Loving Him Was Malpractice

With a hand that once wielded a scalpel, I saved Nathan's life.

In five years, he turned me from his wife into a shell of my former self.

On the anniversary of my brother Ryan's passing, he brought his new lover home.

I knelt on broken glass, slapping myself, begging him for money to save my parents. All I got was a check that bought out my dignity.

It was too late.

Unable to afford medical bills, my parents died tragically in a foreign country.

When the fire consumed everything in the villa, I finally understood.

Loving him was the greatest surgical error of my life.

Later, he went blind, became a wreck, and knelt, begging me to come back. I walked past him in my heels, not even blinking.

The Alicia who died in that fire was the one who loved him. The one who survived would never look back.

Alicia POV

Nathan Harrison didn't come home on the fifth anniversary of my brother Ryan's death.

I sat in the empty dining room of the villa, staring at the dinner that had long since grown cold on the table. The wall clock ticked, its hands already past midnight.

I didn't call him frantically like I used to, nor did I hysterically smash things. I just sat there quietly, like a puppet drained of its soul, my breaths barely audible.

Until the sound of the password lock unlocking echoed from the main door.

Nathan walked in, carrying the chill of late autumn. His impeccably tailored black bespoke suit accentuated his tall figure, and his eyes were deep. But those eyes, which once held only me, were now filled with fatigue and impatience.

Seeing me sitting in the darkness, he frowned, loosening his tie. "Why aren't you in bed yet? Didn't I tell you I wouldn't be back tonight? The company has an urgent PR crisis to handle."

I lifted my gaze, my eyes settling on the woman behind him.

She stood there, dressed in a sharp white professional suit, wearing seven-centimeter heels. Her red lips were striking, and her eyes held an undisguised sharpness and arrogance.

That was Seraphina, Nathan's highly-paid Chief PR, and now his most capable right-hand woman.

"Today is Ryan's death anniversary," my voice was barely a whisper, hoarse as if scraped over sandpaper.

Nathan's hand, unbuttoning his shirt, froze. A flicker of quick annoyance crossed his eyes, but it was swiftly masked by righteous indifference. He walked over, habitually trying to appease me with his condescending manner.

"I apologize. The PR department was busy suppressing several damaging trending scandals tonight. It completely slipped my mind. Tomorrow, I'll have my assistant buy more flowers to send over. Be a good girl, don't throw a tantrum."

"Don't throw a tantrum?" I forced a smile, one uglier than a cry.

How Nathan used to dote on me.

Five years ago, I was the brightest genius surgeon in the medical world.

To save Nathan, who was trapped in the driver's seat during a multi-car pileup, my right hand was completely crushed by the twisted car door, making it impossible for me to ever hold a scalpel again.

Back then, Nathan knelt by my hospital bed, his eyes red, kissing my bandaged hand.

He swore he would cherish me like a rare treasure for the rest of his life.

He built this all-glass conservatory villa for me, hired top chefs and staff, and even personally fed me water.

With a nearly pathological possessiveness, he clipped my wings, turning me into a canary dependent solely on him.

But now, he found this canary too quiet, too boring, too unreasonable.

"Nathan's time is worth millions a minute. Him taking the time to stand here and explain to you is already a huge concession," Seraphina suddenly interjected. She stepped forward, her gaze critically sweeping over my faded loungewear, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Alicia, people can't always live in the past."

"You spend every day in this mansion, shielded from the elements, never facing media cameras or internet trolls. Of course, you have plenty of time to wallow in self-pity."

"But Nathan can't. He has tens of thousands of employees waiting to be paid. The PR department saved billions in market value tonight. That's what truly matters."

Seraphina paused, her eyes growing even more contemptuous. "Since you're already useless and can't help him, you should at least learn to keep your mouth shut and stop being a stumbling block on his path to success."

The word "useless" pierced my heart like a sharp knife.

I instinctively hid my right hand, covered in grotesque scars, behind my back, trembling all over.

I looked at Nathan, hoping he would, as he used to, throw out anyone who dared to speak ill of me.

But Nathan didn't.

Not only did he not get angry, but he even gave Seraphina an appreciative look.

Then he turned to me, his tone condescending.

