The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 407

Once I left the Sterling family, the young doctor would undoubtedly take my place in no time.

Zoey flushed even deeper, her cheeks burning red, but she couldn't resist asking softly, "Selena, so... what did Mrs. Sterling say?"

She wanted to know Vivian's impression of her.

It seemed that despite her constant denials of dating Ferris, the young girl was fully mentally prepared to marry into the family.

"Mrs. Sterling already adored you, and after hearing more about you, she naturally likes you even more," I said with a smile, smoothly pivoting the conversation. "However, she did leave me with one strict instruction before she left."

"What is it?" Zoey asked, her ears tinged pink, looking at me with eager anticipation.

"She asked me to keep this a secret. She probably doesn't want Director Sterling to find out." I smiled warmly at her.

Zelda looked enlightened. "That makes sense. Since Director Sterling hasn't officially brought you home to meet the family yet, the fact that Mrs. Sterling is privately looking into you might upset him, even if she's thrilled with the result. He's always so protective of you; he'd probably feel like she wasn't respecting your boundaries."

Zelda's reaction genuinely surprised me. Just minutes ago, she was fiercely suspicious, and now she was practically making my excuses for me.

With Zelda backing me up, Zoey bought every word without hesitation and nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, Selena. I won't say a word to Ferris about this. Zelda and I will keep it a secret."

That was exactly what I needed to hear.

As long as Zoey didn't tell Ferris about my meeting with Vivian, I was in the clear. Feeling a massive wave of relief, I stood up. "Alright, it's a promise then. I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to head back and rest."

"Take care, Selena."

My anxiety finally ebbed away, but my facial muscles felt stiff from forcing a smile. I was mentally and physically exhausted.

A profound sense of weariness crashed over me, completely drowning out the bitterness and sorrow in my heart.

People treat you based on your standing. The real reason Vivian constantly picked on me wasn't that I wasn't good enough—it was because my husband, Ferris, didn't love me.

He didn't love me, so he allowed Vivian to tear me down. And because Vivian knew he didn't care, she only escalated her abuse.

Zoey was Ferris's precious favorite. He catered to her every need. There was no way he would ever let Vivian bully her. He would protect her with his life.

I was really worrying about nothing.

Right now, the only thing I needed to worry about was my own health. My head was heavy and spinning, and my vision blurred. The short walk to the elevator felt incredibly difficult.

Just as I reached the corner, my legs gave out. The world went black, and I pitched forward.

"Careful."