The Unwanted Wife is A Genius Doctor

Chapter 6 Fractured

The glass ashtray shattered into pieces, with one shard cutting across Lavinia's calf.

Her back trembled slightly as blood trickled down her leg.

Lucas let out an impatient tsk, his frustration evident. "Can't you avoid something like this? Always creating problems for others."

Seeing that she remained still, he added, "What are you standing there for? Playing the victim? Do you think I'll feel sorry for you?"

Facing the familiar surroundings of the house, Lavinia's voice was eerily calm.

"I've already signed the divorce papers. You'll have them in a few days. Let's finalize everything this week."

So, this is how it feels when genuine love gets treated like trash, tossed aside without a second thought.

Lavinia numbly walked out of the Sterling Manor where she'd spent years of her married life.

When she returned to her newly rented apartment, she quickly cleaned and bandaged the wound before resting.

The next day, as she left her apartment, she didn't expect to run into an old acquaintance in the elevator.

Ethan Grant had his hands casually tucked into his coat pockets. When he spotted Lavinia, a hint of surprise crossed his handsome face.

"Lavinia?"

Ethan had been her senior in a neighboring program back in college. She never thought they'd end up living in the same building.

After some small talk, Lavinia learned that he was pursuing his doctorate at Lynelle University.

Ethan brought up the topic directly, "I heard you got divorced. Is that true?"

Lavinia wasn't one to shy away from her past. She gave a faint smile.

"Yeah. Now I'm part of Dr. Sterling's research project. That's actually where I'm headed now."

Hearing this, Ethan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "James Sterling? How did you manage to get into his project?"

Lavinia, who had left the medical field for two years, wasn't particularly familiar with James. But to others, James was practically untouchable. His project was highly coveted, and his rigorous standards left most people disqualified.

"It was Mr. Flores who arranged it," Lavinia said matter-of-factly.

Ethan withdrew his gaze from her, nodding. "Ah, right. I almost forgot—you were always his favorite student back then."

He jingled his car keys. "Heading to the research institute, right? I'll give you a ride. It's on my way."

During the drive, Ethan chatted nonstop while Lavinia occasionally chimed in with short responses. The institute wasn't far, so they arrived quickly.

When they reached the entrance, Ethan looked at her expectantly. "Lavinia, how about I pick you up later? Have dinner with me?"

Lavinia understood his underlying intentions and politely declined. "Sorry, Ethan. I've got a lot going on right now."

Unfazed, Ethan replied, "That's fine. I'll ask again once things settle down for you."

Before Lavinia could respond, he gave her a smile, lightly pressed the gas, and drove off.

At the research institute, Lavinia's arrival didn't go unnoticed.

New faces were rare in the building, and her striking appearance drew curious whispers.

"Isn't that Charlotte Westwood everyone's been talking about?"

"I heard she's applying to join Dr. Sterling's research team. That's so impressive!"

"Charlotte is a big name at Lynelle University. Haven't any of you seen her? She doesn't look like this at all!"

Ignoring the gossip, Lavinia made her way to the third-floor lobby.

The door to the conference room was shut tight. A seminar, led by James, was in session.

When it concluded, the room erupted in applause, and participants trickled out one by one.

At the back, James continued answering questions as others surrounded him.

When he finally spotted Lavinia waiting in the lobby, he walked straight toward her.

Instantly, Lavinia felt countless eyes on her. Keeping a low profile, she greeted him quietly, "Mr. Flores mentioned you were looking for me?"

Without breaking stride, James said, "Yeah. Let's talk in the car."

Lavinia hesitated for a moment before quickly following him.

In the car, Lavinia handed back the freshly laundered coat he had loaned her.

James glanced at it briefly before tossing the bag onto the back seat. "You're about to join the project team. I'll need an evaluation of your disease risk prediction model by the weekend."

He opened his laptop as he spoke. "The specific requirements are all here. You'll need to source the data yourself."

Despite the challenging task, Lavinia didn't flinch. After estimating the workload, she took a deep breath and said, "Understood."

James seemed a bit surprised by her immediate response. Lavinia was undoubtedly smart, but constructing a complete model would normally take at least a week.

"Just so you know, I have very high expectations," he added.

Lavinia kept a serious expression and jotted down the details in her notebook. "Got it."

With that, James made it clear their conversation was over.

"Anything else?"

Taking the hint, Lavinia got out of the car. "No, that's all. Thanks for your time."

He nodded before driving off, leaving Lavinia standing at the curb.

Over the next few days, Lavinia spent nearly all her time in front of her computer.

By the weekend, she had completed the model and sent it to James. Closing her laptop, dark circles were prominent under her eyes.

Exhausted, she stumbled to her phone and dialed Rachel.

"I'm not feeling well. Can you come over tonight?"

There was a brief pause before a deep, masculine voice replied instead.

"As your PI, I don't believe that's a service I provide."

The rich baritone echoed in the quiet night, leaving Lavinia's mind buzzing.