Chapter 10
Heath’s expression hardened, and his piercing gaze locked on Veronica. “Is an apology really so hard for
you?”
Veronica met his eyes without flinching. “Then tell me, what exactly am I apologizing for? For loving the
children too much? Or for not arriving in time to stop my husband from bringing another woman into our bedroom and dressing her in my pajamas?”
Disappointment flickered in Heath’s expression. “When did you become so aggressive?”
Veronica gave a quiet, pitiful laugh.
So that was it. In his eyes, she was just… aggressive.
If she had been the one suffering from that allergic reaction, she wondered if Heath would have even
bothered to visit her.
She already knew the answer–he wouldn’t have.
-She wasn’t the one he wanted to protect. No matter how justified she was, her words meant nothing
because she wasn’t Eleanor.
She was tired of chasing dignity in a house that left her with none.
Veronica lowered her gaze, her pale lashes trembling faintly.
“Heath, let’s get divorced,” she said softly.
“Ah!”
Before the weight of her words could even settle, a shrill scream erupted from the far end of the hallway.
A woman, wild–eyed and barefoot in a hospital gown, came storming toward them from the far end. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her expression was manic. In her hand, she clutched a fruit knife.
“You filthy cheaters! If I’m going to die, I’m taking you with me! All of you! Die! Let’s all go to hell together!”
She shrieked as she charged at the group, slashing the air with the knife.
The hallway erupted into chaos. Patients and family members scattered, and screams echoed through
the building.
Eleanor’s face went pale. “Heath!”
He instinctively shoved her, Samuel, and Miriam behind him to shield them.
In the chaos, Veronica was pushed forward, straight into the path of the madwoman. She stumbled and fell hard onto the cold floor.
There was nowhere left to run.
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“Heath!” she cried out instinctively, her voice desperate.
But all she saw was the man turning his body to shield his first love, his arms wrapped tightly around
Eleanor.
Her eyes burned and shimmered with tears as the corners reddened.
When it came down to choosing, even with her life on the line, she was always the first one he threw
aside.
Heath’s gaze flickered when he finally turned. He reacted and tried to reach her. “Veronica!”
“Mom!” Samuel shouted.
“Dad, no! It’s dangerous!” Miriam cried.
The madwoman lurched against the wall for balance, then raised the knife with a crazed grin. “Time to
die, bitch!”
Veronica felt her heart sink, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
A hot tear rolled down her cheek.
If she were to get another life, she didn’t want to be anyone’s wife or mother. She just wanted to be
herself.
Just then, the knife clanged against something.
A cool, woody scent brushed past Veronica, as well as the lingering warmth of someone’s presence. It
wrapped around her like a quiet shield, stirring an inexplicable sense of safety deep in her chest.
The madwoman’s furious screams still echoed in her ears. She could hear the sound of a blade slicing through fabric, but the pain she was bracing for never came.
Veronica slowly opened her eyes, dazed.
A tall, unfamiliar figure stood firmly in front of her, a bare hand gripping the blade mid–air.
The man’s profile was striking- he had sharp bone structure, deep–set eyes, and a height of nearly six feet three. Though his face held a quiet elegance behind gold–rimmed glasses, there was something inherently dangerous about him.
Blood had already begun to seep through the white cuff of his dress shirt, but he didn’t seem to feel it.
With one hand, he had pinned the madwoman to the floor, not even flinching.
From within the surrounding crowd, Wanda was encircled by a team of bodyguards. She shouted anxiously, “Uncle Ashton!”
Ashton Fletcher turned at the sound of her voice. Behind the glint of his lenses, his gray eyes held the faintest hint of amusement.
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Veronica stared in disbelief. But before she could thank him, a wave of dizziness came crashing down, swallowing everything else.
She collapsed directly into his bloodied arm.
Just before she lost consciousness, she felt a shadow lingering over her, watching her intently.
“Seriously? You ungrateful thing, already passed out?” someone muttered softly above her.
When Heath saw the two of them embracing in the distance, something restless stirred in his chest. It was as if Veronica had completely forgotten she was already married.