"What Seraphina said is harsh, but it's true. Alicia, you truly are out of touch. What else do you do every day besides watching for when I come home? Can't you be a little more mature, a little more independent, like Seraphina?"

I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning.

Turns out, he didn't just forget the anniversary; he truly had changed his heart.

He had fallen for Seraphina, who could fight alongside him in the arena of fame and fortune, resolving all his public image storms. And he had grown weary of me, whose wings he had personally clipped and caged.

I suddenly felt utterly disgusted. I took a deep breath, suppressing the metallic taste of blood rising in my throat, and calmly looked at him. "Nathan, let's get a divorce."

Nathan paused, then let out a cold laugh.

In these five years, due to my insecurity, I had brought up divorce countless times.

Every time he neglected me even slightly, I would use this tactic to make him back down.

He must have grown used to it, and annoyed by it, by now.

"Fine," Nathan didn't even bother to humor me anymore. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it on the sofa, his tone dismissive. "Draft the agreement however you want. My lawyer will sort out the assets; you won't be treated unfairly. But I'm tired tonight, and I don't have time to play these hysterical games with you."

With that, he turned to Seraphina, his voice instantly softening. "The guest room is upstairs, first left. It's too late tonight, so you can rest here. We'll head to the company together tomorrow morning for the press conference."

They walked up the stairs side by side, their backs a perfect match.

I stood there, neither crying nor making a scene. I just felt a painful dryness in my eyes.

I took out my phone and dialed my lawyer.

"Lawyer, please draft a divorce agreement for me. I want nothing. Just the quickest possible signing."

The lawyer on the other end was stunned. "Alicia, are you sure? Before, you always demanded an additional clause that Nathan had to spend two hours with you every day."

"No need," I interrupted him, my voice as cold as ice. "Just one, and the sooner, the better."

Because this time, I was truly leaving.

Nathan POV

I came out of the shower and habitually headed for the master bedroom.

Pushing the door open, I found it empty. The bed was neatly made, without a trace of warmth.

I frowned, a strange feeling flickering within me. Whenever we argued before, Alicia would wrap herself in a blanket and cry silently, waiting for me to hold her, to comfort her. Her injured hand would ache on rainy days, and she couldn't sleep without my soothing presence.

But tonight, she wasn't there.

I irritably rubbed my temples, then went to the study. I thought Alicia might be waiting there for me to console her, but pushing that door open, it was also empty.

I scoffed, thinking Alicia's playing mind games had gone a bit too far this time. Too lazy to search further, I lay down directly on the study sofa.

Anyway, in less than three days, she would come back to me like a stray dog that couldn't live without me, wagging her tail. How could a useless woman who couldn't even hold a scalpel survive without me?

The next morning, I was woken by the piercing sound of an electric drill downstairs.

I immediately rushed down and pushed open the door to the storage room on the first floor.

The scene inside made my pupils contract sharply. The floor was covered in blood and broken glass, a truly horrifying sight. Seraphina stood there, pale-faced, while Alicia lay in a pool of blood.

I didn't hesitate, stepping over Alicia on the floor, and pulled Seraphina into my arms.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" I anxiously scrutinized Seraphina.

Seraphina immediately put on a wronged expression, her eyes slightly red.

"Nathan, I just wanted to help you clear out the storage room to make it a media room. A big news story is about to break."

"I didn't know that old tape recorder was so important to Alicia. She suddenly rushed at me, trying to hit me. In a moment of fear, I pushed her in self-defense... I really didn't mean to."

My face instantly darkened.

I turned, looking down at Alicia, who was lying in a pool of blood, desperately trying to piece together shattered tape. My eyes were filled with disgust and disappointment.

"Alicia, haven't you caused enough trouble?!" I roared, "Seraphina is a key asset to the company. She pulled several all-nighters to suppress negative news."

"What's wrong with me asking her to turn this into a workspace? Not only do you show no consideration, but you act like a madwoman and resort to violence! Look at you now, so hysterical. Where's the decorum befitting high society?"

Alicia froze.

She slowly raised her head, looking at me. Blood dripped from her fingertips onto the floor, a gruesome sight. But in my eyes, there was only Seraphina's fright.

