When My Cousin Stole My Husband

The faint scent of disinfectant in the consultation room mixed with the aroma of gardenias drifting in through the window. I lowered my head to organize the prenatal checkup records, the tip of my pen scratching softly on the paper. "Dr. Bailey, the next patient has arrived." The voice of the intern doctor, Sienna, carried a hint of excitement. I looked up, my fingers paused mid-motion. Two people stood at the door; the man had a tall, upright posture, wearing a neatly ironed dark gray shirt, and his side profile was just as I remembered. The woman beside him wore a light-colored dress, her belly slightly rounded, her face bearing a sweet, innocent smile as she linked her arm through the man's. It's Calvin Johnson, my ex-husband. And Yvette Scott, my cousin. Sienna didn't notice the tense atmosphere and smiled at Calvin, saying, "Mr. Johnson, I've heard so much about you. You're truly known in our circle as the perfect husband, accompanying Ms. Scott to her prenatal checkup—so thoughtful." Calvin's gaze landed on me; his pupils contracted slightly, with a subtle trace of shock barely noticeable. Yvette saw me too; her smile stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal, but a hint of provocation flickered in her eyes. I withdrew my gaze, my tone calm: "Ms. Scott, please have a seat." Yvette sat down as instructed, but her hand still gripped Calvin's tightly, like staking her claim. "Dr. Bailey, didn't expect to see you here," Yvette said, her voice cloyingly sweet. "What a coincidence." "Yeah, quite a coincidence." I picked up the stethoscope. "Relax, I'm going to listen to the baby's heartbeat now." The stethoscope pressed against Yvette's lower abdomen, the steady, strong heartbeat coming through clearly. Calvin stood off to the side, eyes locked on Yvette's belly, his face tense. The examination went smoothly. While recording the data, I said, "The fetus is developing normally, but there's a slight nuchal cord. Just keep an eye on fetal movements, rest on your left side, and come in for regular checkups." Calvin Johnson immediately asked, "Is a slight nuchal cord dangerous? Do we need any special treatment?" "At this stage, the risk isn't high. Follow my advice, and in most cases, the fetus will untangle itself naturally." I looked up at him. "Don't get overly anxious during pregnancy; mood swings aren't good for the fetus." Yvette suddenly frowned, her voice sharp with accusation: "Evelyn, are you doing this on purpose? What do you mean by 'low risk'? What if something goes wrong?" I tightened my grip on the pen, my fingertips going pale. "This is a routine medical judgment; I'm only giving advice based on the test results." "I think you're just harboring resentment!" Yvette raised her voice. "You still haven't let go of what happened back then, and now you want to use this prenatal checkup to get revenge on me, don't you?" The air in the consultation room instantly froze. Sienna stood aside, watching us with a bewildered look. I took a deep breath, holding back the storm inside me: "Ms. Scott, I'm a doctor. My professional ethics won't allow me to do anything that harms my patients." "If you don't trust my diagnosis, you can choose to see another doctor." Calvin tugged on Yvette's arm, whispering, "Yvette, don't talk nonsense. Dr. Bailey is professional." "I'm not talking nonsense!" Yvette pulled her hand away, eyes reddening. "She treated me horribly back then. How could she possibly care about my checkup now?" "Calvin, let's switch hospitals!"