18 Hours of Surgery Couldn't Save Our Marriage

After a devastating car accident, Derek is saved by his wife, Grace, a brilliant surgeon who spends eighteen hours in the operating room to rescue him. However, his first request upon waking is a divorce. While family members and Grace herself are baffled by his cold rejection of their happy life, Derek remains adamant. He claims his decision stems from a desire to shield her professional reputation, even as he faces intense pressure to reconsider. His hidden regrets drive him to push her away permanently.

Chapters

Chapter 1

A car accident left me with severe brain injuries. I was left hanging by a thread.

My wife, a renowned medical genius, personally operated on me for 18 consecutive hours, pulling me back from death's grasp.

Yet, the first words I said to her after waking up were, "Grace, I want a divorce."

Her eyes were filled with tears. "Derek, I just saved your life, and now, you want to leave me? Is it because I've been too busy at the hospital? Because I haven't spent enough time with you?"

I frowned. "It's exactly because you saved me that I want this divorce. I won't let you sacrifice your reputation for me."

The family elders tried to reason with me. "Grace is such a wonderful wife. She takes care of everything and loves you deeply. Why insist on a divorce? Why throw away such happiness?"

No matter who approached me, I dismissed them with the same response. "If you think she's so perfect, then she'll be available once we're divorced."

The elders were furious. "Fine! Get your divorce! But don't come crying to us when you regret it!"

I whispered under my breath, "The only thing I regret is not divorcing her sooner."

The door to the hospital ward burst open as my mother charged inside.

"You ungrateful wretch! Grace didn't sleep for three days trying to save you, and the moment you wake up, you spout this nonsense?"

I looked down. "Haven't you always wanted a daughter? Why don't you take her as one? Such a wonderful woman is wasted on me anyway."

"You!" Mom trembled with rage.

Grace Reed steadied her, saying gently, "Mary, please don't get upset. Derek just woke up. His mind isn't clear yet."

I let out a cold laugh. The way she called my mother was so intimate.

The attending physician entered, frowning as he glanced at Grace, whose eyes were red and swollen.

"Mr. Hudson, you just came back from death's door. Your health should be the priority. As husband and wife, you shouldn't fight when you just cheated death."

I closed my eyes, refusing to engage. The ward fell silent except for the monotonous beeping of the medical equipment.

Shortly after, a student nurse entered carrying a syringe. "Ward 6, time for your blood work."

She held the needle, repeatedly positioning it over the back of my hand. The first attempt missed the vein. A drop of blood appeared as she frantically pressed a cotton swab to the spot.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She tried a different spot, her hands shaking even worse. The second needle went straight through the blood vessel.

Sharp pain shot through me as cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The rage inside me ignited completely.

"Get out," I growled.

The nurse was on the verge of tears.

"What's happening here?" A clear male voice came from the doorway.

Ryan Cross, Grace's graduate student, walked in. Seeing the nurse's distressed state, he frowned. "Can't you handle something this basic?"

He looked at Grace with obvious concern. "Dr. Reed, you haven't rested? You look awful."

Grace's previously tense expression unconsciously softened when she saw Ryan. "It's fine. I'm used to it. What brings you here?"

"I finished my shift and was worried, so I came to check." Ryan naturally took the syringe from the nurse's hands. "Let me handle this."

I swatted away his approaching hand.

"Keep your filthy hands away from me," I said through my labored breathing.

The head nurse who had just entered was furious. "What kind of man are you? You've managed to offend everyone in our hospital by taking your anger out on us. I think someone as wonderful as Dr. Reed should definitely leave you."

I laughed bitterly. "She absolutely should."

Mom grabbed my hand, sobbing hysterically. "Derek, what's gotten into you? Don't frighten me like this!"

Grace's usually calm, dark eyes showed a hint of hurt as she tugged at Mom's sleeve. "Mary, Derek just woke up and needs rest. Let's step outside."

I wearily closed my eyes as they filed out one by one. Once the ward was completely quiet, I struggled to sit up.

My body felt like it had been torn apart. I was unable to summon even an ounce of strength. The aftermath of the car accident was far more severe than I had imagined.

Continue to next part

After my second chance at life, I took the initiative to sever all possible ties with Rhett. When he chose to live in the east of the city, I bought a house in the west, putting a whole town between us. On the rare occasion he brought the child to my house for a meal, I would lock myself in my room and pretend to be sick, refusing to see him. When I heard he had volunteered to transfer to our area to work at the factory, I immediately submitted my resignation letter that very night. Seizing the opportunities of the economic boom, I headed south. In my previous life, I had loved him for forty years, and for forty years, he had belittled me. He constantly compared me to his unattainable ideal, blaming me for ruining his dream of becoming a factory director. Even as I lay dying, he shamelessly planned his wedding with his perfect fantasy. My stepson, whom I had raised with care, was busy helping with the wedding preparations, abandoning me to face death alone. Having lived through such a failed life once, I swore I would never endure it again.