"She smashed Ryan's belongings," Alicia's voice was as light as a breeze, yet filled with bone-chilling despair. "Nathan, that was Ryan's last voice, the last thing he left me."

I paused, my gaze sweeping over the pile of junk on the floor, a flicker of irritation in my eyes.

"It's just a broken tape recorder, isn't it? If it's broken, it's broken. I'll have someone buy you a hundred new ones tomorrow! Is it really worth all this trouble, making a mess of the house and hurting Seraphina, over such a trivial thing?"

"A hundred new ones," Alicia suddenly laughed, tears streaming down her face.

She swayed, rising to her feet, her right hand still bleeding profusely. She looked at me, the last flicker of light in her eyes extinguished completely.

"Nathan, you're disgusting."

Alicia POV

I was sent to the hospital.

The wound on my right hand was deep; glass fragments had severed the nerves that had just begun to heal. The doctor sighed repeatedly as he stitched me up. "Alicia, this hand of yours was already severely traumatized. Now, with such an injury, you'll struggle even to hold heavy objects in the future, let alone perform delicate movements. Why don't you take better care of yourself?"

I stared at the ceiling. The anesthetic dulled the pain, leaving only a deep numbness.

"It doesn't matter," I murmured. "Anyway, I won't be needing it anymore."

After the stitches were done, I sat alone in the hospital room. No family, no one to stay with me.

Until that afternoon, the door to the room opened.

It wasn't Nathan who walked in, but Seraphina.

She was dressed in a black designer gown, her makeup flawless. She carried a fruit basket, walking to my bedside like a victor.

"Alicia, does your hand still hurt?" Seraphina casually placed the fruit basket on the bedside table, a hypocritical smile on her lips. "Nathan was going to come see you, but the company had an impromptu media appreciation event, and he couldn't get away. So he asked me to check on you for him."

I closed my eyes, too weary to even glance at her. "Get out."

Seraphina didn't get angry. Instead, she pulled up a chair and sat down, meticulously smoothing her skirt.

"Alicia, I actually feel sorry for you. You ruined your hand for Nathan, thinking that would tie him to you for life. But you forgot, men are always drawn to strength. Nathan is an eagle. He needs someone who can face media cameras with him, who can battle it out in the public arena. Not a broken bird that just sits in a cage and weeps."

I snapped my eyes open, staring coldly at her.

Seraphina flinched under my icy gaze but quickly regained her arrogance.

"Nathan said you've been home for too long these past few years, completely out of touch with society, which is why you've become so sensitive and hysterical. To help 'cure' you, he's decided to have you attend the Harrison Group's charity gala tonight."

My brows furrowed. "I won't go."

"That's not up to you," Seraphina chuckled, leaning closer to my ear.

"Nathan said if you don't show up tonight, he'll immediately cut off all funding for your parents' care at the Swiss sanatorium, including the life-support ventilator. You know he always means what he says."

I shuddered, my hands gripping the bedsheet tightly.

Nathan, he was actually threatening me with my parents' lives!

That evening, I was forcibly taken to the Harrison Group's gala by bodyguards.

I wasn't seated at the main table, nor was a gown prepared for me.

Seraphina tossed me a server's uniform, pointing to the beverage area in the corner of the ballroom.

"Nathan said that since you need to re-integrate into society, you should start with basic service. Tonight, you're responsible for serving drinks to the VIP guests. This is also part of a PR strategy, to showcase the Harrison family's humble side."

I looked at the cheap uniform, then at my right hand, wrapped in thick bandages.

I used to be a genius who gave speeches at international medical forums. Now, I was being forced to serve drinks here.

This was Nathan's "punishment" for me.

I didn't resist. I numbly changed into the uniform and picked up the heavy tray. The weight of the tray pressed down on my injured right hand. With every step, the wound felt like it was tearing open, and cold sweat broke out in layers.

The ballroom glittered with well-dressed guests, buzzing with conversation.

Nathan stood in the center of the crowd, impeccably handsome in his bespoke suit. Seraphina held his arm, smiling brightly, effortlessly engaging with various media outlets and business moguls, a perfect match.

Many guests who once knew me recognized me, casting shocked and disdainful glances my way.

