Chapter 2The Missing Husband

But the voice on the other end wasn't Mark's.

It was Anna's.

The sound of her voice was like a jolt of electricity to my brain, burning through the thin veil of anesthesia. A wave of agony pulsed through my chest.

"Mark, you'd better thank me," she chirped. "If I hadn't told you to keep your work phone on, you would have missed this call."

"Quick, someone from your hospital needs you."

I heard Mark's voice, thick with adoration. "Yes, yes, you're the best. The smartest girl in the world."

When he took the phone, his tone became clipped and professional. "I've seen the patient's chart you sent over. With her rare blood type and history of preeclampsia, the procedure is extremely high-risk. You need to contact her family immediately and inform them of the situation."

"Dr. Hunter, we can't reach her family. His phone is off."

Mark's voice was sharp with indignation. "His wife is giving birth and he won't even answer the phone? What kind of monster is he?"

"Dr. Hunter, can you come over right now?"

Then, Anna’s whining voice in the background. "Go ahead, then… just leave me here to celebrate my birthday all alone."

"No, no, I'm not going," Mark soothed her, then spoke back into the phone. "I'm sorry, I can't make it. We're about to board a flight for a little getaway. Here, let me give you the number of someone who can help."

He rattled off a name and hung up before they could protest further.

It was only then that I realized he had a separate work phone, a whole other device I’d never even seen.

A nurse standing beside me, monitoring my vitals, murmured to herself, "That's strange. When Dr. Hunter was speaking, for a second I thought it was this patient's husband. Their voices are identical."

"Don't be ridiculous," another nurse chided. "You heard his wife in the background."

At that moment, the blood units from the other hospitals finally arrived.

And with them came another doctor.

I heard a collective sigh of relief as a group of younger residents excitedly called him "Dr. Cole." The first thing he did was have the anesthesiologist check my dosage and increase it.

I slipped into a deep, dreamless state and survived the marathon surgery.

When I woke up, a nursing intern was sitting by my bed, recording data. Seeing my eyes open, she immediately called for the doctors.

"Are you feeling any discomfort?"

I shook my head.

The lead doctor, after checking my incision and vitals, looked at me with a stern expression. "Sienna, how long has it been since you graduated? Have you forgotten everything you learned?"

I looked up, really looking at his face for the first time.

It was Dr. Evan Cole, my mentor from my residency days. He seemed even more serious now than I remembered.

He studied my chart for a long moment. "Your husband just sent a message to your phone. Do you want me to read it to you?"

I managed a weak nod.

He used my face to unlock the phone, and a notification immediately popped up.

It was a credit card charge.

For nearly two thousand dollars. The vendor was the "Seaside Hotel & Resort: Honeymoon Package."

Then, a text from Mark. "Hey babe, got called away on a work trip. I'll be back in a week. Sorry, things are just so crazy right now."

He must have sent it just moments ago, because right after it came a message from Anna.

【Hey sis, this ocean view is just too beautiful not to share.】

The picture was of her and Mark, tangled together in a large bathtub overlooking the ocean. I could see the dark marks of his kisses on her skin.

【Isn’t it gorgeous? Mark said he’s going to bring you here for your anniversary. Same room, same bed.】