The Call That Ended Us

Chapter 1 I Think I'm Going to Die

The rumble of war echoed through Ravendale, Eastoria. The smell of disinfectant in the hospital was drowned out by the stench of gunpowder.

Hazel Shaw leaned against a broken wall and looked down at her leg.

A bullet had grazed her calf, tearing open a nasty gash. Blood ran down her ankle.

If the shot had been just a little off, she'd be a corpse, still warm, but dead all the same.

Her fingers shaking, Hazel pulled out her phone with its cracked screen.

The satellite call went through.

"Yannis?" she said.

"Hazel?" A soft, sweet voice came from the other end. It was obviously Charlotte Warren, Yannis Lewis's childhood sweetheart. "You're looking for Yannis? He's cutting my cake. Hold on—"

Only then did Hazel make out the sounds in the background. There were laughter, music, and the clink of glasses. But it all vanished in an instant, swallowed up by the roar of artillery behind her.

It seemed to be Charlotte's birthday.

As Hazel's mind drifted, Yannis's casual voice came on the line. "Hello?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Hazel's nose stung. She took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, "Yannis, I think I'm going to die."

But Yannis didn't react at all.

After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly laughed again. "Hazel, how can you make a joke like that? Do you have to make a scene today of all days?"

Charlotte's soothing voice followed. "Don't say that. Hazel is your wife—"

"She's just throwing a tantrum," Yannis scoffed. "And it's a pretty long one."

Yannis seemed to take a few steps. The background noise faded, and his low, raspy voice carried a smile. "So, what did you call me for?"

The words "looking for me" lingered playfully on his tongue, but Hazel couldn't make out his voice anymore.

"Nothing," she said. "Tell Charlotte happy birthday for me."

She hung up, leaned her head against the broken wall, and her eyes went dull.

At nineteen, she was working the register at a coffee shop when she saw a young man in a gray hoodie push through the door, so handsome he stood out from everyone else.

His refined looks were something she could still remember after half a year of serving hundreds of customers. His gaze landed on her. Just a brief glance, but it was enough to make her ears burn.

At twenty-one, she was acknowledged by the Shaw family. That was when she learned that this man named Yannis was the second son of the Lewis family, the kind of man every rich girl in Riverdale chased after.

At twenty-three, when she held the marriage certificate in her hands, she thought maybe God had heard her prayers.

Later, Yannis took over the family business in a time of crisis, and Hazel submitted her application to be a doctor without borders.

The day she left, Yannis was in a video meeting in his study. He didn't even look up.

Only his assistant walked her to the door. "Take care, Mrs. Lewis."

She gave a small nod and didn't look back.

She thought that after two years, she should be over it by now.

But the moment she heard his voice, she still wanted to cry.

Her gaze landed on her coworker's body, five yards away. The doctor's coat had been stained by blood and dust until its original color was impossible to make out.

Maybe she would be the next to die.

"D-Dr. Shaw, are we going to die?" The pregnant woman beside Hazel was ghostly pale, her voice shaking. "I-I don't think I can make it."

Half an hour ago, her contractions had already gotten fierce.

Hazel could only hold her hand tightly and tell her with absolute certainty, "You and your baby are going to be fine."

The bombing went on for an hour.

"Dr. Shaw." A peacekeeper in a blue helmet pushed through the broken planks and rushed in. "Are there any wounded left in the medical area?"

Hazel wiped her face and stood up. "I'm fine. There's a pregnant woman who needs to deliver immediately."

Everyone moved fast.

Hazel limped toward the delivery room. The blood from her leg fell into the dirt, trailing all the way behind her.

On the operating table, supplies were low, the equipment was basic, and the mother's screams cut through the smoke and gunpowder.

Hazel put on her gloves. Her hands were steady, as if nothing had happened.

Three hours later, a baby girl's cry tore through the silence after the battle.

Hazel held the wall and bent over, slowly moving out of the delivery room, then collapsed onto the ground.

Only then did she feel the piercing pain in her left leg.

She turned her head to check her gunshot wound but instead saw a man standing among the broken walls.

It was Yannis.

He wore a bulletproof vest over his black shirt, out of place, with his hair a mess, looking like he had run all the way there.

He just stared at her, at her bloodstained pants and her exhausted face.

Hazel didn't have the strength to move. Across the hospital that had been ravaged by war, they looked at each other.

Yannis moved first. He walked fast, his boots crunching on the rubble. When he got to Hazel, he raised his hand like he wanted to touch her face.

But she turned her cheek away.

"You're hurt?" he asked.

"It's blood from the surgery." Hazel pressed down on her throbbing calf, her voice calm. "Why are you here?"

"Why didn't you tell me on the phone?" Yannis's voice was hoarse, barely there. "You can't keep throwing a tantrum like this. With something this serious—"

Hazel looked at him.

There were no direct flights from Harbor City to Silverport. He must have taken his private jet.

It was surely difficult to fly across borders and then cross through a ceasefire zone in such a short time.

He had done all of this just to see her, his wife through an arranged marriage.

The truth was, as much of a jerk as Yannis could be, he had a sense of responsibility. It was just that he loved another woman.

Hazel felt that the one who should really be unhappy with this marriage was him, a privileged son who had always gotten his way, not her, who had already benefited so much from it.

She looked down. "There's nothing to say. Sickness and death are common in a hospital."

On one side, a colleague's life quietly slipped away in the ruins; on the other, a newborn girl took her first breath on the operating table.

She had had a lot of last words. But when it came down to it, she realized she didn't need to say any of them.

Yannis's Adam's apple moved. His cold hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white.

Suddenly, Hazel's body lifted off the ground.

"What are you doing?" she cried out.

"Pack your things. We're going home. Now." Yannis carried her into the temporary four person dorm without another word and set her down on the bed.

He turned, found the suitcase, and started packing her clothes with precision, shoving them inside.

"Perfect timing to start trying for a baby," he went on. "My mom has been pushing for it for a while. We're not getting any younger. It's time to have a child."

"Did you say 'we'?" Hazel froze.

But Yannis acted calm, forcing down the corners of his mouth that wanted to curl up. "Yes. Who else would it be? Hazel, do I need to remind you of our relationship?"

Of course she knew their relationship. All of Riverdale knew that she and Yannis were a pair of unwilling spouses forced together.

Hazel let out a laugh, her shoulders shaking, her calf hurting more.

