Two Years in Prison for His Crime

Chapter 5 Broken and Leaving

Before Nia could react, Lina slapped her across the face.

Her cheek immediately swelled. Only after touching it did Nia realize tears had quietly streamed down without her noticing.

Lina shook her hand, sore and irritated. "Crazy! Going wild in the hospital at night. What bad luck!"

Nora kicked Nia. "Enough, enough. She must be out of her mind. Let's go before we get stuck with her."

The two quickly packed up, leaving in unison. Before walking out, they even threatened that Nia had to finish cleaning before she'd leave.

Nia said nothing. Once they were gone, she set down the mop and walked out of the hospital, her steps unsteady. She was exhausted, so drained she wanted to cry, yet even her tears felt dried up inside.

Back at home, not a single light was on. "Home" wasn't really home. It was Adrian's apartment; her name wasn't on the deed.

The last time she had argued with him over the hospital staff, she stormed out. Two days at a hotel drained her money, and she had returned with nothing but humiliation.

Adrian's gaze was unmistakable. It was mocking, disdainful, and indifferent, showing no hint of regret or care.

He said, "Next time, don't bother with such useless drama. Promotion depends on colleagues' evaluations. I won't fight with them for you."

But once, when they had just graduated from college and shared a rented apartment, Adrian had promised he would protect her forever and give her a real home.

The next morning, she tossed a pile of trash. The rest were the handmade things they had created together, each item carrying a piece of Nia's stubborn attachment to him.

Photos of the two of them, letters, ceramic dolls they had crafted, rings… She didn't know what to do with them, so she packed her suitcase and headed to a hotel.

A few days ago, Jasper had transferred her some money. With her salary, she could support herself for a year.

After showering, she lay on the bed, scrolling through videos to escape the turmoil in her mind, only to stumble upon Melody's social feed.

In the photo, Melody was smiling brightly at a mirror in the lounge, half of a slender figure visible beside her.

Melody: Today was another busy day. So many things happened. Thankfully, Adrian was by my side. He is always my pillar.

'Adrian…'

Nia's chest tightened involuntarily.

He now had the ability to shield his mistress. But back then, he had survived only because of her. If not for her, the one leaving prison today should have been Adrian.

In just two short years, everything had changed. When she was released, Adrian coldly called to say he was on duty and couldn't come get her.

So she returned to the hospital from memory, and as she arrived, she saw Melody and Adrian nestled together, sharing a single lunchbox.

Nia lay in bed, silently crying through the night. The next morning, she went to the hospital to resign.

She wasn't a formal employee, so the process was simple.

The head of HR looked at her with a mixture of pity and regret, sighing.

"Nia, are you sure about this? You joined the hospital with the best record in your cohort. Everyone had high hopes for you. Now… acceptance always takes time."

During her days in the hospital, Nia had been mocked, ignored, and excluded. But today, for the first time, someone felt sorry for her. Tears spilled uncontrollably.

She shook her head. "Thank you, Evelyn. I've made my decision."

A cold voice sounded from behind.

"What decision?"