At one in the morning, my fianc\u00e9 came to pick me up from the hospital after my night shift.<\/p>\n
In the passenger seat of his car sat his young female assistant.<\/p>\n
She was wrapped in his cashmere scarf.<\/p>\n
She was holding the insulated bottle I had bought for him.<\/p>\n
The moment she saw me, she quickly lowered the window halfway.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy stomach hurts. If I sit in the back, I\u2019ll get nauseous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan Reed sat in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n
He did not get out of the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie just finished her checkup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t feel well. You\u2019re both women. Try to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
I held the door handle.<\/p>\n
The smell of disinfectant still clung to the back of my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen where am I supposed to sit?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie Wells immediately turned around with a pitiful voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, maybe I should give you the seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can try to endure it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mouth said she would move.<\/p>\n
But her hand tightened around the seat belt.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s voice sank.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, don\u2019t make things hard for someone who\u2019s sick.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n
I closed the car door.<\/p>\n
Not loudly.<\/p>\n
Just firmly.<\/p>\n
Nathan thought I would walk around to the back seat.<\/p>\n
Instead, I turned and walked straight back into the hospital.<\/p>\n
Five minutes later, I sent him one message.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re done. The wedding is canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
After I sent it, I turned off my phone.<\/p>\n
Then I went back to the on-call room and took the documents and bank cards from my locker.<\/p>\n
My coworker, Claire Martin, came out of the break room with a cup of instant noodles.<\/p>\n
When she saw me carrying my bag, she almost spilled the soup on her shoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t you just finish your shift?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWasn\u2019t Nathan coming to pick you up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you back?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hung my white coat over the chair.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone else was in his passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire froze for two seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because of the passenger seat?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked out the window.<\/p>\n
That black car was still parked outside the emergency entrance.<\/p>\n
May you like<\/p>\n
The \u201cQueen\u201d of the HOA Tried to Fine Me $1,000 for My \u201cUgly\u201d Blue Flowers. She Didn\u2019t Realize Her $150,000 Luxury Pool Is Sitting Entirely on My Property Line, and I Just Hired a Bulldozer.<\/p>\n
My Entitled Sister-in-Law Wore a $10,000 Custom White Gown to My Wedding Just to Outshine Me. She Didn\u2019t Realize I Had a \u201cRed Wine\u201d Surprise Waiting for the First Person to Touch the Floor.<\/p>\n
I bought a dusty five-dollar violin to heal my daughter\u2019s broken silence. I never expected it to unearth a blood-stained secret that would rewrite my family\u2019s history in gold.
\nInside the car, two shadows sat close together.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because of the passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire opened her mouth, but she did not try to persuade me.<\/p>\n
She knew I had rules.<\/p>\n
I did not share toothbrushes.<\/p>\n
I did not mix up water glasses.<\/p>\n
And in love, I never accepted tests of my boundaries.<\/p>\n
Nathan knew that too.<\/p>\n
We had been together for five years.<\/p>\n
Half of our wedding invitations had already been sent.<\/p>\n
Yet he chose seven days before our wedding to let another woman sit in my place.<\/p>\n
This was not about one seat.<\/p>\n
This was about him throwing my boundary under another woman\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n
Then he turned around and asked me if I could bend down and pick it back up.<\/p>\n
I would not pick it up.<\/p>\n
The automatic doors of the emergency lobby slid open.<\/p>\n
Nathan strode inside with his coat over his arm.<\/p>\n
His collar was slightly messy.<\/p>\n
Sophie followed closely behind him.<\/p>\n
His scarf was still around her neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, are you done making a scene?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
His voice was not loud.<\/p>\n
But it was loud enough for the triage nurses and the people in the waiting area to hear.<\/p>\n
Sophie tugged at his sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, please don\u2019t be like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can sit in the back now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked straight at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can sit in the back now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her eyes instantly turned red.<\/p>\n
Nathan stepped in front of her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has stomach pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you really have to be jealous at a time like this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJealous of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned my phone back on.<\/p>\n
The screen filled with missed calls from him.<\/p>\n
\u201cJealous of your passenger seat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJealous of your scarf?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr jealous of the water bottle you made her hold like it belonged to her?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan followed my gaze.<\/p>\n
His expression stiffened.<\/p>\n
That insulated bottle was something I had lined up to buy for him last year.<\/p>\n
His name was engraved on the lid.<\/p>\n
Mine was engraved on the bottom.<\/p>\n
Sophie hugged it tighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know you bought this for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed said the car was cold and told me to hold it to warm my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan said, \u201cIt\u2019s just a bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen remember this clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater, it will also be just a wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a fianc\u00e9e.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd just five years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone in the waiting area drew in a sharp breath.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, the wedding is not just your business.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe invitations are sent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hotel is booked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth families have been told.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you can cancel it just because you say so?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd don\u2019t use the wedding to threaten me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not threatening you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took off my engagement ring.<\/p>\n
Then I placed it on the suggestion box beside the triage desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m informing you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the ring as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.<\/p>\n
Sophie took one step forward.<\/p>\n
Her voice trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, please don\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI really didn\u2019t want to ruin anything between you two.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy stomach just hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed was only taking care of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you have to be so cruel?\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf your stomach hurts, you should go to gastroenterology.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t crawl into my fianc\u00e9\u2019s passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
She choked.<\/p>\n
Nathan reached out to pull me.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go home and talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat home isn\u2019t only yours either.\u201d<\/p>\n
He grabbed empty air.<\/p>\n
His anger finally broke through.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily Hayes, you\u2019re almost thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you leave me, what kind of man do you think you can still find?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire put her noodles down on the table and sneered.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, the ER tonight does not treat men whose brains have been soaked in water.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan did not even look at her.<\/p>\n
He only stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cApologize now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll pretend this never happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took the wedding planner contract from my bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt nine tomorrow morning, I\u2019ll go withdraw the deposit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything of mine in the new apartment will be moved out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly crouched down.<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately turned to support her.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop upsetting her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the ring from the desk.<\/p>\n
Then I shoved it straight into the pocket of Nathan\u2019s suit jacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she faints in front of the ER, remember to take a number.\u201d<\/p>\n
He was too busy holding Sophie to chase after me.<\/p>\n
When I walked out of the hospital, the rain had stopped.<\/p>\n
The street reflected a row of white lights.<\/p>\n
It looked like a road that had just been washed clean.<\/p>\n
I booked a moving company.<\/p>\n
In the note, I wrote everything clearly.<\/p>\n
Ten boxes of medical books.<\/p>\n
Two boxes of custom surgical practice tools.<\/p>\n
Some personal furniture.<\/p>\n
One pet cat.<\/p>\n
At two in the morning, the driver called me back.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss, you\u2019re moving at this hour?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you fight with your boyfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked back toward the hospital entrance.<\/p>\n
Nathan was putting the scarf back over Sophie\u2019s shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe broke up.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I arrived at the apartment we had planned to use after the wedding, the door code had not been changed.<\/p>\n
Nathan had bought the apartment before marriage.<\/p>\n
He paid the down payment.<\/p>\n
I paid for the renovation, furniture, and appliances.<\/p>\n
Back then, he said he was too busy with work to handle details like materials and contractors.<\/p>\n
So after my night shifts, I went to hardware stores to compare prices.<\/p>\n
On my days off, I stood at the construction site to supervise the wiring and plumbing.<\/p>\n
Even the kitchen counter height had been custom-built according to his habits.<\/p>\n
Now that I thought about it, no matter how perfectly the counter fit him, it could not raise a man who knew how to wash dishes.<\/p>\n
I had just taken out the cat carrier when the door opened.<\/p>\n
Nathan walked in with Sophie.<\/p>\n
She had changed into a pair of house slippers.<\/p>\n
The pink pair was mine.<\/p>\n
I looked at those slippers.<\/p>\n
The last bit of hesitation in my heart vanished.<\/p>\n
Nathan saw me standing in the living room.<\/p>\n
He thought I had changed my mind, so his tone softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo sleep first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t cancel the wedding tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s both calm down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie clutched his sleeve and said timidly, \u201cEmily, I shouldn\u2019t have come.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mr. Reed was afraid you\u2019d be alone at home and overthink things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I came with him to check on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pointed at the slippers on her feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake them off.\u201d<\/p>\n
She lowered her head and immediately hid behind Nathan.<\/p>\n
Nathan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re even calculating over a pair of slippers?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He held back his anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll buy you ten pairs tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I look like I lack slippers?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears streamed down Sophie\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I really didn\u2019t know they were yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the office, I often wear Mr. Reed\u2019s spare slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you two didn\u2019t separate things so clearly at home either.\u201d<\/p>\n
I walked to the shoe cabinet.<\/p>\n
I took out a pair of disposable shoe covers and threw them at her feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care how you divide things at the office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s expression turned ugly.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, my name is on the deed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut my name is on the renovation receipts.\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened the cabinet by the door and threw a stack of invoices onto the coffee table.<\/p>\n