In her rush to perform the surgery, she hadn't treated the gunshot wound. She had just wrapped it tightly with a bandage.

Sure enough, trying to tough it out like that didn't work. Her wound still needed treatment. The infection still needed to be cut out.

Tears spilled down her face from the pain.

"I can't give you a kid," she said. "Maybe you should try it with Charlotte."

"Hazel!" Yannis snapped.

"She'd be happy to."

"What are you talking about now?"

Yannis's face turned livid. Hazel's face was ashen, but she wore a relieved smile.

"After all, everyone in Riverdale knows you only married me because you couldn't marry her," she added.

Chapter 2 She'd Made Him Her Emergency Contact.

Hazel was simply telling it like it was.

Six years ago, the Shaw family found Hazel, their true heiress. The Lewis family changed their engagement partner from Charlotte to Hazel.

Yannis married Hazel, while Charlotte tearfully married someone else.

Everyone in Riverdale was glued to the drama, curious to see how Hazel, a girl from a small town, would manage to marry into the Lewis family and be the rightful Mrs. Lewis.

As expected, things turned out to be a mess. Yannis and Hazel spent little time together, separated for nearly three years.

Yannis's face darkened.

"Hazel," he said through gritted teeth, each word slow and deliberate. "Do you really have to pick a time like this to fight with me?"

'Fight?' Hazel looked down and didn't say anything else.

She was too tired. The wound on her leg throbbed like it was being torn open. The surgery had used up almost all her strength.

Right then, she didn't have the energy to argue with Yannis.

Yannis looked at her pale face and felt the anger in his chest stuck with nowhere to go.

He took a deep breath and said, "You just had a brush with death. It's normal to feel a bit unstable right now."

He found her a perfectly reasonable excuse, turned, and kept shoving things into the suitcase.

"Get some rest. I'll find us something to eat," he continued. "Once you've rested, we're going home."

Hazel said nothing.

Yannis looked back and saw her curled in on herself, head down, covered in nothing but red and gray, pitiful and exhausted.

He stood there watching her for a few seconds, wanting to say something, but in the end, he pushed the door and left.

Outside was still the same field of broken walls.

Yannis walked forward over the rubble, the soles of his boots aching from the sharp pieces. He had lived twenty-eight years and had never been to a place like this.

It was devastation everywhere. The air smelled like a mix of burned things and blood. Occasional crack of gunfire echoed in the distance.

And yet, his frail looking wife had been in a place like this for a whole year.

A few people in blue helmets walked over. They were peacekeepers.

The leader was a man in his early forties, named Joe Williams.

"Mr. Lewis?" Joe looked Yannis up and down. "How did you get in? This is a cease fire zone, but fighting could break out again any minute. It's too dangerous."

"Private jet. Made some calls." Yannis was brief. "I'm here to take my wife home."

"Your wife? You mean Dr. Shaw?" Joe clearly knew about the Lewis family's background. He seemed surprised that Hazel would be here. "Why would she come to a place like this?"

Yannis didn't say anything. He thought back to the way Hazel had looked just now.

She had been covered in blood, holding the wall as she moved herself outside. When she saw him, there was no surprise in her eyes, just calmness, like she was looking at a stranger.

"You should take her away as soon as you can," Joe said. "There was supposed to be a group of doctors evacuating yesterday, but it got delayed because of the bombing. This ceasefire is only temporary.

"While transportation is back up and it's still safe, you should leave."

Yannis asked a few more questions about the road conditions and the evacuation plan. Once he was sure everything was fine, he turned and walked back.

After a few steps, he suddenly remembered he had come out to find food. But he had been so busy talking that he hadn't gotten anything. He shook his head and laughed at himself.

He got some bread and water from Joe, then hurried back to the temporary dorm.

Pushing open the rickety wooden door, he looked inside and saw the dorm was empty.

No one was on the bed. The suitcase was still open, clothes and things scattered inside the way he had left them.

"Hazel?" he called out.

No one answered.

Yannis's heart skipped a beat. He walked in fast and scanned the cramped space.

There was no one. Hazel was really gone.

He turned and rushed back out, nearly running into a doctor in his forties with a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

"Have you seen Hazel Shaw?" Yannis asked.

"You're Dr. Shaw's family?" The doctor stumbled back a step, steadying himself with a hand on his forehead. "Oh, she just walked out a little while ago. She was carrying a bag."

"Where did she go?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe she went to gather at the entrance? Captain Williams is arranging vehicles to evacuate people."

"But her suitcase is still here."

"That's normal. When people evacuate in a hurry, they only take the important things to save space.

"Actually, she was supposed to finish her assignment and go back a week ago. But there was a pregnant woman about to give birth, and the new OB hadn't arrived yet, so she stayed."

Yannis didn't wait to hear the rest. He bolted out the door.

He pulled out his phone as he ran and dialed Hazel's number. It rang several times, but no one picked up.

He called again. Still nobody picked up.

He ran over the rubble, past the collapsed walls, toward the main gate of the medical area.

In the distance, all he could see was a van escorted by two military vehicles, speeding away into the distance, kicking up clouds of dust.

Yannis stood among the ruins, his knuckles white around the phone in his hand.

He couldn't believe Hazel had left like that, without even saying a word to him.

Her words from earlier rang in his ears. "I can't give you a kid. Maybe you should try it with Charlotte."

'Is she serious?' Yannis stood there, feeling like something was stuck in his chest.

He wanted to throw his phone. He wanted to tear down the whole ruin.

But in the end, he just took a deep breath and hurried back.

She hadn't taken her suitcase. He'd take it for her.

He closed the suitcase. A small notebook slid out from the corner and fell to the ground, its yellowed cover page open.

On it was written: [Hazel Shaw, OB GYN. In case of emergency, please contact Yannis Lewis. Phone number...]

His hand stopped mid reach.

She'd made him her emergency contact.

Yannis felt something stuck in his throat. He wanted to laugh, and he also wanted to call Hazel stupid.

'Why even mention emergency? Don't jinx it,' he grumbled inwardly.

Yannis grabbed Hazel's suitcase, strode out, climbed into the borrowed SUV, and raced toward the airport, determined to catch up with her.

He was even more eager to see Hazel now.

He called her the whole way there, but no one ever picked up.

"An aid medical team? Not sure. But there was a flight that just took off," the ground crew said.

The words made Yannis pause for a second. Then it hit him. No wonder she still wasn't answering. She was already on the plane.

