Chapter 12 Let's Get a Divorce

Skylar frowned and said coldly, "Keep going. What about Ms. Lancelot?" Lucy's eyes darted away as she lowered her voice and continued, "When I went outside, I saw Ms. Lancelot using her high heel to step on Ms. Shelton's hand. She even kicked Ms. Shelton to the ground before she started cursing and beating her." The first half might have been possible, but Skylar was certain the second half was a lie. When Thea was shielding Elaine from the rain with an umbrella, he'd seen them through the window of the upstairs bedroom. He hadn't been able to see whether Thea had stepped on Elaine's hand, but he was sure she hadn't kicked Elaine or attacked her physically. Lucy shot Skylar a diffident glance, only to see his expression darken. "Who gave you the right to slander Thea like this? What exactly are you after? Or is someone putting you up to it?" Lucy panicked instantly, rushing to admit her mistake. "Mr. Frey, I was forced to say it!" Skylar's face was filled with rage as he strode toward Thea's bedroom. "Lucy, you'd better explain yourself properly. Otherwise, you won't find another job. Not just in Tenby but anywhere in this country!" A faint, secretive smile curved at Lucy's lips as she hurried after him. Outside, Elaine was still kneeling in the pounding rain, her body nearly at its breaking point. The front door was locked. Naturally, Skylar had gone to Thea's side and wouldn't be coming back for her. Elaine strained to pull her phone out of her pocket and wiped the rain off the screen. Thankfully, it still worked. Her heart was seizing with unbearable pain. She was already coughing up frothy blood. A sudden cardiac arrest could kill her at any moment. She couldn't die yet. She still had to take care of Eric and Agatha. Elaine's hands trembled as she scrolled through her contacts. In the end, she had no choice but to dial Marcus's number. The call connected. "Dr. Middleton," she called out weakly before a piercing ringing filled her ears. Then, darkness swallowed her as she lost consciousness. … When she woke up again, she was lying on a hospital bed. Her hands, arms, and neck were wrapped in layers of bandages, making her look almost like a mummy. Marcus sat beside her bed in his white coat. He was looking at her with a serious and grave expression, like a parent waiting to question their child. Elaine struggled to open her eyes. As the blurry figure beside her slowly came into focus, she whispered awkwardly, "Dr. Middleton." Marcus had carefully cleaned and dressed every one of her wounds. Even as a doctor used to seeing horrific injuries, he'd been shaken by the extent of her condition. There were too many wounds all over her body, both old and new—burns, bruises, injuries from being stomped on, and other marks that were impossible to tell the causes. Elaine reached for her phone on the bedside table and glanced at it. There were over a dozen missed calls, all from Skylar. A faint unease rose in her chest. She explained softly, "It's nothing. I just accidentally—" Marcus cut her off sternly. "Don't tell me you accidentally banged your head on a table, spilled boiling water on yourself, and then somehow got your hand stomped on by the table leg too?" Elaine couldn't come up with a better lie. After a pause, she nodded. "Well… More or less, I guess." Marcus's tone grew stern. "Elaine, I'm not joking with you. It's the 21st century. Don't tell me your husband is abusing you?" Frankly, even among abusive men, it was hard to find someone who'd hurt his wife this badly and simply leave those wounds untreated. Elaine didn't want to expose her humiliation to others. She was already grateful to Marcus for saving her this time. If she poured her heart out to him and let him step in for her, he'd likely only get dragged into her mess. Marcus came from a good family, but she knew standing against Skylar would still be nearly impossible. Besides, he had no obligation to be pulled into her mess. Elaine shook her head and forced a faint smile. "It really was an accident. Last night, I forgot my keys, and my heart condition happened to flare up. It's not as exaggerated as you think, Dr. Middleton." Marcus clearly didn't believe her. "It's a good thing I've been to your house before, or I wouldn't have been able to find you. In the state you were in, you could've died if you hadn't been rushed to the hospital. And when I got to your house, all the lights were on inside. Are you sure you just forgot your keys and your husband didn't lock you out?" As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and sent her a contact card. "Elaine, you can't keep letting yourself be pushed around. We live under the rule of law. Even if you're married, you can still get a divorce. Domestic violence is illegal. This is Karl Young's contact. He's a lawyer. If you ever need it, I can talk to him for you—" Before he could finish, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by Skylar's voice. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to the hospital? I've been searching for you everywhere." Elaine had just woken up. Hearing his voice, she unconsciously clutched the blanket, wanting to retreat further. Fear and resistance couldn't be faked. From just one look, Marcus could tell that Skylar treated Elaine badly. Skylar entered the ward with Thea and Lucy right behind him. He looked at Elaine on the bed and said, "I'm talking to you. Why didn't you say you were coming to the hospital?" He glanced at Marcus. It was this doctor again! Marcus picked up the stack of test results from the side and snapped, "Ms. Shelton's heart condition is already extremely severe. As her husband, how could you let her suffer such severe injuries and get drenched in the rain?" Skylar's mind was consumed with the image of Marcus taking Elaine away earlier that afternoon. Now, Marcus was acting so protective of her. As for the reports, he knew Elaine had a heart condition. It had never been serious, though, so he didn't pay it any attention. Elaine quickly snatched the reports out of Marcus's hands and kept them on the bedside table, signaling for Marcus to stop talking. She knew perfectly well that Skylar wouldn't care. He'd be all too happy if she died to pay for what she had done to Thea. If that was the case, why give him and Thea something else to laugh about by letting them know she didn't have long to live? Skylar's expression darkened, and he dropped all pretense of politeness. "I appreciate your concern, doctor. But this is between my wife and me. Please leave." Marcus frowned. "Since you know she's your wife, then how could you…" A nurse rushed in anxiously. "Dr. Middleton, your surgery is about to start." Elaine spoke up, "I'm fine, Dr. Middleton. You should get back to your work." After all, they were in a hospital. Skylar wouldn't dare lay a hand on her here. Marcus shot Skylar a look of pure disgust before turning back to Elaine. "I've got surgery this morning. I'll leave my phone with another doctor. If anything happens, call me. Someone will come right away." Elaine nodded. "Okay. Thank you." As soon as Marcus left, Skylar sneered. "Elaine, you truly are disgusting. You seduced a doctor and bribed a housekeeper. Tell me, how should I settle this score with you?" Lucy immediately stepped closer to the bed, feigning panic as she grabbed Elaine's hand. "Ms. Shelton, please save me. Mr. Frey found out I lied. You promised you'd help me if anything went wrong." Elaine frowned and pulled her hand away. "What act are you trying to put on now?" Lucy blurted everything out in a rush, "Mr. Frey, I swear I'm telling the truth! It was Ms. Shelton who gave me a hundred thousand dollars to stomp on her hand and frame Ms. Lancelot for it. Ms. Shelton knew my daughter was seriously ill and needed surgery. I was desperate and made a stupid mistake." As she spoke, she even pulled up a transfer record to show Skylar. Elaine glanced at the so-called transfer record and let out a sneer. "That account isn't even mine. And besides, you, Skylar Frey, know better than anyone whether I'd have a hundred thousand dollars to my name. You personally froze all my bank accounts. I can't even get my hands on ten thousand dollars, let alone a hundred thousand." Lucy clearly hadn't expected that Elaine wouldn't even have a hundred thousand dollars to her name. Even Thea looked surprised.