Flooring.<\/p>\n
Kitchen cabinets.<\/p>\n
Central air.<\/p>\n
Lighting system.<\/p>\n
Mattress.<\/p>\n
Curtains.<\/p>\n
Dishwasher.<\/p>\n
Refrigerator.<\/p>\n
Washer and dryer.<\/p>\n
The total was sixty-two thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
Nathan froze.<\/p>\n
Maybe this was the first time he realized every light in this apartment could be counted in dollars.<\/p>\n
I continued, \u201cTomorrow morning, I\u2019ll have workers remove everything that can be removed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the things that can\u2019t be removed, I\u2019ll calculate depreciation and sell them back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSettle it within three days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, isn\u2019t this too heartless?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe affection is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow it\u2019s time to settle the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan pressed his hand down on the invoices.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t push your luck.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou renovated this place voluntarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t come back asking for money after a breakup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll dismantle it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took out my phone and messaged the contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow at six, remove the central air first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you insane?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re about to get married, and you want to tear the apartment apart?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wedding is canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly grabbed my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, please don\u2019t do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed has been exhausted because of the wedding these past few days.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company project is busy too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe only looked after me in passing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you two fight like this because of me, I\u2019ll regret it for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down at the hand gripping mine.<\/p>\n
Her nails were painted pale pink.<\/p>\n
Glitter sparkled at the tips.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet go.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not let go.<\/p>\n
Instead, she suddenly pulled herself backward hard.<\/p>\n
Her elbow hit the glass on the coffee table.<\/p>\n
The glass fell to the floor and shattered.<\/p>\n
She immediately clutched her wrist.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh!\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan rushed to her.<\/p>\n
A faint red mark appeared on her wrist.<\/p>\n
It was not even bleeding.<\/p>\n
Nathan looked up at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou pushed her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
I bent down and picked up the remote control from the TV stand.<\/p>\n
Nathan grew even angrier.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I\u2019m asking you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pressed rewind.<\/p>\n
The pet camera in the corner of the living room was blinking red.<\/p>\n
On the screen, Sophie grabbed my hand first.<\/p>\n
Then she stepped backward on her own.<\/p>\n
Her elbow knocked over the glass.<\/p>\n
Every movement was clear.<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s face turned pale.<\/p>\n
Nathan stood frozen.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you still want to ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stayed silent for a moment.<\/p>\n
Then his voice lowered.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire once told me that when someone is biased, evidence is not for them.<\/p>\n
It is for yourself.<\/p>\n
Now I understood.<\/p>\n
Even with clear evidence in front of him, Nathan would still find an excuse for her.<\/p>\n
I turned off the TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou two can take your time staying here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan blocked the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are you going tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the cat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the cat.\u201d<\/p>\n
He seemed to have held it in for a long time.<\/p>\n
Finally, he said what he really thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, can you stop being so extreme?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI only took care of a subordinate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019re moving out, canceling the wedding, and tearing out the renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slung the cat backpack over my shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just never stepped on my boundary before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind him, Sophie whispered, \u201cMr. Reed, maybe I should go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let me make you two argue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan refused to move.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cApologize to whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo Sophie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has been wronged.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cat meowed inside the backpack.<\/p>\n
I patted the front of it.<\/p>\n
Then I squeezed past Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell her to sue me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment the door closed, I heard Sophie crying.<\/p>\n
Nathan lowered his voice to comfort her.<\/p>\n
I knew that voice too well.<\/p>\n
When I had a fever of one hundred and two and still had to revise his report at home, he used that same tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cEm, just hang on a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n
So it was not that he did not know how to be gentle.<\/p>\n
It only depended on who the gentleness was for.<\/p>\n
I went downstairs in the elevator.<\/p>\n
A text from an unknown number appeared on my phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, this is Margaret Reed. Are you sure you\u2019re canceling the wedding tomorrow? I have a few things I want to say to you in person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret was Nathan\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
She cared deeply about appearances.<\/p>\n
She would wear a silk scarf just to go buy groceries.<\/p>\n
This message did not sound like her style at all.<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cTen tomorrow morning. Meet me at the wedding planner\u2019s office.\u201d<\/p>\n
At six the next morning, the dismantling workers arrived at the apartment on time.<\/p>\n
I did not go.<\/p>\n
I had already sent the list to building management, the contractors, and Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemove only the things that belong to me and can be removed.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Nathan called, I was sitting in the lobby of the wedding planner\u2019s office, eating a bagel and drinking coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, you really called someone to remove the air-conditioning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know my parents are coming to see the apartment today?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can ask Sophie to make them soup.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other end went silent for one second.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo the things you said last night still count?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBreaking up.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a sip of coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice turned cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you have to cover half the wedding losses.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI signed the wedding planner contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll handle whatever refund I can get.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou booked the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNegotiate that yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, don\u2019t you think it looks ugly to calculate everything so clearly?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt still looks better than letting your female assistant wear my slippers.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hung up in anger.<\/p>\n
At nine, the wedding planner spread the contract out in front of me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Hayes, we can cancel the deposit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut because the date is so close, only one third can be refunded.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cFollow the contract.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not reconsidering?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, Mr. Reed came to confirm the floral design.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said the bride liked white camellias and insisted on the best ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hand paused on the contract.<\/p>\n
The planner did not notice my expression and continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe also told us to put stomach medicine in the favor boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said an important guest had a sensitive stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cStomach medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Wells came with him yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she might get stomach pain from wedding-day nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Mr. Reed asked us to prepare some at every table.\u201d<\/p>\n
The planner suddenly realized something and stopped talking.<\/p>\n
I signed the cancellation form.<\/p>\n
When I walked out of the office, Margaret Reed was standing at the end of the hallway.<\/p>\n
She wore a moss-green dress and carried an old cloth tote bag.<\/p>\n
When she saw me, the first thing she said was, \u201cEmily, I\u2019m not here to persuade you to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped.<\/p>\n
She handed the tote bag to me.<\/p>\n
Inside was a photocopy of the deed, a bank card, and a handwritten list.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe renovation money for the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan didn\u2019t spend a cent of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret placed the things on the bench beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis father said you were making a big deal out of nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I watched the living room camera last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat Sophie Wells is not simple.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Nathan protected her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son is not innocent either.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was a little surprised.<\/p>\n
She looked at me with tired eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy son has been praised since childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people treat him three parts well, he takes it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou treated him ten parts well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe thought you couldn\u2019t live without him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She took out one sheet from the list.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the jewelry and cash gifts I gave you over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you won\u2019t want things from the Reed family anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought this today to make everything clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to return them, return them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t, that is fine too.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pushed the list back to her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Margaret, those were gifts from an elder.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll sort them out and send them back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have always been sensible and measured.\u201d<\/p>\n
The elevator doors opened.<\/p>\n
Nathan and Sophie walked out together.<\/p>\n
Sophie wore a white dress today and held a folder.<\/p>\n
When she saw Margaret, she immediately let go of Nathan\u2019s sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Mrs. Reed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret did not respond.<\/p>\n
Nathan saw the things on the bench, and his face darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see what kind of mess you\u2019ve made of this wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, you don\u2019t understand the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret said, \u201cI watched the camera last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s face slowly turned pale.<\/p>\n
Nathan lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, the camera only shows one angle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie is not that kind of person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what kind of person is she?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s eyes instantly reddened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Reed, I know you don\u2019t like me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mr. Reed and I are really just boss and employee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI came today only to help him recover the wedding deposit.\u201d<\/p>\n