"Alright then, see you back home," Yannis muttered, clutching that battered notebook like it was his anchor.

*****

And at that very moment, Hazel was lying on a cot in a temporary medical station. Her teeth were clenched, her forehead covered in sweat.

A female doctor was treating the wound on her left leg.

"The gunshot wound's been left too long. I have to clean out the dead tissue," the female doctor said. "Hold on, okay?"

The male doctor who had spoken to Yannis walked in. He paused when he saw Hazel. "Dr. Shaw? You're still here? Your husband was just looking for you. He was really worried.

"Oh, but he took your suitcase. He's probably left already."

He wanted to say more, but the female doctor shot him a look, so he shut up awkwardly.

The debridement forceps moved around inside Hazel's wound. She trembled all over from the pain but didn't make a sound.

She wasn't surprised that Yannis was worried. It was Charlotte's birthday.

'He came to check on me, his wife by arrangement, but there's no way he'd forget his childhood sweetheart,' she thought.

Hazel thought it was fine. If he left, he wouldn't have to see her like this, worn down and pathetic.

Yannis was the head of the Lewis family, a man who was always refined, always dignified.

He should be standing in a clean conference room signing papers. He should be sitting in a fancy restaurant drinking fine wine. And he should be with Charlotte.

He shouldn't be here in this ruin, looking worn down and pathetic right alongside her.

After her wound was treated, Hazel slowly sat up and limped back outside.

The moment she stepped out, she ran straight into Joe.

"Dr. Shaw?" Joe was taken aback. "You haven't left yet? Your husband already went to the airport."

Hazel's heart clenched for a second, then quickly relaxed. "My leg injury. It's hard to get around."

The wound still throbbed, but she felt incredibly grateful for it.

It gave her a decent excuse to not have to accept a stranger's pity.

Joe looked at her like he wanted to say something but stopped.

Hazel didn't say anything else. She slowly made her way outside to look for her phone among the ruins.

She had dropped it there earlier when she rushed off to do the surgery.

The sky glowed with rose gold. The evening after the battle stopped was so quiet it felt unreal.

Hazel stood at the edge of the rubble, put down her phone with its screen full of missed calls, and looked toward the airport in the distance.

A plane cut across the sky, quickly shrinking to a small dot, then disappeared.

Hazel lowered her head and looked at her bandaged calf. A smile suddenly crossed her face.

After she married Yannis, he turned his back on her and went straight to Charlotte.

Back then, she told herself it was okay. She and Yannis still had all the time in the world.

Now she knew it didn't matter how much time they had. Watching him walk away once was all her need.

Hazel felt her eyes sting a little. Luckily, she didn't cry.

Chapter 3 My Husband

Three days after coming back, Hazel started her new job at the hospital.

Before she left, she had contacted the OB department at Riverdale General Hospital. The department head was Brianna Lee, her advisor from grad school. When she heard Hazel wanted to come, she approved it without a second thought.

"Hazel, you're finally back." Brianna patted her on the shoulder. "You've been through a lot these past two years, haven't you?"

"Yeah," Hazel said. "But I've grown a lot too."

In the face of war and life and death, her own romantic troubles felt smaller and smaller.

"I heard your leg got hurt," Brianna said. "You could have taken a few more days off before coming in."

Hazel let out a half-serious sigh. "I have to pay rent."

Brianna knew Hazel was married. She just didn't know her husband was Yannis, Riverdale's top-tier wealthy heir.

She smiled right away. "Fair enough. The department is short staffed anyway."

Hazel smiled too.

The wound on her leg still ached faintly. Layers of bandages were wrapped around it, hidden under her white coat. If people didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice.

But she couldn't stand being idle. Every time she had a moment to herself, her mind went right back to those ruins in Eastoria.

She would think of the rubble everywhere, the sharp smell of disinfectant, Yannis's cold, grim face, and the way he had turned and walked away.

Good thing she hadn't actually seen him leave. Otherwise, she would have had to feel that suffocating pressure in her chest all over again.

The OB ward at a public hospital was always packed.

The hallway was full of pregnant women and their families. People were crying, yelling, chatting, all mixed together in chaos.

Hazel put on her white coat and mask, and it was like she became a different person. She looked calm, professional, and meticulous. As if everything she had been through was just a dream.

In the middle of her clinic shift, she came back from the restroom, scrolling through her phone as she walked.

It didn't take her long to find Charlotte's birthday post on Instagram: [Thank you, everyone. Love you all.]

The timestamp said four days ago. The same day Hazel had nearly died in Ravendale, the same day Yannis had flown there and back.

The post had nine photos. There were group shots of people laughing and piles of gifts.

In the middle was a selfie of Charlotte in an off white dress. Behind her, part of a sofa was visible.

Yannis was sitting there, drinking wine. Two buttons of his shirt were undone, his collar slightly open, looking refined with a touch of lazy ease.

He was wearing the same clothes he had worn when he came to find her in Ravendale.

Hazel's finger stopped on the screen.

She felt her heart get pricked by something, not painful exactly, just a dull, suffocating feeling.

She didn't understand how Yannis could be so divided. On one hand, he was laughing and celebrating with Charlotte, who was already married to someone else. On the other hand, he had rushed through a war zone to find her.

Yannis was a true product of privilege. Even if he wasn't meant to be the heir at first, he could still draw a clear line between emotions and duty.

Hazel gave a bitter smile.

"Dr. Shaw!" The resident, Vera Rhodes, came running up, out of breath.

"What's wrong?" Hazel asked.

"Dr. Lee got called to the OR for an emergency. A pregnant woman in a car accident," Vera explained. "She still has patients waiting for their prenatal checkups in his office. They haven't gotten their lab orders yet. She wants you to go write them."

"Got it." Hazel put down her phone, shoved her hands in her pockets, and walked toward Brianna's office.

The moment she pushed the door open, she froze.

She saw Yannis and Charlotte.

Yannis, her husband, was standing by the computer desk. His jacket was draped over his arm, revealing a hazy blue shirt underneath. His sleeves were rolled up twice, showing the clean lines of his arms.

Sitting in the chair in front of the desk was Charlotte, Hazel's adopted sister.

She was wearing a loose pair of overalls, so it was hard to tell if her stomach was showing. Her face was pale, her brow furrowed.

When she saw Hazel walk in wearing a mask, she said timidly, "Isn't this doctor a little young?"

