The Real Wealth Was Me

On the night of my birthday, a woman suffering from abdominal pain was rushed into the ER.

Ethan Ford rushed Isla James into the emergency room. Her ovarian cyst had ruptured from intense sex. Yet he lied to me, saying he was in a meeting.

I personally operated on my rival, only to be ordered by him afterward to quit my job and stay home to care for his mistress.

Ten years of deep love, exchanged for repeated humiliation and betrayal. Finally, I dialed the Lancaster family number. "Dad, I want a divorce. I'm coming home to the Lancaster family."

When I stunned everyone at the charity gala as the Lancaster family heiress, when I personally destroyed the Ford Corporation as a doctor, he knelt on the ground, sobbing and begging to get back together.

I smiled as I tore up the old letters and said to Pierce, "Honey, the ring is beautiful."

Sophia's POV

On the night of my birthday, a young woman was rushed into the ER.

She was in unbearable pain, her face deathly pale.

I put on gloves, pressed her abdomen, and made my diagnosis.

"Ruptured ovarian cyst, intra-abdominal bleeding. Prep for surgery."

I looked up and locked eyes with a familiar pair of slightly panicked eyes.

It was my husband, Ethan Ford.

Ten minutes ago, this man had been sweet-talking me on the phone, saying there was a last-minute international conference at the office and he couldn't make it back to blow out candles with me.

Ten minutes later, he brought another woman to my operating table.

Even the cause was deeply ironic-a ruptured ovarian cyst from overly intense sex.

Outside the ER, Ethan's friends were poking their heads in, their faces screaming "we're screwed."

"Holy shit, Sophia's on duty tonight?"

"This is gonna blow up. Ethan really stepped in it this time."

"What's there to worry about? You all know what Sophia's like, right? She's crazy about Ethan. She'll probably just cry for a bit and that'll be the end of it."

The nurse looked at my face, her hands trembling with anger. "Dr. Morgan, should I... call Dr. Lee down? This patient's situation is delicate. Maybe you should recuse yourself?"

The whole hospital knew that the woman lying on the bed, Isla James, was Ethan Ford's precious "sister"-and the thorn lodged in my heart.

I removed my stethoscope.

"No need. Prep anesthesia. I'll operate myself."

The murmuring outside immediately grew louder.

"Seriously? Sophia's going to do it herself?"

"You think she's gonna try to hurt Isla while she's on the table? I mean, she is her rival."

"Last time Isla sat on Ethan's lap in a bikini, Sophia straight up poured a whole table of drinks on them. She's way too calm today. Something's definitely up."

Amid all the noise, Ethan yanked his tie loose in frustration.

He strode over and stared hard at my lowered lashes.

"Family consent form."

I handed him the surgical consent form without even looking at him.

Ethan gripped the pen so hard his knuckles turned white, pressing down with enough force to nearly tear the paper.

He lowered his voice, his tone tinged with inexplicable anger.

"Sophia, don't you have anything you want to ask me?"

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

"The patient's bleeding is increasing. Any more delay and she'll go into shock. Mr. Ford, please hurry."

Mr. Ford.

Ethan gritted his teeth and scrawled his signature, then shoved the form back at me.

"Fine. Dr. Morgan, so professional. Then you better listen carefully. If anything happens to Isla, I'm holding you personally responsible!"

I took the form and turned to leave.

The operating room doors slowly closed, and the "Surgery in Progress" light turned on like some kind of alarm.

I knew.

Ethan thought I would make a scene, lose my mind, and hysterically interrogate him like I used to.

But I didn't.

2 a.m. Surgery complete.

I removed my mask and walked out of the OR, utterly exhausted.

Ethan immediately rushed over. The first thing he said was:

"How's Isla?"

"The surgery was successful. She'll need a month to recover."

My voice was hoarse.

"During this month, sex is strictly prohibited. Next time Mr. Ford engages in such 'strenuous activities,' please show more restraint."

Dead silence all around.

Ethan's buddies looked like their jaws were about to hit the floor.

Ethan's face turned ashen. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

"Sophia, who the hell are you being sarcastic for? You're my wife. Can't you show a little grace? Isla's health is fragile. I was worried about her and brought her here!"

I looked down at the large hand gripping my wrist and gently pulled free.

"Mr. Ford misunderstood."

I looked up and smiled faintly.

"I'm a doctor. Saving lives is my duty. As for how you two play around or what happens. That's your private business. I don't care."

"You don't care?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes as if he'd heard a joke.

"Sophia, aren't you tired of playing hard to get? Don't think acting like you don't care will make me look at you any differently."

Just then, Isla was wheeled out, still groggy from anesthesia, mumbling incoherently.

"Ethan... it hurts..."

Ethan immediately released me, spun around, and rushed to the gurney, his voice dripping with tenderness.

