Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 22

She provoked Tricia?

What a joke. An utterly ridiculous one.

But really, what could she say at this point?

No matter how she tried to explain, Evander always took Tricia's side. Whether or not she was truly at fault, it was never her that he trusted.

Swallowing the bitterness rising in her chest, Charlotte pushed his hand away. "Why don't you go find your Miss Winthrop?"

She turned on her heel and walked off.

Evander watched her retreating figure, his face darkening. For six years, she'd stayed the same—submissive, silent. Now, this sudden defiance unsettled him, as though something essential was slipping out of his grasp.

…

The next day, Charlotte went to work at the hospital as usual, but she could feel her coworkers' judgment in the air—lingering aftershocks from yesterday. Outwardly, everyone kept quiet, but behind closed doors, the gossip was relentless.

Charlotte had no intention of defending herself. She'd already applied for a transfer; once her notice period ended, her time at Metropolitan General would be over.

There was no point in explaining anything now.

Perhaps the rumors had grown too loud to ignore. Eventually, they reached the dean's office. He called her in.

Charlotte opened the door to his office. "You wanted to see me?"

Dean Chase gestured for her to sit, then asked in his usual calm tone, "Lottie, is there some misunderstanding between you and Director Winthrop?"

Charlotte kept her expression steady. "There's nothing to misunderstand, sir. Once my transfer goes through, I'll be gone anyway."

Dean Chase sighed. "You know as well as I do—Director Winthrop is Mr. Howard's pick. Sometimes, it's best to just step aside. For the next few days, let her handle your cases."

Charlotte stared at him in disbelief. "Let her? Are you sure she's even qualified?"

Howard Enterprises.

Natalie entered the office. "Mr. Howard, I've contacted Dean Chase as you instructed." She hesitated, then asked, "But are you sure you want Miss Winthrop to take over Miss Sterling's responsibilities?"

Aside from the Howard family, Natalie was the only one who knew about Evander and Charlotte's secret marriage. Out of respect, she always referred to Charlotte as "Miss Sterling." Even in front of Charlotte herself, she had to pretend she knew nothing.

Evander absently spun the antique globe on his desk. "I owe her."

He knew perfectly well—what he felt for Tricia was nothing but guilt.

So if Tricia wanted something, he'd do whatever he could to give it to her.

After all, Charlotte had slapped Tricia in front of a crowd—letting Tricia retaliate was out of the question.

Making Charlotte pay a minor price for her impulsiveness was already more lenient than she deserved.