The Kiss of Life Killed Our Marriage

During my vacation, I'm in the middle of a riverside stroll with my wife, Wendy Summer, when I suddenly hear someone screaming. "Please! Save my drowning son!" Before I can regain my senses, Wendy, who's pregnant, quickly pushes the crowd apart and rushes toward the center of the conflict. "I'm a doctor, so I can help save the patient. I'll perform CPR on him right away." As Wendy speaks, she moves to lean over the patient. But that's when I grip her by the wrist tightly. "You're not allowed to save him. If you dare administer CPR to him, we'll get a divorce." Wendy stares at me in shock. "Have you gone nuts? Healing the sick and treating the injured is a doctor's duty! You're a doctor as well, Rowan! How could you say such things?" The onlookers begin admonishing me. "If you don't heal the sick and treat the wounded, then what sort of doctor are you? You're just an unethical bastard!" "I can't believe doctors like you still exist! You have no right to remain as a doctor! I'm going to record your actions and upload the video to the Internet!" I say firmly to Wendy, "We shall not be discussing this matter. If you save him, we'll get a divorce right away!" Chapter 1 My wife, Wendy Summer, bent over, ready to give the man who had fallen into the water mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but I stepped in front of her. Wendy placed a calming hand on my shoulder. "Rowan, it's just CPR. Nothing's going to happen." The people around us were praising her, but the looks directed at me were full of contempt. I ignored them and gripped her wrist tightly. "If you want to save him, fine. But if you do, we're getting a divorce. I won't stop you." She pried my fingers off and glared at me. "I'm trying to save a life! You're a doctor yourself. How can you stop me? Divorce isn't something you throw around lightly. What are you thinking?" A white-haired elderly woman stood next to the drowned man. When she heard us arguing, she dropped to her knees. "You're both doctors. You can't just watch him die. Please, save my son. He's the only one I have," she pleaded desperately. The first good Samaritan who had jumped in after him was soaked to the bone. He gasped for breath and urged, "When I pulled him out, he was still alive! Doctor, you need to act now! Every second counts!" The crowd began murmuring among themselves. "I know that man. He's the old woman's only son, born late in her life. She raised him alone after his father passed. If he dies, she'll be devastated!" "Exactly. That man means everything to her. If you don't let her save him, you'll be driving the poor woman to her grave!" Wendy looked distressed, caught between the two of us. "Rowan, you heard them. She only has one son. Let me save him first. We can deal with our issues later, okay?" I stood in front of her and firmly said, "You heard me. As long as we get a divorce, you can do whatever you want to save him. I won't interfere." The elderly woman gripped Wendy's hands and begged, "I know you're a good person. Please save my son. If anything happens to him, I won't live either!" Wendy dragged me aside and snapped, "Rowan Smith, how petty can you be! Doctors swear an oath to save lives. Have you forgotten that? Turning your back on someone who might die is no different from murder! Have you completely lost your sense of ethics?" The crowd quickly joined in the condemnation. "Exactly! Can you bear the guilt if he dies?" "How can you be so heartless? That's inhuman!" I didn't budge. "Enough. I've called an ambulance. Other doctors will take over." Wendy shook her head in disappointment. "Rowan, every second counts when saving a life. Stop being unreasonable!" She turned to reassure the elderly woman. "Ma'am, don't worry. I'll save your son." I remained in her way, and Wendy's patience snapped. She shoved me roughly, almost knocking me off my feet, and circled around to give emergency care to the man in the water. I stared at her and firmly said, "Very well. This is your choice." I reached into my bag and pulled out a few sheets of paper and a pen. That was the draft of my promotion report I had planned to submit after my leave. I flipped to the blank side, wrote a divorce agreement in a blur, and shoved it in front of her. "Since you want to be a hero, sign it. Sign this, and then do whatever you want to save him." Chapter 2 The scene erupted into chaos. Everyone had thought I was joking, but clearly, I was serious. Shock crossed Wendy's face as she frowned at me. "Rowan, you're always the first to care for patients at the hospital. You saved me once, and that's why I fell in love with you and married you. "Now I'm carrying your child. You're about to be a father. You should understand how an elderly parent feels. Have you really been so stressed