She handed the folder to Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI organized all the contracts last night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Emily signed the contract, she used Mr. Reed\u2019s secondary card.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said it very seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose refunds should go back to Mr. Reed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used my card?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Sophie.<\/p>\n
She lowered her head.<\/p>\n
Her fingers gripped the folder as if she had suffered a great injustice.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cThat card was the wedding expense card you gave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter every charge, you confirmed the amount.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan said, \u201cBut the card is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret\u2019s face turned cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not look at his mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, if you want to break up, we have to settle this clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took out my phone and opened my bank transfer history.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past two years, the account paying that credit card bill has been my salary account.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan froze.<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly lifted her head.<\/p>\n
I pushed the statement in front of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you gave me the card, you said it would make wedding spending easier to track.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou probably forgot to tell Sophie who paid the card balance every month.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret took my phone.<\/p>\n
After she read it, she raised her hand and slapped Nathan across the face.<\/p>\n
The hallway went silent in an instant.<\/p>\n
Nathan covered his face in disbelief.<\/p>\n
Sophie stepped back half a step.<\/p>\n
I took my phone back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe refund from the wedding planner will go back to the original card.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll cancel the card today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can handle the rest yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan finally panicked.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, that\u2019s not what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked straight into his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, every time you say something wrong, you tell me that\u2019s not what you meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what do you want me to say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I walked past him toward the elevator.<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly said, \u201cEmily, did you want to break up with him long ago?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOtherwise, why would you have the bank statements ready?\u201d<\/p>\n
I pressed the elevator button.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I\u2019m a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not understand.<\/p>\n
I turned back and looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore surgery, every instrument must be counted.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore ending a relationship, the accounts should be counted too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the elevator doors closed, I saw Nathan standing there.<\/p>\n
For the first time, he did not chase me.<\/p>\n
Or maybe he simply did not know whom to chase.<\/p>\n
I once thought the most troublesome part of canceling a wedding would be the money.<\/p>\n
Soon, I realized the most troublesome part was people.<\/p>\n
At eleven that morning, Nathan\u2019s cousin sent a message into the family group chat.<\/p>\n
\u201cDear relatives, the wedding has been temporarily canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason is inconvenient to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I can say is that someone took things too far and betrayed my brother\u2019s five years of love.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group chat exploded.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s aunt sent a voice message.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirls nowadays have such terrible tempers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe groom only drove a coworker home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd she cancels the wedding over that?\u201d<\/p>\n
One of Nathan\u2019s coworkers added, \u201cMr. Reed is such a catch.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe Dr. Hayes already has someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie had been silent.<\/p>\n
Three minutes later, she sent a photo.<\/p>\n
In the photo, she was sitting in the passenger seat, pale-faced, holding a medical form.<\/p>\n
The caption was only one sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry. It\u2019s all because my body is weak.\u201d<\/p>\n
The medical form was photographed very skillfully.<\/p>\n
Only the diagnosis line, \u201cgastritis,\u201d was visible.<\/p>\n
Her name, age, and date were all covered.<\/p>\n
The direction of the group chat immediately changed.<\/p>\n
Some people called me heartless.<\/p>\n
Some said I had turned the wedding into a joke.<\/p>\n
Some told Nathan to look forward.<\/p>\n
Claire screenshotted everything and sent it to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you going to explain?\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cNo need.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire sent back a string of question marks.<\/p>\n
I did not explain.<\/p>\n
That did not mean I did nothing.<\/p>\n
I gathered the passenger seat incident, the slippers, the living room camera footage, and the credit card statements into one file.<\/p>\n
Then I sent it to my lawyer friend, Jason Hall.<\/p>\n
Jason called me immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy friend, this is a breakup, not a divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe law can\u2019t do much about emotional debts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRenovation costs can be negotiated.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut defamation can be sued.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSend a lawyer\u2019s warning letter first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people spreading rumors in the family group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cFast hands.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my hospital schedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have three surgeries this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have time to argue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason said, \u201cFine. I\u2019ll argue for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
At one that afternoon, I entered the operating room.<\/p>\n
When I came out, my phone was almost exploding.<\/p>\n
Nathan had sent more than twenty messages.<\/p>\n
The first one questioned why I had let a lawyer contact his relatives.<\/p>\n
The last one begged me to answer his call.<\/p>\n
Sophie also sent me a long message.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I didn\u2019t expect things to become this serious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone was only worried about Mr. Reed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you have to use a lawyer to scare them?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can apologize to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut please don\u2019t ruin Mr. Reed\u2019s relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied with only three words.<\/p>\n
\u201cContact my lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not message again.<\/p>\n
After I changed out of my surgical gown, Dr. Hartman, my department chair, called me over.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, handle your personal matter properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTomorrow our hospital is hosting a free community clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were originally assigned to first aid in the main hall.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman glanced at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan\u2019s company is also one of the co-sponsors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWork is work.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me a file.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne more thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe state review for the open-wound recovery project is next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPrepare your report.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took the file.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That project was the result of three years of research from my team and me.<\/p>\n
Outsiders only knew I worked at a hospital.<\/p>\n
They did not know I spent my days off in the lab.<\/p>\n
Nathan did not know either.<\/p>\n
He only knew I was busy.<\/p>\n
He always complained that a doctor\u2019s salary was only so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy work yourself to death?\u201d<\/p>\n
I was too tired to explain.<\/p>\n
Explaining something he had never cared about was like trying to feed someone who refused to open his mouth.<\/p>\n
That night, I returned to the hotel to pick up my cat.<\/p>\n
The front desk handed me a paper bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Hayes, a Miss Wells left this for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside was the washed scarf.<\/p>\n
The scarf Nathan had wrapped around Sophie the night before.<\/p>\n
There was also a sticky note.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I\u2019m returning the scarf first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t mean anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed said you never lack things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I threw the scarf straight into the trash.<\/p>\n
The young receptionist asked, \u201cWould you like me to throw that away for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the lump of cashmere.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s already dirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter where it\u2019s thrown.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone rang again.<\/p>\n
This time it was Nathan.<\/p>\n
I answered.<\/p>\n
His voice sounded exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Sophie come to see you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe returned a scarf.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe only wanted to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer apology is impressively cheap.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, can we meet?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have to be this ruthless?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stroked my cat\u2019s head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m only closing the door once.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, in these five years, do you really have no regrets?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question finally made me pause.<\/p>\n
Regret?<\/p>\n
Of course I had regrets.<\/p>\n
I regretted the Nathan who once hid from the rain with me outside a convenience store and ate donuts with me.<\/p>\n
I regretted the Nathan who bought me a red bracelet before my first lead surgery.<\/p>\n
I regretted the Nathan who once promised to raise this cat with me until it turned sixteen.<\/p>\n
But I did not regret the man who brought his female assistant into our future home.<\/p>\n
I did not regret leaving the man who let her wear my slippers and then asked if I was being petty.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cWhat I regret is the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot you.\u201d<\/p>\n
His breathing grew heavy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll transfer Sophie to another department tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly do you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my reflection in the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop contacting me.\u201d<\/p>\n
After hanging up, I blocked every way he could contact me.<\/p>\n
One minute later, the family group chat popped up with a new voice message from Sophie.<\/p>\n
She cried and said, \u201cI\u2019ve submitted my resignation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don\u2019t blame Emily anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have had stomach pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have let Mr. Reed drive me home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she wants to blame someone, blame me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don\u2019t blame Mr. Reed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group chat became even noisier.<\/p>\n
Some praised her for being considerate.<\/p>\n
Some said it was rare for Nathan to meet such a kind girl.<\/p>\n
I left the group chat.<\/p>\n
Claire called me, furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s called an apology?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s throwing the whole blame pot on your head.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cLet her throw it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not angry?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you so calm?\u201d<\/p>\n
I opened my laptop and created a new folder.<\/p>\n
The folder name was \u201cEvidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause when she cries, I want an audience watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
The free clinic was held at the city convention center.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s company logo hung on the right side of the entrance.<\/p>\n
He was responsible for receiving leaders and media.<\/p>\n
