Chapter 2: Nefarious ContractThe Key That Failed

The silence that followed swallowed everything around us.

Blake froze for a moment, then he pulled me into his arms. "I'll explain everything. Go home. We can talk after you calm down."

I was going to get pushed out, then my father raised his voice. "You have no right to talk about divorce, Helena!"

Blake pretended to stop him, but my agitated father continued, "All you do is work, work, work! Helena's the one taking care of me! She helped you take care of Blake! You haven't done a single day of your duty!"

Something squeezed my heart, and the pain made it impossible to breathe. My father was calling me a failed daughter just to defend the bastard girl who drove my mother to her death.

My best friend spoke up. "She's the one who stepped up when I was harassed. You were working and wouldn't even take the call. I was lucky she was there. You have no right to give her attitude."

Even my most important friend wouldn't take my side.

My brother pulled me. "Helena's taken care of us in your place. Just turn a blind eye, will you?"

This was absurd, all of it. So, this was how it felt to be betrayed by those closest to you.

"Enough! Everyone stop talking!" Blake wrapped his arms around my shoulders tightly, the edges of his eyes red. "We're not getting divorced, and stop bringing it up. Everything I did was to keep this family together."

I laughed at myself. They wanted to get along with the one I hated most. I was never in the equation.

Blake kept on persuading, "Now that you know the truth, you can make it up with Melinda, and we can all get along swimmingly."

I stepped back, staggering and wobbling as I stared at this man whom I thought I knew well enough.

My father was the one who brought his mistress and her child home. Furious and sorrowful, my mother jumped off a building.

Blake promised he would get revenge for me and swore he would never become someone like my father. My father and brother cried their hearts out during the service, and they spoke of repentance until dawn broke.

That was all an act. I was crying audibly, and I clenched my teeth. "Get along with her all you want, but leave me out of it!"

I swiveled and went to the exit, refusing to spare them another moment.

"Helena, I can explain!"

Blake chased after me and was going to stop me, but someone in the living room gasped. "Melinda's having another low blood sugar episode!"

Blake pulled his hand back without saying anything and quickly turned back. The momentum made me roll down two flights of stairs. My knee crashed against the steps, and parts of my bone jutted into the air. Blood trickled down my calf.

None came out of that door again. I got up and hobbled right back to the bus station, then I took a bus to the hospital, which is located in the suburb on the other side of the city.

I went to HR right away and declared, "I'll study abroad, Jessica. Go through the procedure."

Surprised, Jessica teased, "Are you sure you can leave your husband behind? He loves you so much. The hospital knows of your story."

A bitter smile tugged on my lips. This was ironic.

Jessica helped me fill in the form, and she said, "This would've been trouble if that contract hadn't expired."

My heart sank. "What contract?"

"The one your husband came up with. He asked the director to keep you here and give you double the benefits. On one condition: you cannot be reassigned to any other hospital. Good thing it's expired, or you can't even leave."