The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 3

Three years ago, my father had been caught in a violent dispute at the hospital and accidentally taken two stab wounds meant for the newly appointed Ferris.

Grateful for his bravery, the Sterling family promised a handsome reward, but to everyone's shock, my father requested a marriage alliance between our families.-

The Sterlings were one of the most prominent, elite families in all of Port Capital, while my father was merely a manager at a small pharmaceutical company. In the eyes of the entire Sterling family, this marriage proposal was nothing but emotional blackmail.

I wasn't there when it happened. When Ferris tracked me down, he was holding a prenuptial agreement, his eyes filled with a cold, condescending detachment. "A three-year marriage. It terminates automatically upon expiration. If there are no objections, I'll see you at City Hall tomorrow morning."

The man I had dreamed of day and night was standing right in front of me. Like someone possessed, I signed the agreement.

But I failed to notice the very first clause printed clearly on the page: "Never harbor any illusions that we are a real married couple."

Tears soaked the paper as I stared at the word "couple" on the contract, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

So, Ferris, what exactly were these last three years to us?

I didn't sleep a wink. The loud ringing of my phone snapped me back to reality.

The caller ID displayed a landline number.

"Hello, Ms. Hayes. This is the HR Department at Capital General Hospital. Please come in for the written exam at 10 AM tomorrow. I've sent the specific location to your phone."

Capital General HR.

Only then did I remember that a few days ago, my master's advisor, Professor Lucas, had recommended a few of us for an interview at Capital General. Word was that the entire medical school only received six slots, and to my surprise, I was one of them.

Capital General was where Ferris shined. It was the dream workplace of every medical student and a place where I had once fantasized about commuting to work alongside him.

Looking back, it had all been my own pathetic wishful thinking.

It was laughable, really.

"Ms. Hayes, will you be able to make it on time tomorrow morning?"

The reminder caught my attention. I glanced at the prenuptial agreement, then at the morning-after pill sitting next to it. After a two-second hesitation, I replied, "Yes, I'll be there right on time."

I figured, since love was slipping through my fingers, I had better secure my career.

I spent the entire day preparing for the written exam. But just as dinner approached, my mother-in-law, Vivian Vance, showed up unannounced.

I hadn't even tried yet, and based solely on a single sentence from Vivian, I was supposed to give it all up?

No. I couldn't do it.

I could no longer be the blindly devoted fool who put Ferris above everything else. It was time to wake up from this fabricated dream of a marriage I had spun for myself.

"Vivian," I heard myself say, my tone gentle yet firm. "I am going to take that exam tomorrow morning."

I wasn't discussing it with her; I was stating my decision as a hard fact.

Vivian clearly hadn't expected me to defy her. After a brief moment of shock, she stared at me in disbelief. Then, looking past me, she let out a soft scoff. "Ferris, did you hear that?"

I slowly turned around and immediately spotted Ferris standing in the entryway.

Tiny drops of water clung to the ends of his soft hair, and he still carried the damp chill of the winter night.

But wasn't he on call? Why had he suddenly come back?