When I arrived, Sophie was standing at the sign-in table, adjusting his tie.<\/p>\n
Today she was no longer wearing a white dress.<\/p>\n
She had changed into a light gray suit and looked as if she had truly come to work.<\/p>\n
When Nathan saw me, he immediately pushed her hand away.<\/p>\n
I did not look at him.<\/p>\n
I went straight to the first-aid area to check the medical kit.<\/p>\n
Sophie followed me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I\u2019m sorry about yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI already submitted my resignation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter this event ends, I\u2019ll hand over my work.\u201d<\/p>\n
I placed a tourniquet into the kit.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo I need to approve your resignation?\u201d<\/p>\n
My words hit her.<\/p>\n
Her eyes reddened again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted you to know I won\u2019t affect you two anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou already did.\u201d<\/p>\n
She bit her lip.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you really going to deny everything good about Mr. Reed because of one seat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLast night, he stayed up looking at your old photos together.\u201d<\/p>\n
I snapped the medical kit shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you sit there looking at them with him until morning?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face changed.<\/p>\n
I carried the medical kit into the hall.<\/p>\n
Near the stage, Nathan was greeting the organizers.<\/p>\n
When he saw me, he stepped forward.<\/p>\n
But someone beside him called him away.<\/p>\n
After the free clinic began, crowds poured in.<\/p>\n
I was responsible for wound care and basic consultation.<\/p>\n
A little boy ran too fast and hit his forehead on the edge of a display board.<\/p>\n
Blood streamed along his eyebrow.<\/p>\n
His mother panicked and did not know what to do.<\/p>\n
I crouched down to treat the wound.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t press the eye.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPress here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSweetheart, look at the gauze in my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n
The boy sobbed.<\/p>\n
Sophie stood beside us with tissues in her hand, but she did not dare come close.<\/p>\n
Nathan rushed over to maintain order.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere\u2019s the doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCall a doctor!\u201d<\/p>\n
A medical staff member pointed at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes is right there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan froze for a moment.<\/p>\n
He had always known I was a surgeon.<\/p>\n
But it seemed he had never seriously watched me treat a patient.<\/p>\n
I finished the last stitch.<\/p>\n
The boy\u2019s mother thanked me repeatedly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, your hands are so steady.\u201d<\/p>\n
I removed my gloves.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep it dry when you go home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChange the dressing on time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie\u2019s voice suddenly came from behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, you don\u2019t look well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs your blood sugar low?\u201d<\/p>\n
She offered him a piece of candy.<\/p>\n
Nathan did not take it.<\/p>\n
His eyes fell on my hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou worked a night shift yesterday, and you still had to come to the free clinic today?\u201d<\/p>\n
I cleaned up the instruments.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was on the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could have told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould you have gone into surgery for me if I told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
He had no answer.<\/p>\n
Sophie hurried to speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, Mr. Reed is just concerned about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes your stomach still hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
She did not expect that question.<\/p>\n
She paused for one second.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s much better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen stand away from the emergency area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face became unpleasant.<\/p>\n
Not far away, a photographer from local media was taking pictures.<\/p>\n
When Sophie saw the camera, she suddenly stepped backward.<\/p>\n
Her ankle twisted.<\/p>\n
Her body fell toward the medical kit.<\/p>\n
The kit contained a used sharps container.<\/p>\n
The lid was closed, but if it fell, it would be troublesome.<\/p>\n
I reached out to block the kit.<\/p>\n
Her shoulder hit my arm.<\/p>\n
Then she dropped to the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, why did you push me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The camera lens was pointed straight at us.<\/p>\n
Nathan rushed over.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie held her ankle, tears falling.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just lost my balance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her mouth said that.<\/p>\n
But the way she looked at me made it seem as if I had bullied her cruelly.<\/p>\n
People nearby began whispering.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s expression turned ugly.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, this is a public event.\u201d<\/p>\n
I ignored him.<\/p>\n
I turned to the photographer.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you capture what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
The photographer froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease replay it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie immediately grabbed Nathan\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cReally, there\u2019s no need.\u201d<\/p>\n
This time, Nathan did not take her side immediately.<\/p>\n
He looked at the camera screen.<\/p>\n
On the screen, Sophie saw the camera and stepped back.<\/p>\n
Her heel caught on a loose cable on the floor.<\/p>\n
She lost balance by herself.<\/p>\n
I raised my hand to protect the medical kit.<\/p>\n
She hit my arm.<\/p>\n
There was no pushing at all.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face slowly darkened.<\/p>\n
Sophie cried even harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy ankle just hurts.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched down and pressed her ankle.<\/p>\n
She screamed.<\/p>\n
I let go.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it truly hurts, go get an X-ray.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t block the emergency aisle.\u201d<\/p>\n
A man in a suit nearby laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes still speaks efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
It was Dr. Adrian Cole, the new director of the city rehabilitation center.<\/p>\n
He was also one of the outside experts for the project review.<\/p>\n
Nathan clearly knew him.<\/p>\n
He immediately reached out.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Cole, nice to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adrian shook his hand briefly, then let go.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, your company arranged the hall well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut two cable covers are missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s expression changed slightly.<\/p>\n
He turned and called a staff member over.<\/p>\n
Adrian looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, don\u2019t forget the preliminary project meeting this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat project?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adrian looked a little surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes didn\u2019t tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer team\u2019s open-wound recovery project has entered the state review round.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter today\u2019s event, we\u2019ll be reviewing her materials.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me as if he were hearing my name for the first time.<\/p>\n
Sophie sat on the floor with an extremely ugly expression.<\/p>\n
She whispered, \u201cEmily is so capable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did she never tell Mr. Reed?\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the medical kit.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he never asked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s lips moved.<\/p>\n
Adrian looked at us but asked nothing more.<\/p>\n
Before the event ended, Nathan finally found a chance to block my way.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me about this project?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe night you asked me to revise your speech while Sophie worked on your report.\u201d<\/p>\n
He remembered.<\/p>\n
That day, I told him I had to submit project documents the next week.<\/p>\n
I said I might not have time to help him revise his speech.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cHow urgent can hospital documents be?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp me polish my meeting speech first.\u201d<\/p>\n
I revised his speech until three in the morning.<\/p>\n
Behind us, Sophie called out, \u201cMr. Reed, I think my ankle really is broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stood still.<\/p>\n
He did not run to her immediately.<\/p>\n
I did not look back.<\/p>\n
That was the first crack.<\/p>\n
Small and pitiful.<\/p>\n
But enough to terrify Sophie.<\/p>\n
The day after the free clinic, screenshots from Nathan\u2019s company group chat were sent to me.<\/p>\n
Sophie had not resigned at all.<\/p>\n
Not only had she stayed, she had been temporarily transferred to customer relations.<\/p>\n
That department was in charge of our wedding project.<\/p>\n
Claire slapped the table in anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat man said he would transfer her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he actually gave her a better spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
I flipped through a medical record.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not surprising.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAren\u2019t you afraid they\u2019ll actually end up together?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that have to do with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire stared at me for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, people like you are terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou break up like you\u2019re removing dead tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne cut, and you never look back.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cLeaving dead tissue behind causes infection.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pushed a coffee toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine, Dr. Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDrink something sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n
That afternoon, the contractors sent me photos.<\/p>\n
The central air.<\/p>\n
The dishwasher.<\/p>\n
The mattress.<\/p>\n
The bookshelves.<\/p>\n
Everything had been removed.<\/p>\n
The walls were left with exposed screw holes.<\/p>\n
The floor was scratched from moving furniture.<\/p>\n
Nathan also sent me a photo.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have to destroy the apartment like this?\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cThat is your apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot my home.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not reply.<\/p>\n
At seven that evening, Margaret invited me to dinner.<\/p>\n
At first, I did not want to go.<\/p>\n
Then she sent another message.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie will also be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want her to explain everything in front of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
I went to the private dining room.<\/p>\n
Margaret was there, along with Nathan\u2019s father, Richard Reed.<\/p>\n
Nathan and Sophie were there too.<\/p>\n
The moment Richard saw me, his face darkened.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, are you done throwing your tantrum?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wedding can be postponed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it cannot be canceled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Reed family cannot afford this humiliation.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pulled out a chair and sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen find someone who can marry into your family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard slammed the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of attitude is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret said coldly, \u201cTalk properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t put on airs here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie quickly poured tea.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. and Mrs. Reed, this is all my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease don\u2019t argue because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked at her and found her pleasing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis girl is sensible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnlike some people who threaten breakup over every little thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard ignored his son and pointed at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know doctors work hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut no matter how successful a woman is, she still has to care for the family.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan has tolerated your night shifts all year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was already not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhat exactly did he tolerate?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard choked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re absent from home every other day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left the wedding apartment renovation for the groom\u2019s family to be laughed at.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now you cancel the wedding whenever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat man could stand that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie softly interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, Emily\u2019s work is busy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe must be under too much pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her words poured oil on the fire.<\/p>\n
