Chapter 12
“Are you out of your mind, Ethan?” Tessa snapped. “What I do is none of your business! We’re getting divorced soon!”
Ethan hadn’t signed the papers yet, but that was his issue. In her mind, their relationship was over, and they had nothing to do with each other anymore.
Even if she was going out with Zachary, what right did he have to intervene? After all, he was the one who had been cozying up to Charlotte. If she did anything, it would simply be to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“I haven’t signed the papers, so you’re still my wife!” Ethan grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eye. “How dare you mess around with another man! Do you think I’m dead, Tessa?”
Tessa almost laughed. Did he ever consider her feelings when he was busy comforting Charlotte and showering her with attention?
No, of course not. She had no place in his heart anymore.
Tessa met his gaze coldly and enunciated each word deliberately, “To me, you’re as good as dead!”
She figured that a decent ex should stay silent like a ghost, anyway.
“Tessa Langford!” Ethan was furious. His grip tightened painfully on her chin. “You disgust me!”
Even though she had already accepted that he no longer cared about her, his words still cut deep. Her jaw throbbed in pain, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.
Enduring the pain, Tessa spat back, “If I disgust you so much, why don’t you sign the papers already? Are you too much of a coward?”
No one had ever dared speak to him like that. Ethan’s face turned as dark as night. His eyes held a storm of rage, and it felt like they could burn her alive.
“Is this what you want? To provoke me? You’ve got guts, Tessa!” He grabbed her harder, even twisting her face out of shape with his force. “I’ll show you the consequences of provoking me!”
After saying that, Ethan let go of Tessa, only to grab her wrist and pull her out. His rigid back exuded an intimidating presence. Tessa stumbled behind him, a growing sense of unease rising within her. “Where are you taking me? Let me go!”
Elyse had said that she would remove Callum’s life support at 9:00 am, and the surgery would follow immediately after.
There was hardly any time left. If Tessa didn’t make it soon, she’d miss the surgery altogether.
Her heart pounded with anxiety. Without thinking, she began struggling desperately against Ethan’s grip. But his hand was like a vice, unyielding no matter how hard she fought.
Ethan didn’t even glance at her as he asked coldly, “You hooked up with Zachary and stole Charlotte’s corneas luet to L
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me, didn’t you?”
He yanked Tessa toward the car, opened the door, and shoved her into the passenger seat. “Then I’ll let you watch as your little scheme falls apart!”
His movements were rough, and Tessa’s head hit the top of the car with a loud thud. Pain shot through her skull, making her see
stars.
She didn’t know what he meant and wondered what he was trying to do. Unease crept within her. She reached for the door, desperate to escape, but Ethan locked it before she could even get a chance.
Tessa hammered her fists against the window. “Ethan, what the hell are you doing? Let me out!”
Ethan slid into the driver’s seat and immediately started the car. He sped down the road and weaved in and out of traffic.
Tessa had wanted to demand answers, but Ethan’s wild driving had her gripping the overhead handle so tight that she couldn’t form a single word.
Gradually, the familiar scenery on the sides of the road made her stomach tighten with dread. Her fear peaked when the car finally pulled into the hospital parking lot. She knew exactly what Ethan was planning
As he dragged her out of the car, she could no longer hold it in. “Ethan, are.you insane? Do you even realize how important those
comeas are
Ethan spun on his heel, his gaze cold as ice, cutting into her like a blade. “You think you can mess with me and fight for Charlotte’s corneas? Well, I’ll show you. No matter what you do, you’ll never take what belongs to her!”
Tessa’s eyes widened in horror. It turned out that Ethan was going to give the corneas to Charlotte! She wasn’t about to let him do
that.
Tessa hadn’t taken her medication this morning because of the surgery. Now, with the overwhelming panic, sharp pain began to stab at her eyes. Her vision was flickering to black at the edges.
She grabbed Ethan’s hand and tried to explain, saying, “Ethan, please, listen to me. I never wanted to get back at you or Charlotte. The corneas are important to me, too. My eyes-”
Before she could finish, she heard footsteps approaching, followed by Leon’s voice.
“Everything is set, Mr. Ziegler. Ms. Simmons can undergo the transplant surgery now.”
“No!” Tessa’s voice cracked as she screamed in panic. She quickly begged, “Ethan, please don’t give her the corneas. I swear I’m not lying. It’s important to me. If I don’t have the surgery, I’ll go blind. I-”
“Then go blind!” Ethan’s tone was chilling and devoid of any warmth. “Before you lose your sight, watch closely as your schemes fall apart. Get Charlotte into the operating room now!”
His words hit Tessa like a punch to the gut, leaving her numb and frozen.
見
Soon, Charlotte was wheeled into the operating room.
At the same time, Callum, already disconnected from all the life–support machines, was also wheeled in.
“No…” Tessa lunged forward to stop it. But Ethan grabbed the back of her neck, holding her in place. He forced her to stand there, helpless, as she watched it all unfold.
