Survived His Betrayal, He Tried to Own Me Again

Five years after the divorce, Cathy Collins ran into her ex-husband again at the hospital. He was there with his new wife for a prenatal checkup. She was now the attending OB-GYN. The moment Brian Woods walked into the exam room, he froze. Cathy was stunned for only a second before her expression returned to normal. She gestured for the pregnant woman to lie down on the bed. Cathy had no interest in figuring out what was behind his stare. She had stopped caring about him a long time ago. Looking over the report in her hand, Cathy spoke evenly, "Everything looks normal so far. The pregnancy is confirmed, it's intrauterine, about six weeks along." Relief spread across his wife's face. "That's amazing, Brian. Our baby's healthy." Cathy gave a polite smile. "This is a critical stage, so make sure you're getting balanced nutrition. Also, try to avoid s*x and any strenuous activity during the first trimester." Brian's expression tightened for a split second. Instinctively, he blurted out, "I didn't..." Cathy cut him off smoothly. "Any other questions?" His throat bobbed. "No." Cathy nodded. "Hormones can make emotions unstable during this stage. I hope the husband can be patient and supportive. The mother's physical and emotional well-being directly affects the baby's development." Every word was proper, professional, flawless. Brian parted his lips, but in the end, only a dry response came out. "Okay..." Cathy smiled politely, scribbled a few notes onto the chart, then stood up, clearly signaling the appointment was over. "That's all for today's checkup. Please schedule the next prenatal appointment at the nurse's station. Wishing you both all the best." Brian helped his wife to her feet. Right before leaving the room, he turned back for one last look. Cathy had already lowered her head, signaling the nurse to call in the next patient. The door closed. A few seconds later, it slammed open again. Brian strode back in, eyes red, voice shaking. "Cathy, about what happened back then..." Cathy raised a hand and stopped him immediately. Then she pointed toward the hallway outside the open door. A promotional board hung there, displaying her photo alongside a line in bold lettering: As a Miracle Fertility Specialist, Dr. Cathy Collins has helped thousands of infertile patients conceive. Her tone stayed calm and courteous. "Please don't worry. I'm a professional." Brian's voice turned hoarse. "You know that's not what I meant. This baby was an accident..." Cathy remained perfectly composed. "I have no interest in involving myself in your family matters. But pregnant women need a stable emotional environment. I hope you'll take responsibility for your wife." This time, Brian had nothing left to say. His wife called for him from outside, and he lowered his head before leaving in a hurry. Cathy calmly pressed the call button. The nurse beside her, who had been too scared to speak the entire time, suddenly whispered, "Dr. Collins... wasn't that the genius from our old medical school? The youngest Level One surgical specialist in the country?" "Maybe," Cathy replied casually. The nurse immediately leaned closer, dying for gossip. "What did he mean just now? Dr. Collins, do you two know each other?" Cathy answered lightly, "He's my ex-husband." The nurse's jaw nearly hit the floor. The next patient had already entered the room, so she swallowed her curiosity and waited until lunch break. After changing out of her white coat, Cathy lifted her arm, revealing a vicious, twisted scar across her abdomen. The nurse instantly forgot all about the gossip. "Dr. Collins... what happened to you?" Cathy unconsciously touched the ugly scar. For a moment, she drifted away in thought. It had been five years since her divorce from Brian and the loss of their baby. Somewhere during those years, she had changed from a hysterical woman driven insane by heartbreak into someone who had completely let him go. Seeing her silence, the nurse worried she'd touched a sore subject and hurriedly changed topics. "So... what kind of person is Dr. Woods, really?" Cathy suddenly laughed. "He's a very busy man." Back then, she'd suffered an ectopic pregnancy and needed emergency surgery. But Brian had skipped the consent signing because of an "important academic conference." The surgery had been delayed for too long, leaving complications behind, and she could never get pregnant again. Afterward, he emotionally shut her out and forced her into divorce. He had looked at her coldly and said, "I don't want my bloodline to end with me." And now it seemed he'd finally gotten what he wanted.