Gem In Disguise: The Abandoned Wife's Priceless Brilliance

"Ma'am, is your emergency contact coming? Your condition is critical, and you need surgery right away."

Hailey Holden checked her phone, which was about to die, but her husband, Samuel Ford, still hadn't answered.

Twenty minutes earlier, a car accident had sent her straight to the trauma bay. At that point, she needed emergency surgery.

No matter how many times she called Samuel, none of her calls went through.

The nurse kept urging her with a worried look. After forcing down her pride, she called Samuel's executive assistant, Jason Carter.

The call rang for a long time before he finally answered. As usual, Jason spoke with open contempt. "Ms. Holden? What do you want now?"

"Do you know where Samuel is?" Hailey struggled to speak because her voice had grown weak. "I have to talk to him."

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Ford can't speak right now," Jason replied in a cold and dismissive voice.

Hailey pressed her teeth hard against her lip. "Please, I only need a minute. Let me speak to him."

Before Jason had a chance to respond, a woman's voice came through the phone. "Samuel... I don't feel well..."

A sudden chill ran through Hailey's whole body when she recognized that voice.

The woman was Valerie Marshall, Samuel's ex-girlfriend. She had cruelly ended their relationship and escaped overseas after an accident left him in a vegetative state.

Hailey ended the call without another thought. Her eyes had turned red, and her voice began to break as she faced the nurse. "My husband... he won't be coming. Don't wait for my emergency contact. Please proceed with the surgery."

For a long moment, the nurse looked at her with pity before letting out a sigh. "All right."

The light faded from Hailey's eyes while a dull pain slowly grew in her heart.

When she settled back against the bed, every trace of color drained from her face.

After two days, Hailey's health started to improve, yet her phone remained quiet. Samuel hadn't even called once to ask how she was doing.

Just as she prepared to leave the bed and get some air, she heard the nurse beside the next bed speaking excitedly to a coworker. "Hey, can you guess who I just saw? It was Mr. Ford from Apex Global!"

Hailey immediately stopped moving when she heard those words, and a spark of happiness crossed her face.

However, her happiness vanished as soon as the nurse continued, "He was carrying a woman into the private infusion suite. I heard she only has a minor cold, but Mr. Ford completely panicked because he was so worried about her."

"Seriously? I heard he's already married. Do you think that woman was his wife?"

Bit by bit, all the color left Hailey's face.

Was Samuel really there with another woman?

If everyone believed that woman was his wife, then what the hell did that make her?

Without wasting another second, she limped toward the private infusion suite.

When Hailey peered through the suite's window, she saw Samuel inside.

Samuel sat next to a strikingly beautiful woman. She obviously couldn't stand needles. Her head rested against his shoulder while she kept her eyes tightly closed, and her face showed how much she hated the needle.

Samuel lifted his hand and covered her eyes before warning the nurse, "Try not to hurt her."

A moment later, he looked at the woman again, and his face immediately softened. "There's no reason to be afraid. I'm staying right here with you."

What Hailey saw hurt far worse than any injury she had suffered.

Each wound across her body ached with quiet pain.

Not a single tear had fallen when the car struck her.

Even after discovering that Samuel was with Valerie, Hailey hadn't cried.

She had also kept herself from crying when she chose to undergo surgery alone and lay on the operating table by herself.

However, the moment she witnessed the scene in front of her, everything she had struggled to hold inside finally broke free. Heavy tears poured from her eyes and streamed down her face.

It turned out that her husband truly knew how to treat someone with tenderness.

He had simply never shown any of it to her.

Once the nurse walked out, only Samuel and the people who had come with him remained inside the spacious private suite.

Derek Brooks was among Samuel's closest friends, and he finally spoke. "Samuel, how much longer are you going to stay with that fat cow before divorcing her? You and Valerie were forced apart three years ago, so you both deserve the happy ending you lost. If it hadn't been for that psychic, Elias Vance, who claimed that a wife for you would somehow make a difference to your condition and that the fat cow was your best match, Hailey wouldn't have had any chance of becoming your wife."

After hearing Derek's words, Valerie looked toward Samuel. Expectation shone in her eyes, but she made herself sound understanding. "Even so, Samuel's wife has stayed beside him for three entire years..."

Derek let out a mocking laugh. "Samuel only kept her around because she looked after him for more than a year. Otherwise, he would've ended their marriage ages ago."

After a short pause, he faced Valerie. "Don't worry about it, Valerie. Samuel has never paid any real attention to that woman. You're the only one he's ever cared about."

Beyond the suite's door, Hailey curled both hands into tight fists.

"Is that true? Samuel... have you honestly never felt anything for your wife?" Valerie asked softly from inside the room.

Hailey's heart suddenly rose into her throat.

With desperation in her eyes, she kept watching Samuel while a small trace of hope fought against her crushing fear.