Richard immediately said, \u201cSo pressure gives her the right to take it out on a man?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, don\u2019t let her control you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s almost thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the wedding is canceled, she\u2019ll be the one panicking, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret slammed her teacup down.<\/p>\n
\u201cShut your mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard became angry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re still defending her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is about to cancel the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned on my phone recorder.<\/p>\n
When Nathan saw it, his face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, why are you recording?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo prevent someone from later claiming I extorted them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard sneered.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really are calculating.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s calculate clearly today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t give you one cent for renovation costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to dismantle things, do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you damage the apartment, you pay.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pushed the list over.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen restoration costs will be deducted from the depreciated value of the renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDream on.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can\u2019t agree, go to court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d go to court over tens of thousands of dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou may not fear embarrassment, but we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the person who fears embarrassment should be worried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly said, \u201cEmily, I know you\u2019re upset.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Mr. Reed really loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday, he sat in his office looking at your photos together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you keep forcing him like this, you\u2019ll only push him farther away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cPush him toward you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her face flushed red.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can misunderstand me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you can\u2019t talk about Mr. Reed like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe cares about Nathan so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret was so angry her face turned pale.<\/p>\n
Nathan finally spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, say less.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie looked as if someone had slapped her.<\/p>\n
Tears immediately fell.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just feel sorry for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s expression softened again.<\/p>\n
I had watched enough of this play.<\/p>\n
I stood up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more to say today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard said coldly, \u201cIf you walk out this door, don\u2019t ever expect to enter the Reed family again.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never wanted to enter it.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I pushed the door open, a server happened to bring in the food.<\/p>\n
A bowl of hot soup almost hit Sophie.<\/p>\n
She screamed.<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately stretched out his arm to shield her.<\/p>\n
Hot soup splashed onto the back of his hand.<\/p>\n
Sophie cried and held his hand tightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, you got hurt because of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s gaze toward me became even more disgusted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what caring looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the red mark on Nathan\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
Right before one of my shifts, a surgical instrument once cut my hand.<\/p>\n
Nathan told me to put on a Band-Aid and continue editing his report.<\/p>\n
Now a little hot soup touched his hand.<\/p>\n
And the whole room acted as if the sky had fallen.<\/p>\n
I walked out of the private room.<\/p>\n
Before the door closed, I heard Nathan call my name.<\/p>\n
This time, I did not stop.<\/p>\n
The real explosion came from a secretly recorded video.<\/p>\n
In the video, the private room door was slightly open.<\/p>\n
Sophie cried while blowing on the back of Nathan\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
Richard loudly scolded me for being unreasonable.<\/p>\n
The title was sensational.<\/p>\n
\u201cBride-to-be cancels wedding because female coworker sat in passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuture father-in-law angrily calls female doctor too controlling.\u201d<\/p>\n
The video quickly spread across local forums.<\/p>\n
My hospital name, department, and real name were dug up.<\/p>\n
In the comments, people said I abused a patient because I was a doctor.<\/p>\n
Some said I was almost thirty and still throwing tantrums.<\/p>\n
Some said it was good that Nathan saw my true face early.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman called me into his office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hospital will handle the media crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t speak publicly for now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat video is not the whole story, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have the full recording?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sighed in relief.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe project review is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t let personal matters block your path.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I walked out of his office, Claire was waiting in the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie posted on Instagram.\u201d<\/p>\n
She handed me her phone.<\/p>\n
Sophie had posted a photo of Nathan\u2019s bandaged hand with a caption.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people do not cherish what others cannot bear to see hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under it were comments from Nathan\u2019s coworkers comforting her.<\/p>\n
I handed the phone back.<\/p>\n
\u201cSave the screenshot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still aren\u2019t releasing the full recording?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor what?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked out the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor them to finish saying everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, Nathan could not reach me.<\/p>\n
So he borrowed Margaret\u2019s number to call.<\/p>\n
I answered.<\/p>\n
His voice was hoarse.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t post that video.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie also said she didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen keep believing her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went silent.<\/p>\n
I heard a lighter click.<\/p>\n
He never used to smoke.<\/p>\n
Maybe he had learned recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I\u2019ll have people remove the online comments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people insult you like that, it will affect your work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you remember that?\u201d<\/p>\n
His breathing became uneven.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father said ugly things.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI apologize on his behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need to apologize on his behalf.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cI want to know who recorded that video and posted it online.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter you do, send it to my lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice lowered further.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you won\u2019t even say one extra word to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other end stayed silent for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie cried all afternoon today.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re telling me this so I\u2019ll know how wronged she is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, every time you open your mouth, it is about her.\u201d<\/p>\n
He could not refute it.<\/p>\n
I hung up.<\/p>\n
The next morning, Sophie posted another video.<\/p>\n
She sat in a car with swollen eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone, please stop scolding Dr. Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe probably loves Mr. Reed too much and cannot accept that I sat in the passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve decided to leave this city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope everything ends here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comments were full of sympathy.<\/p>\n
Some praised her as truly considerate.<\/p>\n
Some scolded me for forcing her into a corner.<\/p>\n
Half an hour later, Nathan\u2019s company posted an official statement.<\/p>\n
It said the online video involved a personal dispute.<\/p>\n
The company could not comment.<\/p>\n
But Sophie Wells had always worked hard.<\/p>\n
For personal reasons, she had applied for a transfer.<\/p>\n
Jason called me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we pull the net closed now?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cWait two more hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill waiting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said she was leaving the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to see if she appears at Nathan\u2019s company this afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n
At three in the afternoon, Adrian sent me a photo.<\/p>\n
Sophie was sitting in a meeting room at Nathan\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
Her employee badge was still on her chest.<\/p>\n
Under the photo was one message.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is at your ex-fianc\u00e9\u2019s company, taking minutes for the co-sponsor team on our project.\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Five minutes later, Jason released the lawyer\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n
The full private room recording.<\/p>\n
The living room camera footage.<\/p>\n
The video from the free clinic.<\/p>\n
The credit card statements.<\/p>\n
The photo proving Sophie had lied about leaving the city while still sitting openly at the company.<\/p>\n
Everything was posted at once.<\/p>\n
The statement was not emotional.<\/p>\n
It only contained a timeline and evidence.<\/p>\n
The online tide seemed to pause.<\/p>\n
Ten minutes later, public opinion began to reverse.<\/p>\n
People picked apart every word in Sophie\u2019s recording.<\/p>\n
Someone examined the so-called gastritis form and found the date was from six months ago.<\/p>\n
Others questioned Nathan.<\/p>\n
If his bride-to-be had been paying the wedding credit card bill, why had he said nothing?<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s cousin quietly deleted his message from the family group chat.<\/p>\n
Sophie locked her comments.<\/p>\n
Nathan sent me an email.<\/p>\n
The subject had only three words.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not open it.<\/p>\n
That evening, several media outlets waited outside the hospital entrance.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman asked security to escort me out.<\/p>\n
I had just reached the parking lot when Nathan stood up beside his car.<\/p>\n
In only a few days, he had lost weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily.\u201d<\/p>\n
The security guard immediately stepped in front of me.<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me.<\/p>\n
His eyes held too many complicated things.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out about the video.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first person who uploaded it was Sophie\u2019s cousin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe works part-time at that restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSend it to my lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie said she didn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
He immediately added, \u201cI don\u2019t believe her anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
He seemed to realize those words had come far too late.<\/p>\n
His face turned gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fired her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll also post a correction.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll transfer the renovation money tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom now on, we\u2019ll communicate through the lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n
