I rushed to the ER for an emergency, only to find my ex-husband on duty. He held my chart, not even bothering to look up, and sneered coldly: "Three years later, and you still can't find a man to hold your hand while you're sick?" I stayed silent, staring at the ceiling, trying not to scream from the pain. He continued, "Call a family member. You need surgery, and I need to discuss the procedure with your next of kin." "And don't try to call me. We're divorced." The next day. A chart-topping pop star. A billionaire CEO. A genius Formula 1 racer. Three drop-dead gorgeous men appeared in my hospital room simultaneously. They took turns grilling him about my condition and treatment plan. His eye twitched, holding back a breakdown, his eyes rimmed red as he cornered me. "You're telling me all three of these men are your family?!" "Yup. Does the hospital have a rule against having more than three?" 1 I took an Uber to the ER over the weekend. I never expected to run into "The Ex" working the night shift. Looking at the man in the white coat, gold-rimmed glasses, and that stoic, unsmiling face... My heart hurt worse than my abdomen. We’ve been divorced for three years. I didn't expect our reunion to look like this. Ethan Hayes stared at the clipboard, eyes glued to the paper. He ordered me onto the exam table. Then, his long, slender fingers gently pressed against my lower abdomen. "Does it hurt here? Anywhere else? Is it a cramping pain or intermittent?" I turned my head away. I didn't want to look at him. "It feels like my insides are being twisted." His voice was cold, drifting down from under the bright fluorescent lights. "It’s likely appendicitis. It needs to come out. But there's an issue..." He paused. He finally looked up, taking in my pale face. He frowned. "You're not in good shape. I suggest surgery immediately to relieve the pain." "Where is your current husband?" When I didn't answer, he went back to scribbling on my chart. Finally, he looked me dead in the eye, his voice dripping with icy sarcasm. "Three years later, Maya. Did you really fail to find a single man willing to accompany you to the hospital?" I stayed silent, the pain forcing me to stare at the ceiling tiles. He scoffed. "No need to play dead. This is standard protocol. Get a family member here. You need surgery, and I need to clear the plan with them." "And don't try to list me. We are divorced." I finally couldn't hold it back. "Seriously, Ethan? Three years and you've only gotten more narcissistic? I'd date a literal garbage can before I'd crawl back to you." As soon as the words left my mouth, I didn't even get the satisfaction of seeing his face turn green. Because the pain spiked, and I passed out cold. Appendicitis isn't a disease, but man, it hurts like hell. 2 When I woke up, I was in the inpatient ward. I could hear hushed—but not hushed enough—voices buzzing nearby. "We still can't reach her family. She's so pitiful. She looks young, but I saw a ring on her finger. Where's the husband?" "Who knows? Even if she has no family, what about friends? Not a single visitor. She must be a total loner." "Hey, I saw Dr. Hayes handle her admission personally. He seemed... weird about it. You think she's a stalker? I heard him asking about her current husband..." "Shh! Don't be crazy. Dr. Hayes has standards. His fiancée is that heiress, Vanessa Vance. She’s his college sweetheart. Don't drag random patients into their fairy tale." I couldn't take it anymore. They weren't whispering; they were broadcasting directly into my ear canal. Just as I was about to snap, I heard Ethan’s stern voice. "Do not gossip about patients in the ward." Great. So he was there the whole time. He let them trash me and praise him just to stroke his ego, didn't he? Divorced for three years, and he's still with his "white moonlight"—his precious first love? Right. She’s the heiress he practically begged me for a divorce to be with. Thinking about that rainy night, seeing their silhouettes tangled together in the doorway... I felt bile rise in my throat. Ethan walked to my bedside, his tone flat. "If you're worried about your family seeing me and feeling awkward, I can step aside. There are other doctors on rotation. As long as—" Suddenly, a man burst through the door, panting for air. He was dressed like he was dodging paparazzi—oversized hoodie, baseball cap, face mask. But his aura screamed "celebrity." Every head in the room turned. "No need, Doctor. I'm family. Is it convenient to discuss my wife's condition?" Ethan whipped around to look at the newcomer, then shot a questioning glare at me. "You remarried? This guy is your husband?" I stayed silent, tilting my head as I thought about the wording. "Family, technically. We had a ceremony by the ocean." The masked man walked up to me. Even with the mask, his peach-blossom eyes were crinkled in a smile. He looked Ethan up and down, then extended a hand. "Hi, Dr. Hayes. I'm Maya's husband, Jax Ryder. You can run the surgery plan by me." Ethan sized up the man who was just as tall as him. Even hidden, those eyes were undeniably pretty. This guy was a looker. Ethan’s voice dropped a few degrees. "You're sure you're the husband? She came in alone yesterday and fainted. As her partner, you were notably absent." Before Jax could reply, I jumped in to cover for him. "He's busy. His schedule is packed. I didn't tell him." Ethan’s lips thinned, his expression turning ugly. "What kind of job is so busy that he can't care about his partner's health?" "Your taste in men has really deteriorated." I cut him off cold. "Dr. Hayes, you're crossing a line. We are doctor and patient. That's it." The next second, my hand was enveloped in a warm, desperate grip. Jax pulled down his mask. A face that graced half the billboards in Los Angeles leaned in close. "Babe, don't be mad. It's my fault. I'm the worst." "I called you all night and you didn't pick up. I finished the concert and hopped on the first flight back this morning." "Don't fight with Dr. Hayes. If he wants to scold me, let him. As long as he doesn't yell at you." Jax’s voice was dripping with "pick-me" energy. He effectively made Ethan look like a bully and himself like a tragic hero. The nurses nearly screamed. "It's actually Jax Ryder! OMG, I watched his music variety show two days ago! He's even hotter in person! I heard rumors he was married, but I didn't think it was true—and his wife is right here!" The gossip volume in the room cranked up to an eleven. Ethan took a deep breath, glaring at me. "Family members cannot disturb the patient's rest." Jax didn't even look up. "Then get my wife a VIP suite." Ethan: "We're at capacity." Jax narrowed his eyes: "Then we transfer hospitals." Ethan gritted his teeth: "Her condition requires immediate surgery." Sparks flew between them. The tension was thick enough to choke on. Even the nurses sensed the vibe shift. "Dr. Hayes... you seem really invested in this patient. Are you friends?" "No." Ethan denied it instantly. 