Not a hint of emotion appeared on his painfully handsome face, almost as though they were talking about a person who meant nothing at all.

Samuel moved his lips just enough to answer. "Not once."

Samuel's answer struck Hailey like a knife being driven deeper into her heart.

They had spent three years as husband and wife, yet she had been alone in their marriage the whole time.

When a nurse walked past, she noticed Hailey standing by herself outside the private infusion suite and stopped.

"Ma'am, is there someone you're trying to find?" the nurse asked in a careful but professional voice.

The three people inside the suite heard her and looked toward the doorway.

As soon as Samuel noticed Hailey at the entrance, a frown formed on his face.

Hailey finally stepped forward and slowly entered the infusion suite.

After seeing her walk inside, the nurse didn't ask anything else and left.

"Did you follow me here?" Samuel demanded coldly.

His accusation made it seem as if he hadn't noticed Hailey's loose hospital gown, the bandage around her forehead, and the small limp she had with every step.

Hailey kept her eyes on the man sitting in front of her. His sharply defined features made him incredibly handsome, and his dark eyes could easily draw anyone in. There wasn't a single flaw anywhere on his face.

Still, he now stared at her with nothing but coldness and clear irritation.

Another wave of pain gripped her heart. Her face remained pale as she took an uneven breath and looked directly into his eyes. "I got into a car accident. They brought me to this hospital by coincidence."

At last, Samuel noticed the bandage and the light red stain that had begun to spread through the gauze.

His forehead tightened into a frown. Although he understood that his accusation had been wrong, he didn't bother to apologize.

The moment Derek saw Hailey, his mouth curved into a mocking sneer.

Then he looked at Valerie. "Take a good look, Valerie. That's the woman Samuel married. She's certainly... hard to forget, wouldn't you agree?"

He drew out the words "hard to forget" so his contempt was impossible to miss.

Valerie looked Hailey up and down.

Hailey weighed close to two hundred pounds and was seriously overweight. Her features looked cramped together on her face. Even worse, a wide, dark red mark ran from her left eye to the corner of her mouth and covered almost half of her face.

Because of that mark, most people could barely stand to look at her.

For a brief moment, contempt showed in Valerie's eyes.

Once she had taken in Hailey's body and appearance, Valerie didn't see her as a threat in the slightest.

Without reacting to Derek's insults, Hailey continued staring at Samuel.

Samuel stood from his seat before looking down at her. He spoke without the smallest trace of emotion. "The divorce papers are inside the drawer in my study. Go home and sign them."

His demand hit Hailey so hard that her body swayed and she almost lost her footing.

All the air seemed to leave her lungs while a terrible pressure weighed against her chest.

Samuel had kept the divorce papers ready all this time.

Did he truly want to get rid of her that badly?

Hailey refused to let go of her last bit of hope. She looked at Samuel and struggled to keep her voice steady. "Samuel, are you saying that you never felt anything for me... not even the smallest amount?"

Derek heard her question and rolled his eyes before giving a harsh laugh. "Give me a break. Have you ever taken a proper look at yourself, Hailey? You're an overweight mess. Why would Samuel find anything about you worth noticing?"

Still, Hailey didn't look away from Samuel as she waited for him to respond.

Samuel showed no reaction, and his gaze stayed painfully cold. "I never felt a thing."

In that instant, Hailey felt as though endless knives had stabbed straight through her heart.

Once again, tears ran freely down her face.

Even so, she didn't break down. A smile crossed her face while she brushed away her tears, and she kept smiling when she gave a small nod. "All right. Now I know."

After saying that, she refused to stay any longer. She turned around and walked away.

During the walk back to her room, Hailey spent a long time thinking before she reached her final decision. She pulled out her phone and messaged her friend, Gavin Warren. "Gavin, I've made my choice. I'm leaving for Meabert."

Hailey understood how difficult it was to receive a training opportunity in Meabert.

For Samuel's sake, she had nearly thrown that chance away.

Only now did she realize how foolish her choice had been.

...

Three days afterward, Hailey's condition had improved enough for her to leave the hospital.

Once she arrived home, she went into Samuel's study and found the divorce papers waiting for her.

Her hand shook while she wrote her name on the document.

Samuel's signature was already on the paper, and seeing it made her accept that she had to abandon every last trace of hope.

There was no point in holding on to something that was never going to belong to her.

Hailey didn't notice that she was crying until a tear dropped onto the back of her hand. By then, her entire face was soaked. At last, she understood that the pain had cut so deeply that all she could feel was an unfamiliar emptiness.

After drying her tears, Hailey showed no emotion as she pulled out her phone and called Samuel.

"What do you want?" His voice held no warmth at all.

She skipped any greeting and went straight to the point. "I signed the divorce papers. Meet me at the courthouse tomorrow morning at nine thirty."

"I can't make it tomorrow. I'll get in touch once I have time," Samuel replied.

