As Evelyn walked into the consultation room, her mind was consumed with thoughts of whether Jason would feel sorrow for her if the diagnosis turned out to be grave. Deep down, she knew the answer, yet she couldn't help but wonder.

The doctor for her follow-up was Director Leech from the breast department at People's Hospital. With over thirty years of clinical experience, he was a stern, serious-looking old man with a lean frame.

Director Leech, wearing thick glasses, stared at the computer screen with a grave expression. “You’ve grown 0.5 millimeters in three months; we can’t rule out the possibility of malignancy.”

Evelyn felt her heart drop, and her breath quickened. “Are you sure?”

“There’s also a chance it could be human error when the images were taken,” Director Leech paused for a moment. “If it grows by several millimeters, then we’ll know for certain, but this 0.5 is uncertain.”

“What are the chances of error?” Her face turned pale as she awaited her fate.

“Honestly, as long as it doesn’t exceed one centimeter, you should be fine. My recommendation is to come back in a month for another check-up. If it continues to grow, we’ll need to perform a biopsy.” He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Keep a good mindset, eat and drink well, and don’t let yourself get anxious or angry over anything unrelated to your health. A positive outlook will help your liver qi flow, and the nodule may resolve itself.”

Evelyn listened intently, committing each word to memory.

After the consultation, Director Leech prescribed two types of medication to dissolve the nodule. While waiting in line at the pharmacy to pick up her prescription, she encountered the last two people she wanted to see—Jason and Cecilia.

She quickly averted her gaze, clutching her chest and telling herself to stay calm, to not let these two deceitful individuals tarnish her eyes any further.

“Mis—” Cecilia started to speak but quickly corrected herself. “Mrs. Stark, what brings you to the hospital? Are you feeling unwell? I have connections here; would you like me to introduce you to someone?”

“No need.” Evelyn replied firmly, holding her head high as she walked past the two of them.

This time, she felt a surge of defiance and didn’t even glance at Jason.

Since Tyler had driven her, she began looking for a ride on her phone as soon as they exited the elevator. It was rush hour, and several main roads were heavily congested, making it difficult to get a driver. After multiple attempts, she still hadn’t received any responses.

Suddenly, a familiar honk sounded from her left.

She hesitated, suppressing the urge to turn around, and continued trying to hail a car. In Riverton, there were only two or three cars of the same model, so even if the honking car belonged to Jason, seeing it would only add to her frustration, especially with Cecilia around. Ignoring it seemed the best option.

The honk sounded again.

“Get in,” came the familiar and commanding voice.

That voice seemed to cast a spell, instantly draining her resolve. Despite her better judgment, she couldn’t help herself and turned to look, spotting Jason in the driver’s seat, his handsome face framed by the half-open window.

She glanced again, confirming that Cecilia was not in the car.

“Get in,” Jason repeated, his tone firm and unyielding.

Compelled by some unseen force, she found herself getting into the car, settling into the passenger seat.

The door closed, and the window slowly rolled up, isolating them from the outside noise, creating a bubble that separated their world from the chaos outside.

As the traffic light cycled from red to green, the car started moving.

If she hadn’t run into them just moments ago, Evelyn might have felt inclined to initiate a conversation. But now, she had no desire to speak at all.

A brief silence hung in the air before Jason was the first to speak. "Did the results come back?"

She closed her eyes, remaining quiet.

"Did it grow or shrink?"

"What did the doctor say?”

Jason fired off another question, but Evelyn acted as if she hadn’t heard him, remaining silent in her seat.

Winter sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a patchwork of shadows across Jason, his irritation fading into a quiet resolve.

After a torturous twenty minutes of stop-and-go traffic, they finally arrived at 9 Bliss Garden. As soon as the car stopped, Evelyn flung open the door and hurried toward the elevator, her pace frantic. In her haste, a small piece of paper slipped from her pocket, unnoticed.

Jason exited the car and picked it up, unfolding it to reveal the results of Evelyn's breast ultrasound. He read the words over and over, his irritation rising with the phrase in the bottom corner: "Follow-up recommended in one month."

