused to follow protocol.

"Fiona, I don't think we can have a rational conversation right now." He walked to the coat rack, pulling on his jacket. "I have surgery tonight. I expect you to be here when I get back. Mom and Dad are old; stop making them worry with your tantrums."

He adjusted his collar with precise movements.

"Adrian." I spoke to his back. "Whether you agree or not, I am divorcing you. If you won't sign, I'll file unilaterally."

He paused. Glanced over his shoulder.

It was the look I hated mostprofessional patience layered over utter contempt.

"You are emotionally unstable. The stress is bad for your heart. We will talk when you calm down."

"I have *never* been calmer!"

*Bang.*

The door slammed shut. He was gone.

When did he become this monster?

It started when Zoe Preston arrived at the hospital.

She was his junior, a fellow alum from our university. Years ago, she'd joined his advisor's research group. Adrian had always been intense about academicstop of his class, driven by a singular purpose.

I remembered his graduation speech. He stood on that stage, the outstanding student representative, looking out at the crowd but seeing only me.

*"Some study medicine for prestige, or from a benevolent desire to save the world,"* he had said, his voice ringing through the hall.

*"But those reasons are far from me."*

*"My fiance has congenital heart disease."*

*"I don't want to stand powerless while she lies in the ICU, begging others for a miracle. I want to understand this illness. I want to master the heart, so that I never have to watch her fall into danger again."*

That speech was still pinned to the top of the university forum.

A testament to a love that no longer existed.

Adrian Farley swept into the public eye, and he took me with him.

The university forums were relentless. *Adrian treats her like a princess. Their love restores my faith in romance.* Post after post, comment after comment.

And back then? I believed every word.

Heaven had cursed me with a crippled heart, but it had compensated me with Adrian Farley. That's what I told myself. That's what made the endless hospital visits bearable.

Then came Zoe Preston.

She slipped into our lives like smoke through a cracked windowa junior in Adrian's research group. At first, it was innocent. Academic discussions after class. Competition prep sessions.

Then meals.

Then walks home.

Adrian mentioned her casually at first. "She's hardworking. Real talent for medicine."

But her name started falling from his lips with increasing frequency. Like a song he couldn't stop humming.

"Fiona, Zoe is so clumsy sometimes. Still asks me about the simplest questions."

"Fiona, Zoe got a reservation at that exclusive Sichuan place. But your heart can't handle spice, so I'm not taking you."

"Fiona..."

He eventually left that project group.

Because I forced him to.

Now, staring at the empty apartment, I printed a fresh copy of the divorce agreement. My hand didn't shake as I signed it. I left it on the living room table where he couldn't miss it, grabbed my luggage, and walked out.

Before shutting the door, I sent Adrian a text.

*The divorce papers are on the table. Refuse to sign, and I'll see you in court.*

By the time my parents called, I had already secured a rental. I answered via video. My mother's background was the very apartment they had bought me before the marriage.

"Fiona! Why are you being so stubborn?" Her face contorted with frustration. "Look at you"

I hung up.

My thumbs moved across the screen.

*Mom, this is between Adrian and me. Keep pushing, and I don't know what I might do.*

A notification pinged from the "A Loving Family" group chat. Dad.

*Fiona Mason, we have spoiled you rotten all these years!*

*Adrian treats you like goldwhat exactly are you making a fuss about?*

*Let me tell you, if you insist on this divorce, then I, Zion Mason, have no daughter!*

I left the group chat. Blocked both their numbers.

In the capital, every inch of land costs a fortune. Renting a decent place wasn't cheap. But I had savings. During graduate school, I'd studied design and posted my work online. Over time, a following accumulated. Commissions filled my inbox constantly.

Adrian had always insisted my health was too fragile for work.

But now...

I opened my dashboard, scrolled through the requests, and picked a few that sparked my interest.

*Omg, Master! You actually replied!*

*Happy dance.jpg*

*Risveglio, add me on WeChat, let's talk details.*

*Okay!*

After finalizing everything, I threw myself into the work. Body and soul.

As expected, I worked myself right back into the hospital.

This time, my attending physician had changed. The name tag read *Dr. Simmons*.

"Did you bring your previous medical records?"

I handed over the file. He looked up. His eyes widened.

"Is there a problem, Doctor?"

"Senior Sister Fiona?"

"You know me?"

"Same year as Dr. Preston." A polite smile played on his lips. "Followed Senior Brother Adrian on a few projects too. You might not remember me. Mason Simmons."

The world really was too small.

...

Three days in the hospital. Neither Adrian nor Zoe appeared.

According to the nurses, they were away on a business trip.

Bored in my ward, I watched the TV mounted on the wall. An interview program was airing.

Adrian's face filled the screen.

"Being able to win this honor... I owe everything to my wife."

"She suffers from congenital heart disease." His voice dripped with rehearsed sincerity. "For her sake, I am willing to devote my entire life to cardiac surgery."

The same rhetoric.

Nauseating.

The nurse adjusting my IV drip sighed dreamily. "Miss Fiona, you are so blessed. Dr. Farley treats you so well."

She finished and left. Moments later, Dr. Simmons arrived for rounds. He glanced at the TV, a playful, almost mocking expression flickering across his face.

"So many years, and Senior Brother Adrian is still playing the same tune."

"Is that what you all think?"

Mason Simmons just smiled. No answer. "Your vitals are stable. Discharge in a couple of days."

"Mm."

The program droned on. Adrian spewed professional jargon that flew over the audience's heads. Then the host leaned in.

"Dr. Farley, you're so devoted to your wife. Presumably she's watching right now. Anything you'd like to say to her?"

Adrian picked up the microphone, wearing that same disgusting, soulful expression.

"My wife has some misunderstandings about me right now. I want to tell her this: Fiona, no matter what, I will cure you. Whether it takes three years, five years, or ten... with recent technological breakthroughs, the day isn't far off."

The camera panned to the audience. Many dabbed at their eyes, moved by this fairy-tale romance.

Then Zoe Preston, sitting right beside him, took the microphone.

"As a doctor, and as a junior colleague..." Her voice trembled. "I want to say a few words on behalf of Senior Brother Adrian."

"Fiona, Senior Brother has given everything for you. To act like this now... it really chills the heart."

She raised a hand, wiping at a nonexistent tear. "I just feel it's not worth it for him."

Adrian didn't correct her.

Of course he didn't.

Why ruin a moment that polished his halo so perfectly?

"I know my presence has caused Fiona to misunderstand Senior Brother Adrian." Zoe played the martyr flawlessly. "So I want to announce here: I have already submitted my resignation. Fiona, if you can hear this, pleasego home."