about that promotion that you've lost sight of what's important?" After hearing her words, the people who had been pointing fingers at me slowly began to relent. "He isn't completely irresponsible after all… Perhaps he's dealing with too much pressure." "Divorce is just talk. Don't take it seriously." Wendy pulled me into a hug and whispered, "Come on, honey. I'm just trying to earn merit for our baby. You love me—you wouldn't actually want a divorce, would you?" I shoved her away and said coldly, "I'm serious. I'm not joking. You can play the saint if you like, but the divorce is final. The sooner we sign, the sooner it's done." A middle-aged woman couldn't hold back anymore and said, "This doctor has no professional ethics. How did someone like him even become a doctor? He must have pulled some strings." A pregnant woman stomped her foot in frustration. "Exactly! He's watching someone die and doing nothing! Where's the justice in that?" An elderly lady chimed in, "A man like this isn't worthy of a doctor's wife. She should leave him before it's too late." At that moment, the drowning man's face turned progressively paler. The elderly woman fell to the ground, wailing loudly. "Please, someone save my son! If he dies, I can't go on living!" People around tried to steady her while shouting at me. As a concerned citizen tried to help the elderly woman up, he shouted at me, "Even if an ambulance is on its way, it'll take at least 20 minutes to get here! You're a doctor! If you don't act now, are you just going to watch him die?" Wendy took a quick look at the drowning man, then gave me a sharp, unwavering stare. "Rowan, listen carefully. The ambulance hasn't arrived yet. I have to keep doing CPR, so stop messing around and get out of the way." She continued chest compressions and rescue breaths. Water slowly expelled from his stomach, but he still remained unconscious. The crowd assumed I had wasted the critical window to save him. The accusations grew louder and louder, almost overwhelming me. "How can a man like him even be a doctor? Doesn't he care about human life?" "He's not even a man! What kind of grudge keeps you from saving someone?" The elderly woman banged her head hard against the ground. "I beg you! Please don't let my son die! Stop standing in the way of saving him!" Wendy suddenly slapped me across the face. "Rowan, are you happy now? You've made a complete fool of yourself!" I pressed a hand to my stinging cheek, picked up the divorce papers from the floor, and said, "The man's been saved. Can you sign now?" Chapter 3 Wendy froze in place when she heard my words. "Rowan, are you out of your mind? I'm carrying your child, and you want a divorce? Are you even a man?" The crowd exploded in anger, shouting at me without holding back. "How can you divorce your pregnant wife? What a heartless man!" "Yeah, and he even stopped her from helping! He probably saved her back then just to use it against her!" A middle-aged woman grabbed Wendy's hand and said indignantly, "Sweetheart, I know how men like this operate. He saved you back then for his own gain, and now he's divorcing you because there's someone else in the picture!" Others in the crowd quickly nodded in agreement. Wendy looked at me with suspicion in her eyes. "Rowan, there are always rumors at the hospital about you and the nurses. It can't be true, can it? How could you do something like this behind my back? Are you even human?" I let out a lazy half-smile, uninterested in defending myself. "By that logic, with all these people here, no one else knows CPR? You came yourself—could it be that you're involved with him? Maybe the baby in your belly isn't even mine, but his!" The elderly woman suddenly swung her cane hard into my back. "You despicable man! My son hasn't opened his eyes yet, and you dare accuse him? I'll beat you to death!" Someone in the crowd stepped forward, grabbing at my clothes and shoving me repeatedly. "You won't learn unless you get hit!" Wendy choked back a sob. "How can you say something so vile? I'm trying to save a life, and all you can think about are your filthy suspicions! "I know you've been seeing someone else. That's why you're trying to slander me and force a divorce, so you can be with her!" Before Wendy could finish, the middle-aged woman whipped out her phone and went live. "Everyone, look! This male doctor is stopping his pregnant wife from saving a life, accusing her of having an affair with the victim, and now he wants a divorce right here! People like this need to be exposed!" The livestream blew up instantly, with comments flooding in. "Is he really divorcing his pregnant wife? What kind of man does that?" "Not only is he doing nothing to save the victim, he's stopping others from helping too!" Viewers quickly uncovered my identity as a