The buzz was frantic, a desperate vibration against the steel of my locker. It was nearly midnight, and I had just walked out of a ten-hour cranial surgery. My phone felt like a foreign object. It was a notification from the hospital’s group chat. Mia Collins, the new surgical intern in my department, had tagged everyone. “Getting married tomorrow! Please, please, please come share our joy! And no gifts necessary, my fiancé is taking care of everything! ;)” I was so tired my bones ached. I tapped out a polite reply out of pure reflex: “Sorry, I have a conflict. Congratulations and have a beautiful wedding.” A second later, a private message from her lit up my screen. “Dr. Hayes, don’t be an idiot. My fiancé is a major investor in this hospital. Are you sure you want to be on his bad side?” Another message followed before I could even process the first. “I already put your name down to work the event—you know, passing canapés. I figured an old maid like you would jump at the chance to hunt for a rich husband at a place like this.” Then, a photo appeared in the main group chat. A professional wedding portrait. When I saw the face of the man kissing her—my husband’s face—a laugh clawed its way out of my throat, sharp and humorless. Liam. The man who owed his entire existence to my family, cheating on me with an intern and planning to marry her? I opened the group chat and typed a single line. “Since you’re not accepting gifts, allow me to bring a wedding toast instead. It’ll be one to remember.” 1 I shut off my phone and drove home. The house was a mess, just as I’d left it in my rush that morning. A pair of my running shoes was still kicked over by the door. It was clear Liam hadn’t been home either. Was he too busy planning his new life to remember the old one? He was a classic story. The brilliant boy from a dirt-poor town in the Appalachians who clawed his way to the top. The man everyone called a visionary, a self-made hospital investor. It seemed that my long-standing silence and preoccupation with my work had allowed him to forget who wrote that story for him. He’d started to believe his own press. A cold smile touched my lips as I dialed our house manager. “Arthur, I want you to freeze every asset in Liam Croft’s name. Cut off all his secondary credit cards. Effective immediately.” “And one more thing,” I added. “I need you to prepare a gift for me. It needs to be delivered to the Grand Astoria ballroom tomorrow morning.” I didn’t sleep a wink that night. I should have been exhausted, but instead, a sick, feverish energy hummed through my veins. Just as I was about to leave in the morning, a text from Liam came through. “Morning, my love. You must be exhausted with all those surgeries. I’ll give you a proper massage when I get back from this business trip.” Another one followed. “I have a surprise for you, by the way!” He was playing the part of the doting husband, as always. I typed back: “I have a surprise for you, too. I think you’ll find it unforgettable.” The moment I walked into the ballroom, I saw her. Mia, preening in a designer wedding gown, holding court with a group of our colleagues from the hospital. “Honestly, no gifts! My fiancé is so generous, he wouldn’t dream of it,” she was saying, her voice dripping with false modesty. “He’s the biggest investor in Metropolitan General. From now on, you’re all my family. He’ll take good care of you.” Someone spotted me. A nurse with a perpetually sour expression. “Well, look what the cat dragged in. Isn’t that our ice queen, Dr. Hayes? What brings you to Mia’s wedding?” “Yeah, we can never get you to come out for drinks,” another chimed in, a sycophant who trailed Mia like a puppy. “Don’t tell me you’re here to wish her well.” The first nurse smirked. “I hear Dr. Hayes is still single at thirty. She must’ve heard Mia’s fiancé was an investor and decided to do a little networking.” “Dr. Hayes, I’m shocked,” the puppy added. “I always thought you were so above it all. Turns out you’re just like the rest of them.” I ignored the yapping clowns. I walked straight to Mia, pushing the gift Arthur had prepared—a box so large it came up to my chest—in front of her. It was wrapped in pristine white paper, but tied with a single, blood-red ribbon. Mia’s face turned to stone. “Evelyn! What the hell is this? I was kind enough to get you a job serving hors d'oeuvres so you could meet some actual eligible men.” “What’s with the morbid wrapping? Who are you trying to insult?” she spat. I met her gaze. “I have a dog at home. He’s in heat, constantly pissing on everything to mark his territory. It occurred to me he might have pissed on you by mistake.” I gestured to the box. “I thought this might suit the