Chapter 1 Unconditional Obedience
The surgical light above shone starkly white.
"We've got the bleeding under control!"
The nurse's tense voice echoed as Zoey King finally straightened up. Her back was drenched in sweat, and the protective mask had left deep red marks on her face. Even her fingers, gripping the hemostat, were trembling slightly.
An assistant quickly wiped the sweat from Zoey's temple.
"Dr. King, this partial hepatectomy was flawless. The liver resection was handled perfectly!"
Zoey managed a tired smile, set down her instruments, and turned to leave the operating room.
This was Zoey's third complex liver surgery of the day, spanning a total of five hours. With only the suturing left, Zoey could leave it to her assistant. She was utterly exhausted.
Zoey trudged heavily into the changing room. Her phone buzzed in the locker. Seeing "Ella" on the screen, her heart skipped a beat. She reluctantly pressed the answer button.
Ella Anderson's cold voice came through the receiver.
"Zoey, get home right now. Don't make me repeat myself."
Before Zoey could respond, the call ended abruptly.
The smell of disinfectant was pungent, but Ella's emotionless voice made Zoey's breathing quicken.
She knew that any command from Ella had to be obeyed unconditionally, as it had been for over a decade.
Zoey clutched her phone, standing at the hospital enterance. The image of the patient bleeding profusely during surgery five hours ago flashed in her mind. The sound of brakes interrupted her thoughts—a car sent by Ella had already arrived. Clearly, Ella had someone waiting for her.
The driver rolled down the window and nodded at Zoey. This silent urging made Zoey quicken her pace. She was smart enough to guess why Ella was in such a hurry to see her.
The car drove smoothly down the wide street. The leather seats did nothing to alleviate Zoey's fatigue. She closed her eyes, but memories flooded in: from joining the Anderson family as a teenager to marrying the heir, Andrew Anderson, three years ago, countless moments of rejection had cast shadows over her life, but she had swallowed her grievances silently.
The driver's eyes in the rearview mirror seemed to want to warn her of the impending storm, but he remained silent, speeding towards the outskirts with Zoey.
Zoey closed her eyes, leaning back for a nap.
But soon, the buzzing of her phone woke her. She opened her eyes to see "Alice Baker" on the screen.
"Hello..."
"Zoey, congratulations!"
Alice's cheerful voice confused Zoey.
"Alice, what are you talking about?"
"Your husband is coming back today. You won't have to be alone anymore!"
Alice's voice was full of joy. But Zoey didn't react much, lazily saying, "Andrew is coming back? What a joke. He's been making waves on the other side of the world, probably long forgotten about home..."
"Zoey! This has been the top news all day. You didn't know?"
Alice raised her voice, and Zoey felt a bit annoyed.
"I did three surgeries today, and I'm exhausted. I haven't had time to check the news."
"He... Andrew didn't tell you?"
Alice was momentarily speechless, trying to comfort Zoey but struggling to find the right words. After a few seconds, she said, "Maybe he wants to surprise you..."
Alice knew the chances of Andrew surprising Zoey were slim, and her voice lowered. Zoey didn't believe Andrew would try to surprise her either. But if Andrew was indeed back, Ella's order for her to return to the Anderson Villa today made more sense.
Zoey was about to say something when she noticed the driver's eyes in the rearview mirror, pretending not to glance at her. The reflection made his expression blurry, but she could sense his silent observation.
Zoey immediately became alert, her fingertips cold: "Alice, I'm a bit tired. I'll call you later."
Without waiting for a response, Zoey hurriedly hung up and put her phone in her bag.
The car returned to silence, with only the sound of tires on the road.
Zoey watched the passing scenery outside, quickly connecting the dots in her mind. Ella's urgent call, the waiting car... It all made sense. She exhaled softly, with a hint of bitter understanding... Ella was eager to bring her back to the Anderson Villa. It seemed the inevitable had arrived.
Zoey leaned back again, seemingly resting, but Andrew's face flashed repeatedly in her mind: handsome, gentle, indifferent...
As the car slowed to a stop, it was already in front of the Anderson Villa.
Zoey looked up at the building through the glass, took a deep breath, and slowly got out of the car.
The sound of the iron gate closing echoed in the corridor. Zoey walked through the screen-lined hallway, hearing the clinking of porcelain as Ella made tea in the living room.
Opening the door, Veda's navy blue uniform stung her eyes. This servant, whom she had fired for stealing jewelry, was now standing respectfully behind Ella.
"Mrs. Anderson is back."
Veda approached with a mocking smile, reaching for Zoey's bag.
Zoey watched Veda warily, stepping back without a word.
Veda, knowing she was unwelcome, retreated to Ella's side.
Ella held a teacup, her gold-rimmed glasses sliding to the tip of her nose, her gaze sharp as a scalpel.
"Explain why you fired Veda."
Zoey's fingers tightened, the leather strap of her bag digging painfully into her palm. She had expected the topic to be about Andrew's return, but Ella's first question was about Veda.
Veda smugly flicked her hair, revealing the pearl earrings she wore—Zoey's missing pair.
They were a gift from Andrew on her first birthday after their marriage. Not a luxury brand, but the only gift Andrew had ever given her—engraved with the initials of her name inside.
"Mrs. Anderson accused me of stealing her things."
Veda's tone was deliberately drawn out, her eyes full of provocation.
Zoey coldly stared at Veda, feeling a deep sense of injustice. She had known Veda had Ella's backing, but facing Ella's blatant favoritism was bitter.
The hum of the central air conditioning suddenly became piercing. Zoey walked up to Veda, her expression icy.
"Last month, the household expenses tripled. You reported cheap goods as imported vegetables, even cracked my safe. Can you deny touching my things, including that document?"