He took one step closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, do we really have no chance left?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, do you know why I refused to sit in the back seat that day?\u201d<\/p>\n
His throat moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I let her sit in your place.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I continued, \u201cBecause you believed I would accept sitting in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The light in his eyes went out.<\/p>\n
At the parking lot entrance, Sophie appeared.<\/p>\n
She wore no makeup.<\/p>\n
Her face was frighteningly pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed, didn\u2019t you say you would drive me to the bus station?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan turned around, frowning.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you find me here?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
Then she looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, you won.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ruined my job.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ruined my reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now you still want to take Mr. Reed away?\u201d<\/p>\n
I found it ridiculous.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was never an object that belonged to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie suddenly laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course you don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have your project.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have so many people backing you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted to stay in this city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did I do wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan said in a low voice, \u201cSophie, shut up.\u201d<\/p>\n
She cried and shouted, \u201cEven now, you think this is all my fault?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat day, you were the one who told me to sit in the passenger seat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were the one who put the scarf on me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were the one who said she was stubborn.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said if you treated her coldly for a while, she would lower her head.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are you pushing all the blame onto me now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s face turned extremely ugly.<\/p>\n
Hearing those words, I finally understood the most important thing.<\/p>\n
It was not that Sophie was good at acting.<\/p>\n
It was that Nathan knew I would be hurt.<\/p>\n
But he had been certain that if I hurt a little, I would obediently return.<\/p>\n
Sophie pulled a sheet of paper from her bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also made me reorganize the wedding contracts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said if Emily insisted on canceling the wedding, we could use the costs to force her to back down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why are you acting devoted now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan shouted at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough!\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone in the parking lot looked over.<\/p>\n
I stood there and suddenly felt no sadness at all.<\/p>\n
The rotten part had been cut away.<\/p>\n
What was exposed was not fresh flesh.<\/p>\n
It was necrotic tissue that had been dead for a long time.<\/p>\n
Nathan turned back to me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I only said those things in anger.\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cStop explaining.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie was still crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, I did so much for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t abandon me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan shook off her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell you to spread rumors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell you to secretly film.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell you to post those things online.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie screamed, \u201cBut you enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen everyone attacked her, you never stood up to protect her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou watched me vent your anger for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t you feel satisfied?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan could not say a word.<\/p>\n
The security guard whispered to me, \u201cDr. Hayes, should I call the police?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease do.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the police arrived, Sophie was sitting on the ground crying.<\/p>\n
Nathan stood beside her.<\/p>\n
The medical patch on the back of his hand had begun to peel.<\/p>\n
He looked through the crowd at me.<\/p>\n
It was as if he finally realized I would never take one more step toward him.<\/p>\n
The next day, Nathan\u2019s company posted a correction quickly.<\/p>\n
It admitted that internal employee Sophie Wells had repeatedly spread false information and damaged my reputation.<\/p>\n
The company said it would cooperate with the investigation and terminate her employment.<\/p>\n
Nathan also posted a personal apology.<\/p>\n
He admitted the canceled wedding was his fault.<\/p>\n
He admitted he had lacked boundaries in his relationships.<\/p>\n
He admitted the wedding expenses had actually been paid by me.<\/p>\n
In the comments, almost no one believed him.<\/p>\n
Some asked why he had not spoken when I was being insulted most viciously.<\/p>\n
Some asked why his first reaction at the free clinic had still been to question me.<\/p>\n
He did not reply to anyone.<\/p>\n
I did not read further.<\/p>\n
That morning, I was in the project review meeting.<\/p>\n
Adrian sat among the evaluators and flipped through my materials.<\/p>\n
The state experts asked extremely detailed questions.<\/p>\n
From sample sources to clinical feasibility, every question was sharp.<\/p>\n
I answered for two full hours.<\/p>\n
Finally, an older expert took off his glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, if your project can be put into practice, it will be very meaningful for wound treatment in community hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman sat beside me with a serious face.<\/p>\n
But his finger lightly tapped the edge of the table.<\/p>\n
I knew that was his habit when he was satisfied.<\/p>\n
After the meeting, Adrian handed me a bottle of water.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou answered very steadily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas the online matter been handled?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going through legal procedure.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you need a witness, I can testify about what happened at the free clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would trouble you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
That afternoon, Jason told me Sophie had agreed to publicly apologize and pay compensation.<\/p>\n
Her apology video had to be recorded three times.<\/p>\n
The first time, she cried too dramatically.<\/p>\n
The second time, she tried to push most of the responsibility onto Nathan.<\/p>\n
Only the third version was barely usable.<\/p>\n
I did not bother watching it.<\/p>\n
Jason asked, \u201cWhat do you want to do with the compensation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDonate it to the hospital patient aid fund.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou really won\u2019t keep a cent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPut that clause in the agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n
That evening, Margaret called me.<\/p>\n
Her voice was low.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, I asked Nathan to transfer the renovation money.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is also an extra amount from his father and me as compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat money is not to buy forgiveness for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
She paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my apology to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor years, I knew he was spoiled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I hoped that after marriage, you could discipline him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was foolish to throw a grown man to another woman and expect her to fix him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I tightened my grip on the phone and did not speak immediately.<\/p>\n
Margaret continued, \u201cDon\u2019t look back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust keep walking forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
I softly said, \u201cThank you, Aunt Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
She laughed, but her voice was choked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we meet again, just keep calling me Aunt Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
After hanging up, I received a bank notification.<\/p>\n
Sixty-two thousand dollars.<\/p>\n
Not a dollar more.<\/p>\n
Not a dollar less.<\/p>\n
I transferred the money into the account for my new rental apartment.<\/p>\n
Then I bought my cat a bigger climbing tower.<\/p>\n
Claire said I was truly unromantic.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther people buy designer bags after a breakup.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou buy a cat tree.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cThe cat stays with me longer than a bag.\u201d<\/p>\n
She raised her glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the successful removal of necrotic tissue.\u201d<\/p>\n
I clinked glasses with her.<\/p>\n
My phone screen lit up again.<\/p>\n
Nathan had sent another email.<\/p>\n
This time the subject read, \u201cCan I see you one more time?\u201d<\/p>\n
I deleted it.<\/p>\n
The reason I did not block his email was because the lawyer might still need documents.<\/p>\n
It was not because I wanted to leave him a door.<\/p>\n
After Sophie\u2019s apology video was posted, everything settled quickly.<\/p>\n
She admitted she had known the medical form was outdated but still used it to guide public opinion in the family chat.<\/p>\n
She admitted she had fallen by herself at the free clinic and had not been pushed by me.<\/p>\n
She also admitted that the secretly recorded video had been uploaded by her cousin.<\/p>\n
She had known about it but did not stop it.<\/p>\n
She had used the lie about leaving the city to gain sympathy.<\/p>\n
In the video, she no longer called me Emily.<\/p>\n
She called me Dr. Hayes.<\/p>\n
Some people cursed her in the comments.<\/p>\n
Others said she had only been desperate to climb upward.<\/p>\n
I did not click in to watch a second time.<\/p>\n
The hospital project passed the review round.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman, rarely generous, invited the whole team to dinner.<\/p>\n
At the table, a young doctor asked me, \u201cDr. Hayes, how did you stay calm enough to finish your report when people were insulting you so badly?\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire answered before I could.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not human.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a scalpel that turned into a person.\u201d<\/p>\n
The whole table burst into laughter.<\/p>\n
I picked up a piece of fish.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause those insults couldn\u2019t write the report for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter how noisy the outside world is, when the scalpel is in your hand, the patient only cares whether your hand is steady.\u201d<\/p>\n
Halfway through dinner, someone knocked on the private room door.<\/p>\n
The server peeked in.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, there is a Mr. Reed outside asking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire immediately put down her fork.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go drive him away.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the hallway, Nathan wore a dark overcoat and held a folder.<\/p>\n
When he saw me, he smiled first.<\/p>\n
The smile was extremely strained.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour project passed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese were left at the apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA few of your books and your cat\u2019s vaccination record.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me as if he had many things to say.<\/p>\n
I waited three seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s throat moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie and I had nothing between us.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cYou don\u2019t need to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wanted you to know that I didn\u2019t continue the mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is your business.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you won\u2019t even give me one soft word?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan, breaking up was not to punish you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was to make sure I never put myself in that position again.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes reddened.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat position is still here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cWhen you let someone else sit there, it stopped belonging to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He lowered his head.<\/p>\n