Hailey answered in a firm voice, "That won't work. Tomorrow is my only available day. Be there at nine thirty."

Before he could say anything else, she ended the call.

The following morning, Hailey reached the courthouse exactly on time.

However, nine-forty came, and Samuel was nowhere to be seen.

As soon as the clock reached nine forty-one, Hailey walked away without any hesitation.

Her flight to Meabert was scheduled to leave at noon.

From that point forward, Samuel would remain nothing more than a part of her past.

Hailey was finally ready to start living for herself.

Three years later, a stunning woman in a red slip dress walked through an airport in Blaever and immediately drew everyone's attention.

Her beauty was impossible to ignore. With such an attractive and charming face, she seemed to bring new light into the entire airport as soon as she appeared.

Every part of her face looked perfect. Her narrow eyes curved upward with a quiet charm, her nose had a fine shape, and her full lips carried a soft pink shade. Together, those features formed an unforgettable face.

The dress perfectly showed off her full curves. Her eye-catching pink hair reached her waist and rested loosely across her shoulders.

"Hailey!" called Maren Campbell in a cheerful voice. The equally beautiful woman was Hailey's friend, and she hurried over before wrapping Hailey in a tight hug. "It's so good to have you back."

The gorgeous woman was indeed Hailey. Only three years earlier, she had been overweight and constantly mocked because of the way she looked.

Since then, she had lost all the extra weight. The harsh red mark that once covered her left cheek had also vanished.

Once they were inside the car, Hailey lowered the vanity mirror. She took a bottle of special liquid in one hand and started drawing a red mark over her beautiful face.

When Maren noticed what she was doing, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Hailey, do you really plan to keep hiding how you truly look?"

"I do," Hailey replied without emotion. "I still don't know who injected those hormones into me. I also haven't discovered who poisoned me and left that red mark across my face. Until I uncover the truth, I'll keep this fake mark."

A few moments later, the ugly red mark had returned to her cheek. The intentional flaw completely hid the beauty underneath it.

"There's another reason," Hailey added. "Some people abroad already know Seren Morphew's appearance. I can't allow anyone to discover that Seren Morphew and Hailey Holden are one person."

Maren laughed when she heard that. "You're right. Seren has become a surgeon known around the world. If people learned that she was actually Hailey, they would crowd outside your door for months."

Hailey remained calm despite her friend's words. After waiting for a moment, she asked, "What happened to Gavin? Why did he need me back here so badly?"

Maren rolled her eyes. "He and Derek are fighting again. They arranged another race, but this time, they're betting their race cars. Gavin has already lost against Derek twice. One more defeat will destroy his reputation. You know that car means everything to him. Still, he doesn't stand a chance against Derek's driving skills. Luckily, they agreed that either of them could choose another driver to race in their place. Of course, Gavin called you because he needs you to save him."

Hailey smiled after hearing the explanation, but there was no warmth in her smile.

At first, she hadn't planned to get involved. However, learning that Derek was part of the race changed everything. There was no chance she would miss it now.

Hearing Derek's name made her expression turn cold. Her gaze became as hard as ice.

"Let's get moving," Hailey said without emotion. "Take me to the racetrack."

"All right." Maren agreed as she shifted the car into drive.

...

The racetrack twisted along the mountainside and climbed from the starting point into the thick forest covering the higher slopes.

Located beyond the city, it was an international Grade Two circuit. The full track stretched for only 2.4 miles, yet drivers had to face eight separate turns.

At that time, a group of rich young elites had gathered around Gavin. "Gavin, are you honestly confident about this? Can your replacement driver actually handle the race? Derek has already beaten you twice. If you fail again, people will never stop laughing about it."

Arrogance covered Gavin's face as he gave a mocking snort. "Keep quiet and enjoy the race! I found someone who'll leave that bastard Derek choking on dust. There's no chance I'm losing this time!"

A contemptuous laugh suddenly broke through the crowd. "You're sounding pretty sure of yourself, Gavin. I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully, your latest helper is not like the last one, who only made empty threats."

Every person turned toward the three people who had entered through the racetrack entrance.

The group consisted of two men and one woman.

Derek had been the one who spoke, but no one paid much attention to him. Instead, every gaze settled on the man walking in the middle. His powerful presence and refined manner immediately set him apart from everyone else.

He stood tall and had the solid, muscular body of a professional athlete.

His sharply shaped face was handsome and cold. Such striking perfection made it nearly impossible for anyone to look elsewhere.

"Mr. Ford." The wealthy young elites greeted him with respect.

Samuel gave them one careless glance before turning his attention away.

Derek looked back at Gavin. "Well, Gavin, where's that incredible driver you brought in?"

Gavin simply laughed. Then he raised his chin toward the entrance behind them. "Perfect timing. Here comes my driver."

The entire group turned toward the racetrack entrance.