occasion.” Mia’s face flushed a blotchy, furious red. “What did you just say, you bitch? Who’s a dog? You came here to start trouble, didn’t you?” “You’re just a pathetic old hag who got dumped! You see me, young, beautiful, marrying into a fortune, and you’re green with envy!” she shrieked. “Just you wait! My fiancé will be here any minute, and with one word, he’ll have you kicked out of the hospital for good!” I took a slow, deliberate step back, just out of range of her spittle, and tilted my head toward the giant box. “Calm down. It’s time to open your present.” In front of everyone, I ripped the paper away. Inside was a massive, funereal wreath of black roses. Stretched across it were two satin ribbons, printed with elegant gold script. The left ribbon read: THE WHORE & THE PARASITE. The right: TILL DEATH DO YOU PART. And across the top, a larger banner proclaimed: A MATCH MADE IN HELL. The ballroom fell silent. Mia was trembling with rage. “Evelyn! You sick, twisted CUNT!” “You’re jealous that I’m marrying a man like Liam, a titan of industry, so you pull this disgusting stunt for attention!” I dug a finger into my ear, her screeching was giving me a headache. “Mia, let me confirm one last time. You are absolutely certain you want to marry this man?” She lifted her chin, defiant. “Of course I am! My fiancé, Liam Croft, is the hospital’s biggest investor. He’s worth billions! He makes more in a day than a pathetic doctor like you will see in a lifetime!” She gestured grandly to the room. “When I marry him, I become Mrs. Croft. I’ll be the woman all of you look up to for the rest of your lives!” The sycophants behind her nodded in agreement. “Mia was born for this life. Not like some people, trying to climb the social ladder at her age.” “Dr. Hayes, after a scene like this, how are you ever going to show your face in the department again?” “You just pissed off the investor’s wife. I’d start updating your resume if I were you.” It was almost funny. Climb the ladder? What would they say if they knew I was the one who built the ladder, planted it in the ground, and held it steady for him? Saving lives was the only thing I’d ever wanted to do. This hospital, Hayes Memorial, was my father’s graduation gift to me when I finished my residency. He built it so I could practice medicine in its purest form, free from politics and bureaucracy, and focus solely on my ideals. Liam Croft, an investor? He was nothing more than a stray I’d taken in, a dog I could have put down at any moment. Seeing my silence, Mia thought she’d won. Her smirk widened as she pulled out her phone and dialed, pointedly hitting the speaker button. “Honey, where are you? Someone is bullying me! You have to come quick!” she cried into the phone. “It’s that doctor from my department, Evelyn Hayes! She crashed our wedding and brought a funeral wreath to curse us!” Liam’s voice came through the speaker, tight with panic. “What? Evelyn? Baby, don’t worry, I’m almost there. Whatever you do, do not get into a fight with her!” After hanging up, Mia looked as if she’d just been crowned queen. “You heard him? He’s coming for me!” she sneered. “You are so dead, Evelyn. Not only are you getting fired, but I’ll make sure you’re blacklisted from every hospital in this state!” The colleagues around me started whispering, pointing. “It’s over. She really pissed off Mr. Croft.” “Dr. Hayes is usually so sharp. What a reckless move.” “A woman in her thirties, fighting with an intern over a man. She should take a good look in the mirror. What does she possibly have that compares to Mia?” Mia’s eyes glinted with triumph. “Evelyn, I’m giving you one last chance. For the sake of our professional relationship. Get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness right now.” She kicked the wreath. “Then eat this disgusting thing, and I might consider asking my fiancé to let you keep your job.” “Otherwise,” she smiled, “I’ll make your life a living hell.” I stepped forward, closing the distance between us until I could see the flecks of gold in her hazel eyes. “You want me to kneel to you?” I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. “Are you worthy?” In the next second, I pulled two red marriage certificates from my purse and threw them squarely at her face. “Open your eyes and look closely. The billionaire fiancé you’re so proud of, Liam Croft, is my lawfully wedded husband.” I let the words hang in the air. “You… you’re nothing but a cheap little homewrecker.” The certificates struck her cheek and fluttered to the floor. Mia stared, stunned for a few seconds, before erupting into loud, theatrical laughter. “Hahahaha! Evelyn, has your desperation for a man finally driven you insane?” she howled. “You