After a long time, he took out the engagement ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m returning this to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo need.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou chose it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you bought it.\u201d<\/p>\n
His fingers tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I keep it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned to leave.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, he called after me.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily.\u201d<\/p>\n
I paused but did not turn around.<\/p>\n
He asked, \u201cThat day at the hospital entrance, if I had gotten out of the car and refused to let you sit in the back, would you have forgiven me?\u201d<\/p>\n
That question was like a late needle pressing into a scar.<\/p>\n
I turned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hope flashed in his eyes.<\/p>\n
Then I continued, \u201cBut you didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
That small hope shattered again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if I hadn\u2019t brought her into the apartment afterward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we would have had a fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if I had defended you in the family group chat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we would not have reached this point.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I had so many chances.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou threw them away again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone in the room called me back in for soup.<\/p>\n
I turned and walked away.<\/p>\n
This time, he did not call me again.<\/p>\n
When I returned to my seat, Claire leaned over aggressively.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he cry?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHim.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t look.\u201d<\/p>\n
She ladled soup for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took a sip.<\/p>\n
The soup was hot.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m already tired from looking at patients\u2019 wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to look at his.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the project entered practical implementation, I was sent to train staff at community hospitals.<\/p>\n
The first stop was Riverside, one hour from my city by train.<\/p>\n
I dragged my suitcase out of the station.<\/p>\n
Adrian was already waiting at the exit.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hartman told me to pick you up.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the sign in his hand.<\/p>\n
It carefully said, \u201cDr. Hayes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beside it was a crooked drawing of a cat.<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you draw that yourself, Dr. Cole?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy nephew drew it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said doctors should be greeted politely.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the car, Adrian did not pry into my private life.<\/p>\n
He only talked about the situation at the community hospitals.<\/p>\n
Riverside served several surrounding towns.<\/p>\n
There were many patients with chronic open wounds.<\/p>\n
But their dressing-change conditions were limited.<\/p>\n
If our process could be promoted, it would significantly reduce the risk of amputation.<\/p>\n
I listened carefully.<\/p>\n
At the hospital, the director showed us around.<\/p>\n
The dressing room was small.<\/p>\n
The cabinets were old.<\/p>\n
But the nurses arranged the instruments very neatly.<\/p>\n
An elderly man sat on a chair.<\/p>\n
The wound on his leg had lasted half a year.<\/p>\n
The local doctor looked embarrassed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur conditions are limited.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t handle it very systematically before.\u201d<\/p>\n
I crouched down to examine the wound.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be treated.\u201d<\/p>\n
The moment those four words came out, the old man\u2019s daughter began to cry.<\/p>\n
She choked out, \u201cDoctor, my family has gone everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMany people said his leg might have to be amputated.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t cry yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next dressing changes will be painful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to encourage him to persist.\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man smiled with missing teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not afraid of pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as I can keep my leg.\u201d<\/p>\n
That day, I worked for ten straight hours.<\/p>\n
When I returned to the hotel at night, the bottoms of my feet felt as if I had stepped on gravel.<\/p>\n
Adrian sent me a message.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s hot soup downstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
When I went down, he was sitting in a corner reading documents.<\/p>\n
Two bowls of soup and a plate of vegetables were already on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know whether you eat spicy food.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen this is just right.\u201d<\/p>\n
We ate quietly for ten minutes.<\/p>\n
Then he suddenly said, \u201cYou are very suited to being a doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that a compliment?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMore like an observation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you don\u2019t like wasting time on useless pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPain is pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDamage is damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it can be saved, save it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it cannot, remove it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the soup in front of me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds cold.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cThat is being responsible for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
That night, I slept very well.<\/p>\n
The next day, after the training ended, a local TV station came for an interview.<\/p>\n
The reporter asked me why I had originally wanted to promote this project.<\/p>\n
I answered, \u201cMany wounds are not serious at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey become complicated because they are left untreated for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf handled early, patients suffer less.\u201d<\/p>\n
After saying that, I froze slightly.<\/p>\n
The reporter thought I was talking about open wounds.<\/p>\n
Only I knew I was also talking about people.<\/p>\n
On the day the interview aired, Nathan sent me another email.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw you on TV.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou used to say similar things, but I didn\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not reply.<\/p>\n
On the night train back, the fields outside the window were dark.<\/p>\n
Adrian sat beside me and handed me a warm bag of roasted chestnuts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI bought these at the station.\u201d<\/p>\n
I accepted them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou only ate two bites at lunch.\u201d<\/p>\n
My hand paused while peeling a chestnut.<\/p>\n
He said nothing more and lowered his head to read.<\/p>\n
I suddenly realized that being understood did not have to be dramatic.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it was just someone knowing you had not eaten.<\/p>\n
Knowing you did not eat spicy food.<\/p>\n
Knowing you disliked being disturbed while working.<\/p>\n
When we arrived, Adrian took me back to the entrance of my apartment building.<\/p>\n
My new apartment was near the hospital.<\/p>\n
Two bedrooms.<\/p>\n
One living room.<\/p>\n
A wide balcony.<\/p>\n
The cat tree occupied half a wall.<\/p>\n
He did not come upstairs.<\/p>\n
He only handed me my suitcase.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you off tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll sleep in during the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen review medical records later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen good night.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the elevator doors closed, I saw him still standing there.<\/p>\n
Only after the light for my floor turned on did he leave.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s unread email still lay quietly on my phone.<\/p>\n
The hallway light came on.<\/p>\n
My cat meowed from behind the door.<\/p>\n
I deleted the email and opened the door.<\/p>\n
The next time Nathan appeared in front of me was at the project results press conference.<\/p>\n
He had not come to find me.<\/p>\n
Because of the previous media crisis, his company had lost its co-sponsor status.<\/p>\n
But they still wanted to seek cooperation in future charity events.<\/p>\n
The press conference was held in the main hall of the city hospital.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman and I sat in the front row.<\/p>\n
Adrian spoke on behalf of the rehabilitation center.<\/p>\n
Nathan sat quietly in the last row the entire time.<\/p>\n
When the event ended, representatives from several companies surrounded us and exchanged business cards.<\/p>\n
Nathan also walked over.<\/p>\n
He did not push forward.<\/p>\n
He stood quietly at the edge.<\/p>\n
Only after everyone finished speaking did he say, \u201cDr. Hayes, our company wants to donate a batch of dressing-change equipment to community hospitals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman glanced at me.<\/p>\n
I said nothing.<\/p>\n
Adrian asked, \u201cDidn\u2019t your company withdraw?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time, we don\u2019t need media exposure or naming rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe simply want to sponsor equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman became interested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the detailed list?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan handed over the file.<\/p>\n
The list was very detailed.<\/p>\n
From basic dressing kits to portable lights, there was nothing flashy or unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman skimmed it and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can discuss this further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Dr. Hayes think?\u201d<\/p>\n
The way he addressed me made several people glance at him.<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cAs long as the equipment meets standards.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes dimmed slightly.<\/p>\n
Then he quickly returned to normal.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the discussion, Nathan did not stay to bother me.<\/p>\n
He simply turned and left.<\/p>\n
Claire whispered beside me, \u201cHe knows how to keep boundaries now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cLate boundaries are still boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you softening?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
One month after the press conference, the first batch of equipment arrived in Riverside.<\/p>\n
When we inspected it, we found a detailed label on every box.<\/p>\n
The handwriting was Nathan\u2019s.<\/p>\n
A local nurse praised it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sponsor is so thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was afraid we\u2019d mix things up, so he even recorded operation videos.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded and gave no comment.<\/p>\n
People can become better.<\/p>\n
But that does not mean I have to return to the past.<\/p>\n
After the inspection, I ran into Adrian in the hallway.<\/p>\n
He looked at the equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Reed did a good job this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n
I thought about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed me a chart.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old man\u2019s wound has improved well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants you to take a look.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the ward, the old man smiled brightly when he saw me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, I can walk a few steps now.\u201d<\/p>\n
His daughter supported him.<\/p>\n
Her eyes were full of hope.<\/p>\n
The old man trembled as he stood.<\/p>\n
He took three steps.<\/p>\n
The whole ward burst into applause.<\/p>\n
Looking at his legs, my heart became strangely peaceful.<\/p>\n
The old relationship was like an old apartment.<\/p>\n
I had removed the air-conditioning.<\/p>\n
Cleared out the belongings.<\/p>\n
Left messy holes in the walls.<\/p>\n
But the coming days were not for patching that old wall.<\/p>\n
They were for opening a new door.<\/p>\n
Behind that door were patients who could stand again.<\/p>\n
A cat sunning itself on the balcony.<\/p>\n
And a man waiting at a train station with a crooked cat drawing on a sign.<\/p>\n
On the night bus back to the city, Adrian asked me, \u201cAre you free this weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy nephew wants to meet the cat from his drawing.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
He remained very calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, I want to meet her too.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy cat has a bad temper.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can bring treats.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Saturday afternoon?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone suddenly vibrated.<\/p>\n
It was a message from Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid the equipment arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n
I replied with two words.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
He answered quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were no extra words.<\/p>\n