"Isn't that Alicia? The former genius surgeon, how did she end up serving drinks?"

"I heard she ruined her hand for Nathan. He supported her for a few years, but now he's probably tired of her."

"How pathetic. Look at her poor state; she can't even compare to a single finger of Seraphina, who is the Harrison Group's PR Queen."

Those whispers were like poisoned darts, piercing my ears relentlessly.

I clenched my teeth, desperately trying to control the trembling in my right hand as I carried the wine glasses towards the VIP section.

Just as I passed Seraphina, she suddenly stuck out her foot.

I was already struggling to walk and had no time to dodge. I stumbled forward, crashing down.

The massive champagne tower was knocked over by me. Hundreds of glasses shattered instantly, and expensive wine splashed all over me.

I fell heavily onto the floor covered in broken glass. My already injured right hand was severely re-pierced by the glass, and blood immediately stained my white uniform.

The entire hall fell silent. Countless media flashes instantly lit up, frantically capturing this humiliating scene.

All eyes were on me, as if I were a ridiculous clown.

Alicia POV

"Ah!" Seraphina gasped, dramatically taking two steps back.

She frowned, looking at the splashes of wine on her skirt.

"Alicia, even if you have a problem with me, there's no need to intentionally cause trouble in front of so many media, is there? Do you have any idea how much negative impact this will have on the company's public image?"

Nathan's face instantly darkened to an extreme.

He strode over, not even glancing at me, trembling and lying in a pool of blood. His first action was to take off his jacket and drape it over Seraphina, shielding her from the media's cameras, asking nervously, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Seraphina shook her head, biting her lower lip with a wronged expression. "I'm fine, but it's a shame about this dress you custom-ordered for me. Tomorrow's headlines probably won't look good."

Nathan turned, his gaze like a knife, cutting into me.

"Alicia, how long are you going to be insane?!" His voice was laced with extreme suppressed fury. "I brought you here to learn how to be a normal person, not to make a spectacle of yourself! Apologize to Seraphina immediately! Apologize to the media present!"

I lay on the glass-strewn floor, my right hand already numb with pain.

I slowly lifted my head, my pale face devoid of color. I stared intently at Nathan.

"I didn't intentionally cause trouble; she tripped me," my voice was weak, yet unusually firm.

"Enough!" Nathan cut me off sharply. "What is Seraphina's position? She's the Harrison Group's Chief PR. Does she need to resort to such despicable methods to deal with you? Look at you now, full of lies, consumed by jealousy! I'm so disappointed in you!"

Disappointed?

I let out a bitter laugh. I had given him my life, and all I got in return was his disappointment.

"Since you refuse to apologize, then clean this mess up," Nathan gave the cruel order. "Use your hands to pick up every single piece of broken glass. If you don't finish, you're not allowed to go home tonight."

The surrounding guests gasped.

Making a bleeding person with a severely traumatized hand pick up broken glass was nothing short of torture.

But no one dared to plead for me.

I looked at Nathan's cold, merciless face and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of unfamiliarity. Was this really the man who once knelt, kissed my scars, and vowed to protect me for a lifetime?

I didn't cry, nor did I beg for mercy.

I simply lowered my head, extended my blood-soaked right hand, and began picking up a piece of broken glass from the floor.

The sharp edge cut my skin again, and blood dripped onto the clean marble floor.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces...

Nathan instinctively wanted to step forward and stop me, but Seraphina gently tugged at his sleeve at that moment. "Nathan, I feel so dizzy. I might have been startled. My panic attack is acting up again, and the media are still filming."

Nathan's attention was instantly diverted. He scooped Seraphina into his arms, casting a cold glance at me. "You stay here and reflect properly!"

With that, escorted by bodyguards, he carried Seraphina and left the ballroom without looking back.

I heard his receding footsteps, but my hands didn't stop.

Until excessive blood loss and intense pain completely overwhelmed my consciousness, my vision went black, and I collapsed heavily into the pile of broken glass.

When I woke again, I found myself back in a hospital bed.

The room was empty, save for an expensive designer bag on the bedside table and a note left by Nathan.

"The bag is your compensation. I was impulsive last night, but you're also at fault. I'll be with Seraphina in New York for the next few days to handle an urgent PR crisis. Recover well in the hospital, and don't cause any more trouble."