Samuel tugged at Heath’s sleeve and murmured, “Dad, I think Mom has hemophobia. She always faints at the sight of blood.”
Heath’s brows eased, and he took a step forward.
Miriam’s tear–streaked face turned pale again as she suddenly screamed, “Dad! Ms. Turner fainted!”
The hospital staff and police quickly arrived, and the chaos was quickly brought under control.
“The woman lost her mind after discovering her husband had been cheating on her with her best friend. She was nine months pregnant. Her oldest daughter even helped them hide it.
“The shock caused her to miscarry. She hasn’t been mentally stable since, and something must’ve triggered her today…”
When Veronica finally woke up later that evening, a nurse informed her about what had happened.
The madwoman’s madness had been the final straw that broke her.
Veronica bit her lip. “I don’t have the right to press charges. She injured that man. It’s his call.”
The nurse replied, “Actually, he already left. He asked us to check with you instead.”
Caught off guard, Veronica noticed a slip of paper by her bedside. She stared at it for a moment before murmuring, “Let her get the needed treatment first.”
The man who had saved her was gone, but he had left his number behind.
Veronica picked up the note and saved the digits to her phone.
As she opened her WhatsApp, a new text popped up from Heath. He said, “Forget about the pajamas.”
Veronica’s lips twitched slightly. Without replying, she deleted the message.
Across every gossip site and entertainment platform, headlines exploded like wildfire.
“Eleanor Named Lifetime Brand Ambassador for Tate Group!”
“Tate Group CEO Spares No Expense for Eleanor’s Reality Show Debut!”
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“Eleanor Rushed to ER–Heath Calls in Nation’s Top Doctors!”
A video clip began autoplaying below one of the trending posts. It showed Heath facing reporters, his
voice cool and composed. He said, “I owe her, and I’ll make up for it hundred fold.”
The light in Veronica’s eyes dimmed as the video ended.
After the incident with the madwoman, Heath immediately had Eleanor transferred to another hospital.
He couldn’t risk her getting even the slightest injury.
Tate Group had never used a celebrity ambassador before. But this time, Eleanor wasn’t just the face of
the brand–she was the permanent face of it.
There was even a workplace reality show.
Heath had always been notoriously strict about keeping cameras out of Tate Group headquarters. But for Eleanor, he had made a rare exception and allowed the show to film inside the corporate headquarters.
It was the first time Veronica had seen him go this far for anyone.
Eleanor really was the one he cherished above all else.
A bittersweet smile tugged at Veronica’s lips.
Heath was a man who took his promises seriously. Once he made a promise, he never broke it. It was clear now that he and Eleanor were likely close to making things official.
Thankfully, she had woken up from the dream in time. Veronica let out a silent breath of relief.
She pulled out the drafted divorce agreement from her drawer and signed her name without hesitation.
The next morning, Veronica contacted a local courier to deliver the divorce agreement to Hillside Villa.
Heath would understand. This marriage had been a mistake from the start, and it was finally time to end
- it.
Veronica then called the number left by the man who had saved her.
His assistant answered instead.
Upon learning he had been transferred to Jouver Private Medical Center, she decided to visit in person.
Before leaving, Veronica made a pot of homemade chicken soup as something to help replenish his strength and packed it with her.
She also took a crisp, freshly pressed suit jacket from the closet. It was the one that Ashton had left
behind.
Meanwhile, at Jouver Private Medical Center, Eleanor had just fallen asleep after lunch.
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Miriam and Samuel were curled up beside her, also fast asleep.
Heath stood on the balcony, finishing the last drag of a cigarette. His gaze drifted through the glass to the
peaceful scene inside, and his features softened by the moment.
On the other end of the line, Walter was giving a status update and mentioned the woman with the knife
at the hospital.
Heath crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. His voice turned cold as he said, “She might not want to press charges, but I will.”
The image of Veronica, backed helplessly into a corner, flashed across his mind.
His brow furrowed. “Also, make arrangements to transfer her to a private facility.”
There was a beat of silence.
Walter hesitated, confused. “You mean…”
“Veronica,” Heath replied.
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Chapter 11