I put my phone back into my bag.<\/p>\n
Adrian asked, \u201cWork message?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could call it that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not ask further.<\/p>\n
Outside the window, streetlights flashed backward.<\/p>\n
I suddenly realized that a truly suitable person would not force you to explain every silence.<\/p>\n
He would treat silence as part of the answer.<\/p>\n
That Saturday, Adrian brought his nephew to my apartment.<\/p>\n
The boy\u2019s name was Noah.<\/p>\n
He was six years old and held a huge bag of cat treats.<\/p>\n
The moment he entered, he bowed deeply to my cat.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, beautiful cat sister.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I pet you?\u201d<\/p>\n
My cat sat proudly on the cat tree and swished her tail.<\/p>\n
Adrian acted as a serious translator.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says you must pay tribute first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah immediately offered the treats.<\/p>\n
I laughed so hard I could not close my mouth.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, the sunlight was beautiful.<\/p>\n
Claire also came over with a cake.<\/p>\n
When she saw Adrian washing fruit in the kitchen, she leaned close to my ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis one passes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe washes strawberries and removes the stems.\u201d<\/p>\n
I pushed her away.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t talk nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow am I talking nonsense?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the way he looks at you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like he\u2019s looking at a rare case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of comparison is that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means precious, complicated, and worth long-term observation.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was speechless.<\/p>\n
Noah sat in the living room drawing.<\/p>\n
He drew me, Adrian, Claire, and the cat.<\/p>\n
He even drew the boxes of equipment Nathan had donated.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah said, \u201cUncle Adrian said Dr. Hayes helped many people stand up again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis box helps people too.\u201d<\/p>\n
A child\u2019s world was simple.<\/p>\n
If something helped people, it was good.<\/p>\n
Who donated it?<\/p>\n
What story was behind it?<\/p>\n
He did not care.<\/p>\n
I suddenly felt light.<\/p>\n
The past had finally been placed where it belonged.<\/p>\n
It no longer blocked my path.<\/p>\n
I walked the uncle and nephew downstairs.<\/p>\n
Adrian deliberately fell one step behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry for disturbing you today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNoah likes my cat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy cat also likes his treats.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled softly.<\/p>\n
When the elevator reached the first floor, he suddenly asked, \u201cEmily, may I pursue you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question was direct.<\/p>\n
No detours.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just ended a five-year relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI may not be ready to start a new relationship right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have many boundaries and rules.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not a flaw.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was silent for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you can try.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not step closer.<\/p>\n
The night wind blew in through the lobby doors with a faint scent of flowers.<\/p>\n
When I returned home, I saw Nathan had posted a short update.<\/p>\n
It was a photo of the equipment being delivered to a county hospital.<\/p>\n
The caption was simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome mistakes in the past cannot be repaired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can only make up for them in another way now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Underneath were comments from mutual friends.<\/p>\n
Some praised him for finally acting like a man.<\/p>\n
Someone asked if he was still waiting for me.<\/p>\n
He replied, \u201cShe does not need to look back.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked for a few seconds and swiped away.<\/p>\n
I did not like it.<\/p>\n
I did not block it either.<\/p>\n
From then on, Nathan no longer came to me on his own.<\/p>\n
Sometimes we met at charity project meetings.<\/p>\n
He kept his distance and called me Dr. Hayes.<\/p>\n
Later, Sophie left the city.<\/p>\n
Jason told me her cousin had to pay a large amount for secretly recording and defaming me.<\/p>\n
The restaurant also fired her.<\/p>\n
Sophie went to Nathan\u2019s company several times, but the receptionist stopped her at the door.<\/p>\n
When these things reached my ears, they had no weight anymore.<\/p>\n
I was busy with training sessions, clinic visits, project reviews, and slowly sharing meals with Adrian.<\/p>\n
We went to exhibitions.<\/p>\n
We took my cat for checkups.<\/p>\n
Adrian was an awkward pursuer.<\/p>\n
He did not suddenly send nine hundred and ninety-nine roses.<\/p>\n
After I stood through three surgeries, he quietly left a hot lunch box at the nurses\u2019 station.<\/p>\n
There was a note on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo bites still count as eating.\u201d<\/p>\n
He never said dramatic things like, \u201cI can\u2019t live without you.\u201d<\/p>\n
He only asked, \u201cDo you need me to carry your documents for tomorrow\u2019s meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n
He never made decisions for me.<\/p>\n
Once, a sponsorship plan from Nathan\u2019s company conflicted with our team\u2019s opinion.<\/p>\n
Adrian asked me, \u201cDo you want to avoid the meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll follow the proper work process.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was enough.<\/p>\n
Adult love is not carrying you out of the world.<\/p>\n
It is respecting the way you stand inside it.<\/p>\n
Half a year later, our community project received a state award.<\/p>\n
On the day of the ceremony, I went onstage to accept the award on behalf of the research team.<\/p>\n
Under the stage were many familiar faces.<\/p>\n
Dr. Hartman.<\/p>\n
Claire.<\/p>\n
Adrian.<\/p>\n
Margaret.<\/p>\n
And Nathan.<\/p>\n
Margaret came alone.<\/p>\n
She messaged me and said she wanted to see me standing on a stage of honor.<\/p>\n
I replied, \u201cYou are always welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan sat beside her in a black suit.<\/p>\n
He looked much steadier than he had half a year before.<\/p>\n
Throughout the ceremony, he did not approach me.<\/p>\n
I stood on the stage and listened as the host read out the project results.<\/p>\n
Our project had been piloted in twelve community hospitals.<\/p>\n
It had helped more than three hundred patients complete standardized open-wound treatment.<\/p>\n
When applause filled the hall, I saw Claire lifting her phone and taking photo after photo.<\/p>\n
Adrian sat beside her, smiling brightly.<\/p>\n
At that moment, I suddenly remembered the emergency room entrance half a year earlier.<\/p>\n
Passenger seat.<\/p>\n
Scarf.<\/p>\n
Stomach pain.<\/p>\n
Be understanding.<\/p>\n
Those words had once nailed themselves into my heart.<\/p>\n
Now they were only a case record.<\/p>\n
The cause was clear.<\/p>\n
The treatment was timely.<\/p>\n
The prognosis was good.<\/p>\n
After the ceremony, Margaret came to find me.<\/p>\n
She handed me a bouquet of white camellias.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
I accepted the flowers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Aunt Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at me.<\/p>\n
Her eyes were damp.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore, I always thought that when you married Nathan, I would gain a daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater, I understood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA daughter is not something you automatically gain through marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are still willing to call me Aunt Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is already good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gently hugged her.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake care of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan stood a few steps away and did not come closer.<\/p>\n
Only after Margaret left did he walk toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Hayes, congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Mr. Reed.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
After half a year of distance, this way of addressing each other no longer felt sharp.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother likes you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe is a very good person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward the hall exit.<\/p>\n
Adrian was waiting for me there, holding my coat.<\/p>\n
Nathan looked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are living well now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
He paused for a moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, before, I always thought you couldn\u2019t leave me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLater, I realized I was the one who couldn\u2019t leave the version of myself that you had taken such careful care of.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not answer.<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cNow I\u2019m learning how to take care of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m also learning not to treat other people\u2019s sacrifices as things I deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t disturb you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said it calmly.<\/p>\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGoodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned and walked back toward Margaret.<\/p>\n
I held the bouquet and walked toward Adrian.<\/p>\n
He placed my coat over my shoulders.<\/p>\n
\u201cCold?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want to eat tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe noodle place downstairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire rushed over from behind us.<\/p>\n
\u201cCount me in.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI took so many photos of you two that my hands are sore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adrian smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Claire nodded with satisfaction.<\/p>\n
Then she glanced at the bouquet in my arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite camellias?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho gave them to you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAunt Margaret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBeautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down at the bouquet.<\/p>\n
Half a year ago, Nathan had clearly told the wedding planner that the bride liked white camellias.<\/p>\n
He remembered what I liked.<\/p>\n
But remembering is not the same as cherishing.<\/p>\n
Now the bouquet was in my hands.<\/p>\n
Not for a wedding.<\/p>\n
Not for anyone\u2019s pride.<\/p>\n
Only to congratulate me.<\/p>\n
That was wonderful.<\/p>\n
In the steaming noodle shop, Claire chattered about gossip from the department.<\/p>\n
Adrian occasionally added a sentence.<\/p>\n
The automatic feeder at home sent a notification that my cat was eating.<\/p>\n
I took a sip of broth.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, I felt life was not as complicated as I had once thought.<\/p>\n
If a seat is uncomfortable, stand up.<\/p>\n
If someone does not respect you, leave.<\/p>\n
If a scarf has been dirtied, throw it in the trash.<\/p>\n
If someone takes your compromise for granted, take your compromise back.<\/p>\n
If someone is willing to see your value, let that person slowly come closer.<\/p>\n
After dinner, we walked along the street behind the hospital.<\/p>\n
Adrian asked, \u201cAre you going to Noah\u2019s art show this weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHis preschool art show?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe drew twenty cats and insists on inviting the owner of the beautiful cat sister to comment.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
The streetlights stretched our shadows long.<\/p>\n
He did not take my hand first.<\/p>\n
When we reached the intersection, I reached out first.<\/p>\n
His hand paused for a tiny moment.<\/p>\n
Then he gently laced his fingers with mine.<\/p>\n
His grip was not too tight.<\/p>\n
It felt like confirmation.<\/p>\n
It also felt like respect.<\/p>\n
I remembered the passenger seat from that day.<\/p>\n
I once thought that if the place that belonged to me was taken by someone else, it meant I had lost.<\/p>\n
Later, I realized what truly belonged to me was never the seat in that car.<\/p>\n
It was the right to get out of the car at any time.<\/p>\n
It was the courage to choose a new road.<\/p>\n
The wind brushed past the white camellias and touched my wrist.<\/p>\n
I kept walking.<\/p>\n
And I never looked back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At one in the morning, my fianc\u00e9 came to pick me up from the hospital after my night shift. In the passenger seat of his car sat his young female … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3,4,5],"class_list":["post-5188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story-of-life","tag-family","tag-friend","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5188"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5189,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188\/revisions\/5189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storylifedaily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}