"Did you see Dr. Lucas today? He's so handsome!"
"He is, but he's already taken! I heard Dr. Smith from the ER, who just returned from abroad, used to be a couple with Dr. Lucas."
"That's quite a match."
Outside the OB/GYN clinic at the downtown hospital, a group of nurses chatted animatedly.
Harper Taylor lowered her gaze, taking in every word. Dr. Lucas had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was her.
It didn't take much for Harper to realize that the Dr. Lucas they were talking about was her husband, Joseph Lucas.
Unfortunately, only a handful of people knew this.
Joseph was a prominent neurologist at the hospital, with a face more handsome than any celebrity, well-known throughout the city's medical community. No wonder he caught so many people's attention.
At that moment, a middle-aged woman with permed hair hurried over. It was Joseph's mother, Ava Brown, Harper's mother-in-law in name.
She asked Harper, "Haven't they called your name yet?" She was so worried as if her own daughter were pregnant.
Harper collected her thoughts and glanced at the display screen; there was only one person ahead of her.
"Almost."
In just two minutes, Harper's name was called over the intercom, directing her to examination room three. Ava, even more anxious, pulled her inside.
The young doctor, wearing glasses, motioned for Harper to sit. "What seems to be the problem?"
Harper sat calmly. "I'm actually not feeling unwell."
Ava, sitting beside her, looked at her disapprovingly. "Doctor, she needs a comprehensive gynecological examination. It's been three years since she got married, and we're not sure if it's an issue with her ovaries or hormones."
The doctor glanced at Harper, seemingly surprised that someone so young-looking had been married for three years.
"In this case, it's advisable for the husband to come in for a check-up as well."
Before Harper could speak, Ava interjected, "My son is in great health. How could he have any problems!"
Harper remained silent. It had been three years since their marriage, but she and Joseph had never been intimate. Wasn’t it strange that she was the one being examined?
But her silence was taken as acquiescence by the doctor.
The doctor said with some regret, "You're young, so the problem should not be significant. Let's start with a hysteroscopy."
Harper glanced at Ava, who had a cold expression, and stood up to follow the doctor.
It was just an examination, and it would soon be over.
Inside the examination room, Harper saw some medical instruments next to the bed.
Harper thought these instruments were similar to the ones used for her ultrasound when she had a stomachache as a child, so she reassured herself that there was nothing to be afraid of.
Without looking at her, the doctor put on a pair of gloves and said, "Take off your pants and lie on the bed."
Harper was momentarily stunned, leaning on the bed and asked, "What?"
"Take off your pants."
Harper's heart raced, and in that second, she realized what kind of examination she was about to undergo.
Harper swallowed hard, and a sense of panic inexplicably spread throughout her body. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Ava was just outside, what could she say?
Should she say that she and Joseph were healthty, but they just hadn't had sex?
Joseph was a good doctor, but not a good husband. In their three years of marriage, he had treated her as nothing more than an accessory.
It was too difficult for Harper to say such things. What would Ava do if she knew the truth? Just the thought of it made Harper anxious.
'Forget it.' She thought.
Harper gritted her teeth and quickly took off her pants before the doctor lost patience, lying stiffly on the bed.
It was just a hymen, which was not a big deal. Endure it, and it would be over soon!
"Spread your legs and hold your knees." As the doctor spoke, she approached with the instrument, and the monitor next to her made a slight sound, which made Harper afraid.
For a moment, Harper felt her exposed legs tense to the point of cramping, and a strong sense of shame and uncontrollable fear made her want to faint and play dead.
Her palms were sweaty. She clenched her fists tightly, and her nails digging deep into her palms.
"Relax. Don't be nervous."
The doctor had already bent down, and Harper closed her eyes, feeling the coolness between her legs getting closer.
However, the anticipated discomfort did not come, and the sound of the instrument's current abruptly stopped. Harper secretly opened one eye.
'Was the instrument broken?'
The next moment, the doctor walked outside the curtain, and a clear voice came from outside.
"Dr. Lucas, what brings you here?"
Harper's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly jumped off the bed and pulled up her pants.
Why was Joseph here?