He refused to pay for his wife’s operation, bought her a burial plot in the old churchyard and slipped away to the seaside with his mistress.
In a private clinic on the outskirts of London, a young woman lay drifting in a quiet ward. The doctors moved around her as if any sudden sound might disturb death itself, stealing occasional glances at the monitors where the faint beeps trembled like a dying heart. They all knew the bitter truth: even a kings ransom could not coax a soul back from the beyond.
Behind the polished doors of the senior consultants office a tense meeting unfolded. In the dim halflight, surgeons in immaculate white coats sat at a long table. Beside them, her husband, a sleek businessman in an immaculate navy suit, crisp haircut, goldplated watch glinting, watched with a cold stare. The young surgeon, Connor Blake, was practically on fire, his voice rising with urgency.
This ointment costs next to nothing, but it will have her on her feet within a week! he shouted, slamming his pen on the table. We havent lost her yet! We can still save her!
Then the husband spoke, his tone theatrical yet chilling. Im no doctor, but I am the person closest to Eleanor, he began, his eyes flashing. And for that reason I am absolutely against the operation. Why prolong her agony? It would only extend her suffering. A tear slipped down the cheek of even the most jaded surgeon.
The chief consultant muttered hesitantly, You may be wrong
Connor sprang from his seat, his voice shaking with anger. Do you realise youre taking away her last chance?
David Archerso the husband was calledstood as immovable as a stone. He had his own ways of steering decisions and he used them without apology. The operation will not go ahead, he cut, Ill sign any waiver.
With a single swift flourish of his pen, the womans fate was sealed.
Only a few knew why he made such a cruel choice, though the reasons were glaring. David had built his fortune on Eleanors connections, her money, her intellect. Now, as she dangled between life and death, he already imagined the moment he could command her empire unchallenged. Her death suited him perfectly, and he made no secret of it to anyone who might expose him.
He slipped a gift to the chief consultantan inducement no one could refuseso the idea of surgery would die with him. Meanwhile, David had already selected a plot in the churchyard for his living wife.
A fine spot, he mused, strolling among the headstones with the air of a realestate magnate. Dry ground, a slight rise. From there Eleanor will watch the town like a queen.
The cemetery keeper, an elderly man with deepset eyes, stared at him bewildered. When do you plan to bring the body?
Im not sure yet, David replied indifferently. Shes still in the hospital. Shes holding on.
The keeper swallowed hard. Youve chosen a spot for a living person?
Of course Im not going to bury her alive, the keeper sneered. Im just certain she wont survive much longer.
Arguing was pointless. David was in a hurrythe foreign shore and his tall, glamorous lover awaited him. He imagined the perfect payoff.
Brilliant calculation, he thought, sliding into his Mercedes. Ill be back, the funeral done, and Ill be free.
The keeper made no objections. All the paperwork was signed, the money paidno questions, no complaints.
Meanwhile, in the ward, Eleanor fought for each breath. She felt her strength ebb, but she refused to surrender. Young, beautiful, hungry for lifehow could she simply give up? The doctors looked away, their eyes trained on the monitors as if she were already a leaf dead on the ground.
Only one man remained on her side: Connor Blake, the obstinate surgeon who had pressed for the operation despite constant friction with the department head. The chief consultant, keen to keep his patronage, usually sided with the head of the ward, a man rumored to be like a son to him.
Unexpectedly, a second defender emergedthe cemetery keeper, Albert Hughes. Something about the request for a gravesite had set his teeth on edge. As he examined the documents, a familiar surname caught his eye.
It was his former pupil, the brilliant student who had once topped the classEleanor Clarke. He remembered her parents dying in a tragic accident years before, and how she had risen to become a leading businesswoman. Now her name appeared on the deed for a burial plot.
And now shes ill, and this leech of a husband wants to shove her into the ground, Albert thought, recalling Davids smug grin. Something stank. David had no talent of his own; every penny he possessed had been earned through Eleanors brilliance.
Without hesitation, Albert marched to the clinic, hoping at least to say goodbye or to intervene. The exhausted nurse brushed him off. Shes in a druginduced coma. Better this wayshe isnt suffering.
But is she getting proper care? Albert asked, his voice tinged with worry. Shes still so young
Every official he spoke to echoed the same line: The patient is hopeless; were doing everything we can. Realizing the truth would never surface, Albert left, fighting back tears as the pale face of his former student flitted through his mind.
At the exit, Connor Blake caught sight of him. Whats your angle here? the surgeon asked.
Albert explained why the case gnawed at him. I cant believe shes condemned I think her husband wants her dead.
