# Chapter 4: The Bandage That Exposed Everything
The sterile hospital room fell into an eerie silence as Nicole's fingers grazed the pristine white bandage wrapped around Wendy's leg. She could feel Wendy tense beneath her touch, could see the flicker of panic in those wide, innocent eyes. But Nicole's heart had turned to ice, and she no longer cared about playing the gracious wife or the forgiving friend.
"Don't—" Wendy's protest died in her throat as Nicole ripped the bandage off in one swift, merciless motion.
The temperature in the room plummeted.
Nicole stared at the graze on Wendy's leg—a mark so superficial it barely qualified as a scratch. No blood. No swelling. Just the faintest pink line that would vanish within hours. A bitter laugh escaped her lips, sharp and cruel.
"My goodness, how serious. If I'd come any later, your 'wound' would have completely healed on its own. Then how would we explain all those bags of my blood we wasted?"
"Nicole! You..." Wendy's face drained of color as she desperately turned to Eric, her voice trembling with practiced fragility. "Eric, it's not what it looks like... I'm just feeling weak today. A blood transfusion would help me recover faster..."
But Nicole was done listening to lies. She turned her cold gaze toward the man who had watched her bleed for this fraud countless times, and her voice cut through the air like a blade.
"You get 'injured' four or five times a month. I think you're just trying to drain me dry." She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "Too bad. You won't get that chance again. Find another fool to be your personal blood bank. Have Eric marry her."
Without waiting for a response, Nicole spun on her heel and walked out, her head held high even as her world crumbled around her. The door slammed shut behind her, but the moment she was alone, her strength evaporated.
She collapsed onto a bench in the corridor, her body trembling. The facade crumbled. Tears that she had held back during the confrontation now streamed down her cheeks, hot and relentless. Every cell in her body ached—three years of suppressed pain, of being used, of loving someone who only saw her as a convenient source of blood.
Her fingers shook as she pulled out her phone. She needed someone. Anyone. Her voice cracked with exhaustion as she dialed a number she hadn't called in years.
"Big Brother..."
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh. But when the voice spoke, it was filled with nothing but indulgence and warmth.
"Where are you? I'll pick you up."
Minutes later, a procession of black-clad figures moved through the hospital. At their head stood a man radiating nobility and power, his eyes sharp as he swept the unconscious woman into his arms. In moments, they vanished into the night like shadows, leaving no trace.
---
Inside the ward, Eric Ferguson's fury had found a new target. He dragged the attending doctor out of the room, his face dark as a storm cloud.
"A serious leg injury?" His voice was dangerously low. "You needed a blood transfusion for *grazed skin*? Is this the standard of your profession?"
The doctor trembled, sweat beading on his forehead. "It was Ms. Quade's orders, sir. She said you approved all the blood draws. We thought we were just following instructions. We'll never do it again, I swear!"
*Wendy...*
Eric's mind raced. Every time Nicole had donated blood, she had looked paler, weaker. And every time, Wendy had insisted it was necessary. The guilt that had been gnawing at him now sharpened into something more painful.
*Did Nicole divorce me because of that photo? Did she misunderstand my relationship with Wendy?*
He reasoned with himself. It was a simple misunderstanding. He could explain. He had never cheated on Nicole—he had been faithful to their marriage, even if he hadn't been particularly affectionate. They could fix this. He would keep his distance from Wendy, prove to Nicole that she was his priority.
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
*The line was dead.*
"Call Nicole," he ordered his assistant. "And send someone to find her."
Minutes later, the bodyguard returned, his face pale. "Mr. Ferguson, we've searched the entire hospital. The surveillance footage was hacked ten minutes ago. There's no trace of the Young Madam anywhere."
Eric's jaw tightened. His chest felt tight, a strange suffocating sensation he couldn't name. He replayed the image of Nicole signing the divorce papers without hesitation, the cold finality in her eyes.
*Where could she go? She has no money...*
A flicker of something—panic? worry?—settled in his gut. He refused to admit it was concern for a woman who was no longer his wife.
"Search the city. Notify me the moment you find her."
---
When Nicole opened her eyes, the ornate ceiling above her was achingly familiar. Italian marble. Gold accents. The scent of lavender that had filled her childhood room.
A sob caught in her throat. *I'm home.*
"What are you crying for?" A gruff voice broke through her tears. "It's just a divorce. Do you think the Stanton family can't support you?"
She turned her head and saw him standing there—Floyd Stanton, the legendary patriarch whose name shook the foundations of West City. His presence was commanding, his gaze piercing, but beneath that tough exterior beat a father's heart.
"Dad..."
The word came out broken, and suddenly she was a little girl again, seeking comfort in the arms of the man who had always protected her. The tears she thought she had exhausted flowed freely once more.
Floyd Stanton's eyes softened, though his voice remained firm. "You're a Stanton, girl. We don't beg. We don't break. And we certainly don't let small men make us cry."
Nicole nodded, wiping her tears. She was no longer just a discarded wife. She was Nicole Stanton, the heiress of an empire.
And she would never be weak again.
---
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter was an emotional rollercoaster! The moment Nicole ripped off that bandage and exposed Wendy's lie was *chef's kiss*—so satisfying to see the manipulation unravel. But the real gem was Nicole's raw vulnerability afterward. You really feel her pain, her exhaustion, and her breaking point. And that ending! The hint about her powerful family? The contrast between Eric's cold indifference and the warmth of her father's arrival? Beautiful.
The chapter perfectly balances anger, heartbreak, and hope. It sets up so much potential for Nicole's transformation.
⭐ **Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars**
## Next Chapter Prediction
Now that Nicole has returned to the Stanton family, her father's empire is about to become her greatest weapon. Eric thinks she's a penniless divorcee, but he has no idea he just divorced a billionaire heiress. I predict Nicole will start reclaiming her power—reconnecting with her family's resources, perhaps entering the business world, and systematically dismantling Eric's assumptions. Meanwhile, Eric is starting to feel the first twinges of regret, but by the time he realizes what he's lost, Nicole will be so far out of his league he won't even recognize her. Watch out, Eric—the real Nicole is about to emerge.