The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 271

I thought my explanation was perfectly reasonable.

But it turned out that was just my wishful thinking.

Because right after, I heard Vivian say in absolute disbelief, "What a load of nonsense. Ferris always measures his actions carefully. There's no way he would delay treating a patient just for a meal. You must be misunderstanding something."

Spoken like a true mother. The facts were right in front of her, yet she still defended Ferris.

"I wouldn't say these things without proof," I said earnestly. "If you don't believe me, you can call Director Sterling to confirm it yourself."

Only after the words left my mouth did I realize my tone carried a hint of resentment and mockery.

Vivian seemed to catch it too. "Watch your tone," she said, displeased. "I will definitely look into this, but swapping attending physicians is out of the question. Ferris is your husband. You two work in the same place, yet instead of supporting his career, you're holding him back. Do you really think that's acceptable?"

Still the same accusatory tone.

I realized right then that communicating with Vivian was completely impossible.

"Here's what you're going to do. Call Dean Davidson," she ordered when I stayed silent. "Tell him you reconsidered and decided against changing the attending physician..."

"Vivian, I'm sorry," I said, catching her drift immediately and cutting her off without hesitation. "I can't do that."

Vivian likely hadn't expected someone as usually submissive as me to be so resolute. She paused, momentarily stunned.

Taking advantage of the silence, I explained further, "You say Ferris is my husband, but has he fulfilled a single duty to my family while Silas has been hospitalized? During that critical moment last night, if Dr. Hudson hadn't shown up in time, Silas would be..."

I choked up, a sudden lump forming in my throat. Taking a deep breath, I finished, "As a family member, what I need is an attending physician who takes responsibility for their patient. So, professionally and personally, I cannot agree to your demand."

"Are you out of your mind?" Vivian's voice spiked sharply. "Selena, do you even hear yourself right now?"

There it was again—that oppressive, overbearing tone.

Her fury was palpable.

In the past, an argument like this would have left me fraught with anxiety. My only focus used to be on how to salvage my marriage with Ferris, which meant compromising time and time again. I would tell myself to just endure it and it would pass. But reality proved that my concessions were entirely useless. The man I held in my heart didn't care about me or my family in the slightest.

Since that was the case, there was nothing left to salvage in this ruined marriage.

Easier said than done, of course. The Sterling family held vastly more power than the Hayes family. If it really came down to a fight, we were no match for them.

A lingering sense of frustration simmered in my chest.

Half an hour later, Lucille called me in a panic. "Selena, where are you? Get to the ICU right now."

I assumed Silas had taken a turn for the worse. But when I arrived, I realized the crisis had nothing to do with him—it was about Sabrina, who was studying halfway across the globe.