Chapter 2

I said nothing.

But I understood.

The kid was deliberately showing it to me.

I smiled, putting my arm around Lily's shoulder.

"We should go."

Once we were in the car, she chattered incessantly, telling me about her past six months.

My mind wasn't in it.

I dropped her off at our front door but didn’t get out.

I just told her something came up at the hospital, and I had to go back, so she should head upstairs alone.

I returned to the hospital.

I knew my car had a GPS tracker. Lily, ever cautious, would have likely sensed my suspicion.

If I parked the car in the neighborhood, I wouldn't catch anything.

I was gambling.

I remembered Lucas’s eyes earlier. I bet he was too smug, too impatient to wait.

Just past midnight, I pulled out my phone and sent a message to my mother, asking her to call Lily for a casual chat.

Ten minutes later, I dialed Lucas’s number.

"Dr. Miller? Is everything alright?"

His voice sounded surprised.

I heard muffled noises in the background – a fan, and a woman's voice.

I recognized it. It was Lily.

Nothing more needed to be said.

It was just as the forum user warned: once the seed of suspicion is planted, every subsequent event only confirms its truth.

I immediately started digging.

First, bank statements, then PayPal and SnapChat transfer records.

Months of transactions, reviewed one by one.

No abnormalities.

No large transfers out, no unfamiliar accounts.

I checked our credit cards.

Also clean. All daily expenses, no extra spending or loans.

This was odd.

Cheating, but not moving assets?

Lily was incredibly materialistic.

She’d fought with me for ages about our shared marital assets when we first got together.

She was beautiful and had many suitors.

She chose me largely because of my financial stability and background.

Not touching our joint assets? That didn't fit her style at all.

I continued my investigation and finally discovered that my research paper document had been tampered with.

It contained years of my accumulated core findings.

Unpublished experimental data and my unique surgical method.

If the surgery was successful, it would not only be the peak of my career but would also redefine industry standards.

Lily, of course, knew the importance of this paper.

Now, the modification time on the document had changed.

The file had been opened, and a full copy had been made.

I stared at the screen, my expression unreadable.

I knew what they were planning.

In two months, there would be a major public surgery, live-streamed internationally.

Lily intended to give my surgical method to Lucas, letting him achieve overnight fame in front of countless cameras and esteemed experts.

Then, they would completely cut me out.

*Excellent.*

This was far more ruthless than simply moving assets.

The next day at work, I saw Lily by the conference room door.

I noticed her clothes beneath her lab coat had been changed.

She was clever, using such a subtle detail to imply she’d been home last night.

As if to tell me I was imagining things.

I smiled, walked up to her, put my arm around her waist, and leaned in to kiss her.

She subtly recoiled.

"So many people around."

As I leaned closer, I distinctly caught the scent of smoke.

*Got it.*

That afternoon, I was doing rounds with a few interns.

Lucas stood at the front. I casually asked a few case-related questions.

He answered thoroughly, even proactively suggesting two different treatment plans.

Dr. Peterson, who was with us, nodded approvingly:

"Excellent. Very promising."

Lucas, seizing the opportune moment, meticulously explained a detail about post-operative care.

Dr. Peterson patted his shoulder:

"Keep up the good work. You'll have a spot here one day."

Dr. Peterson had never thought much of me.

He found me too temperamental, said I never played his games, never buttered him up or pandered to his ego.

But my competence was undeniable, so he couldn't actually touch me.

I knew he'd been itching to replace me.

We reached the last patient room. Lying inside was my mother-in-law, Mrs. Evans.

Her chart above the bed read "Elective Surgery."

Lily had insisted that I personally perform this surgery, saying she trusted no one else.

Elective, huh? I glanced at the highly praised Lucas.

Well, then, I'd choose a very special date for her surgery.

I returned to my office. A few minutes later, Lucas knocked.

"Dr. Miller, can I have a few minutes of your time?"

He entered, standing before my desk with a smile.

"Dr. Miller, Dr. Peterson said my performance was excellent. Could you fast-track my permanent position?"

I looked at him.

"Internship periods are fixed. You still need to pass the internal hospital assessment."

He sneered.

"Sir, isn't skill the most important thing?"

I stared at him.

"Skill is important, but a person needs to know their place."

His smile widened.

"Positions are given by others, but they can also be taken."

I leaned back in my chair, saying nothing.

He took a step forward, lowering his voice.

"Some opportunities, whoever seizes them first, wins."

The air in the office grew heavy.

He stared straight at me, showing no sign of backing down.

I didn't avert my gaze either.

A minute later, he smiled again and turned to leave.