His Forgotten Wife, The Miracle Doctor

On the eve of what should have been their third wedding anniversary, Madison Owen had thoughtfully arranged a surprise for her husband, Declan Owen, hoping for a proper celebration.

However, he informed her that overseas business demanded his immediate attention. He rushed home from the office, then went upstairs to pack his bags for the trip.

Feeling heartbroken, Madison sat on the couch and opened the chat of an online friend she had spoken with for three years without ever meeting face-to-face, searching for somewhere to pour out the ache in her chest. Instead, a digital wedding invitation appeared on her screen.

The photo showed a pretty woman and the side face of a man. That vivid crimson mole beside his nose was something Madison could identify instantly, even in a crowd of thousands.

Her entire body went numb.

Completely unaware of the devastation on the other side of the screen, Lily Hayes continued sending cheerful messages one after another in rapid succession.

"Amanda, I'm finally marrying the man I've loved all this time!"

"If you hadn't been there lending an ear to my troubles these past few years, I honestly don't know how I would've carried on. You absolutely have to come overseas for the ceremony, alright? I'll arrange your plane ticket and hotel personally. Come a few days early-you can even stand beside me as my maid of honor!"

Madison's grip tightened around her phone until her knuckles stiffened, all warmth draining from her trembling fingers. Amanda was her online alias; she hadn't told Lily her real name.

She wanted desperately to believe she had mistaken him for someone else, yet how could she possibly fail to recognize that mark beside his nose?

What shattered her even further was the glimpse of the cufflinks adorning his sleeves in the photograph-an expensive custom-made pair she had saved for years to buy him for his birthday only two months earlier. His initials gleamed unmistakably across the polished metal.

A crushing ache twisted violently through her chest, finally snapping her out of her daze. Fighting the tremor in her hands, she slowly typed a message to Lily.

"Didn't you once tell me the man you loved already had a wife? Did he finally end his marriage?"

The tiny word "Typing..." flickered across the screen. After an agonizing stretch of silence, Lily's messages finally came through.

"No, he still hasn't divorced her. But the country where we're holding the wedding doesn't verify marital records from back home. I never expected a proposal either, but I'm carrying his child now. He said our baby needed the company of both parents, so he's flying here tonight to marry me."

"Honestly, I sometimes pity his wife. Even after being married for years, he never once touched her. And you know what's unbelievable? The wedding date we picked actually falls on their anniversary."

"I think I mentioned this to you before, didn't I? If his family hadn't forced us apart back then, I never would've left the country. He only married that woman because she saved his grandfather and the old man forced him. That's why he deliberately chose the anniversary of our relationship for the ceremony."

Every line appearing on the screen felt like a blade carving straight through Madison's heart.

Her friendship with Lily had begun entirely by coincidence. Not long after marrying Declan, she learned he enjoyed collecting fountain pens and wanted to surprise him with one he would truly treasure. While browsing online, she happened across a post where Lily enthusiastically displayed her own collection.

Lily had patiently walked her through countless brands and designs, carefully explaining every advantage and flaw. When Lily discovered the model she wanted couldn't be purchased locally, she even went out of her way to locate an overseas seller. From there, their conversations gradually deepened until they became close friends who shared nearly everything with each other.

She knew Lily was hopelessly in love with a man she could never publicly claim. She knew they had grown up side by side, only to be torn apart by family arrangements, and she knew they had secretly remained devoted to each other all these years.

Because Lily was someone she considered a friend, she didn't feel it was her place to judge. She merely listened quietly and comforted Lily when needed. Sometimes, she even confided in Lily about the cold emptiness of her own marriage and her husband's constant emotional distance.

She was aware that Declan carried another woman in his heart-a childhood love he had never truly released. She also knew that woman had fled abroad in despair before he got married. But never had she suspected that Lily's secret lover and her own husband were the very same man.

An icy wave swept through Madison's body, leaving her shuddering uncontrollably. Her thoughts were in complete chaos, and words utterly failed her.

Should she expose Lily for destroying her marriage? Should she curse Lily for shamelessly becoming someone else's mistress? Or should she board a plane immediately, storm into that wedding, and demand an explanation from the two people who had humiliated her so cruelly?

She was the lawful wife in every sense, yet at that moment, she felt like the greatest fool alive, unable to even muster the strength to retaliate against the glowing messages before her eyes.

Apparently oblivious to the strange silence on the other end, Lily continued texting excitedly. "Amanda, send me your passport information and your full name. My fiance is so happy you're willing to be part of our wedding. I'll reserve you a first-class seat."

"He's rented an entire beachfront resort for the ceremony, and it's absolutely breathtaking. Once you arrive, I promise I'll make sure you enjoy every second here."

