Chapter 6 The sharp smell of disinfectant stung her nose . Stephanie slowly opened her eyes , staring up at the white hospital ceiling . " You're finally awake , " a nurse said as she adjusted the IV drip . " How are you feeling ? " Stephanie's throat ached as she asked , " Who brought me here ? " " The cruise ship staff , " the nurse replied , handing her a cup of warm water . " You've been unconscious for two days . Should I help you call your family ? " Just then , the other nurses ' discussions came from outside . " Mr. Ferguson treats Ms. Gibson so well . He booked an entire hospital floor just because of a small allergy and even called in a bunch of specialists for her . " " Right ? I heard that he stayed with her for two days and even skipped out on a big company meeting . " Stephanie gave a dry smile . " No need . I don't have anyone to call . " *** After getting released from the hospital , Stephanie returned to her empty home . She started packing her things , tossing anything tied to Edgar into the trash like it meant nothing . The first necklace he ever gave her , their wedding anniversary photo , the souvenirs he brought back from business trips - she threw them away . 15:03 Chapter 6 208 Voce hery While Edgar was off playing the perfect boyfriend to Amelia , he never even noticed what was disappearing from their home . Until one evening , he got back earlier than usual and saw Stephanie sitting there , staring into space . " Why haven't you been at the college lately ? " he asked casually , shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up . Without looking at him , she replied , " I quit . " Edgar frowned . " What for ? I thought everything was going fine . " " I'm exhausted , " she said quietly . " I just don't want to do it anymore . " He didn't push . He nodded and went to pour himself a glass of water . After a moment , he remembered something . " Oh yeah , your old research project is finished , right ? " Stephanie froze . " What's wrong ? " " Amelia needs research achievements to secure a spot in the graduate program , " he said , like it was no big deal . " Your project is impressive , so I let her publish it under her name . " " What ?! " Stephanie jumped to her feet , her voice shaking . " That project took me three years ! " Edgar didn't even flinch . " It's just a research paper . Only then did she understand why Edgar wasn't worried at all . He already knew that no matter how much she made a fuss , nothing would change . Her marriage , her career , her pride - it had all been crushed under Edgar and Amelia's feet . It started raining as she left the campus . Stephanie didn't move . She just stood there , letting the rain soak her completely . Her mind drifted back to a rainy night years ago . Edgar had been waiting outside her dorm , drenched , holding a rose that had been ruined by the storm . He stood there stubbornly until she gave in and came downstairs . " Stephanie , be with me . I'll love you forever . You'll be the only one . " Thinking about it now , those sweet words were like the rain - dramatic at that time , but meaningless once they dried up . " Forever " was just something he said to sound romantic . She slowly squatted down , hugged her knees , and finally let herself cry . The next day , Stephanie was putting away the last of her things when the doorbell rang . She opened the door and saw Amelia standing there with a fancy gift box . " Edgar isn't here , " Stephanie said flatly . " He left for work . You shouldn't ) Chapter 6 be here . " " I know . " Amelia smiled sweetly . " I came to see you . " 1281-2015 She walked right in and placed the box on the table . " I just wanted to say thanks . If it weren't for your research , I wouldn't have won that award or gotten into the graduate program early . " She tilted her head and smirked . " And it's not just that one project . A bunch of your previous work is under my name now . Ms. Sanchez , you're indeed talented . Quitting was the best move for you . " She leaned closer , lowering her voice . " Now you'll have time to help me with my future projects . My career depends on you . " Stephanie stared at Amelia without flinching , her eyes calm . " Are you done ? You can leave now . " Amelia was stunned . She clearly expected a different reaction . " What's wrong , Ms. Sanchez ? " she said sharply , " Are you so crushed that you can't even be mad anymore ? " Just then , the sound of a car engine came from outside . Edgar was back . Amelia's eyes lit up . She suddenly stumbled backward , tears in her eyes . " Ms. Sanchez , please let me go ! I promised I would go abroad and never bother Mr. Ferguson again ! I don't want to die … " Chapter 7