My Ex-husband Went to Jail After we Divorced

Nicolas Shaw became the chairman of a publicly listed company. On that very day, he proposed a divorce.

In an interview, Nicolas credited all his current achievements to the unwavering support of his beloved, who stood by him all the time.

However, his beloved wasn't me but his colleague, Gillian Ford. She was suffering from a terminal illness.

To treat Gillian, Nicolas spared no expense to hire a reclusive surgeon to lead the procedure. But he didn't realize that the medical genius he desperately sought was me.

He thought he had secured the support of the Ford Pharmaceutical Group, but a month later, I appeared on stage as a special consultant for the Ford Pharmaceutical Group to be interviewed.

A reporter asked me, "Dr. Sini, it's said that you've been out of the medical field for years. May I ask what prompted your return to the medical team?"

I glanced at Nicolas, who looked utterly shocked.

I replied, "My husband paid a lot of money for me to perform surgery on his lover."

**

"Lorna, Nicolas openly displayed affection with his mistress during a live-streamed interview," Julie Ward, my friend, said angrily on the phone.

On TV, Nicolas was wearing the suit I meticulously picked for him. He was accepting an interview in the studio.

The host asked admiringly, "Mr. Shaw, what are you most proud of as the youngest chairman in the medical industry?"

Nicolas's smile broadened. "I am most proud of my lover. Though she battles a terminal illness, her strength is unwavering, and she has never left me. It's her support and companionship that have brought me to where I am today."

The host applauded with admiration, and the live audience erupted in excitement instantly.

"A remarkable and devoted guy!"

"The perfect gentleman!"

"Trust Mr. Shaw's integrity! Support his new products!"

Seeing these comments, I couldn't help but laugh.

Nicolas quickly rose to fame by crafting a persona as a devoted husband, which boosted the company's stock price.

Yet the "wife" he cherished wasn't me, who stood by him from nothing, but Gillian, the heiress of the Ford Pharmaceutical Group.

As soon as the broadcast ended, Nicolas called me. "Lorna, let's get a divorce."

I stubbornly asked, "Do you remember the promises you made when we got married?"

I played a recording from the day we got married. Nicolas had said to me, "Lorna, you are my love forever. Once my company makes money, I'll give you the chairman's position. I want to cherish and protect you forever."

Nicolas was surprised and said, "You kept that recording?"

It was once my most cherished memory. How could I not keep it?

But it seemed that I had mistaken trash for treasure.

I sneered, "If those who support you heard this, what would happen to your persona as a good guy? Would they still dare to buy products from a fraud like you?"

Nicolas's tone turned impatient. "The company is in a growth phase and desperately needs a good public image and resources. Lorna, don't mess around at such a critical time."

Was I messing around?

Nicolas's voice carried a threat. "Lorna, if you insist on doing this, I'll freeze all your bank accounts. You won't even be able to afford basic living expenses. You're just a housewife now, without a job or savings. You're nothing and have no right to negotiate with me."

I was nothing?

I laughed aloud and said, "Nicolas, three years ago, you had nothing. I gave up my job to help you find clients. Why didn't you say I was messing around then?"

Nicolas suddenly fell silent.

I continued, "You landed your first major contract after I pleaded with my professor to pass this opportunity to you, which allowed you to access a larger market. Why didn't you say I was nothing back then?"

"You did help me back then, but now..."

"But now I wasn't as valuable as Gillian. Right? So you abandoned me without hesitation?"

"I just..."

"What do you want to say? You were just eager to gain the Ford family's resources, so you are doing everything to earn Gillian's trust and affection. You even went as far as spending fifty million to hire Dr. Sini for her treatment."

"You..." Nicolas paused before saying, "How do you know?"

Of course, I knew everything, because I was Dr. Sini, whom he went through great lengths to look for.

A few seconds later, Nicolas gave me an ultimatum. "Lorna, leave my place within three days. If you refuse to divorce, I'll have to file a lawsuit."

"Not a chance!" I said, enunciating each word, "I can't wait to divorce you right now. I'll move out today."

I hung up the phone and quickly packed my clothes and belongings into a suitcase.

Nicolas's assistant delivered me the divorce papers. After signing them, I pulled my suitcase and walked out of the place that had trapped me for three years.

It was time to put an end to the marriage I had fought desperately to keep for three years.

The elevator doors opened, and I saw a determined version of myself reflected in the elevator mirror.

Nicolas was like a festering wound on my body. Although there might be some lingering feelings after three years, I knew well that I must break free from him.

As a doctor, I had saved countless patients. It was time to rescue myself now and become the true self of Lorna Norris.

I spent my last two hundred dollars booking a hotel room for the night.

Nicolas was ruthless. The moment I hung up the phone, he had all my bank accounts frozen. He tried to push me to the brink.

At midnight, Nicolas called again. "Lorna, do you realize your mistake now?"

"Mistake? What mistake?"

"Isn't it hard to live without money?" Nicolas let out a mocking laugh. "Hand over all the recordings and photos you have of me on your phone, and I'll unfreeze your accounts and give you a million dollars for your future life."

I was amused. "Are you really afraid of me exposing your disgrace that much?"

That struck a nerve.

Nicolas held back his anger and said, "Lorna, it won't do you any good to ruin me."

"It's not me ruining you. You did it. Do you know what the essence of a healthcare company's development is?"

Nicolas didn't answer, so I did for him. "Curing patients' illnesses is the forever unshakable foundation of the healthcare industry. You're not focusing on developing technology, but you're caught up in false marketing. Someday, you'll fall from grace."