"I'm here, I'm here. Don't be scared. I'm right here."

A crowd of people swarmed around the bed toward the VIP room.

The corridor instantly emptied.

I stood there, watching their retreating figures, the fake smile on my face slowly fading.

I pulled out my phone and found a number with no label saved, one I'd kept for a long time.

I dialed.

Someone picked up quickly. An elderly but authoritative voice came through, tinged with cautious hope.

"...Sophia?"

I looked out at the pitch-black night, my voice cold and resolute.

"Dad, it's Sophia Morgan."

"Within a month, help me finalize the divorce."

"I'm coming home to the Lancaster family."

Sophia's POV

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end before Dad's voice broke into a choked, joyful sob.

"Yes! My dear daughter, you've finally come to your senses! I'll arrange everything right away! Tomorrow...no, tonight I'll have the legal team on standby!"

The Lancaster family. New York's wealthiest. A true top-tier dynasty.

I was the Lancaster family's long-lost heiress, separated from them for over twenty years. Six months ago, the Lancasters found me and begged me to come home.

At the time, I refused.

Because back then, I foolishly believed I could warm the heart of Ethan Ford, that cold, unfeeling stone.

I was an orphan. The Ford family sponsored my education.

Later, Ethan got into a car accident saving Isla. His legs were paralyzed, and doctors said he might spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

Isla ran off and flew overseas for "further studies."

It was me who married paralyzed Ethan Ford, despite everyone's ridicule.

For two whole years.

I taught myself rehabilitation massage and spent three hours a day massaging him until my finger joints became deformed. I learned to cook for him, and my hands were covered in burn scars.

The day Ethan stood up again, he held me and cried, swearing he would never betray me.

But a man's vows are probably only real in that single moment.

When Isla came back to the country, she shed a few tears and offered some excuse about "hardships back then," and Ethan's heart tilted.

Once tilted, it stayed that way for a year.

Now, the debt was repaid. The love was spent.

"Dad, don't make it too high-profile. I just want to divorce quietly."

I said softly,

"Give me a month to clean up the mess here."

"Whatever you say! As long as you come home, the entire Lancaster Corporation is yours! Anyone who dares bully you, I'll make sure they can't survive in this city!"

I hung up, and the weight in my chest finally seemed to lift.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Ethan:

"I submitted your resignation letter to your hospital director."

"Isla's coming to our place to recover after she's discharged. I don't trust outsiders to take care of her. Since you're being so reasonable, spend this month at home looking after her."

I stared at those lines of shameless text on the screen. I didn't feel angry. I almost wanted to laugh.

He wanted me, his wife, to quit my job and stay home to care for his mistress?

Ethan Ford, you're really pushing the limits of absurdity.

Thinking of my plan, I tapped lightly and replied with one word:

"Okay."

This month would be my final tribute to this dead love.

By the time I got home, it was 4 a.m.

The villa was brightly lit.

Isla didn't want to stay in the hospital, so she threw a fit about going home to recover. Ethan actually indulged her and brought her back in the middle of the night.

When I pushed open the door, I saw Isla wearing my silk pajamas, leaning delicately against the sofa.

Ethan was half-kneeling on the floor, carefully feeding her water.

At the sound of the door opening, Isla flinched like a startled little rabbit.

"She's back... Ethan, I told you not to come here. She's definitely going to be upset..."

Ethan slammed the glass down on the coffee table and shot me a cold look.

"This is my house. I'll have whoever I want here. Does she dare have an opinion?"

I changed my shoes and walked over.

"The doctor said she needs rest. The mattress in the master bedroom is soft. Let her sleep there."

Ethan ordered matter-of-factly,

"You sleep in the guest room."

She was taking over my nest, and doing it so brazenly.

I nodded.

"Fine."

I turned to go upstairs and pack my things.

I'd already been so compliant, but somehow he still stood up abruptly and blocked my way in a few strides.

"Sophia, what the hell are you playing at? This isn't like you."

I looked up.

"Aren't you the one who told me to be reasonable? Now I'm not only reasonable but generous. I've given up my husband and my bed. What else could Mr. Ford possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"You-"

Ethan was left speechless.

"Oh, by the way,"

I remembered something.

"Since you're taking care of a patient, don't sleep too soundly tonight. Keep an eye on her temperature. I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

With that, I walked past Ethan and went straight upstairs.

I entered the guest room and locked the door.

Leaning against the door, I let out a long breath.

I pulled out my phone and opened an encrypted app.

It was my private booking account as the top surgeon "M"-and another identity of the Lancaster heiress.

If I was leaving, I'd leave cleanly.

For the past three years, I'd worked earnestly at Ford Hospital on a fixed salary. Now, it was time to reclaim what I was truly worth.