Then she immediately covered her mouth. "Oh, I didn't mean you're not professional enough. Please don't misunderstand."

Vera shot Hazel an awkward look.

Hazel nodded nonchalantly and limped slightly toward the computer.

Yannis looked up, his eyes locking onto her and not moving away. "Hazel?"

"What? It's Hazel?" Charlotte was also surprised.

As Charlotte gasped, Hazel unlocked the computer and pulled up the patient records.

"Charlotte Warren, twelve weeks and five days. Needs an NT scan today..." she read.

"When did you get back? Why didn't you say anything?" Yannis dropped his usual gentlemanly demeanor and suddenly cut her off.

The mouse paused on the screen.

"What happened to your leg? Where did you get hurt? Did you get it treated?" He stared at Hazel, firing off questions.

But all Hazel could see was her own exhausted, empty gaze reflected on the screen.

In Hazel's silence, Yannis's gaze drifted down to her pant leg. His brow furrowed slightly.

He took a step forward, about to crouch down and check for himself. Hazel shot up from her seat, the chair clattering loudly against the floor.

"Lie down on the bed. I'll take a swab," she said, turning to Charlotte to avoid Yannis's questions.

Yannis frowned. "You—"

"Yannis, I'm scared." Charlotte reached out her hand to him pitifully. "Hold my hand, okay?"

Yannis didn't move. His eyes were on Hazel the whole time.

Charlotte's hand hung awkwardly in midair. Vera quickly stepped in to smooth things over and coaxed her onto the exam bed.

Hazel stepped out from behind the desk and looked up at Yannis with eyes as flat as if she were looking at a stranger. "Excuse me. I need to examine my patient."

Yannis's face darkened instantly.

'There she goes again. She is still throwing a tantrum. Still mad at me,' he thought.

He swallowed his frustration and was about to say something when Charlotte called out again, "Yannis, I'm really scared."

Yannis clenched his fists, turned, and walked over to the door, not sparing a single glance at the exam bed.

Vera carefully pulled the curtain closed.

Hazel couldn't be bothered with their drama. She put on her gloves and picked up the speculum and cotton swab.

She took the swab quickly and efficiently, then put it in a tube and held it out.

"Take this," she said to Yannis. "Take it downstairs for testing. Get the results in half an hour."

Yannis didn't take it. He turned his head and frowned at her.

Hazel thought with a flash of impatience, 'Who else am I supposed to hand it to if not him? What's that look for? Is he blaming me?'

In the end, Charlotte took the tube, looking wronged.

"Hazel, thank you," she said.

She moved to leave, but Yannis didn't budge. He clearly had more to say to Hazel.

Hazel had already sat back down behind the desk and was clicking the mouse to call the next patient. "Next."

A pregnant woman with a large belly walked in. She paused when she saw Yannis and Charlotte still standing in the office.

Yannis stood where he was and looked at Hazel for several seconds. She never looked up.

Finally, he turned and walked out with long strides.

Charlotte hurried after him. At the door, she looked back at Hazel.

There was something in her eyes. Hurt, pity, and a little something else. Hazel didn't see it clearly, and she didn't want to.

The door closed.

*****

After quickly checking a few more pregnant women, Hazel headed back to her own office.

Vera finally found her moment to complain. "That first patient was such a drama queen. Since when is getting a swab something to be afraid of?"

Hazel paused for a second before realizing Vera was talking about Charlotte.

"And that guy who came with her was so good-looking." Vera sounded excited, as if someone had stood up for justice. "He didn't seem like her husband, and he wasn't buying her act at all.

"Dr. Shaw, he kept trying to ask you questions. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know him." Hazel shut down the computer. Her ashen face reflected in the black screen.

She stood up and walked toward the door.

Vera's eyes went wide. "Really? Who is he?"

Hazel was quiet for a few seconds, then pulled the door open.

In the gust of the closing door, her slightly hoarse voice drifted back into the office, so soft it was almost impossible to hear. "My husband."

Chapter 4 This Is Your Home

The door to Brianna's office closed, shutting out Vera's shocked look and leaving Hazel with what little dignity she had left.

Hazel let out a heavy breath, but the pressure in her chest didn't go away.

As she walked toward her own office, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Charlotte on WhatsApp.

Charlotte: [Hazel, don't get the wrong idea about what just happened. I was there for a routine checkup. Yannis happened to be free, so he came with me. He still sees you as his wife. Don't overthink it.]

Hazel could practically sense the familiar intimacy of childhood sweethearts through the screen.

The truth was, Charlotte wasn't the one who should be telling anyone not to get the wrong idea.

The hallway was crowded with people. Pregnant women walked by with their bellies out front, family members jogged past carrying thermoses, and nurses hurried through pushing treatment carts.

Standing in the crowd, Hazel found it a little laughable.

Three years ago, when she married Yannis, countless people said she had stolen Charlotte's man.

Now Charlotte was pregnant, and Yannis was going with her to her prenatal appointments. The two of them looked like the perfect couple.

As for whose baby it was, that had nothing to do with Hazel, the one everyone saw as the other woman.

It was time for her to make her exit.

*****

The afternoon clinic was still busy.

It wasn't until six in the evening, after the last expectant mother had left, that Hazel finally changed out of her work clothes, grabbed her bag, and made her way downstairs.

The wound on her leg ached faintly. She limped out of the hospital entrance and saw a black Bentley parked right outside.

Yannis leaned against the car door, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling up into the air.

When he saw Hazel come out, he put out the cigarette and walked toward her with long strides.

"Get in," he said.

Hazel paused, then stepped aside to avoid him.

Yannis reached out and blocked her, his brow furrowed. "Hazel, I said get in the car."

"I don't need you to drive me," she said.

She had her own place and didn't want him to know where it was.

Yannis looked at her. "If you're not coming home, where are you going? Come back to the villa."

Hazel looked up and met his eyes.

In his eyes, she saw impatience, irritation, and something she couldn't read.

But she didn't feel like trying to figure it out.

"I have work tomorrow," Hazel said.

"I'll drive you tomorrow," Yannis said.

"I don't need—" Before she could finish, Yannis had already opened the passenger door and shoved her inside, quick and decisive.

Hazel sat in the passenger seat, stunned for a few seconds.

The door closed. Yannis got in from the driver's side and started the engine.

The car drove into the night. Neither of them said a word the whole way.

