Chapter 1

My first surgery after being transferred back to the city hospital was to deliver a baby.

The woman lying on the operating table was Macy Jenson, my wife of three years. We had been living in different cities for the past two years.

I stood by the table, my hands trembling as I held the scalpel.

Macy didn't even look at me. Drenched in sweat, she screamed for her childhood sweetheart, Jasper Cross, who was waiting outside.

When our eyes finally met, she didn't show any guilt. Instead, she snapped at me for being out of line.

"Jasper has taken such good care of me these past two years. What's wrong with me giving him an heir?" she panted.

"If you love kids that much, I'll let him call you Godfather. Isn't that enough?"

The baby was born soon after, but she immediately snatched the infant from my arms.

"What are you doing? Don't you dare lay a finger on my son in front of everyone!" she hissed.

The only sound in the huge operating room was the baby's piercing cry.

In that moment, something inside me finally snapped. I was done with her.

Macy's words hung in the air, and the nurses and other doctors shifted their eyes toward me.

I stood there, frozen, my hands clenched into tight fists.

The head nurse sensed the tension and tried to lighten the mood with a nervous laugh.

"Ms. Jenson, the baby is beautiful. He has your eyes. He must take after his father with that nose and mouth!"

Macy looked down at the bundle in her arms, her defensive gaze softening into something tender.

"He looks just like his daddy," she whispered.

"We spent six months trying to conceive this little angel."

Six months?

I remembered when I asked her about having a baby of our own. She told me she didn't want to ruin her body.

She even accused me of treating her like a breeding machine.

So why was she so willing to do it for Jasper Cross?

I forced myself to stay calm and told the nurses to take them to the recovery room.

The moment Macy saw Jasper waiting outside, tears of joy streamed down her face. She reached out, begging for a kiss and a hug.

Jasper rushed over and kissed her forehead, whispering about how hard she had worked.

It was a touching scene for everyone watching.

They looked like the perfect, happy family of three.

In our three years of marriage, she had never looked at me with that much love. With me, she was always cold and serious.

I guess that's just the difference between love and obligation.

I pushed down the bitterness rising in my throat and turned to leave.

But Jasper called out to me.

"Dr. Quinn! You're Macy's primary doctor. I'm busy with work, so if I'm not around, I'm trusting you to look after her and the baby."

I frowned and looked him straight in the eye.

"There are nurses and specialized staff for that. If you're worried, hire a private nanny."

Macy's face twisted in anger.

"How can you be so heartless? You're a doctor! Isn't it your job to care for your patients?"

"If anything happens to me or my baby, I'll make sure you lose your license!"

I stopped breathing for a second, staring at her face.

Me? Heartless?

A year ago, her father was in a horrific car accident.

I dropped everything and flew over a thousand miles to stay by his bedside for three months.

And where was she?

she showed up once for his surgery and then claimed she was too busy to come back.

Now I realize she was probably too busy trying to get pregnant with Jasper.

I let out a cold snort.

"Do whatever you want."

She looked stunned because I had never used such a cold tone with her before.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means I have no interest in babysitting another man's child."

Macy's face turned pale, then bright red. She screamed my name.

"Miles Quinn!"

Her voice was so loud it drew a crowd.

Fearing that our real relationship would be exposed, she grabbed Jasper's arm, acting terrified.

"Honey, this doctor is scaring me! He tried to hurt our baby in the delivery room!"

"I think he wants to kidnap our son and sell him!"

Her lies reached the ears of Jasper's parents and relatives who had just arrived.

They swarmed me instantly, surrounding me with hostile glares.

"You sick freak! Trying to steal a baby? I'm reporting you to the board!"

"You look like a decent man, but you're a monster inside!"

I stared at Macy, unable to believe the stories she was spinning.

Before I could defend myself, a heavy fist slammed into my left cheek.

I hit the floor hard.

It was Jasper.

I wasn't about to take it, so I scrambled up and threw a punch back.

But as soon as I fought back, the whole crowd jumped on me.

They kicked and punched me while I was down.

I was outnumbered and could only curl into a ball to protect my head.

Someone kicked my chest so hard I tasted blood in the back of my throat.

The hospital security finally arrived to pull them off.

Before I blacked out, I saw Macy snuggled in Jasper's arms.

"Are you hurt, baby? That psycho scared me and the little one so much!"

"What a beautiful day, ruined by this piece of trash."