Katherine steadily parked the car in the hospital lot. The noise outside seemed completely shut out by the car windows.
Her eyes fell on the bag in the passenger seat. She reached out slowly, her fingers slightly trembling as she unzipped it and pulled out the marriage certificate.
That certificate once symbolized all her hopes. She thought it was a promise that she and Andrew would spend their lives together.
But now, when she opened it, the large words "Invalid Certificate" stabbed at her eyes like a knife.
She gave a bitter smile. In that smile were mockery, helplessness, and deep sadness.
Those words created an unbridgeable gap, separating her and Andrew into two completely different worlds.
Memories rushed back. She remembered when Andrew's grandfather asked her what she wanted. Without hesitation, she said she wanted to marry Andrew.
Back then, her eyes were full of dreams, and her heart was full of hope for the future.
She believed love could grow. She thought if she worked hard enough, she could enter Andrew's heart.
But reality hit her hard. She never imagined that, in Andrew's eyes, she was so worthless. His disgust for her ran so deep.
Now, she chose to let go. To give him his freedom, and to free herself.
Katherine let out a soft sigh, put the certificate back into her bag, and was just about to open the door when her phone rang.
She took out her phone. When she saw the screen, her emotions tangled. It was Andrew's grandfather calling.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Then she answered the call with a soft and steady voice. "Hello, Grandpa."
His warm, familiar voice came through the receiver right away. "Katherine, are you free tonight? Come have dinner with me. You haven't been home in so long."
Her heart suddenly tightened. She really did want to go back to that warm, memory-filled house. She really did want to eat dinner with him again.
But she was no longer a part of the Zhou family. Her identity had changed. Going back now would only make things awkward. It might even cause trouble.
She bit her lip and replied with a trace of hesitation and guilt, "Grandpa… I might not be free tonight."
"Not free? But I already had Aunt Lan cook all your favorite dishes."
Katherine could hear the disappointment hidden in his voice. Her heart ached even more.
She thought, this time, let it be the last dinner with him.
Tonight, she would tell him about the divorce.
"Grandpa, I was supposed to be on shift tonight, but since you've prepared dinner, I'll switch shifts with a coworker. I'll come home tonight."
She tried to sound cheerful.
Hearing that, his tone lit up with joy. "Good, good. Then I'll have Aunt Lan make a few more of your favorite dishes."
That pure joy pierced Katherine's heart like a soft knife.
She had always known how much Grandpa loved her. That's what made her feel so guilty now.
"Okay, Grandpa. I'll hang up now. I have to get back to work." She worked hard to stay composed.
"Alright, just come over after your shift."
After the call ended, Grandpa looked at the butler sitting beside him. "Mr. Lin, is that boy Andrew back?"
Mr. Lin quickly put down his book. "Sir, it seems he did come back."
He hadn't dared to tell Grandpa about the recent news involving Andrew, worried it would make him upset.
"Call him. Tell him to come home for dinner tonight. If he doesn't, tell him not to come back at all," Grandpa said firmly.
Mr. Lin nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, don't get upset. I'll call him right away."
Just as he turned to leave, Grandpa stopped him again.
"Don't tell him I invited Katherine."
His brows were furrowed, and a sigh showed in his eyes. "That brat. How long does he think he can keep hiding?"
They had been married for two years. To avoid them, Andrew even ran off abroad.
Two years gone just like that.
Now that he was back, Grandpa planned to deal with him properly tonight.
Mr. Lin nodded. "I'll call him now."
Grandpa waved his hand. "Go on."
Katherine stayed in the car for a moment. After taking a deep breath and sorting through her messy emotions, she stepped out and walked toward the office with determined steps.
As soon as she entered the hallway, she noticed something odd. A crowd had gathered outside the office door.
She felt a bit curious and walked faster.
"What's going on?" Her voice was calm and gentle, yet it cut clearly through the noisy hallway.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Then, Shan Shan stormed over with a furious face, as if trying to see through her.
"You still have the nerve to ask what happened?"
Her sharp voice broke the atmosphere, and the air suddenly grew tense.
"Where did you go during your shift?"
Her questions came fast, not giving Katherine a chance to breathe. "The patient you were in charge of had a critical emergency and you were nowhere to be found."
Katherine's face turned serious. Her brows tightened. A flicker of concern flashed in her eyes.
"Who had the emergency? I clearly checked everything before I left."
Her voice stayed calm, but inside she was already shaken.
Shan Shan's lips curled into a mocking smile. Her eyes were full of anger. "The patient in bed three. They had severe lung bleeding just now and nearly died. How exactly did you check them?"
Katherine's heart clenched. She didn't have time to explain. She turned and ran straight toward the ward…