The neon lights outside the window flashed by in a blur of color. Hazel stared out the window, but she was secretly wondering whether this same car had carried Charlotte today too.

She didn't ask. There was no point.

Forty minutes later, the car pulled into Clearwater Estates on the west side of the city. The Lewis family's wedding house was here.

After they got married three years ago, Hazel had moved in. But the total time she had actually lived with Yannis added up to less than six months.

The rest of the time, she had been overseas as a doctor without borders, while he had been traveling all over the world taking over the Lewis family business.

The car pulled into the garage. Yannis got out, walked around the front of the car, and moved to carry Hazel out.

"No!" Hazel flinched like she had been pricked, her voice sharp with refusal.

No matter how dark Yannis's expression got, she insisted on walking herself, even if it was slow and painful.

The two of them walked into the villa one after the other.

A middle aged woman in an apron poked her head out from the kitchen. "Mr. Lewis, you're back? Dinner will be ready—"

Her voice stopped.

Lily Green's smile froze for a split second, then she quickly recovered. "Mrs. Lewis, you're finally back? It's been so long. I'll whip up a couple more dishes for you."

Hazel barely blinked at the word. She'd heard that tone too many times before.

Lily was an old housekeeper for the Lewis family and had worked for them for over a decade.

When Hazel first married Yannis, Lily had been polite to her face.

But one day, Hazel came home from the hospital early and saw Lily standing by the fence gossiping with the neighbor's nanny.

Lily had said, "The Lewis and Shaw families were supposed to have Charlotte marry in. She and Mr. Lewis were childhood sweethearts. Everyone knew how close they were.

"Then the Shaw family suddenly found their real daughter, and the bride got switched to Hazel. Mr. Lewis never wanted to marry her.

"If it were me, I wouldn't have the nerve to marry a man when I knew he loved someone else."

The neighbor's nanny tried to tell Lily to watch her mouth, but Lily curled her lip in disdain. "What can she do, fire me? Mr. Lewis is the one who pays me. I have a deal with the Lewis family that no one else gets.

"Besides, because of her, Mr. Lewis is never home. Let her try to say anything to Mr. Lewis first."

Hazel had been standing outside the door that day. She listened, then turned and left.

She didn't go inside. She didn't get angry. She thought Lily was simply stating facts, so there was nothing for her to be upset about.

The only thing Lily got wrong was that Yannis actually came home that night. Hazel really did see him.

"Lily? Her cooking doesn't agree with you?" Yannis said. "Just tell her. She'll adjust."

Hazel didn't mention Lily gossiping. That would have brought up Charlotte again. She only said she didn't need a housekeeper looking after her, and firing Lily would save some money.

"It's just a few dollars. I can afford it. Besides, Lily—" Yannis trailed off, distracted by something. His gaze went unfocused for a moment.

He didn't want to explain further. He headed to his study, leaving her with a cold, indifferent back.

Hazel stood there frozen, feeling like she had been drenched in cold water.

She guessed it had something to do with Charlotte.

She had thought marrying Yannis would be the end of a secret crush and the beginning of a love story.

Now she knew that the hero and heroine of this story had always been Yannis and Charlotte. She was nothing but a clown who had barged in later.

Even after marrying Yannis, she didn't have the right to fire a housekeeper.

The grand house was empty and cold. It wasn't her home.

So Hazel applied to be a doctor without borders.

Since this home didn't welcome her, she would go somewhere that did.

*****

She never thought that two years later, she would come back here and see Lily again.

After experiencing life and death on the battlefield, her heart had calmed down a lot.

She could even calmly stop Lily from going into the kitchen and say, "No need to make anything extra. I'm leaving soon."

"You're leaving? This is your home. Where are you going? What kind of tantrum are you throwing now?" Yannis frowned.

Then something occurred to him and his brow relaxed. "Are you mad that I went with Charlotte to her prenatal appointment? Her husband was—"

"You don't need to explain." Hazel cut him off flatly, pushing down the sting rising in her chest. "Say what you need to say, or I'm leaving."

Her leg hurt like crazy, but that didn't slow her down one bit. She was desperate to get out. Her toes turned toward the door.

But the moment she took a step, her body lifted off the ground. Yannis hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her all the way upstairs to the second floor bedroom. Then he dropped her into the soft bed.

"Yannis!" she shouted.

Hazel scrambled to get up, but Yannis had already climbed onto the bed with one knee. He looked down at her, and the dark, tangled emotions swirling in his eyes made her heart race with unease.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Taking off your pants," Yannis said.

"What?"

In the moment she froze, Yannis had already pushed up her shirt and reached for her waistband.

Hazel didn't have time to be embarrassed. She grabbed his hands with both of hers, but it was completely useless.

Because of her leg injury, she was wearing a loose pair of khaki wide leg pants today. She never thought they would make it so easy for Yannis.

Her legs were suddenly exposed to the air.

Chapter 5 Let's Try to Make Things Work

September in Riverdale was a little chilly. Hazel was only wearing a pair of thick wide-leg pants on her lower half.

At this moment, those pants had been thrown to the side of the bed. Hazel's face turned bright red immediately.

"Yannis, you bastard. Let go of me!" Hazel was both mortified and furious, struggling with all her strength. "I don't want to have sex with you."

"So in your eyes, I'm just some kind of animal?" Yannis smirked.

Taking advantage of her movement, he pushed her knees up and easily pinned her ankles against her bent legs.

His gaze landed on her calf. The thin gauze was soaked through with blood, the edges smudged with dust.

A sudden pang shot through his chest.

"Don't move. Let me take a look." His voice was hoarse, trembling. "A gunshot wound? Did you get this in Ravendale?"

Hazel turned her head away, her long hair spilling across the bed, her face shockingly pale. "This is none of your business. It has nothing to do with you."

Yannis reached out, gently cupped her chin, and turned her face toward him.

Her eyes were full of tears, red like a rabbit's.

"Hazel, do you know what I was thinking when I got your call?" he said. "I thought you were throwing a tantrum. I thought you wanted me to come coax you again."

In the early days of their marriage, Hazel had been sweet and spoiled. She would hold his arm and act all cute. She would tell him plainly that she was mad and that he needed to make it up to her.

So this time, he told himself Hazel must be angry again. It had just been going on a little longer than usual. He held onto that belief.

He had to think that way.

"How could you be so stupid?" His voice was low, his eyes red. "It was so dangerous there. Weren't you scared? If something had happened to you, what was I supposed to do?"