senior physician at Rosenhill Hospital who was up for a promotion. "This guy is getting promoted? Are the hospital administrators blind?" "Exactly! The one who deserves promotion is the female doctor!" Wendy's eyes were glossy with tears as she held my hand. "Rowan, let's save him together. I misspoke earlier. You didn't fail me, and I haven't betrayed you. Let's wake him, apologize to the elderly woman and everyone else, and end this." I let out a cold laugh. "Not a chance. Not unless you sign the divorce papers." Chapter 4 People nearby immediately began speaking up for Wendy. "Men like that get shown a little kindness and suddenly forget who they are!" "Doctor, listen to me. If you want a divorce, then go ahead and get one!" "You're such a great catch. You can easily find someone better!" Sorrow filled Wendy's face as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Rowan, why are you suddenly talking about divorce? Weren't we doing fine before? "Is it really because I saved someone today that you want to leave me? If I did something wrong, I'll change. Can't we just live our lives peacefully?" I coldly pushed her away. "Yes. It's because of that." At that moment, the police arrived after someone reported the situation. After hearing what had happened, they advised me to leave and not interfere with the doctors who were trying to save the victim. I let out a cold laugh. "Officer, if I walk away now and it turns out my wife cheated on me and is even carrying another man's child, wouldn't that make me the biggest fool alive?" The officer sighed and shook his head. "Don't make accusations without evidence. They could sue you for defamation." I shrugged. "You're right. I don't have any evidence. I'm just going with my guts." The livestream chat exploded. The phrase "going with my guts" instantly started trending online. When people realized the situation was gaining attention, they quickly pulled out their phones and started livestreaming. At that moment, the head of the department, Dr. Kellan Connor, called me. "Dr. Smith, a patient has sustained severe injuries and needs emergency surgery. Get back to the hospital immediately and take charge. I already know about your situation. Stop making a scene. You're about to be promoted to deputy director." With my gaze fixed on Wendy, I said to Dr. Connor, "I'm in the middle of getting divorced. I'll come back and perform the surgery once it's settled." The livestream cameras instantly caught my shocking statement. "He's delaying a patient's surgery just to get divorced? Is he even a doctor?" "It's outrageous to keep a patient waiting like that. A doctor with no ethics like him should be fired!" After a short pause, Dr. Connor sternly said, "Rowan, you either return to the hospital at once and perform the surgery, or you'll be suspended and made to reflect on your behavior." I hung up without another word. The situation in front of me had to be dealt with first. Soon after, my father, Samuel Smith, started a video call. "You want a divorce just because your wife was doing her duty as a doctor? How did I raise you all these years? A doctor must have a compassionate heart. Have you forgotten that already? "How am I supposed to face your late mother if you act like this? Wendy did the right thing. She's an exceptional daughter-in-law!" The livestream caught the entire confrontation with my father, and the comment section went wild. "Well said! The dad values justice more than family." "Finally, someone is speaking some sense!" Wendy's parents were in the same group call, with worry written all over their faces. "Rowan, you two have been together for so many years. How can you talk about divorce so easily?" her father asked. "Besides, you saved Wendy back then. We have always treated you like our own son." Wendy's parents dropped to their knees. "If Wendy did anything wrong, we'll apologize on her behalf. Please, don't take it to heart. Divorce isn't something to be taken lightly." As her parents kneeled in humility, Wendy grabbed my arm, looking at me tearfully. "Rowan, do you even have a heart? Are you really going to throw away all the years we've shared? "My parents are old. They can't handle this kind of shock. Besides, I'm carrying your child. Will you really let your own child grow up without a father?" The crowd looked at me with such hostility that it felt like they wanted to tear me apart, yet I remained calm. I glanced at the phone and told my father, "Dad, I've considered this divorce very carefully. I'll send you a video. After you see it, you'll understand everything." Dad opened the video I sent, and his expression changed instantly. "Rowan, you did the right thing. You're a worthy son of the Smith family. We will not swallow this humiliation. If it's divorce you want, then divorce it is."