Chapter 5 Betrayal

Seeing me speechless, Simon immediately snatched his phone from my hand. He looked even angrier than before, as if I had crossed a line I shouldn't have crossed.

"Hello?"

"Simon, was your wife the one who answered my call? What now?"

"Calm down, it's okay! I'll be right there, just wait!" He said, ending the call.

I stood there, waiting for his explanation, my heart almost stopping. Simon glanced at me with a look of anger in his eyes. I didn't understand why he was so angry with me? What had I done wrong to make him so cold?

"Didn't I tell you never to touch my phone, let alone answer it!"

"What's wrong with a wife holding her husband's phone? What did I do wrong?"

"You're making me sicker by the day!"

"You're in a relationship with her? You're in a relationship with Erika Gonzales, aren't you...?" I shouted, filled with emotion, hoping he'd give me an explanation that would make me feel better.

"Are you accusing me of cheating?"

"It's true, you bastard...! Do you think I'm stupid? You went to her apartment to have sex with her, didn't you...?"

"Don't yell at me, you bastard...!"

A hard slap hit me in the face, making me fall to the ground. The slap made me accidentally bite my lip, causing it to bleed.

"Blood?" I muttered. Blood dripped onto the floor, and the pain worsened. I turned to Simon, hoping he'd regret it, apologize, and help me immediately. But instead, I was ignored.

He hurried away, leaving me wounded. I stood up and tried to chase after him. No matter how much it hurt, I didn't want him to see that woman again.

"Simon, wait...! Please don't go!" I said, pulling at his hand. I promised I'd forgive him as long as he stayed.

"Let go of me, I have to go now!"

"Take me to the hospital, please!"

"You're a nurse, you can treat yourself! Erika is in pain, she needs me!"

"I need you more, Simon! I'm your wife...!"

"Let go of my hand, don't you hear? Don't you see what you look like now? Go to church and become a nun, because no man will ever be interested in a boring woman like you again...!"

Simon slapped my hand away and left after shouting at me. I froze on the cold, empty floor of our house. Did I still have the right to cry? Was I allowed to cry? A woman like me, did I still deserve happiness?

***

"Nina, what happened to your lip?" Rachel asked when she saw my face. I smiled weakly and tried to look okay.

David approached me after hearing Rachel's words. The young man stood right in front of me and held my chin to examine my swollen, bruised lip and cheek.

"Did someone hit you?" David asked. He was even more worried about me than my own husband.

"I fell last night," I replied, swatting his hand away. I didn't want to linger, as it would only make them suspicious.

"Really? Your husband didn't hit you, did he?"

"No, David! He couldn't have hit me. My husband isn't a violent man!"

"Okay, then let me treat your wound!"

"That's not necessary, I've already applied the ointment."

"Nina...! Are you here?" Francesca, the head nurse at the clinic, exclaimed.

"Yes, I'm here, Francesca!"

"Okay, can you come to Doctor Pierre's office now? Today we'll have a patient referred for surgery, so this will be his first shift at the clinic. Doctor Hans has assigned you to assist him."

"Me?"

"Yes, considering you're one of the senior nurses and have worked at this clinic before. So Doctor Hans said you're the most skilled and responsive!"

"Wow, Nina, I thought you'd be promoted. You could be an assistant now, right?" Celine teased me.

"How could I possibly be a doctor's assistant? I'm just a nurse."

"By the way, Nina, that new doctor is really handsome. He's so young and incredibly handsome. It turns out not all geniuses are nerdy, huh?"

I responded to Celine's remark with a faint smile, and besides, I didn't have the energy to think about someone's appearance right now. My heart and mind were still in turmoil because Simon hadn't returned until morning. He hadn't even answered my calls or texts.

I walked to the office of Dr. Pierre Alexander, a neurosurgeon who was supposed to start work two weeks ago, but had been delayed until today.

Knock...knock...

"Excuse me, Dr. Pierre!" I said, knocking twice on his office door.

"Please come in!" He replied. I could hear a young man's voice, and as they say, I was a little amazed to see him sitting in his office chair wearing a light blue shirt.

He was a fair-skinned young man, tall and muscular, with dark brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He turned to me as I entered and smiled gently.

"Good morning, Nina Meiyer?" He greeted me.

"Yes, Doctor!"

"Nice to meet you. Doctor Hans recommended you to help me with my initial duties." It was unexpected. He was a friendly, smiling young doctor.

"I don't know why I was recommended," I said, trying to smile even though my lips and cheeks were still sore.

"Please sit!"

"Thank you," I said, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.

He looked at me intently, as if noticing something odd about my face. The cut on my lip and the bruise on my cheek were too obvious to ignore.

"Are you okay? If you're feeling unwell, you can rest, and we can discuss things when you're feeling better."

"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about!" I said, my voice trembling. My heart felt so fragile, the image of Simon's disgusted face constantly bothering me.

I should have stayed home today, waiting for him and checking for him. I wouldn't be able to work well if my feelings made me feel like I wasn't on the ground.

My tears flowed without me realizing it. I really didn't want to cry in front of someone I'd just met. But I didn't know where to take this pain.

Doctor Pierre rose from his seat and approached me, feeling guilty for confusing him with my behavior. He took my hand and asked me to stand up and look at him.

"I-I'm sorry, Doctor! I-"

Without a word, without warning, he kissed my lips. I was shocked, but my mind felt blank. The suddenness of his kiss actually made me forget my pain.

"Don't cry, Nina! Since when have you become such a weak woman?"

***