Every time he thought about the note she had left in that notebook, Yannis felt like his chest was too tight to breathe.

He still remembered what she had written: [In case of emergency, please contact Yannis Lewis...]

At a hospital caught in the middle of a war, the word "emergency" meant death.

That word had easily shattered all his stubbornness and his small, meaningless pride.

Hazel looked quietly at Yannis's face. There was no coldness on it, no impatience. Just fear.

'What is he afraid of? Losing me?' she wondered.

That made sense. She was his spouse, after all. Her death wouldn't exactly be good news for him.

"As long as you're back, that's all that matters." Yannis lowered his head, as if he were talking to himself. "As long as you're back."

He went quiet for a few seconds, then made up his mind and looked up again. "Hazel, I'm not going to dwell on the past anymore."

He knew her heart belonged to someone else, and that she hadn't married him by choice.

But now, she was his wife. Forced or not, as long as he held on, she would always be his.

"From now on, let's try to make things work," he added.

Hazel's heart skipped a beat, but then a deeper chill washed over her.

Yannis had gone with Charlotte to her prenatal appointment. He had celebrated Charlotte's birthday. The woman in his heart had always been Charlotte. For him to talk about making it work now was ridiculous.

She turned her head away, dodging his hand, her eyes full of mockery.

"Why should I?" Hazel let out a bitter laugh. "Yannis, do you think that just because you say you're not going to dwell on the past anymore, I should be falling all over myself with gratitude?

"What makes you think that because you're willing to make it work, I have to go along with it?

"Yannis, do you really think my whole life revolves around you? That as long as you look back, I'll humbly stay by your side?"

Her tears finally fell.

She went on. "Where were you on our wedding night? You were driving Charlotte home. You didn't come back until the next morning. Where were you on my birthday? You were having dinner with Charlotte.

"And when I was nearly dying in Ravendale? Oh, that's right. You were celebrating Charlotte's birthday."

She had spent two years overseas. The heart she had painstakingly picked up and pieced together was now shattered again, so easily, by her own accusations.

Hazel's weary eyes grew misty, tears gathering into shimmering drops that clung to her lashes, trembling on the edge of falling.

"I'm telling you, we can't be together anymore," she said. "I'm tired. I don't want to keep dragging this out. Let's get a—"

She didn't get to say the word "divorce." Yannis's kiss came down on her suddenly, fierce, obsessive, and frantic.

He kissed her hard, one hand at the back of her neck, as if he wanted to press her into his body, to prove she was his.

Hazel struggled with everything she had, pushing at him, hitting him. But he held her too tight, kissed her too hard. She couldn't breathe.

Slowly, her strength gave out. Her arms fell limp, hanging over his.

Her struggling turned into silent trembling. Her tears soaked the front of both their clothes.

She didn't know how much time passed before he finally let her go, letting her gasp for air.

Yannis kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his voice hoarse. "Don't say it. I won't let you say divorce. Not ever."

Hazel turned her face away, biting her lip and staying quiet, but her body was shaking.

She cried for a long time, so long that she didn't know when she fell asleep.

She lay curled up on the bed. Every time she moved, the arm around her waist would tighten. Half-asleep, she would be pulled back, falling again into that warm embrace.

"Don't move," Yannis mumbled from behind her.

She lost count of how many times this happened.

*****

Early in the morning, Hazel woke up again. She was startled awake by her phone ringing.

A hurried voice came from the other end. "Dr. Shaw, there's an emergency in the ER. A postpartum hemorrhage. We need backup."

"I'm on my way," Hazel said.

She hung up, threw off the covers, and got out of bed.

The moment her foot hit the floor, she winced from the pain. She limped as she got dressed, moving fast.

Yannis sat up. "I'll drive you."

"No need." Hazel didn't look back.

Yannis frowned and picked up his phone from the nightstand. When the screen lit up, Hazel happened to glance at his WhatsApp messages.

Charlotte: [Yannis, my stomach really hurts. Can you come?]

Hazel paused for a second, then kept getting dressed, acting like she hadn't seen anything.

Yannis saw the message too. He was about to reply when he heard the door open.

Hazel had already put on her coat and was limping out the door.

"Hazel, something came up. I'll have David drive you to the hospital," Yannis said.

She didn't stop.

"Hazel!" Yannis called out.

She walked out and gently closed the door behind her.

The hallway was dark. Hazel held onto the wall and made her way down step by step.

Her leg hurt. Her heart hurt too. But she laughed. She was laughing at herself.

Last night, when Yannis held her and said they should make it work, there was a moment when she had actually believed him.

Now she had her answer.

At the entrance of the villa, Hazel stood under the streetlight, waiting for her Uber.

The early autumn wind was a little cold, but she didn't feel it.

The black Bentley pulled out of the underground garage and stopped beside her.

The driver's side window rolled down. Yannis looked a bit disheveled, fresh out of bed, wearing a loose blue gray silk robe.

Hazel smiled bitterly. She could tell he was really in a hurry.

"Hazel, wait," Yannis said. "David will be up any second."

"That won't be necessary," Hazel said.

Her Uber pulled up. She limped over, opened the door, and got in.

"Riverdale General Hospital," she told the driver.

The car drove off into the night. Yannis's Bentley was left behind.

Hazel leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

She had known all along this was how it would be. Between Charlotte and her, she would always be the one he gave up on.

Rather than be abandoned, she figured she might as well be the one to ask for a divorce and let Yannis go.

She wanted to tell herself it was okay, but her eyes still burned.

Outside the window, the city lights raced past.

Hazel kept her eyes closed. Because the moment she opened them, the tears would fall.

Chapter 6 Mother-in-Law

The surgery took three and a half hours. The mother had a placental abruption and went into heavy bleeding.

Hazel pulled off her scrubs. Her back was soaked through with sweat, and the wound on her leg had long gone numb from the pain.

Luckily, both mother and baby were fine.

By now, the sun was fully up, and the hospital hallway was bustling with people.

Sunlight streamed in, warm and bright, but Hazel's sweat had gone cold against her skin. She shivered.

She had no outpatient appointments scheduled for the day. Grabbing her takeout meal, she headed straight to her office.

She meant to check work messages, but instead, she saw Charlotte's post.

It read: [My stomach hurt out of nowhere. So glad to have family and friends by my side. Everything's fine now.]