3 Hearing that denial, Jax slowly turned his head. His pretty eyes instantly filled with tears. "Boo-hoo... Wifey, is it terminal? Are you dying? Is that why you hid it from me? Did you want to break up to save me pain? I won't allow it! We have money. We can cure anything." "No, we're going to Switzerland. If they can't cure you, I'll go with you. Romeo and Juliet style." Seeing that he was already writing a tragic screenplay in his head, I stiffly pushed his face away. "Check your brain first. It's appendicitis." He blinked, tears still shimmering, and threw himself into my arms, hugging me tight. "Just appendicitis? Bad appendix! Evil appendix! I'm never talking to an appendix again!" Fighting the pain, I pinched the soft flesh at his waist. "Jax, if you don't stop acting like a toddler, get out." Jax had satisfied his drama quota. The nurses were practically vibrating. "He's so handsome... honestly, he might be hotter than Dr. Hayes. And he's so cute! They're so in love!" Dr. Hayes, the subject of comparison, stared at Jax’s hands wrapped around me. His gaze was frigid. He dropped a stiff sentence before walking away. "Come to my office later. I need to explain the afternoon surgery." Once Ethan was gone, Jax smirked and whispered in my ear. "Scared off the Ex-Husband. Mission accomplished." I rolled my eyes. "So what? You better stop taking advantage of me." I peeled his hands off my waist. Jax sat on the stool, looking wronged as he peeled an apple for me. "As your husband, am I not allowed a little touchy-feely?" I stared at the man before me and whispered a correction. "Accurately speaking, we are in a contractual relationship." Jax’s eyes, bright as stars, shimmered. He looked like he was about to cry again. "Oh. So you really just treat me as a Contract Shifter, not a man?" 4 I rubbed my temples, looking at him. My Contract Shifter No. 1: Jax Ryder. Identity in the human world: Idol singer, debuted three years ago. He blew up overnight because of his ethereal looks and clean vocals, though he insists he's a "serious artist." In this world, Shifters (Beastmen) coexist with humans. But ordinary people don't know they exist. Only a few researchers and elite families are in on the secret. My family has a... tradition. If a woman from our bloodline doesn't have a mate by the time she's an adult, the Family arranges three Shifters to bind to her. In plain English: If you're 25 and single, the Family forcefully assigns you a harem of three male Shifters. They look human and have human identities. But they are bound to you. Initially, it's a Servant Contract. Once you pick one, you can upgrade it to a Lover's Contract. Naturally, all the males want the Lover's Contract. A Shifter under a Servant Contract has no autonomy over their life or death. But with a Lover's Contract? They live and die with their human. If the human dies, they die. Jax was assigned to me three years ago, right after I divorced Ethan. I knew exactly what he was doing. He's still stuck in the Servant Contract. He's trying to butter me up to get the upgrade. I pinched his smooth cheek with a fake smile. "If an Idol dates, his career implodes. Don't you have any professional ethics?" "I'm a singer, not just a pretty face. My agency doesn't ban dating. Besides... if you sign the Lover's Contract with me, I'll quit everything. I'll stay home and raise the kids." Jax said it jokingly, but his tone carried a terrifying hint of sincerity. I looked away. "Cough. I'm thirsty. Get me some water." Jax trotted off obediently. While he was gone, nurses kept peeking in. Worried that paparazzi would catch wind of Jax and his fans would come for my head, I asked Ethan to move me to a private room. Being surrounded by people recovering from hemorrhoid surgery wasn't exactly private. But Ethan rejected me cold. "No single rooms available. Stay or transfer." "By the way, surgery is at 1:00 PM." Great. He is 100% holding a grudge. Petty ex. He’s allowed to chase his Heiress First Love, but I can't have a hot pop star boyfriend? If my other two Shifters showed up, he'd probably explode. Jax, being a busy guy, insisted on waiting until my surgery was over. His assistant had called ten times. He had a variety show recording at the local TV station tonight. The lead surgeon was Ethan. He wore a blue mask and surgical cap, revealing only his sharp brows and nose. Right before the anesthesia hit, he started "casual" small talk. "Is he good to you?" The OR went silent. He continued, pretending not to care. "A job like his... he must be busy. Can he eat dinner with you every Friday? Does he watch a movie with you every week?" My mouth twitched. "Do I have to answer that, Doctor?" Ethan’s hazel eyes dimmed. "Just chatting. Do you want coconut chicken soup later?" I almost lost it. Bro, I'm getting my appendix removed. You're oscillating between jealous ex and catering service? I wanted to ask if he’d been possessed. But the anesthesia hit. Everything went black. Vaguely, I remembered what he meant. I chased Ethan five years ago. He was just an intern then. I used every trick in the book, pestering him until I got his number, then aggressively pursuing him for three months. I finally turned him into my boyfriend. Two years later, we got the marriage license. His job meant he was busy. But every week, he made time to eat with me. We’d walk home, pick a movie. When I fell asleep halfway through, he’d gently carry me to bed. How long did those happy days last? Less than a year and a half... When did the fighting start? I forgot. I just remember realizing Ethan didn't love me. There’s a saying: "Women chasing men is easy, like breaking through a veil." But between Ethan and me... there was a wall. His "First Love."
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