\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just like I predicted-Naomi got assigned to my department for her clinical rotation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let me be clear: when it comes to teaching, I don\u2019t play favorites. Every student gets the same training.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During an emergency surgery I\u2019m leading, I assign the interns to observe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And I specifically choose Naomi as instrument assistant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does it have to be me?\u201d she mutters under her breath, clearly pissed off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Ashford, isn\u2019t this abuse of power?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glance at her through my surgical mask. \u201cIf you earned that scholarship on merit, prove it in the OR.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We reach the critical phase of the procedure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I call for a 2.5mm balloon catheter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naomi fumbles-and hands me a 3mm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWrong! Vasopressors! NOW!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bark orders, the team scrambling to compensate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After surgery, we step out of the OR.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naomi follows behind me, face pale as death.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turn to face her. Every word deliberate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn cardiothoracic surgery, you hold lives in your hands. One tiny mistake can kill someone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe carelessness and incompetence you showed today? That gets patients killed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naomi sways on her feet. Tears flood her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVivian! Is this really necessary?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zach\u2019s voice cuts through the hallway like a blade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He strides over and plants himself between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:53\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart: How Water Temperature Exposed My Military Husband\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
2.6%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a student! First-time nerves are normal! Everyone makes mistakes at first!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t need to tear her down like this! Are you teaching-or just looking for an excuse to attack her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stare at the man I once stood beside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now he\u2019s defending another woman. Undermining my professional judgment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart sinks into frozen water. Goes numb.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Carter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I use his formal title.\u00a0<\/p>\n
25\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn cardiac surgery, there\u2019s no room for trial and error. As her supervising physician, pointing out a potentially fatal mistake is my job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYour job?!\u201d His anger flares hotter. \u201cYou\u2019re abusing your position!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He grabs Naomi\u2019s wrist. \u201cCome on, sweetheart. We\u2019re leaving. You don\u2019t have to take this shit from her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He storms off with her, tears streaming down her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The other interns are staring at me now-wary, resentful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My phone rings.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hit speakerphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s voice rings out, crystal clear: \u201cSis, tracked down the IP addresses behind those smear posts. All traced back\u00a0<\/p>\n
to Naomi\u2019s dorm room.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI posted the evidence online. It\u2019s blowing up. Also sent copies to the academy\u2019s ethics committee and the disciplinary board.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hum in acknowledgment and hang up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room goes silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every single person who\u2019d been glaring at me seconds ago is now staring at their phones in shock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shouting erupts outside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A group barges in-led by one of Naomi\u2019s friends, the girl who\u2019d been teasing her and Zach before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:53\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart: How Water Temperature Exposed My Military Husband\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
2.8%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 4\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shoves a phone camera in my face. \u201cDr. Ashford! What the hell is your problem?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if Naomi screwed up, did you have to go this far?! Reporting her and Coach Carter?!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because your marriage is falling apart doesn\u2019t mean you get to punish people for caring about each other! You\u2019re just jealous!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After her self-righteous rant, the other interns chime in:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cApologize! You slandered an innocent student by calling her a homewrecker! That\u2019s disgusting!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGet Naomi here! There are hundreds of thousands watching this livestream-let her confront you herself!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I smile faintly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want Naomi? Fine. I know exactly where she is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I lead the group down the hallway-toward the rarely-used emergency stairwell.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The closer we get, the clearer the sounds become.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naomi\u2019s breathy, teasing voice: \u201cCoach\u2026 how do I compare to that old hag Vivian?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zach\u2019s rough, lust-soaked groan: \u201cShe\u2019s not worth a fraction of you. I\u2019ll divorce her soon.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBabe, if you get pregnant this time, don\u2019t get rid of it. I only want your kids..\/\u00a0<\/p>\n
Outside the stairwell, dead silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stand there calmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching their faces drain of color. Watching shock twist their expressions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The livestream explodes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
(1)\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u56de(0)\u00a0<\/p>\n
(0)\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:53\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart: How Water Temperature Exposed My Military Husband\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
3.1%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart by Mark Twain 4 \u00a0 Chapter 4\u00a0 Chapter 4\u00a0 Just like I predicted-Naomi got assigned to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-giving-my-husband-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22872\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}