The photo showed Charlotte lying in a hospital bed. She looked worn out but still managed a bright smile.

In the background, Yannis sat with his legs crossed, scrolling through his phone. His wedding ring sparkled on his left hand.

Hazel stared at that hand for a long time. Last night, that same hand had held her and wiped away her tears.

Soon, a new comment popped up under the post: [Thanks for taking care of Charlotte, Yannis. I'll be back right away.]

It was from Charlotte's husband, Ethan.

As someone directly involved in all this, he was incredibly chill, at least, more chill than Hazel could be.

A sharp, stinging pain pricked her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

Two hours ago, Yannis had sent her a message: [Are you done with the surgery? Did you eat? I had David bring you some breakfast.]

His words were full of concern, but Hazel felt nothing but bitter irony.

'He really treats people differently depending on how he feels about them,' she thought.

She turned off the screen, slipped her phone back into her pocket, and walked into the office.

"Dr. Shaw." Vera looked up from filling a water jug. "Someone dropped off breakfast. I've put it on your desk. It's from that fancy restaurant nearby."

Hazel had no appetite at all, even though her stomach already ached with hunger.

She said she'd ordered her own food and couldn't eat everything, then invited Vera to share the meal.

Vera asked, "Who sent it? That's so sweet."

"My husband," Hazel said.

"Oh." Vera froze, remembering the man who had accompanied another woman for a prenatal checkup the day before.

"Are you... okay?" she asked, her voice tight with embarrassment.

Hazel let out a faint smile. 'Vera reacted like anyone would. Charlotte, Yannis and Ethan all have no sense of boundaries. It makes me, the sensible one, feel like the odd person out.'

She looked down and took a bite of soup. "I'm used to it."

"No way you should get used to that!" Vera was getting worked up. "That woman yesterday was so fake. She gave me the creeps.

"Hazel, you need to stand your ground as the wife and lay down the law. Your husband has to keep his distance from other women."

"Vera." Hazel's voice was calm. "I have rounds. Gotta go."

Vera stared as the office door opened and closed. Only when Hazel was out of sight did she realize what she'd said.

She slapped her forehead, murmuring, "I'm an idiot. If Hazel's husband went with that woman to a prenatal appointment, could the baby be his?"

Hazel had the same thought, but she knew she had no right to accuse Yannis.

If the Shaw family hadn't found her, Charlotte would have been the one married to Yannis.

'Maybe it's time to let everything go back to how it's meant to be,' Haze thought bitterly.

*****

At 4 p.m., Hazel got a call from her mother-in-law, Helen.

"Hazel, I'm so glad you're back in the country. Are you free tonight? Come over to Lewis Manor. I miss you," said Helen.

Her voice was warm and polite, but it only made Hazel's stomach cramp.

Hazel had visited Lewis Manor a few times, but every trip felt like acting in a play.

Helen was the picture of a high-society wife: she always spoke softly and handled everything flawlessly.

But Hazel knew Helen had never approved of her, a girl who'd recently been reunited with the wealthy Shaw family, as a daughter-in-law.

Still, the two of them had to play the part of the happy, loving in-laws.

After work, Hazel planned to take a taxi, but David, Yannis's driver, was already waiting.

"Mr. Lewis sent me," he said.

Hazel nodded.

Throughout the drive, David kept glancing at her in the rearview mirror, like he wanted her to ask so he could say something nice about Yannis. But she just stared out the window and said nothing.

Forty silent minutes later, the car pulled up to an old mansion inspired by Victorian gardens.

Hazel got out and walked slowly inside.

In the living room, Helen sat on the couch sipping coffee. Spotting Hazel, she smiled and waved her over.

After a few polite greetings, Helen sighed, "Sweetheart, why did you have to go all the way to Eastoria? You've lost weight. You must have had a hard time, haven't you?"

Her words sounded caring, but her tone was pure blame.

If it were two years ago, Hazel would have kept quiet.

But now, she thought about the mothers struggling in war zones and the baby girls born amid gunfire.

She tried to explain herself. "I was doing something meaningful, Helen. Medical care out there is terrible, and they're begging for doctors."

Helen frowned, "What about Yannis? Did you think about him at all?

"You've been married three years, and you spent two of those years overseas. Yannis is already twenty-eight. Yet you still don't have a child."

The Lewis family once had two sons. After the older brother, Yosef, died in an accident, Yannis became the only heir.

The tragedy had left Helen overly obsessed with having grandchildren.

"I don't want to pressure you," Helen said. "But you're the one who married into our family. We've done so much for your family over the years. Don't you forget that."

Being a wife who married up was never easy, especially when the mother-in-law disliked her from the start.

Hazel stared down at the floor, clenching her hands as a heavy weight settled over her heart.

Then she looked up, her eyes calm. "I can't have children."

Helen's smile froze. "What?"

"I got hurt here." Hazel put a hand over her lower belly. "My colleagues ran tests. It's highly unlikely I'll get pregnant."

It was a lie. She wanted to end the marriage cleanly, with no room for hesitation or second thoughts.

If this lie could make Helen, Yannis and everyone else let go, she'd live with it.

Helen's expression shifted rapidly: first shock, then a flicker of sympathy, and finally disappointment, the kind that said, "How could you do this to us?"

She picked up her cup and took a long, hard gulp of coffee before setting it down hard on the table.

Her gentle tone vanished entirely. "Did you marry into our family to torment us? Do you see us as your enemies? I should have stopped this marriage from the very beginning.

"You went overseas on purpose, didn't you? You left Yannis alone for two years with no one to take care of him.

"You don't care about him, but I do. He could have had someone much better."

Hazel stayed silent, bearing every sharp, cutting word.

Just then, footsteps echoed from the entrance.

"Mrs. Helen Lewis, Mr. Richard Lewis and Mr. Yannis Lewis are home," said the butler.

His words barely landed before Richard and Yannis walked in.

Noticing the tension between the two women, Yannis stopped. "What were you talking about?"

Helen quickly forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Nothing much. I was asking Hazel about her time overseas. She told me she hurt her stomach, and she might..."

She shot a resentful glance at Hazel. "She may not be able to have children anymore."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Richard frowned, "What kind of injury?"

Hazel looked up, about to answer.

Yannis spoke first. "Hurt? How come I don't know about it?"

He raised an eyebrow, his charming eyes dripping with meaning. "I didn't see anything last night in bed."

Chapter 7 Standing Up for Her

Yannis's tone was casual, with a hint of amusement in his voice.

