No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 646

She finally understood what Smith meant by “the lucky ones”—they truly were extraordinarily fortunate.

Eleanor didn’t leave for the lab until nearly ten. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she heard Faye’s voice, complaining, “Why does that pig smell so awful? I feel like the stench’s seeped into my whole body.”

“Oh, come on. You just took a quick look at it. Joel actually had to touch the thing!” another voice chimed in.

“I have a sensitive nose,” Faye replied, her tone dripping with disdain.

Rounding the corner, Eleanor came face-to-face with the group. The moment Faye spotted her, her expression turned ice cold. “Well, look who decided to show up late—convenient, considering we’re supposed to be testing those pigs today.”

The intern, Darcy, jumped in, “Dr. Sutton, we just came back from the pens—it was brutal in there.”

Eleanor shot Faye a sidelong glance. “If you really can’t handle it, you can always request a transfer.”

Faye bristled. “Don’t underestimate me. I can handle a little discomfort.”

After Eleanor walked away, Darcy noticed Faye’s sour mood. She’d heard the rumors about Faye and Eleanor—how they’d been classmates, but rivals all the same.

Eleanor’s story was practically legendary: a father who was a renowned scholar, skipped grades, direct admission to a doctorate, multiple patents in her name. Any one of those achievements would be enough to impress.

Faye, for all her solid background and good grades, seemed painfully ordinary in comparison.

When Eleanor returned to her office and then headed to the lab, she found Joel hunched over a table, scribbling data into his notebook. As she approached, Joel quickly sniffed his sleeve—he’d washed his hands, but the pig smell still lingered. He worried it might bother her.

Eleanor couldn’t help but smile. “Joel, you’ve had a rough morning.”

He shrugged. “It’s nothing. Let me handle jobs like this in the future. It’s not really work for you ladies.”

Suddenly, Eleanor noticed a thin, bloody scratch across the back of his hand. It wasn’t deep, but he hadn’t treated it.

“Joel, what happened to your hand?” she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

“Oh, that. Got scraped by a hoof when I was holding the pig. No big deal.”

“Let me disinfect and bandage it,” she said, heading for the first-aid kit.

As Eleanor sat patching up Joel’s hand, Faye walked in, arms full of documents. The sight of Joel, quietly letting Eleanor tend to him, made her eyes widen and her grip on the files tighten.

She’d seen Joel’s injury earlier and had offered to help, but he’d flat-out refused.

But now—he was letting Eleanor do it without a word of protest?

Was Joel deliberately saving his wound for Eleanor, hoping she’d fuss over him?

Joel glanced up and saw Faye. “Just leave the files on the table,” he said.

“You—”

“If you put half as much energy into your work as you do into rumors, maybe you’d stop holding the team back.” Eleanor’s words were deliberate, echoing something Faye had once said to her, years ago.

Back then, Faye had looked down on Eleanor for being from a “housewife” background, bluntly telling her to quit.

Now, Faye’s eyes flashed with shock, her face going pale. “Eleanor, you’re out of line.”

Eleanor just gave a short, cold laugh. “I’m only telling the truth.”

After Eleanor left, the break room was dead silent. The assistants who’d been eavesdropping held their breath, stunned.

To them, Eleanor had always seemed approachable and easygoing. It was the first time they’d seen this side of her—and it left them a bit in awe.

Faye retreated to her office, pulled out her phone, and dialed Vanessa.

“Hey, what’s up?” Vanessa’s voice was languid.

“I just got humiliated by Eleanor. Can’t you hurry up and marry Ian already?” Faye snapped. If Eleanor’s career was untouchable, then Faye would make sure her love life was a disaster.

She was certain Eleanor still loved Ian. If he married Vanessa, it would devastate her—just what Faye wanted.