"I don't need your lessons." Nicolas breathed heavily. "Give me those recordings."

I said to him clearly, "I won't give them to you."

Nicolas was furious. "Then enjoy your poverty life. What threat can you pose to me? You have no money or a job. Lorna, without me, you can't even enter the conference hall. How can you dream of threatening me?"

Nicolas angrily hung up.

He wanted to see me return to him in desperation, but I wouldn't regret my decisions, nor would I stay poor.

I called my friend Julie. "Julie, did you say Nicolas begged me to operate on Gillian?"

"Yes. He went through a lot of connections to find me. But don't worry. I didn't tell him who you are. He's not worthy to know how amazing you are."

"Has he contacted you recently?"

"He pesters me every day. He wishes to contact you for Gillian's surgery through me. It's so annoying. Since you're divorced now, I'm about to block him."

"Wait." I paused for a few seconds and made up my mind. "Tell Nicolas I agree to perform the surgery on Gillian, but I want one hundred million dollars, post-tax. Let him transfer to my account this evening."

Julie was shocked. "You're going to operate on that mistress?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Lorna, no matter what you choose, I support you."

I reopened a bank account I had set up while studying abroad and sent the card number to Julie.

Half an hour later, I received the money.

He really cared about Gillian, transferring the money so quickly.

I stood by the large window and gazed at the bustling lights outside. I felt a chill in my heart.

The phone screen dimmed, and the night was silent.

I rubbed the ring around my finger and suddenly recalled my birthday two years ago. I had ordered his favorite cake and prepared a table full of his favorite dishes, waiting at the restaurant until closing time. He never showed up.

He returned in the early morning of the next day, reeking of alcohol. He simply said, "I couldn't say no to a client."

At that time, I truly believed that he was working hard, and I made him some hangover soup.

Now, thinking back, I realized that his so-called "client" was probably just Gillian.

I was so naive back then.

I took off the ring and tossed it out of the window.

Goodbye, Nicolas.

I contacted the First Affiliated Hospital by phone, reserved a hospital bed and operating room, notified Gillian to transfer there, and arranged for several indicator tests to be done.

The next day, Andres Hayes, the hospital director, called me and asked me to visit his office.

Andres was also my doctoral advisor.

He had once advised me not to relinquish my medical career for Nicolas three years ago.

Back then, I was completely obsessed with Nicolas and didn't heed his advice.

Now, I felt ashamed when I stood in his office.

"Professor, I'm sorry. It was my mistake to make such a choice, which has led to my current situation."

The reprimand I anticipated was absent. Instead, Andres poured me a glass of apple juice. It was my favorite drink from school days.

"Lorna, you've always been my most outstanding student," he said, patting my shoulder. "You must have endured a lot these past few years."

His warm concern broke down my emotional defenses.

The grievances and feigned strength I had been holding onto crumbled under his kind words. Tears started falling uncontrollably.

With a deep sigh, Andres said, "I never liked Nicolas back then. His overly self-serving nature made me strongly oppose your relationship with him."

I sighed, "So you saw his true colors all along."

"If he truly loves you, he wouldn't ask you to give up your career just to serve him. You are such a good doctor," Andres continued.

"I think I understand that now."

True love didn't require sacrificing others or oneself.

"Don't be too upset. It's not a bad thing to end an unhealthy relationship. Let's take a look at the patient you've just admitted." Andres handed me Gillian's test results. "Her condition is extremely complicated, with a high risk of surgical failure. Are you sure you want to proceed with her surgery? This will be a great challenge."

I hadn't anticipated that Gillian's condition would deteriorate so rapidly within a month.

Andres repeatedly asked, "Are you really going to operate on Gillian? You must know that no other doctor is willing to take on this surgery. If the patient dies on the operating table, it could severely damage the doctor's reputation."

Andres gently suggested, saying, "If you need money, I can help you. You're an exceptional doctor, and you can return to work at the hospital anytime you wish."

"But now, this issue isn't about money for me," I replied, looking at Andres. "You just mentioned that no doctor is willing to perform this surgery. If I also back out, Gillian will be dead, won't she?"

Andres nodded and said, "According to her current condition, she has only two months left if surgery isn't performed soon."

"Then I'm willing to take on this challenge," I said firmly and met Andres's gaze. "Regardless of Gillian's identity or how much I dislike her in my life, she's now my patient. You always emphasized treating patients with equal compassion and dedication. A doctor's mission is to heal the patient. Reputation will always come second to me."

Andres looked at me with bright eyes. "Lorna, I'm proud of you."

"Really, Professor? Am I still worthy of your pride?" I said despondently, "I've made a mess of my life and career."

"Lorna, everyone makes mistakes in their youth. It's not something to fear, and there's no need to deny yourself because of it," Andres said seriously. "I'm always confident in you."

I felt reinvigorated.

I spent the night meticulously studying Gillian's test results and medical records and quickly devised a treatment plan.

Two days later, I operated on Gillian.

My assistant surgeon was Jase Wallace, a fellow student and an experienced medical doctor.

Even with the entire team having abundant clinical experience, and despite our lengthy discussions on potential risks and issues before the surgery, the operating room fell silent when I opened Gillian's abdominal cavity.

Gillian's condition was more severe than we had anticipated. A non-viable fetus remained in her abdomen.

Due to her condition and health, the fetus couldn't grow. But it hadn't been expelled. It was actually attached to her like a fibroid.

This rare situation made the surgery extremely complex.

Just then, an assisting nurse urgently shouted, "The patient has lost her heartbeat."