Madison stared at the messages for what felt like forever, her fingers suspended motionlessly above the keyboard. At last, she forced herself to type a reply. "I'm sorry, but something important came up recently, so I won't be able to attend your wedding. Still, I hope the two of you find happiness together. Perhaps soon you'll finally become a legitimate husband and wife."

Disappointment lingered faintly in Lily's replies, but she chose not to pry further. Before long, the conversation window sank into complete silence.

Madison slowly scrolled through years of old messages, uncovering fragments of truth she had once overlooked so carelessly.

On her birthday two years earlier, she had spent days pleading with Declan to travel with her before he reluctantly agreed. Yet at the last moment, he claimed urgent business overseas and disappeared. When he returned a month later, he casually tossed her a few duty-free skincare items, saying he hadn't had time to prepare anything else.

At that same time, Lily told her excitedly how she'd impulsively flown alone to chase the northern lights after feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Terrified she might face danger traveling alone, her lover had abandoned everything at home just to keep her company for an entire month.

One year ago, while rushing important documents to Declan's company office, Madison had been caught in a devastating car accident. Blood poured from her body, her consciousness fading as death hovered terrifyingly close. She called Declan again and again, yet every single call went unanswered. In the end, she regained just enough awareness inside the ambulance to sign her own critical-risk surgery consent papers.

After she later woke in the hospital, Lily happily shared a story about spending Christmas reunited with the man she loved. While watching fireworks with him, she had accidentally slipped and fallen. Panicked, he'd sped through seven consecutive red lights to rush her to the hospital.

One memory after another locked perfectly into place. Every occasion Madison had quietly buried her pain and convinced herself Declan was merely consumed by work, he had actually been devoting all his time and tenderness to another woman.

As Madison curled against the couch cushions, her eyesight gradually clouded over. Only when she touched her cheeks did she realize tears had soaked her entire face.

At that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps drifted down from upstairs.

She lifted her eyes slowly. Declan stood on the second-floor landing, staring down at her with detached indifference. "Come prepare my luggage. Verdantia is unbearably humid this season, so pack lightweight clothes and mosquito spray."

He stopped briefly before adding in an even colder voice, "And you're already three days overdue on this month's rent. Transfer the money to my account before today ends. Otherwise, we'll proceed according to the prenuptial agreement."

Madison dug her nails into her palms without realizing it.

The entire situation felt absurd beyond words.

Though she was legally his wife, she still had to pay rent punctually each month to remain in the house. Ever since their marriage began, every expense between them had been calculated down to the last cent and split evenly.

Yet for the woman he truly cherished, he could spend enormous amounts without hesitation, reserving a luxurious seaside resort and preparing a wedding extravagant enough to resemble a dream.

Meanwhile, he treated his wife no differently from hired help, ordering her around without even the slightest trace of remorse.

The ache inside Madison's chest became so violent it nearly split her apart. After a long silence, she finally raised her head again, her voice cracked and fragile. "Do you really have to leave?"

Declan's brows tightened immediately, impatience darkening his expression. "What kind of question is that? My flight departs in five hours. Stop wasting my time with pointless nonsense."

The frigid man standing before her bore absolutely no resemblance to the devoted, gentle lover Lily had always described with such affection.

The taste of blood spread thicker across Madison's throat as she continued staring at him without blinking. "Doesn't the company have anyone else capable of handling this? Do you truly have to leave right before our anniversary?"

"I already explained this yesterday. The partnership overseas is extremely important, and no one except me can finalize the negotiations." Declan's eyes grew sharper with irritation. "Madison, are you honestly throwing a fit over a mere anniversary? I'm not only your husband-I am the CEO of Owen Group. Before we ever married, I made myself perfectly clear: I require a wife who is obedient and reasonable. If you fail to meet that expectation, I won't mind replacing you with another woman."

Each icy sentence sliced mercilessly through her ears and deep into her heart, yet strangely, Madison no longer felt capable of hurting any more than she already did.

Naturally, he wouldn't care. After all, he was going to fly abroad and marry the woman who owned his heart.

Something inside Madison seemed to collapse completely. She sat there motionless for a long while before finally forcing down the bitterness clogging her throat. "Alright. Then let's divorce. I don't want to continue being your wife either."

The entire room descended into stunned silence.

A trace of surprise flashed briefly across Declan's face before turning into a cold, mocking smile. "So you've learned this trick now? Pretending to leave just to threaten me? Madison, have you forgotten what you are without me?"