forged marriage licenses to fantasize about my fiancé? Have you no shame?” She scooped them up without a glance and tore them into tiny pieces. “I’d heard rumors that some of the female doctors at the hospital were sleeping around, but I never imagined it was you!” she announced to the room. “The second you found out my fiancé was an investor, you lost all self-respect, didn’t you? I bet you’d drop your panties the second he walked in the room!” She turned to the guests. “Everyone, can you believe this woman? She’s a senior physician, and she’s stooping to forging documents to slander my fiancé! How pathetic can you get?” A doctor who was always kissing up to Mia stepped forward. “Dr. Hayes, we’ve known you for years. I never realized you were this… vile.” “A man like Mr. Croft? Why would he ever look at an old woman like you? Do yourself a favor and get out of here before you embarrass yourself further!” A mob mentality took over. Hands began to shove me. “Get out! Don’t ruin Mia’s wedding!” “Shameless bitch!” I stumbled backward, the corner of a table digging sharply into my lower back. The exhaustion from the ten-hour surgery, combined with a sleepless night, washed over me in a dizzying wave. My vision swam with black spots. I braced myself against a wall to keep from falling. Mia seized the moment, grabbing a flute of champagne and flinging its contents in my face. “Get on your knees and apologize! If you beg, I might still let you serve the appetizers!” And in that moment, an entirely unexpected person appeared. “Evie? What are you doing here?” I turned, my head snapping up. It was my mentor, Dr. Peterson, a titan in the American medical community. I ignored the sticky champagne dripping down my face and rushed to his side. “Dr. Peterson, what… what are you doing here?” He was the man I respected most in the world. He had written my recommendation for my fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He was more of a father to me than a teacher. Dr. Peterson patted my hand, his expression troubled. “I heard one of our junior staff was getting married. I thought I’d stop by to offer my congratulations.” He sighed heavily. “I didn’t expect… this.” His gaze fell on the shredded wreath and then on Mia’s venomous expression, his brow furrowing in disapproval. Mia immediately ran to him, bursting into tears. “Dr. Peterson, you have to help me! This woman is using her seniority to bully me!” Dr. Peterson was famously protective of his younger staff. “Evie, what’s going on?” he asked, his tone stern. “Whatever your disagreements, this is hardly the time or place.” Before I could explain, Mia launched into her performance. “Dr. Peterson, Evelyn is insane! She’s obsessed with my fiancé! She came here to ruin everything, she even brought that… that horrible wreath to curse me!” The surrounding colleagues chimed in, twisting the narrative until it was unrecognizable. Listening to them, Dr. Peterson’s face filled with disappointment. “Evelyn, you’re a leader in our department. A role model for the younger generation. How could you behave with so little grace?” “Apologize to the girl and take that thing with you,” he commanded. A chill went through me. Even my own mentor, without knowing a single fact, had chosen to believe the seemingly weaker party. Just then, Mia lunged forward and smashed a wine bottle against the side of my head. “There’s a special place in hell for women who ruin other people’s happiness!” she screamed. “I’m three months pregnant with Liam’s child! It’s too late for a pathetic slut like you to climb into his bed now!” Mia and her followers grabbed me, trying to force my head down. Shards of glass from the bottle scraped against my cheek. But through the pain and the humiliation, I started to laugh. A low, unhinged chuckle that grew louder and louder. Pregnant? Oh, this was better than I could have imagined. I pulled out my phone, ignoring the sting of my wounds, and sent a single text to Arthur. Mia froze, stunned by my laughter. I used her hesitation to shove her off and scramble to my feet. I looked at every single face in the room, my gaze finally landing on Mia’s stomach. “Since you want this baby so badly,” I said, my voice ringing with clarity, “and you’re so desperate to be Mrs. Croft…” “Then allow me to give you one more gift.” Mia’s face paled. “What are you planning now?” A few seconds later, the massive projector screen at the front of the ballroom flickered to life. As the image came into focus, the color drained completely from Mia’s face. And just at that moment, Liam Croft, my husband, rushed into the room, stopping dead in his tracks as he stared at the screen.
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