Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 164: Framed and Suspended

Seth Sinclair hesitated. For the first time, he didn’t follow Ethan Lancaster’s orders.

He glanced at Raina Reddington out of the corner of his eye. "Young Madam..."

"Thank you for your kindness. I get it." But she couldn’t accept it.

"Seth Sinclair—"

He shifted his feet, then turned and walked toward the car. Ethan Lancaster looked up. "So ungrateful."

It was unclear whether he was talking about Seth Sinclair or Raina Reddington.

She bent down, picked up her shopping bag, and walked inside by herself. Seth Sinclair returned to the car. "Fourth Master, I was just thinking I should try to persuade the Young Madam a little more. The Old Master has been quite displeased with you lately, Third Master is pressing in on all sides, and now that project is in his hands..."

"So what?"

"This stalemate between you and the Young Madam really won’t do you any good."

Ethan Lancaster’s gaze lingered on Raina Reddington’s back as she disappeared inside. "Are you suggesting I should go and beg her?"

"Of course not. I’m just suggesting you communicate properly with the Young Madam."

The gloom in Ethan Lancaster’s eyes deepened. "Seth Sinclair, you’re truly confused. When she went to the hospital by herself, did it ever occur to her to discuss it with me?"

Seth Sinclair was at a loss for words. Ethan Lancaster let out a cold laugh. "I must have been crazy to listen to you and actually come back. Did you see the look on her face? Go!"

The driver didn’t dare to linger and quickly drove away.

Ethan Lancaster placed a hand on his leg, clenched it into a fist, then released it. He hadn’t come over just because of what Seth had said. Raina had gone back to work at the hospital right after her miscarriage without any rest, completely disregarding her own health. Deep down, a trace of reluctance lingered in his heart, but it was buried under layers upon layers of resentment. Even Ethan himself hadn’t realized he was still worried about her.

"Fourth Master, where to now?"

"To Northbay."

Seth Sinclair glanced at Ethan Lancaster’s expression in the rearview mirror. "Miss Sharp has been taking driving lessons these past couple of days."

"Once she gets her license, pick out a car and give it to her."

"I’m afraid the Old Master and the madam already know about Miss Sharp. I think it would be best to keep a low profile."

Ethan Lancaster was unconcerned. "Isn’t that just what *she* wants? The more smug Gwen Sharp gets, the more pitiful Raina looks. Why else would she refuse to come back with me? She loves playing the victim, so let her."

The knot between these two wouldn’t be untied anytime soon. Seth Sinclair knew better than to say anything more.

The next day, Raina Reddington felt completely overwhelmed when she woke up. She wanted to call in sick to the hospital, but with her chemotherapy scheduled for the day after tomorrow, she knew constantly taking leave wasn’t a solution. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

When Raina Reddington arrived at the hospital, she saw a few people gathered at her office door. It wasn’t consultation hours yet. A nurse from the information desk saw her and rushed over.

"Doctor Reddington."

"What’s wrong?"

The woman at the front of the group saw her and pointed a finger at Raina. "That’s her! She took my money but didn’t cure my illness! I’m here to expose her."

Raina studied the woman for a moment. She saw so many patients every day and had no memory of her. "Don’t talk nonsense."

"I have proof!" The woman smugly pulled out her phone, opened WeChat, and shoved the chat history in Raina’s face.

The WeChat profile picture was Raina’s. The chat showed transfer records, and several entries indicated that Raina had accepted the money.

’Impossible.’ Raina’s first reaction was that someone had stolen her profile picture.

The woman tapped the screen again to show the WeChat name, then handed the phone to a nurse standing nearby. "This is your doctor, right? It’s her, isn’t it?"

Raina took the phone. She did a quick mental calculation; the transfer amount seemed to be over ten thousand.

She pulled her own phone from her pocket and checked her balance. The money was actually there.

Raina found the person’s WeChat name on her own phone, but the corresponding chat history had been completely deleted.

She shook her head slightly, her mind a total mess. "I never took your money, and I don’t know you."

"Of course you’d say that! You took my money, the proof is right here, and you’re still trying to deny it?" The woman snatched her phone back. "Look, everyone, come and see! This is a doctor from Mercy Seas Hospital! She takes your money but won’t treat you—"

A nurse beside her tried to restrain her. "Let’s talk about this calmly."

"Talk about what? This doctor is morally corrupt! It’s all right here in the records!"

Raina had briefly noted the time of the transfer. It was yesterday, when she should have been at the supermarket.

But how could this be on her phone? The only explanation was that someone had taken her phone. It was clearly a setup, designed specifically to frame her.

To make matters worse, there was even a bit of conversation where the other person thanked her for her trouble and asked her to do her best, to which "she" had replied with an "Okay."

Now, Raina was in a position where she couldn’t clear her name no matter what she said.

The woman shoved Raina hard. "I’m going to the director’s office to file a complaint! I’m going to post this online and let everyone see the kind of character Mercy Seas Hospital really has!"

The nurse, terrified, quickly grabbed her. "Please don’t. There must be a misunderstanding."

Raina stumbled back a few steps and bumped into her office door. ’What misunderstanding could there be? This is obviously a ploy to ruin my reputation and drive me out of the hospital.’

The hospital was extremely sensitive about this kind of thing. It was a line that could not be crossed.

That very day, Raina received a notice from the hospital. She was suspended, and the final outcome would depend on the results of the investigation.

As she walked out of her office and down the hallway, she saw many people pointing and whispering about her.

Raina walked with composure. In the past, she never would have been able to bear it. People could harm her in any other way, but they could never take away her ability to be a doctor. But now, when she was fighting for her own life, none of it really mattered anymore.

Besides, it saved her the trouble of having to find another excuse to ask for leave.

Sitting in her car, Raina placed some personal items she had brought with her on the passenger seat. She started the engine as tears welled in her eyes. It seemed her self-consolation wasn’t working. After all, she had been driven out in disgrace.

At dusk, Gwen Sharp heard the doorbell ring. Confused, she went to the door and opened it.

"Mr. Fairchild." She was very respectful toward Cameron Fairchild. Having witnessed the man’s methods, Gwen Sharp was terrified just thinking about him.

"Is the Fourth Master in?"

"Yes." Gwen Sharp stepped aside to let him in.

The maid had already prepared dinner. Cameron Fairchild was here to freeload a meal. He walked right over, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "I see some of my favorite dishes. Not bad."

Ethan Lancaster heard the voice and came out of the bedroom. "Do you have the nose of a bloodhound?"

"Your help here looks awfully familiar. Didn’t she used to work at The Verdant Garden?"

"You’re just asking what you already know." Ethan Lancaster sat down, and Gwen Sharp quickly sat beside him.

Cameron Fairchild chuckled. "Not bad. Have you really cut ties with that side completely?"

"Will you die if you don’t talk while eating?"

"We haven’t even started eating yet, have we?" Cameron Fairchild took the chopsticks from the maid. "I heard some rather shocking news today. Just how desperate for cash is that Mrs. Lancaster of yours? Don’t you give her an allowance? She apparently took a bribe and got suspended from the hospital."