Chapter 75: No Right to Bargain
Half an hour later, in the Chief of Staff's office, Ethan received the administrative decision.
“Ethan, you are an excellent doctor, and I trust your professional skills,” the Chief of Staff said. “Regardless of the truth, the situation is extremely damaging to you and the hospital. You are suspended immediately. Go home and rest for a while. We will form an investigation committee to clarify the matter.”
“Suspended.” The word was a heavy hammer blow to Ethan’s career. Damian had used his connections to get him fired from St. Mary's before. This time, he was framed. He knew that once he was labeled with "medical malpractice," even if he was cleared, the stigma might follow him forever. Damian’s tactics were crueler and faster than he'd imagined. He didn't argue, simply nodded, and accepted the decision.
Leaving the office, Ethan took off his white coat, folding it neatly before placing it in his locker. He ignored the sympathetic, pitying, or sometimes gloating looks from colleagues in the hallway. He went to a quiet corner, pulled out his phone, and typed quickly. His primary concern wasn't his career but Evelyn. Damian was using this to demonstrate absolute power, hoping to crush her spirit and force her into submission. He had to warn her.
He quickly drafted a message: [Evelyn, I've been suspended. Please, don't go back to Damian for my sake, don't do anything foolish.]
[This is not your fault. He's far more manipulative than we thought—this is just the beginning. Be careful, he has more planned. Don't contact me for now to avoid causing more trouble. Protect yourself.]
He hit send. Seeing the 'Delivered' confirmation, Ethan took a deep breath. Then, he decisively turned off his phone. He couldn't risk Damian tracking him and bringing any more danger to Evelyn.
In the mansion's bedroom, Evelyn finished icing her swollen ankle. The cold brought a momentary clarity. She leaned against the headboard, staring blankly out the window. Her phone vibrated abruptly on the nightstand. Numbly, she picked it up and unlocked the screen. It was Ethan's message.
As she read every word, the blood in her veins seemed to turn to ice. "I've been suspended..." "Be careful, he has more planned..." "Don't contact me for now..." The phone slipped from her trembling hand onto the carpet without a sound.
Evelyn’s mind went blank. Suspended? Ethan… suspended? Damian… he had promised her! He promised he would let Ethan go if she came back. Liar! He never intended to spare anyone. She had sacrificed herself, yet failed to protect anyone. This feeling of powerlessness and self-hatred was a thousand times more painful than any of Damian’s past humiliations. Tears wouldn't come anymore.
Evelyn snatched the phone up and frantically dialed Ethan's number. "We're sorry, the number you dialed is switched off..." She switched to texting, sending message after message. [Ethan? Are you okay?] [Call me back! Please!] [I'm sorry… I’m so sorry…] Every message vanished into the void, unanswered.
After the dead silence, a hysterical rage set in. Evelyn’s chest heaved. Her nails dug into her palms, threatening to draw blood. She surged off the bed. The stabbing pain in her ankle made her stumble, but she barely noticed. Barefoot, she rushed out of the bedroom.
The door was unlocked. She didn't even use her hand, instead slamming her body against the heavy solid wood. BANG! The huge sound echoed, jarring and loud, through the empty mansion.
Damian was sitting in a leather armchair by the window, legs crossed, looking relaxed. He was holding a file. At the sound, he merely lifted an annoyed eyelid, his gaze falling on Evelyn’s messy hair and bare feet. His brows furrowed. "Are you out of your mind, Evelyn? Can't you knock?"
Evelyn gasped for breath, her eyes blazing red. “Ethan! What did you do to him? You promised me!”
“Let him go?” He chuckled. “I merely gave his career a minor setback to remind him of his place. That was being generous, for your sake, Evelyn.”
She clenched her fists harder, the pain focusing her last bit of sanity. “What about Sophie?” she ground out. “Why are you suing her? What did she do wrong? Just because she's my only friend?!”
“Sophie,” he said slowly, “her mere existence is a mistake. She knows too much about things she shouldn't. Do you think I should keep her around?”
“Sacrificing an insignificant little designer to ensure the absolute stability of the company’s reputation, securing the IPO—it’s a perfect transaction.”
“Transaction?” Evelyn felt like she couldn't hear him properly. “She is a living person! My friend! Her career, her life—is all that just a ‘transaction’ to be calculated in your eyes?”
“What else?” Damian sneered. “Evelyn, you’re so naive. That’s how the world works, isn’t it? Survival of the fittest.”
He stood up, walking toward her. His tall shadow enveloped her, an suffocating presence.
“Do you think you have any right to make demands now?” His voice turned ice-cold. “Look at yourself. Besides the title of ‘Mrs. Green,’ what do you have? Eight years, and what can you do besides cook and arrange flowers?”
“You want me to drop the lawsuit against Sophie? Fine. Create value for me. Draw up a few designs that will shut up the board and prove you’re not a useless waste of space. Otherwise, don’t dare ask me for anything.”
“You have no right to demand anything now.”