Chapter 2

As I watched them embrace in the surveillance footage, I felt an inexplicable bitterness catch in my throat. I could no longer remember the last time he and I shared any intimacy. I used to think that he was simply too busy with work. But now, it had become clear that he just didn't want me. Since that was the case, I thought I would grant him his wish. I picked up my phone and dialed his number. His voice was cold as ever as he asked, "What is it?" I wanted to get straight to the point. I opened my mouth several times to speak, but no words fell from my lips. "Where are you?" I managed to ask in the end. "In a meeting." His answer came without the slightest hesitation, even though I could hear Elise's laughter in the background. It was clear as day. I laughed bitterly at myself. I already knew the answer, so why should I bother humiliating myself? "Joel Larkin, let's get a divorce." There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before he finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of suppressed anger. "Wrenna Henderson, what kind of nonsense are you spouting now?" "I'll send the divorce papers to your email." With that, I hung up. I started packing my personal belongings in the office, already devising plans to transfer to another hospital. I decided to throw away some things—our matching mugs, photos of us from our shifts together, and the stethoscope he gifted me. That was when I realized that our love tokens were all things I had bought. He had never once taken the initiative to prove our relationship. Not even our wedding rings—I had chosen them myself. No matter how much effort I poured in, he had never been willing to spare me a sliver of sincerity. A marriage sustained by one person alone would never get far. Perhaps our relationship was like the wedding photo hanging in the office—long overdue to be taken down. I spent the night in the apartment my parents had left me. That night, I slept more soundly than I had in a while. The next morning, I was woken by the sharp ringing of my phone. I picked it up and saw multiple missed calls from Joel. As soon as I answered the call, his impatient voice came through the speaker. "What the hell are you up to? Why is the office emptied out? Didn't we agree to celebrate our anniversary together? I even prepared a gift. Where are you?" His aggressive questioning only annoyed me further. I hung up and tossed the phone aside. It was nothing I wasn't used to by now. It frequently happened during my back-to-back emergency shifts, on my birthday, and whenever I needed him—just to list a few. He would disappear at the mere sound of Elise's call. The following day, he would show up with a gift like nothing had happened. He would tower over me like he had every right to question and pressure me. If I refused to respond, he would lower his stance just enough to coax me somewhat. This was how things had always been. He would give me just enough warmth to surrender my dignity and become his shadow once again. But this time, I was genuinely exhausted. As I got off work that evening, I saw him waiting outside the hospital entrance. He had changed into a deep gray suit, his tall figure standing out sharply in the dimming twilight. A few young nurses couldn't help but steal glances as they passed, whispering among themselves. In the past, I would have rushed over immediately, unwilling to share his good looks with anyone. He naturally possessed an undeniable magnetism that made me fear that someone would take him away. Looking back, my worries were not baseless. I was just wary of the wrong person. Now, as I looked at him again, I felt nothing. I walked straight ahead, intending to go home. Suddenly, he called out to me. "Wren, Dr. Jameson is treating us to dinner tonight. Let's go together."