Fantasy Modern Romance

8.4

After Mother Died, the Don Followed Her

8.4

After Mother Died, the Don Followed Her follows a young girl witnessing her mother’s terminal illness. As her father openly pursues another woman, her mother stops fighting and instead demands a million dollars for every night he spends away. While her health fails and she coughs up blood, she focuses on securing her daughter's inheritance. Despite her father's cold indifference, the mother spends her final days preparing her child for a future alone.

Billionaire Mafia Modern Romance

8.1

After My Best Friend Replaced Me with Her

8.1

For years, Lily and Sarah were inseparable, sharing every secret and milestone. However, their bond shatters when Sarah suddenly prioritizes her new boyfriend over their lifelong connection. Feeling abandoned and replaced, Lily struggles to navigate her senior year alone. As she deals with the sting of betrayal, she must find her own identity outside of their friendship. This emotional journey explores the painful reality of outgrowing the people you love most.

Modern Romance Young Adult

9.0

For Those Who Wait

9.0

The mystery story For Those Who Wait follows a woman who uncovers her fiancé's betrayal through an accidental identity swap with Raine Miller. She realizes Bruno Russell's five-year refusal to touch her wasn't out of concern for her heart, but devotion to another. His interest in their marriage was merely a scheme to acquire her father's corporation. Choosing independence over a lie, she sells her shares and disappears, leaving Bruno with nothing.

Billionaire Modern Mystery Romance

9.1

On My Brother's Bed

9.1

"You walked into my room, Astrid. No bra. No panties. What did you expect me to do? Pray?" "I expect you to look away." "Look away?" he chuckled in a low, dangerous tone as he trod toward me. "Baby, I've looked away for damn five years." ~ When Astrid returns home for summer, she's expecting chill nights and zero drama. Except her brother's best friend–Rhett Rivers–is crashing at their house. And he has grown into every bit of the trouble she shouldn't want. One time at a party leads them to an unforgettable one nightstand What if Astrid Cole realizes she'd not just had sex with her brother's best friend but also let him touch her in some kind of way she never felt?

Action Modern Romance

9.4

The Fallen Heiress's Debt to the Billionaire

9.4

I was once the princess of the Upper East Side, but now I’m just "debt wrapped in pretty skin." To keep my father alive in a federal penitentiary, I signed a contract I didn't fully understand. I thought it was about restoring my family's name, but producer Barnett Orr treated it like a bill of sale for my soul. Inside his limousine, the air smelled like gasoline and fear. Barnett didn't want a star; he wanted a victim. He bruised my jaw and ripped my vintage silk gown to shreds, laughing because he knew I couldn't fight back without signing my father's death warrant. "Don't forget who owns you, Felicity," he whispered. When he dragged me into Dewitt Knight’s penthouse party, I was a walking disaster. I huddled in Barnett’s oversized jacket, my lip bleeding and my spirit shattered. The elite crowd didn't see a victim; they saw a fallen girl selling herself for a role. A former rival poured red wine over me, and the room erupted in cruel laughter while Barnett told everyone he was just "testing my commitment." I looked up at the balcony, locking eyes with Dewitt Knight. He was a god in a bespoke suit, looking down at me with cold, lethal disgust. He didn't see the bruises or the desperation. He only saw a transaction he found beneath him. "So the rumors are true," he said, his voice cutting through the music. "The Aguilars really will do anything for money now. Even this." I was trapped between a monster who wanted to break me and a man who thought I was trash. No one cared that my father's life depended on my silence. When Barnett cornered me in a guest room later that night, his belt jingling like a death knell, I realized no one was coming to save a girl like me. I fought back with a crystal vase, shattering it against his shoulder, but I was drowning in my own terror. Just as Barnett lunged for my throat, the door was kicked off its hinges. Dewitt stood there, finally seeing the blood on the carpet and the map of purple bruises on my bare back. He chased the monster away, but I didn't feel safe. I locked the guest room door, wedged a chair under the handle, and slept with a silver letter opener pressed against my skin. When I crept into the kitchen at midnight and found him waiting in the shadows, I aimed the blade at his heart. "In this house, no one hurts you," he promised, his voice a low velvet rumble. But in a world where I had already been sold once, I knew that even protection came with a price I couldn't afford to pay.

Billionaire Horror Modern

18 Hours of Surgery Couldn't Save Our Marriage

Chapter 1

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