Downstairs, Isla watched as Ethan stared blankly at the staircase. She bit her lip.

She tugged gently on his sleeve.

"Ethan, has she stopped loving you? She seems... like she really doesn't care anymore."

Ethan snapped out of it and sneered.

"Doesn't care? She's loved me for ten years. How could she just cut it off like that? She's just trying a different way to get my attention."

He was utterly confident.

I couldn't leave him. That was common knowledge in their circle.

Even now, he still thought that as long as he crooked his finger, I'd crawl back to him like a dog.

"Just wait. Within three days, she'll definitely come crying and beg me to kick you out."

Ethan ruffled Isla's hair.

"When that happens, I'll make her kneel and apologize to you."

Isla nodded obediently, but a flash of cunning gleamed in her eyes.

Sophia's POV

The next morning, I was woken by pounding on the door.

"Sophia! What time is it and you're still sleeping? Are you a pig?"

Ethan's irritated voice came through the door.

I glanced at my phone. 6:30 a.m.

Rubbing my throbbing temples, I opened the door. Ethan stood there with a dark expression, wearing an apron that looked completely out of place.

"Isla's hungry. She wants donuts from that place on the south side. Go get them."

I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"Mr. Ford, I resigned. I didn't become your slave. If she wants food, go get it yourself or order delivery."

"Delivery takes too long! You drive. It's faster!"

Ethan said indignantly,

"You used to get up at dawn to make me oatmeal when I had stomach pain. Now you can't even buy donuts for Isla?"

I looked at this man and suddenly felt like I'd been blind all these years.

"You said it yourself. That was before."

"Sophia!"

Ethan grabbed my shoulder.

"You need to get this straight. Everything you eat, wear, and live in. Who's paying for it? What's wrong with asking you to do a little work? Don't forget, if it weren't for the Ford family back then, you'd still be fighting stray dogs for food in the orphanage!"

That sentence hit my weak spot with precision.

Debt of gratitude.

That damned debt of gratitude again.

I brushed Ethan's hand away.

"Fine. I'll go."

This was the last time.

Once I repaid this final bit, we'd be even.

I changed and left, drove two hours, waited in line for an hour, and finally got the donuts.

By the time I returned to the villa, it was 10 a.m.

Laughter filled the living room.

Isla was sitting in Ethan's lap. The two of them were sharing a tablet, laughing so hard tears were forming.

When they saw me enter, Isla immediately reined in her smile and timidly called out:

"Thank you."

I set the donuts on the table, along with a complimentary hot coffee.

Isla reached for the hot coffee first. Suddenly, as if scalded, her hand jerked.

Most of the hot coffee spilled onto the back of my hand, with the rest splashing onto the carpet.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

My hand instantly turned bright red, the searing pain piercing to the bone.

"What happened?!"

Ethan shot up immediately. But his first instinct was to grab Isla's hand.

"Are you burned?"

Isla's eyes reddened, though her fingertips weren't even slightly red.

"I'm fine... It was my fault... But Sophia made the coffee too hot. I couldn't hold it..."

What a masterful twist of the truth.

It was obviously coffee I'd bought. How could I have made it?

But Ethan didn't use his brain to think.

He turned to look at me. When he saw the red swelling on the back of my hand, his gaze froze for a moment, but anger quickly covered it.

"Sophia, you did this on purpose, didn't you? You knew Isla just had surgery and is weak, yet you made the coffee this hot and handed it to her? What are you trying to pull?"

I looked at my blistered hand, my heart ice-cold.

This was the man I'd loved for ten years.

In his eyes, my hands were made of iron. They wouldn't hurt no matter how badly they were burned.

But Isla's hands were like glass. They'd shatter at the slightest touch.

"Ethan Ford."

I looked up.

"You told me to buy the donuts and coffee. The takeout packaging is still right there. The temperature was set by the shop. As for why it spilled..."

I looked coldly at Isla.

"Ask Miss James why her hand shook so badly."

"Sophia, watch your mouth!"

Ethan exploded in rage.

"Sob sob sob... Ethan, don't blame her. It's all my fault. I'm useless..."

Isla curled up in Ethan's arms, tears streaming down her face.

Ethan's heart ached. He pointed at the mess on the floor and yelled at me:

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and clean this! Wipe the carpet. If there's even a stain left, don't expect to eat dinner!"

I didn't move.

I looked at Ethan and smiled.

"What are you smiling at? Get moving!"

I bent down.

Ethan thought I'd given in. He smirked.

But the next second, I didn't reach for the carpet.

I picked up the coffee cup, which still had some warmth left, and flipped it over.

The remaining coffee landed precisely on Ethan's six-figure custom shirt.

And on his face.

Dead silence.

Isla's crying stopped abruptly, her mouth agape.