I looked at the note, my eyes calm as a still pool of water.

I didn't tear the note, nor did I throw the bag away. I simply pressed the call button and summoned a nurse.

"Please throw this bag in the trash, thank you."

The nurse looked shocked. "Alicia, this is a limited edition, worth tens of thousands of dollars! Mr. Harrison's face was terrifyingly pale when he brought you in; he waited outside the ER the whole time. If Seraphina hadn't had a sudden panic attack and needed the emergency room, he definitely wouldn't have left. He still cares about you..."

"Just throw it away. It's dirty." I closed my eyes, cutting off the nurse.

I took out my phone and opened Instagram.

The first post was Seraphina's, half an hour ago.

In the photo, Seraphina reclined in a first-class airplane seat, holding a glass of champagne. In the background was Nathan's profile, looking at documents.

The caption: "Even a small fright means someone is willing to drop everything and fly halfway across the globe to clear my mind. It feels good to be loved."

I scrolled past the post expressionlessly, then dialed my lawyer.

"Lawyer, is the divorce agreement ready? Send it to me; I'll sign it."

Alicia POV

I didn't stay long at the hospital.

My right hand was re-bandaged. The doctor warned me that if I injured it again, the hand would truly need to be amputated.

I merely nodded faintly and completed the discharge procedures.

I didn't return to that glass villa, which felt like a prison. Instead, I took a taxi to the cemetery, where my brother Ryan rested.

By the time I left the cemetery, dusk had fallen. A fine, bone-chilling rain began to fall.

I stood by the roadside waiting for a car when a black, unmarked van suddenly screeched to a halt in front of me.

The door slid open with a whoosh, and two burly men in ski masks rushed out. Before I could react, one delivered a chop to the back of my neck.

My vision went black, and I completely lost consciousness.

I don't know how much time passed, but I was woken by a bucket of ice water.

The biting cold made me shiver violently. I opened my eyes to find myself tied to a rusty metal chair in an abandoned factory. The air was heavy with the smell of machine oil and decay.

"Awake?" A man with a scar across his face walked up to me, toying with a sharp dagger. "Alicia, long time no see."

I forced myself to calm down. "Who are you people? If it's money you want, name your price."

"Money? I want blood!" Axel suddenly grabbed my hair, snarling. "Nathan, that bastard. He had his PR department spread rumors that my products were toxic. Drove me to bankruptcy."

"My wife jumped with our child. He destroyed my whole family. Now I'll make him taste losing his loved ones too."

I gave a bitter smile, finding it ironic. "Then you've got the wrong person. I'm not his loved one; Seraphina is."

"Cut the crap! Who in New York doesn't know Nathan protects you fiercely!" Axel didn't believe me. He pulled out his phone and started a video call with Nathan.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

Nathan's stern face appeared on the screen; the background seemed to be a high-end conference room in New York.

"Nathan, look who this is." Axel aimed the camera at me.

On the other end of the screen, Nathan's pupils contracted sharply. He abruptly stood up. "Alicia! What do you want? Don't touch her!"

"Feeling sorry for her?" Axel burst into manic laughter.

"Nathan, you've got it coming! Listen, I want you to immediately issue a public apology through the Harrison Group's official account, admitting that your PR department maliciously smeared my company! You have ten minutes, otherwise, I'll make your wife suffer slowly, bit by bit!"

Nathan's face instantly turned ashen.

I knew what he was thinking.

If he issued such an apology, the Harrison Group's reputation would be completely ruined, its stock price would suffer a devastating blow, and it could even face massive breach of contract penalties and legal lawsuits.

"Calm down. I can give you money, whatever amount you want. But that statement is impossible," Nathan said through gritted teeth.

"I don't want money!" Axel roared, and the dagger in his hand plunged into my thigh.

I let out a muffled groan, biting my lip hard to suppress any sound. Blood immediately stained my pants.

"Alicia!" Nathan's eyes were bloodshot, his hands gripping the table, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

We had years of history. He couldn't possibly let me die. It looked like he was about to compromise.

However, just as he was about to speak, Seraphina suddenly burst into the frame.

I closed my eyes.