Part 1Putting My Wife on Trial

The lab exploded. My wife spent the night giving blood to one of her male students. And I filed for divorce.

Everyone who knew us knew that my wife, Dr. Elena Hayes, loved me more than life itself. The director of the Institute and her colleagues all came to talk me down.

"Steve, it was just a blood donation. She was saving a life. That's a good thing. You're going to throw your marriage away over that?"

"You two have such a strong bond. A divorce? It'll kill her!"

And they were right. Elena loved me enough to die for me. When that lab exploded years ago, she was the one who shielded me with her own body. I walked away without a scratch. She suffered a severe concussion and almost didn't wake up.

But all I said, my voice flat and cold, was, "We either go to the courthouse, or we let the lawyers handle it."

* * *

My words struck Elena like a physical blow. Her face, already pale from the blood donation, turned a ghostly white. Still, she forced herself to stand, reaching for my hand.

"Steve, please, try to understand. Leo just got out of critical condition. I couldn't just stand by and let him die."

She moved closer, and the sterile, antiseptic smell clinging to her made my stomach turn. I shoved her away.

"Don't touch me."

She stumbled backward, catching her heel and falling to the floor with a muffled cry of pain. I watched, unmoved, as she lay there, a sheen of sweat on her forehead from the pain.

But she didn't blame me. She just looked up at me, her voice deliberately soft. "Steve, I gave four hundred milliliters. I'm so dizzy... I need some soup or something to get my strength back, or I'm going to faint."

I recognized the look in her eyes. It was her way of surrendering. In the past, no matter how vicious our fights, the moment she changed the subject and softened her tone, I would always calm down.

This time, it only fueled my rage.

I towered over her, my voice like ice. "Either you sign the divorce papers now, or you can die right here in front of me."

With that, I stepped around her and headed for the bedroom.

She lunged, grabbing the cuff of my pants, her voice a desperate plea. "A divorce? Just because I gave blood to a student? I swear to you, Steve, there is nothing going on between us." Her eyes were wide with confusion, as if she genuinely couldn't comprehend what she had done wrong. "Aside from our work at the Institute, we've never even spoken a word in private."

I tried to pull away, but her grip was like iron.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

I took a deep breath, trying to shove down the frustration, and went to open it. The Institute's director and two of Elena's colleagues stood on the doorstep, holding a fruit basket and a certificate of commendation. They were here to celebrate her good deed.

"Is Dr. Hayes in? We just wanted to stop by and see how she's doing." Her assistant smiled, holding out the certificate, but his gaze drifted past me and landed on the figure on the floor. His expression changed in an instant.

"Dr. Hayes! Why are you on the floor?"

He rushed past me to help her, carefully taking her arm. Seeing her disheveled state, he turned on me, his voice sharp with anger. "Mr. Hayes, what is wrong with you? Dr. Hayes is weak from giving blood. Why didn't you help her up?"

I let out a cold laugh, leaning against the doorframe. "Help her? Why would I help a cheating woman?"

The assistant's face flushed with rage. "How dare you!" he sputtered. "Leo was injured conducting an experiment for the team! He's still in a coma! Dr. Hayes was the only one with his rare blood type. Was she supposed to just let a student die? The entire Institute can vouch for them—their relationship is purely professional!"

The director frowned, his disapproval of me obvious. "Mr. Hayes, couples should talk through their problems, not throw around baseless accusations. Dr. Hayes's actions are a model for the entire Institute. This kind of behavior is... unseemly."

They were all protecting her. I was shaking with a rage so profound it felt like it would tear me apart.

"I don't give a damn about what's 'unseemly'! I want a divorce!" I yelled. "And if she won't sign, I'll go to the Institute every single day and make a scene until she can't stand it anymore!"

The director and his colleagues exchanged uneasy glances, whispering among themselves.

"Do you think the explosion all those years ago... did something to his mind? He's become so unhinged, like a madman..."

My body went rigid. The memories I had fought so hard to bury came rushing back. The blinding flash, the searing heat, and Elena, holding me, shielding me.

Elena's voice, laced with concern, cut through the haze. "Steve, it's over. Don't think about it. I'll always protect you."

"Shut up!" I snapped.

I strode over to her and, ignoring her shocked gasp, ripped the wedding ring from her finger.

The director could no longer contain himself. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "Steve Hayes, you've gone too far! Dr. Hayes saved your life! Not only are you ungrateful, but you're repaying her kindness with this cruelty? Take our advice. Drop this talk of divorce. Now."