His Neglected Wife Is The Top Scientist

June Compton was pregnant. She lay on the floor, bleeding out from a miscarriage, and called her husband Cole. He was at a charity gala with Alycia, his dead twin brother's former fiancée. He told June to stop acting and hung up. By the time she reached the hospital, the baby was gone. The doctor said her fallopian tube was damaged, her ovarian function had failed. She could never conceive naturally again.

Cole showed up, accused her of using the ER for attention, and shoved her shoulders back against the pillows. Her stitches snapped. Blood spread across her white gown. His phone buzzed with Alycia's custom ringtone. He took the call and left.

Alone, June pulled out the divorce agreement she had prepared weeks ago. With a trembling hand, she signed it and pressed her fingerprint in her own blood. She sent a message to Vera, her college friend.

Five days of forced bed rest passed. A news alert appeared on Vera's phone: Cole Compton was pledging ten million dollars to establish the Alycia Beasley medical wing. The article called Alycia a rising star. June felt a wave of nausea. Cole restricted her to a meager allowance while funding his mistress's reputation.

She checked out of the hospital and walked into a private wealth branch on Wall Street. Under the name Erickson, she unfroze accounts tied to a patent she had registered at twenty. Four years of global licensing dividends had accumulated to one hundred and twenty-eight million dollars. She cut up her Compton credit card on the spot.

She walked into Apex Bio in a tailored black suit, solved a stalled research problem in two minutes, and got hired as lead researcher. Her conditions: confidential identity and absolute veto power over external partnerships. Her code name: Nemesis.

She returned to the Compton estate for her late parents' belongings. The housekeeper refused, so June slapped a four-year audit of household accounts against the woman's chest. Police were on their way. She retrieved a wooden box of photos, left the signed divorce papers on the nightstand, and wrote a single line at the bottom: "Keep the house. The guilt will eat you alive." On her way out, Alycia smirked. June told her to enjoy the victory while it lasted.

That night, at a private club, June sat with major shareholder Thomas Wade, passed regards from Professor White, and confirmed phase two was complete. Cole, seated nearby with Alycia, stared. He was used to her tears, not her indifference. She looked at him and said, "Step aside, Cole. You're blocking the light." He flinched. He dragged Alycia out.

Downstairs, a man named Luca challenged her to a chocolate stick game. She took the dare. From across the room, a camera flashed. The photo would look like a kiss, but June didn't care. She had shown Cole the woman he never knew.

Back at Apex Bio, she was paired with Dr. Miles Prescott on Project Phoenix. He reviewed her medical file and ordered food that accommodated her recent surgery and dietary sensitivities. Cole had taken three years to notice she was allergic to strawberries. Miles knew her restrictions after one day.

Cole cornered her outside Apex Bio. He waved a paparazzi photo of her with Miles, then pulled out a check for ten million dollars. A settlement. Call off the divorce. June tore the check into confetti and threw the pieces in his face. "My dignity is not for sale." He threatened to bury Apex Bio. She told him to try it. The divorce hearing was set for Wednesday, nine a.m.

Wednesday morning, she woke with a fever and stabbing pain. Painkillers barely touched the edge. Traffic locked up. She got out and walked. The pavement tilted. She collapsed on the sidewalk. Miles found her, scooped her up, and raced to the hospital. She had a severe infection and internal bleeding.

She woke twenty-four hours later. Thursday morning. The hearing was gone. Cole's threat to destroy Apex echoed in her mind. She clawed for her phone. Miles handed it to her, warning he'd take it back if the call upset her. Her fingers shook as she found Cole's number.