With a cigarette in hand, he lit it, only to toss it to the ground halfway through. Finding a number in his contacts, he dialed. Just as he was speaking, Tyler’s call came in. He rejected it, finished his conversation, then redialed Tyler.

“Sir, I’ve traced yesterday's package information. Just like two years ago, it was forwarded from Lycheeville to Harborville, then from Harborville to Riverton. The sender is—” Tyler paused, “still Johnson.”

“Got it.”

As Jason hung up, the little warmth left in his gaze vanished, swept away by the cold breeze.

To accommodate Jason's mother’s friend, Evelyn had turned her half-day off for the hospital follow-up into two full days. The moment she got upstairs, she logged into the TV station's intranet and canceled her absence for this afternoon and tomorrow.

Since joining the station, she had been almost ruthlessly dedicated to her work.

The hours for anchors were unpredictable, and the station's evaluations were quite lenient—complete your duties and meet ad performance metrics, and attendance wasn’t strictly monitored. But not for Evelyn.

In Riverton, she had no family except for her one friend, Jean. With Jason unreliable, all her focus had to be on her job. Fortunately, her efforts had paid off; within just two years, she had risen from an ordinary field reporter to a leading anchor at the station.

Her schedule was packed, with endless overtime; she didn’t just take off days, often treating her routine days off as workdays. So, when she called yesterday to extend her leave, Director Logan had asked seriously if something had happened at home.

After changing into comfortable loungewear, she rummaged through the fridge, pulling out two eggs and a handful of greens. Boiling them with noodles, she drizzled two generous tablespoons of olive oil over the finished dish.

Director Leech’s words echoed in her mind; before the final results came in, she refused to deprive herself any longer.

Of course, it wasn’t just her stomach that needed care; her heart needed it, too.

She craved the carbs she had long avoided. She wanted the fried chicken and bubble tea she had sworn off. And as for that man who had made her heart ache for 24 hours straight, she would no longer let him occupy her thoughts, no matter what chaos he stirred up outside.

When Jason walked in, he found Evelyn casually twirling noodles onto her fork, bringing them to her mouth.

“Have you stopped dieting to look good on camera? Did the hospital scare you?”

She continued to eat slowly, clearly ignoring him.

“I saw the ultrasound report. The nodule is only 2.5 millimeters. What’s there to be worried about?” Jason added, placing the paper he had picked up on the dining table. “You’ve had a scowl on your face since we left the hospital. Are you intentionally sulking?”

Evelyn almost choked on her food, setting her chopsticks down. “I’m not sulking; I just don’t want to talk.”

Cecilia had a head injury, and he planned to take her to the Capital City to consult a top specialist. But what about her?

With a growing nodule, he didn’t even bother to help her find a better hospital and instead provoked her!

Upon hearing her speak, Jason's tense expression softened slightly. “What did the doctor say?”

“The report says everything; you’ve already seen it,” she replied, struggling to control her frustration.

“I’m asking what the doctor said, not the report.” Suddenly, Jason grasped her wrist tightly, his lips curling into a mocking smile. “You are my legal wife. Whether you’re seriously ill or not, as your husband, I have the right to know.”

The grip on her wrist was painful, and she furrowed her brows defiantly. “What kind of husband cares like that?”

“Cares?” Jason let out a cold laugh. “I’m not concerned about you. You have someone who cares for you, so my concern is irrelevant. I’m a businessman; I always seek profit and avoid harm.”

Her carefully repressed negative emotions surged to the surface. “What do you intend to gain or avoid?”

“Pack your things and come with me to the Capital City for a comprehensive check-up. If there’s a genuine risk of severe illness—” Jason’s eyes darkened, concealing thoughts others could not perceive.

“Then we’ll dissolve our marriage.”

Each word felt like an invisible knife, brutally tearing at Evelyn's heart, each slice drawing blood.

It’s often said, “Husbands and wives are like birds of the same forest; they separate when disaster strikes.”

And that saying couldn’t be truer!