Chapter 3

For some reason, I agreed to Joel's proposal without thinking. Maybe I was genuinely hungry. On the way, I kept catching faint whiffs of perfume on him. It was Elise's favorite scent. "Since when did you start wearing cologne?" I asked abruptly. He paused momentarily, then replied, "I'm not wearing any." I didn't say anything else. If he were telling the truth, the irony would only skyrocket. Elise and Joel must be so inseparable that even their scents had blended together. The rest of the ride was silent. The moment Richard Jameson saw Joel, his face lit up with a broad smile. "Joel, you're finally here," he greeted. But when his eyes landed on me, his smile immediately stiffened. "Why are you..." He stopped himself in time, but I knew what words would come next. Inside the private dining room, Richard's friends craned their necks to look at me, each wearing varied expressions. Yet, they all carried the same unspoken disapproval. Richard had been close friends with Elise since medical school. Ever since Joel introduced me as his partner, Richard had disliked me. He thought I wasn't good enough for Joel, that an ordinary doctor like me was only holding back Evermere's youngest cardiothoracic specialist. Back then, I had tried to get along with him for Joel's sake. I made sure I greeted him with a smile each time. I even tried to befriend him, but it was all to no avail. I used to wonder what I was doing wrong. Now, I realized that it had never been about me. It was because they had already decided that Elise was the only one truly worthy of Joel. Since there was no need for pretense anymore, I went straight to the corner and sat down. Then, I pulled out my phone to review some patient cases. "Dr. Henderson, sit over here." Richard came up to me and deliberately offered me the farthest seat. He then turned and led Joel to sit beside Elise. It was intentional—I knew. Elise was dressed in a champagne-colored evening gown. When she saw Joel approach, she flashed a radiant smile. The two of them quickly started discussing a complex case. As they spoke, they leaned in closer and closer to one another. The scene reminded me of how Joel and I used to discuss cases in medical school the same way. Back then, he would listen patiently to every idea I had and show genuine pride when I made a correct diagnosis. But now, the light in his eyes shone only for Elise. I stood up, ready to leave, but Joel called out to me. "Wren, there's more food." I let out a cold laugh. "Dr. Larkin, your dinner is complete with Dr. Jenkins here. I'll take my leave now." With that, I turned and walked away. Behind me, I heard Richard mockingly say, "Dr. Henderson is still as stoic as ever, hm? No wonder Joel..." I stopped in my tracks and turned around. "Dr. Jameson, my affairs are none of your concern. Perhaps you should focus more on your patients as their attending physician." Without waiting for a response, I strode out of the room. As I left, I could hear whispers erupt behind me. I knew exactly what they were saying—that I was petty and couldn't accept the happiness shared by my ex-husband and best friend. But they would never understand what I had witnessed on the night of our fifth anniversary. I had set up a candlelit dinner on the hospital rooftop that night, only to see Elise holding his hand. She had told him, "You're the most brilliant doctor I've ever met." And Joel… He hadn't stopped her from leaning against his shoulder. At that moment, I finally understood why he always sought out Elise first whenever he encountered a challenging case. Or why he always seemed distracted whenever I tried to share my work achievements with him. To him, I had never been the partner he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with as an equal. I was just an average doctor, while Elise was the genius who could create miracles with him in the operating room. When I arrived home, I opened the fridge and found it empty. I had been so busy with work transitions that I hadn't even allocated time for groceries. I was about to order takeout when the doorbell suddenly rang. I looked through the peephole and saw Joel standing outside with two shopping bags. I had no intention of letting him in. But in the next minute, he pulled out a key.