The Midnight Show That Ended with My Husband’s Affair Chapter 04

The Midnight Show That Ended with My Husband’s Affair Chapter 04 Give up This Bed
The room was so quiet I could only hear the drip of the IV. The anesthesia was wearing off. I curled up in the single hospital bed, my hospital gown soaked through with cold sweat. Suddenly, hurried footsteps and lowered voices came from outside the door. “Mr. Whitmore, there are really no private wards available right now. The regular ward is noisy and crowded, and Ms. Vance’s panic attacks haven’t subsided…” “I understand. Arrange room 302. That’s my wife. She will cooperate with the switch.” Hearing that familiar, cold voice, my heart clenched violently. The door opened. Spencer strode in. In his arms, held carefully against his chest, was a pale young woman. Summer Vance. The girl clutched Spencer’s shirt collar, tear stains still on her face. The moment she saw me, she burrowed deeper into his embrace. Spencer noticed her fear. His brow furrowed deeply. He raised his eyes to me. Not a trace of the worry a husband should feel upon seeing his wife in a hospital bed. “Lena,” he said. “Pack your things. Give up this bed.” I thought I had misheard. “Now!” The pain in my lower abdomen was so severe I could barely breathe. With great effort, I forced my heavy eyelids open and looked at the man I had loved for seven years. “What… did you say?” “The private wards here are full.” Spencer’s voice was flat. “Because of this morning’s online attacks, Summer is suffering from severe depression and panic attacks. She even showed self-harming behavior in the ER. Her nerves are extremely fragile right now. She can’t handle any noise.” He looked at me with a calculating gaze. “I checked with the front desk. You came in for a gynecological emergency—just a hormonal imbalance causing abdominal pain. Lena, medical resources should go to those truly in danger of death. You’re an adult. Don’t make a scene out of jealousy at a time like this.” I bit my lower lip so hard I nearly drew blood. My fingernails dug into my palms. He was right. This morning I had worn a dark skirt. The blood had soaked into the fabric, invisible from the outside. He had been in too much of a hurry to save his greenhouse flower to even glance at me. And later, I had signed the D&C consent form alone. Without a family member, the hospital records didn’t even have an emergency contact to call. “And if I refuse?” I asked weakly, my voice as light as a breath of air. Spencer’s patience seemed to run out. Holding Summer with one arm, he used his free hand to pull a document from his briefcase and tossed it coldly onto my blanket. “This is your suspension and termination notice from the station. As legal counsel for your network, I’ve already assessed the financial losses you’ve caused. Lena, not only are you suspended indefinitely, but the overseas fellowship you applied for—the one you worked so hard for—has also been canceled by the station management.” Boom. My mind went completely blank. The overseas fellowship. I had pulled countless nights, nearly killed myself for that opportunity. “You cut off my path… for her?” I stared at the document, and finally, the tears fell. “You cut off your own path.” Spencer’s gaze was ice-cold. “I’m using the law to teach you what adult consequences look like. As long as Summer hasn’t fully recovered, you will cooperate with a public apology anytime, anywhere. You owe her that.” He paused, his eyes sweeping over my pale face. “Now, vacate the bed. Go finish your antibiotic drip on a chair in the hallway, then go home and reflect on your behavior. Don’t make me call security to evict you. That would be even uglier.” Using the most legal means, he ground my dignity under his heel. Suddenly, I didn’t feel wronged anymore. When pain reaches its limit, the heart simply dies. “Fine.” I heard my own voice, frighteningly calm. I pushed back the blanket. Enduring the tearing agony as if my insides were being ripped apart, I gripped the bed rail and slowly stood up. I was grateful for the oversized hospital gown that hid the bloodstains, that kept him from seeing my trembling legs. I raised my hand and, without a moment’s hesitation, ripped the IV needle out of my vein. Blood welled up instantly, dripping onto the white floor. Spencer’s pupils shrank. “What are you doing? You draw blood just by pulling out a needle? Lena, this self-harming melodrama is beneath you.” “Mr. Whitmore is right,” I said, lifting my head and giving him a bleak smile. “Occupying medical resources is illegal. This bed is yours.” Without a single glance at Summer, I walked step by step toward the door. “Stop.” Spencer’s voice came from behind. “Your face looks terrible. What exactly is wrong with you?” I didn’t look back. “Just a minor abdominal pain. Professor Whitmore has already checked, hasn’t he?” I pushed open the hospital room door. The cold wind, mixed with the smell of disinfectant from the corridor, rushed into my face.