Suzanne's POV
I never thought walking into a hospital could feel so… liberating.
Maybe it was the way the receptionist blinked at the form I handed her — the one where I scratched out "Knight" and wrote in big, clean letters:
Suzanne Everlyn.
Not Sterling. Not Knight. Just me.
She gave me a polite nod and clicked away at her keyboard, but that tiny smirk tugging at the corner of her lips told me she noticed. Noticed I wasn't hiding behind his name anymore. That I wasn't clinging to what once was.
"You alright?" Tristan asked gently beside me.
I nodded, clutching the clipboard just a little tighter. "I'm good."
He didn't say anything more. He just… stayed close. He always did. And it was oddly comforting to know that he would — even when I hadn't asked him to.
The nurse led us through white-washed corridors into the waiting lounge. It smelled like antiseptic and fluorescent lights, but even that couldn't ruin the strange peace I felt. I was here for me. No secrets. No lies. No pretending to be okay for someone who never really cared.
Then came the moment that shattered it.
"Mr. Knight?" a voice rang out.
I froze.
Tristan's head snapped to the side. I turned slowly — my fingers curling.
And there he was.
Josh.
Standing at the front desk, wearing his usual smug mask like he owned the air around him. His sleeves were rolled, his hair styled like always. But his eyes… they searched the room, then landed on me.
With him.
He stepped forward with a calm, calculated smile. "Suzanne. Tristan."
I didn't respond. Neither did Tristan.
The nurse glanced between all three of us. "The doctor called both of you for the follow-up. You're… her husband, right?" she asked Josh, innocently.
Before I could say anything, Josh beat me to it. "Yes, I'm—"
"No," I cut him off coldly. "You're not."
The nurse blinked.
"I'm not Suzanne Knight anymore," I said calmly, holding Tristan's arm, my voice unwavering. "It's just Miss Everlyn now."
Josh's jaw clenched.
The nurse gave a hesitant nod and murmured, "I'll inform the doctor," before walking off — clearly sensing the storm brewing.
Josh turned to me fully now. "You changed your name?"
I looked at him dead in the eye. "I reclaimed it."
---
Tristan's POV
I wasn't expecting to be pissed off in a hospital today.
But the second Josh Knight walked in like he still had the right to be here, like he deserved to be standing beside her…
It took everything in me not to break his damn nose.
The way his eyes flicked to me — sizing me up, trying to calculate how far things had gone between Suzanne and me — made me want to smile.
Because if he thought I was just a placeholder, he was dead wrong.
"Why are you even here, Josh?" I asked, keeping my voice level.
Josh shrugged like he was entitled to the answer. "The doctor called me. I didn't know she was bringing a plus one."
Suzanne exhaled sharply. "He's not a plus one. He's family."
Josh scoffed. "Oh, now we're calling it that?As far as I know ,he is MY STEPBROTHER not yours"he spat venomously.
I stepped forward, one hand resting protectively on her back. "You're not in a position to question anything, Josh.And moreover don't tell about this BROTHERLY bond .I know how much you detest him, And he is Like a Friend to me,which you could never ."
He chuckled darkly. "Funny. Last I checked, I'm still her husband."
I didn't flinch. Neither did she.But Suzanne took a step forward and said, "Not for long."
The doctor finally entered, breaking the tension in the room. "Ms. Everlyn? Mr… uh, Knight?"
"Just me," Suzanne said. "He's not part of this anymore."
Josh opened his mouth, but I stepped in first. "If she says you're not, then you're not. Let's go, Suzzy."
Her eyes flicked to mine — softening at the sound of her nickname. I never used it in front of others. But right now? I needed to remind him she was no longer his.
We turned to follow the doctor, leaving Josh behind.He didn't call after her. But I could feel his eyes burning into the back of our heads.
---
Suzanne's POV
After the appointment, I walked quietly beside Tristan toward the parking lot. The afternoon sun filtered through the glass ceiling above, casting long shadows.
[End of Chapter 7]
To be continued...