My Husband Loved Her Instead

Late that night, Daryl shoved the door open reeking of alcohol.

The living room was dark. He kicked off his shoes.

He flicked on the light out of habit and saw a few sheets of paper on the coffee table, pinned under his own water glass.

Daryl walked over and gave them a careless glance.

Five bold words stared back at him: Divorce Settlement Agreement.

He snorted, pulled the pages out, and tossed them on the floor.

"Clementine, you've got some nerve."

"So now you run off and play hard to get, huh."

"I don't believe you can hold out more than a few days."

He loosened his tie, turned into the master bedroom, and dropped into bed asleep.

The next day was the city hospital's annual awards ceremony.

It was the largest assembly the hospital had held in years.

Imogen was dressed to the nines, her makeup flawless, sitting in the front row in high heels.

Daryl sat at an angle behind her, watching her back with pride all over his face.

He stood at the podium, gripping the microphone, reading out the announcement with roused feeling.

"During the recent chemical plant rescue, our intern Dr. Imogen Fox distinguished herself."

"Under pressure, she stayed calm and drew up a flawless triage plan."

"By unanimous decision, we hereby award Imogen Fox the title of 'Outstanding Young Physician,' and grant her early full staff status!"

The applause thundered through the hall.

Imogen lifted the hem of her gown and swayed up to the podium.

Beaming, she reached out both hands to receive the crystal trophy he was holding out.

The hall's shut mahogany doors were suddenly flung open from the outside.

Seven or eight men in uniform strode in.

The one in front held up his credentials.

"Joint inspection team of the Health Board's Disciplinary Committee and the City Rescue Command Conduct Office. We are taking over this ceremony!"

The hands holding up the trophy froze in midair.

Imogen went blank, her carefully made-up face draining of color.

Daryl shot up from his seat, his brows knotting tight.

The inspection team leader ignored every stare and walked straight up to the podium.

He pulled a USB drive from his pocket and plugged it into the main computer.

"We have received a signed complaint. We will now present two pieces of evidence."

A clear recording came through the hall's speakers.

"Daryl, you stole my work and handed it to someone else. You call that borrowing?"

Then came Daryl's voice, righteous as ever.

"Clementine, we're husband and wife. What's yours is mine."

"You're already a department head. Can't you show some big-picture thinking and put the greater good first?"

Right after it came Imogen's syrupy little voice.

"Director Simmons, I really need this job. I'm not like you, with Captain Delgado to keep me."

The recording echoed through the hall, every word cutting to the bone.

The hospital leaders' faces had already gone green.

Before anyone could react.

The image on the big screen switched.

Corridor surveillance footage began to play.

The timestamp read late at night, four days ago.

In the footage, Daryl pushed open the door to the Emergency Internal Medicine director's office.

Five minutes later, he walked out carrying a portable hard drive.

The whole thing, start to finish, caught crystal clear.

The hall erupted in an instant.

"Is that Mr. Delgado? He actually went and stole his own wife's work?"

"No wonder Director Simmons blew up on stage that day. So it was her own work the mistress took to claim credit for!"

"Shameless. Isn't this a crime?"

A wave of curses rolled toward the stage.

Imogen's legs gave out, her whole body shaking.

"No... it's not like that, this is a misunderstanding!"

She instinctively grabbed for the trophy.

The deputy director yanked his hand back as if he'd been shocked.

The crystal trophy for "Outstanding Young Physician" hit the floor and shattered to pieces.

Daryl's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

He never imagined I would do this.

He rushed the stage, heedless of everything.

"Turn it off! Who told you to play that! Clementine is insane, she's slandering me!"

He reached out to yank the power on the main computer.

Two tall men lunged forward in a single stride.

One pinned down one of his shoulders.

Daryl's arms were wrenched behind him, and he was pressed to the floor.