He descended the staircase step by step until he stood before her, undisguised contempt filling his gaze. "If you hadn't manipulated my grandfather into forcing this marriage, do you honestly think someone with nothing to her name could ever have become my wife? You spent years plotting your way into this family, and now you suddenly dare to mention divorce? You don't have parents, qualifications, or any real abilities. Aside from cooking meals and cleaning the house, what value do you even possess? Without the title of 'Mrs. Owen,' you're nothing more than worthless trash crawling at the very bottom."

Madison locked eyes with Declan, only to be met with a gaze stripped of all warmth-pure, unfiltered contempt. In that instant, it felt as though every drop of blood in her body had frozen solid.

Over the years, she had abandoned her profession entirely for him, never once returning to the operating room, reducing herself to nothing more than a housewife orbiting his life.

What Declan never realized was that before becoming his wife, she had once been Croria's most celebrated surgeon. That was precisely why, with nothing but roadside instruments and unshaking precision, she had been able to intubate his grandfather and pull him back from the brink of death during a sudden cardiac arrest.

All because he once casually mentioned he preferred a wife devoted entirely to the home, she had walked away from her career, from postgraduate studies abroad, and from everything she had built-sacrificing it all for him without hesitation.

And yet those very sacrifices had become the weapon he now used to belittle her.

A faint, bitter curve formed on Madison's lips. "You never wanted me as your wife in the first place. Isn't a divorce exactly what you've been waiting for? Since you're so eager to leave for your business trip, let's get a divorce when you return. I've spent years being your pack mule-I'm done now."

Declan's brows drew together sharply.

He had assumed that laying out facts plainly would force Madison into submission. Instead, she stood there-unyielding, almost provocatively calm-openly challenging his patience.

"Fine. If you want a divorce, I'll give you one." A derisive laugh slipped past Declan's lips. "But Madison, don't forget the prenup. Walk away from me, and you don't get a single cent. And every expense you couldn't split equally over the years has been logged as a debt. If I recall correctly, it exceeds seventy million dollars. I have every legal right to recover it during the divorce."

His gaze raked over her with open disdain. "I don't have time for this nonsense now. My lawyer will send you the full breakdown. I'll return in three days. By then, you'll either admit your mistake and apologize, or I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life buried under that debt."

With that, he turned without another word, packed his bags, and left with a door slam that echoed through the house.

The villa fell into a suffocating silence.

True to his word, five minutes later, Madison's phone lit up with a long, meticulously itemized bill from his lawyer.

She couldn't keep any of the jewelry he had given her, yet she had to pay exorbitant usage fees. High-end ingredients she had used to prepare his meals were listed as personal consumption costs. Even fuel and transportation for errands she had run on his behalf were calculated down to the last cent.

At the very end sat a staggering figure-fifty million dollars. The justification was so absurd it blurred the line between cruelty and farce. Years ago, after he'd learned Lily had gone abroad, he'd fallen into unconsciousness due to alcohol overdose. Madison had shattered the window of his Rolls-Royce to save him. Now, she was being billed for the damages.

If she had known then what kind of man he truly was, she would never have saved him at all.

A sharp breath trembled in her chest. She would repay what was legitimate, but she would also make him pay what he owed her.

She saved the document, wiped the moisture from her face, and dialed a number she hadn't used in a long time-Marc Fletcher, a fellow doctoral classmate.

"I've decided, Marc. I'm divorcing Declan and joining your research team. But I need a top divorce lawyer, and I'm short on funds right now. Do you have any patients who might be suitable for me?"

Marc's delighted voice came through the receiver. "You finally came to your senses? I told you back then that man was trash. You never should've chased him all the way to Croria over some childhood promise. I'll have my lawyer contact you right away. As for patients, I actually do have one. He's the primary financial supporter of our research team, but he's extremely difficult. If you're certain, I'll send you his file."

Madison agreed without hesitation. Difficult patients were nothing new to her. Right now, she needed money, and she needed to make Declan pay. She was prepared to do whatever it took.

Shortly after, the file arrived, accompanied by a note that the patient would be contacted immediately.

After ending the call, Madison opened the document and began reading, her expression tightening little by little.

The name at the top was one that carried immense weight across the country-William Shaw, head of the Shaw family, ruler of Freeport, the one who controlled maritime trade and arms networks throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Five years earlier, he had been gravely injured during a violent internal power struggle. Though he survived, a fragment of shrapnel remained lodged deep within his brain, pressing against critical nerves and causing relentless, excruciating pain. Over time, his temperament had grown increasingly volatile and unpredictable.

The Shaw family had brought in the most renowned specialists in the world, yet the fragment's location made surgery almost impossible. One wrong move would mean death on the operating table. No one dared attempt it.

The challenge was no longer just medical; it was existential.

And if the operation failed, the surgeon would face consequences far worse than death itself.