Hazel's face burned bright red with embarrassment and anger.

She knew he could be shameless, but she never imagined he would say something so inappropriate right in front of his parents.

Helen's expression changed, her eyes darting back and forth between Hazel and Yannis.

Richard cleared his throat. He said nothing, but his frown softened a little.

Yannis was completely unbothered by the awkward mood.

"Did you get that wound treated at the hospital? How's it healing?" he asked.

He dropped to one knee beside her without a care for anyone else and reached for the hem of her pants.

Hazel pulled away in panic. "W-What are you doing? Your parents are right here!"

"I'm showing affection. What's wrong with that? I only want to check your wound, it's not like last night..." Yannis said shamelessly.

He stayed crouching down and looked up at her from below, his eyes fixed firmly on her.

Hazel's cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and the color spread all the way to her neck.

She turned her head away uncomfortably. "Stop it."

"Still shy after all these years of marriage?" Yannis teased. "Don't worry. Mom and Dad would love to see us being close all the time."

He took her hand and gently squeezed it. "After all, that's how you have a baby."

Hazel couldn't pull her hand free. She frowned, trying to keep her voice steady. "Yannis, I'm not joking. I can't get pregnant. The injury is internal, so you can't see it."

She wanted to end the marriage for good and escape this suffocating place.

Just as she was about to say something harsher, Yannis covered her mouth with his hand.

All her words were trapped behind his palm. She moved her lips, struggling to speak.

But Yannis went further. His slender fingers moved teasingly, as if they were about to slip inside and toy with her tongue, like they had in the early days of their marriage.

Old memories stirred within Hazel, and she finally closed her mouth.

Yannis's deep eyes locked onto hers, sending a jittery feeling through her.

He waited until he saw her give in before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Be good. We can talk about all this later when we get home."

Hazel bit her lip, roughly pulled his hand away from her mouth, and turned her head to the side, furious.

Yannis watched her for a moment, then laughed. He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, his gaze lingering on her flushed earlobe.

A pleased curve lifted the corner of his mouth as he asked, "Mom, what's for dinner? Do we have tomato pasta?"

That was Hazel's favorite.

The kitchen hadn't prepared tomato pasta. But now that Yannis wanted it, Helen immediately told the staff to make it.

"Anything else you'd like to eat? I'll have the kitchen add it," she said.

After a brief pause, she added with a playful scold, "Why didn't you tell us you were coming home early?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Yannis replied lazily.

He grinned, playing with Hazel's hand. Every time she pulled away, he caught it again, acting playful and carefree.

*****

At dinner, Hazel sat next to Yannis, directly across from Helen.

Helen kept piling food onto Yannis's plate. "You've gotten so thin. No one has been taking proper care of you, right?"

The words sounded like motherly concern, but they were clearly meant to criticize Hazel for neglecting her duties as a wife and running off overseas.

Yannis shook his head. "Mom, I haven't lost any weight. Actually, I've put on a few pounds lately. I need to hit the gym in the morning."

He picked up a piece of beef and put it on Hazel's plate. "You're the one who lost weight. You need to eat more."

Hazel tried to move her plate away, but Yannis was faster.

Helen frowned, "If you've gained weight, it's all thanks to Lily. She's reliable. Otherwise, you would've suffered over those years."

She brought up Lily on purpose, wanting to remind Hazel that she, a lady of the house, was worse than a maid.

Hazel stared down at her plate and stayed quiet, her heart growing cold.

She'd heard plenty of these backhanded comments from Helen. She was used to them.

When she first married Yannis, they had lived at Lewis Manor.

Helen had constantly criticized her for lacking proper manners, social grace and housekeeping skills.

Hazel's self-esteem was worn down bit by bit, while Helen would hold her chest and complain, "Your mother never taught you proper etiquette, and now all this work falls on me."

Yannis had finally suggested they move out to Clearwater Estates, saying it was closer to his workplace.

That was the only time Hazel had gotten a moment of peace.

But then Helen had sent Lily to live with them anyway, claiming she was there to look after the couple.

Now at the dinner table, Helen boasted about how wise her arrangements had been.

Yannis said flatly, "Lily is a maid. She gets triple pay; taking care of me is her job."

Helen choked on her words. She opened her mouth to argue.

Richard stopped her. "Enough. Let's eat our meal in peace."

After dinner, while the maids cleared the table, Helen asked Yannis what he'd been busy with lately.

"He's been looking after Charlotte," Hazel cut in flatly, as if she were talking about the weather. "She's pregnant and feeling sick. He has to be with her every day."

The table went quiet.

Helen's smile froze.

Yannis turned to Hazel, frowning. "It's not what you think. Ethan's out of the city, and Charlotte has no one else to take care of her while she's pregnant."

"Charlotte is pregnant? Since when?" Helen's smile came back. "Why didn't she tell us about such big news?"

Hazel was happy to explain. "Check her Instagram. She posts every day."

Helen looked stunned, clearly having never seen those posts.

Hazel took a sip of water. She could guess who Charlotte's posts were intended for, but it had nothing to do with her.

Helen recovered quickly. "Well, Yannis and Charlotte grew up together, so it's only natural for him to help her out. Ethan is so unreliable. How could he leave the city at a time like this?"

A mocking smile tugged at Hazel's lips. 'If Yannis and Charlotte have done nothing wrong, then who is the problem? Me?'

Richard's face darkened. "Yannis, come with me to the study."

Yannis stood up, shot Hazel a long, meaningful look, and followed Richard upstairs.

Hazel didn't even glance at him. She simply stared down at her fingertips as the sound of footsteps faded up the staircase.

The dining room was down to Hazel and Helen.

Helen's smile vanished. "What were you implying earlier?"

"Nothing," Hazel replied flatly. "You asked what Yannis was busy with, so I told you the truth."

Helen let out a cold laugh. "The truth? You think I don't know what you're doing? You're reminding me that Yannis and Charlotte are too close."

Hazel stayed silent.

"Alright, let's cut straight to the chase. Is the injury you mentioned real?"

Hazel's hands tightened under the table. "Yeah."

"Did you see a doctor?"

"Yep."

"Can it be treated?"

"Nope."

Helen stared at her, eyes sharp as knives. "Are you doing this on purpose? You've been married to Yannis for three years, and you spent two years abroad. Now you come back and tell me you can't have kids? What the hell do you want?"