Chapter 4 You're Not Up to It Either

Wendy was wrapped in the smell of alcohol and his cold presence. In the dim storage room, even the air seemed thin.

But she wasn't afraid. Instead, she smiled.

Her red lips curved into a mocking arc as she looked up to meet his ice-cold eyes. "What, is Mr. Talbot getting all worked up now? I say you can't do it, so you're desperate to prove yourself right here?"

"Wendy!" A vein bulged on Felix's temple, and his grip on her wrist was so tight it felt like he could crush her bones.

Those three words were undoubtedly the greatest insult to a man.

Wendy frowned from the pain, but her words showed no sign of backing down. "Don't forget, we haven't had sex in three years. I find you disgusting after you've touched Rita, and as for touching me, you don't even have that ability. Felix, which one of us is more pathetic?"

She leaned closer to him, her warm breath brushing past his ear, her voice not loud but cutting deep with every word.

"So just sign the divorce papers already. Let me go, and save yourself some dignity. Otherwise, if this goes to court, the headline about the Talbot family heir getting divorced because of 'sexual dysfunction' - now that would make quite a story."

Felix's expression darkened completely, the gloom in his eyes almost taking physical form.

In his twenty-something years of life, no one had ever dared to provoke him like this.

Just as he was about to speak, someone suddenly knocked on the storage room door.

Rita's weak, tearful voice came from outside. "Felix, are you in there? Don't blame Wendy, it's all my fault..."

That voice was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing all of Felix's anger.

Almost instinctively, he immediately let go of Wendy's hand.

Without any hesitation, he turned and walked toward the door.

Wendy watched his resolute back, and the last bit of pain in her heart finally went completely numb.

See, this was who he was.

No matter what she said or did, as soon as Rita appeared, she would immediately be cast aside like trash.

The door opened, and Rita stood in the doorway. Seeing Felix, she immediately threw herself into his arms.

"Felix, don't be angry at Wendy. She didn't mean it." As she spoke, the corner of her eye swept over Wendy with a challenging look, as if silently flaunting her victory.

Felix held her, his voice instantly softening. "I'm fine, stop crying."

Wendy calmly smoothed out her wrinkled dress, leaning against the wall and watching this tender scene with cold eyes.

"Are you done with the show?" she said flatly. "It's a real shame the Oscars didn't invite you two to perform."

Rita's body stiffened. She lifted her head from Felix's embrace, her eyes red like a rabbit's. "Wendy, I know you're still mad at me, but you can't force feelings. Felix and I truly love each other..."

"Truly love each other?" Wendy sounded like she'd heard the joke of the century. "So much in love that you need to put on this sob story in front of me, his actual wife? Rita, isn't your game a bit too basic?"

"I didn't..." Rita was left speechless, her face turning red and white. Suddenly, she clutched her chest, breathing rapidly, her body going limp as she fell toward Felix. "I... I can't breathe... I feel awful..."

Felix's expression changed dramatically. He immediately scooped her up in his arms, calling out anxiously, "Rita! What's wrong? Don't scare me!"

Holding Rita, he glared furiously at Wendy. "Wendy, if anything happens to her, I won't let you get away with this!"

Here we go again.

Three years ago, Rita had also "fallen" down the stairs, and then everyone blamed her for pushing.

But this time, Wendy wouldn't let herself be pushed around anymore.

She stood there with her arms crossed, her gaze calmly falling on Rita's face, her tone carrying a hint of knowing mockery. "If you're going to fake being sick, at least make it convincing. Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome have lips that turn cyanotic - that means purple - from lack of oxygen. Look at yourself, rosy-cheeked with steady breathing. Did you just finish a sprint or something?"

Rita's body visibly froze.

Felix was stunned too. He looked down at the person in his arms and saw that she indeed had a rosy complexion, with no signs of oxygen deprivation whatsoever.

"You're lying!" Rita panicked, struggling to defend herself. "I just don't feel well..."

"This lady is right."

A gentle male voice suddenly came from nearby.

Everyone looked over to see a man in a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses walking toward them, his demeanor refined.

"I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon at Central Hospital." After introducing himself, the man's gaze fell on Wendy with a hint of gratitude and respect. "This lady has very professional knowledge of emergency care."

He turned to the crowd and explained, "Three years ago, my mother had a sudden heart attack at the mall. Everyone around was helpless, but this lady used standard CPR to save those critical four minutes for my mother. I trust her judgment."

Ethan Douglas looked at Rita, his tone polite but carrying undeniable professional authority. "Miss, your vital signs are very stable. If you really feel unwell, I suggest going to the hospital for a comprehensive examination, rather than... wasting everyone's time here."

In an instant, everyone's eyes focused on Rita.

Those gazes held curiosity, doubt, and more than anything, mocking amusement at the spectacle.

Rita's expression changed drastically, all color draining from her face - even paler than when she'd been faking illness.

She wished she could find a hole to crawl into. Being exposed for faking illness in public was utterly humiliating.

Felix's expression was terrible.

He wasn't stupid. Ethan's words and Rita's current reaction had made everything clear.

In front of everyone, the woman in his arms who kept saying she felt awful had become the biggest joke.

And he was the fool who'd played along with her act.

Rita trembled under those probing and mocking gazes, wishing she could disappear on the spot. She gripped Felix's sleeve tightly, tears falling like broken beads. "Felix, I... let's go, I feel so dizzy..."

She just wanted to immediately leave this place where she'd lost all face.

Felix's Adam's apple bobbed. In the end, he said nothing, just held her and strode away under everyone's complicated stares.

As he passed Wendy, his steps didn't pause. He only left her with an ice-cold look, as if warning her that he was keeping score.