I agree completely! Connor shouted. She can be saved, but we need decisive action!
For Eleanor, Id do anything, Albert replied.
A sudden resolve took hold. Albert remembered an old graduatenow a senior official in the Department of Health. He phoned the man, laying out Eleanors plight in detail.
Do you understand, Mr. Whitaker? Her life hangs in the balance. She must live! Albert urged.
Whitaker chuckled. Why the formalities, Albert? Your lessons got me here in the first place. He dialed the chief consultant on the spot.
The call turned the tide. Within hours the operation was approved, and Eleanor was pulled back from the brink.
Meanwhile, David lounged on the Brighton beach, basking in the sun, relishing his scheming triumph. All went to plan, he thought, rubbing his lovers thigh. I hooked a wealthy heiress while her parents were gone, pretended to be a supportive friend at the funeral, and now Im living off their money.
But his marriage still weighed on him. Eleanor had begun to suspect his affairs, to sense his true motives. Her illness, a cruel gift of fate, now threatened to leave him a widower.
Never again will I marry a clever woman, he muttered, smirking. Better a simple beauty I can lead around.
His reverie was shattered by a ringing phone. A nurses voice trembled. David Archer! Your wifes operation was successfulshes out of danger.
How successful? What does out of danger mean? he roared, drawing startled glances from nearby holidaymakers.
Realising his own peril, David scrambled to pack. His lover looked baffled. David, where are you going?
The holidays over. Ive got to deal with this! he snapped.
Back at home he demanded answers from the chief consultant. He had paid for Eleanors death and received her survival instead. The doctors shrank back. Were not the only ones with powerful friends, they said. Someone higher up gave the order.
Who? Who wants her? David fumed.
The chief pointed accusingly at Connor. The blame fell on the young surgeon, and that was enough for David. Connor was dismissed, his reputation shredded, his future in medicine erased.
Connors world collapsed until Albert intervened again, offering him a job at the cemetery. Dont look so down, Albert said. You saved a life; thats worth something. With no other options, Connor accepted.
Eleanors recovery was slow but steady. Each day she reclaimed a bit of strength, the specter of death receding. She began to probe the strange coldness of her husband, the odd behavior of colleagues, the whispered rumors in the boardroom.
One night the chief accountant broke down, tears streaming. Eleanor, the company is in ruins! Davids taken over, replaced everyone, his people run the show now. Were counting on youif you get better, you can turn this around. If not I cant even imagine.
Eleanor tried to comfort her, Hold on, Ill recover, and everything will go back to normal. Just stay strong and dont show David were scared.
So she had two allies: Albert, the cemetery keeper who had once taught her, and Connor, the surgeon whod refused to let her die. Their support kept her afloatuntil they too vanished. David, ever the puppeteer, had slipped another bribe to the hospital, barring anyone from visiting Eleanor.
Albert, realizing he was being shut out, recalled his old pupil turned health minister. He hesitated, then thought, Maybe its worth the trouble to get back in. He whispered, Well wait. Im sure once shes strong again things will change.
Connor, darkening, muttered, What if its too late? Shes surrounded by enemies now.
Eleanor felt the weight of being a pawn. David was preparing documents to declare her legally incompetent, ready to seize her assets. She could barely speak to him; his last words had been icy, Your medication is too strong, dear.
She understood his plan: portray her as incapable, let the doctors nod along, and lock her out of everything she built.
Meanwhile, Connor toiled at the cemetery, his heart breaking each time he thought of Eleanor. One day, at a funeral for an elderly businessman, the crowd murmured sorrowfully. Connor stood at the back, waiting for his moment, when his gaze landed on the deceased lying in the coffin. A pulse throbbed faintly beneath the cloth.
He lunged, pulling the sheet aside. Get the paramedics! Move him now! he shouted. A young widow shrieked, What are you doing?! but Connors command cut through the chaos. The man was rushed to the hospital, alive. It turned out his new wife had tried to poison him for the inheritance.
The rescued man was a major shareholder in Eleanors company. Upon learning Connor had saved his life, he called immediately. Eleanor Clarke? My best business partner! he exclaimed. He took charge, restoring the company to her control. David, stripped of influence, vanished with his lover as if hed never existed.
The chief consultant and the department head were dismissed, their licences revoked. Connor was offered his old post back, only to find Eleanor had founded a private medical centre and appointed him its director.
Their professional partnership blossomed into genuine love. Six months later they married, with Albert Hughes standing proudly as the best man. Not long after, they announced they were expecting a child.
Hope the granddad wont bother the baby, Albert joked, smiling at the newlyweds.