Ethan was completely stunned, brown coffee dripping down his prominent nose. He looked as pathetic as a drowned rat.

"Sophia!!!"

His furious roar nearly blew the roof off.

I pulled out a wet wipe and calmly cleaned my uninjured hand, my tone flat.

"Since you think I'm dirty, then nobody gets to stay clean."

"Also, I'm not cleaning the carpet. Whoever made the mess can clean it."

With that, I turned and walked away, leaving behind two spectacularly distorted faces.

Satisfying.

So satisfying.

This was the first time in three years I felt like I could breathe freely.

Ethan's POV

I was furious.

I locked myself in the study and smashed a set of antiques.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

I never imagined that Sophia, who used to be too timid to even raise her voice, would dare pour coffee on my face!

"Mr. Ford..."

My assistant knocked timidly and entered.

"About tomorrow night's charity gala... who should you bring as your plus-one?"

According to convention, for such formal occasions, I had to bring my wife to show marital harmony and stabilize stock prices.

I wiped the coffee stains from my hair with a dark expression.

"Bring what? Bring Isla!"

The assistant froze.

"But... the hosts specifically invited Mrs. Ford. I heard someone from the Lancaster Corporation will be there too. If we bring Miss James, won't that..."

Lancaster Corporation.

Hearing that name, I calmed down a bit.

Lancaster was investing a hundred-billion-dollar project in New York recently, and every major family wanted a piece. The Fords were no exception. I'd heard the mysterious Lancaster heiress would make an appearance.

At such a critical moment, I really couldn't afford any slip-ups.

"Tell Sophia," I said through gritted teeth.

"Tomorrow night, she'd better clean herself up and come with me to the gala. If she dares embarrass me, I won't let her off!"

"Also, tell her to apologize to Isla! Otherwise, she can forget about this month's allowance!"

The assistant wiped his cold sweat and retreated.

When I called, Sophia was applying medicine to her burned hand.

After listening, she gave a derisive laugh.

"I'll go to the gala."

Sophia said into the phone,

"As for apologizing, dream on."

Before I could lose my temper, she hung up.

I was so angry my chest hurt.

The next evening, New York's largest banquet hall.

Luxury cars everywhere, stars gleaming.

I wore a black custom suit, with Isla on my arm.

Isla wore a white strapless gown with a diamond necklace I'd just won at auction around her neck. She looked delicate and charming, her face full of smugness.

"Ethan, is she really not coming?"

Isla asked worriedly.

I snorted coldly.

"She doesn't know what's good for her. If she doesn't come, fine. Saves me the annoyance."

I'd brought Isla anyway.

If Sophia didn't show, I'd just say she wasn't feeling well.

If she did show... well, that would be her own inability to keep me.

Just then, the banquet hall doors slowly opened.

A spotlight swept over, and the entire hall fell silent.

"Who is that?"

"So beautiful! Is she some celebrity?"

"Oh my God, that's... Sophia?!"

At the end of the red carpet, a woman walked slowly forward.

She wore a deep blue haute couture gown like a starlit night sky, the hem encrusted with thousands of tiny diamonds that sparkled with each step. The fitted cut perfectly outlined her graceful waist, and her exposed shoulders and neck formed a swan-like curve.

Most shocking was her presence.

Gone was the timid, conservatively dressed Mrs. Ford.

Now, she held her chin high, lips a fiery red, gaze sweeping imperiously across the room, radiating a powerful aura.

I was stunned.

I nearly dropped my champagne.

This... this was Sophia?

That Sophia who used to hover around the kitchen reeking of cooking oil?

"Well, well, Mr. Ford."

Sophia walked straight up to me in ten-centimeter heels.

She glanced at Isla on my arm, a playful smile curving her lips.

"Parading around with your mistress-Mr. Ford's taste is as... unique as ever."

Low laughter rippled through the crowd.

My face turned ashen.

"Sophia, what do you think you're wearing?! Where'd you get the money for these clothes? Did you steal my card?"

After all, in my mind, Sophia was dirt poor.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, about to respond, when a commotion erupted behind her.

"Mr. Lancaster has arrived!"

The crowd automatically parted.

New York's wealthiest man, Lancaster Corporation CEO Mr. Lancaster, strode forward surrounded by bodyguards.

I immediately straightened my tie and approached with a smile.

"Mr. Lancaster, hello. I'm from Ford Corporation-"

But Mr. Lancaster didn't even glance at me.

He walked right past me.

My hand froze mid-air, embarrassment making my toes curl.

Mr. Lancaster stopped in front of Sophia. That stern face instantly softened into a warm, affectionate smile.

He reached out, carefully adjusting her gown, his tone so indulgent it was almost embarrassing.

"Sophia, my dear, does this dress fit? I picked it out for ages."

Total silence.

My brain exploded.

Her father?