No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 645

At eight o’clock in the evening, Eleanor asked Joslyn to keep her daughter company downstairs while she went into her study and logged into her scheduled video call with Dr. Smith.

Her father’s old notebook sat beside her, a silent companion.

“Dr. Sutton, thank you for making time to speak with me.” Dr. Smith adjusted his glasses and flipped through a report on the screen.

“Of course. I’m very interested in the rare RH-negative variant you mentioned,” Eleanor replied. “My father actually studied similar cases before he passed.”

Smith’s expression held no surprise. “Yes, I remember. I used to correspond with your father online about this, though we never had the chance to meet in person. I regret that.”

Eleanor blinked, startled. So Smith and her father had exchanged messages? But considering Ian had funded Smith’s lab, it made sense Ian would have introduced her father.

She said, “My father’s research was far from complete. Much of it was speculation—”

“The technology back then was limited,” Smith interrupted, “but with recent medical advances and the help of AI, we’ve been able to gather much more data.” As he spoke, a set of charts appeared on the screen.

Eleanor leaned in, studying the graphs. Smith continued, “One aspect of this illness is its hereditary nature.”

“Hereditary?” Eleanor narrowed her eyes.

“That’s right,” Smith explained, his tone analytical. “The inheritance pattern differs depending on whether the gene comes from the mother or the father. If the mother carries it, there’s about a fifty-percent chance her daughter or granddaughter will inherit the trait. The odds are high, but there’s no pattern to when or how the illness presents itself.”

Eleanor frowned, realizing how dangerous such a disease could be for any family.

Smith went on, “If future generations want to have children, modern technology allows for thorough genetic screening.”

Eleanor nodded. “What treatment options exist right now?”

“Once the disease is identified, we recommend annual stem cell infusions to slow its progression. If possible—” Smith hesitated, “the best chance is an early bone marrow transplant.”

Eleanor asked, “What about carriers?”

“Carriers need regular check-ups to monitor for symptoms and delay the onset. Actually, I have a patient who’s been stable for years with regular stem cell infusions—her health is indistinguishable from anyone else’s.”

Eleanor smiled. “That’s incredibly fortunate.”

“She really is lucky. She has a wonderful—” Smith caught himself, then chuckled. “Dr. Sutton, I’ll send you a detailed file. After you’ve reviewed the data, I’d love to discuss it further with you.”

“Absolutely,” Eleanor agreed.

Eleanor watched Ian carry Evelyn into the elevator lobby, then turned and headed back home. Joslyn was surprised to see her return alone. “Ma’am, you’re back already?”

“Her father’s dropping her off today,” Eleanor replied, pouring herself a glass of warm water.

“Will you have breakfast at home?”

“Yes, please. I’ll head to work around ten.” With that, Eleanor went upstairs to her study.

She sat and opened the folder Dr. Smith had sent. Each file was dated. She clicked on one from nine years ago—this must be the case Smith had mentioned.

The patient’s name was omitted; only the code “011” appeared. The patient was a fifty-year-old woman of Asian descent, with notes on her early symptoms and detailed physiological data.

As Eleanor read, she realized how much effort Smith must have put into saving her. This case had progressed rapidly, not in the usual slow fashion. Nine years ago, the woman had undergone a critical stem cell transplant—her donor was listed only as “S.”

The surgical notes indicated the operation was a success. Within three months, the patient’s health had returned to normal.

Eleanor couldn’t help but marvel. For someone with this kind of rare blood disorder, finding a compatible stem cell donor was almost impossible—the donor had to have a specific genetic sequence. Some people could search the whole world and never find a match.