Chapter 6

I didn't go back to my parents' home.

I didn't want them to worry about me.

I found a little place to rent in the old part of town, far away from the hospital.

The apartment was old, but it was spotless.

The landlady was a sweet old lady.

She saw me and my big suitcase and didn't pry. She simply handed me the keys and reminded me to be careful.

I dragged my suitcase inside and shut the door.

Suddenly, everything was silent.

It was me alone.

I glanced around this tiny, unfamiliar apartment.

There was only a bed, a table, and a closet.

This was where I'd be living from now on.

Maybe that was for the best.

At least there were no arguments, no betrayals, none of those toxic people or ugly memories.

I unpacked my suitcase, taking out each item one by one and carefully putting them in place.

Little by little, I made this tiny apartment feel more like mine.

By the time I finished, it was already dark outside.

I blocked Sean in every single way he could reach me.

I never wanted to see or hear anything about him again.

After that, I cooked up some pasta for myself.

With every bite of the steaming pasta, the chill in my body finally started to melt away.

I sat down at the table and pulled out my phone.

I scrolled through my contacts, found a number, and after hesitating for ages, finally pressed call.

The phone rang a few times before it was picked up.

"Hey, Taylor! What made you think of calling me?"

It was Julia Summers, my best friend from college.

She was a lawyer.

"Julia, I..." I started, but my throat felt tight, like something was stuck there, and I couldn't get a single word out.

"Taylor, what's up? Did something happen?" Julia immediately picked up on how off I sounded.

I took a deep breath and told her everything that had happened over the past two weeks, leaving nothing out.

There was a long silence on the other end.

I could hear Julia's shaky, ragged breathing.

"Son of a bitch! That asshole!" Julia finally exploded, her voice shaking with fury. "Taylor, where are you? I'm on my way."

"I'm okay, Julia. I've already moved out," I said, doing my best to sound calm.

"Don't give me that. After everything you've been through, how could you possibly be okay?" Julia snapped. "Where are you? Text me your address right now!"

Unable to say no to her, I sent her my new address over.

A little over half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door and saw Julia standing there, her eyes red and puffy. She'd clearly been crying.

As soon as she saw me, she rushed over and gave me a big hug.

"Taylor, you didn't deserve any of this," Julia said.

That hug made all my walls crumble in an instant.

All the hurt, frustration, and anger I'd bottled up these past two weeks exploded, and I broke down crying.

I clung to Julia and cried my heart out.

I really thought I wouldn't cry.

I thought I was tough enough to handle it all.

But in front of the friend I trusted most, all the masks I'd been wearing fell apart.

Julia hugged me, quietly patting my back, not saying a single word.

When I finally ran out of tears, she led me over to the bed and handed me a tissue.

"Let it out. It's good for you," Julia said, looking at me with real sympathy. "What are you going to do next?"

I wiped away my tears and shook my head. "Honestly, I have no idea."

Losing my license was never even on my radar, not in any version of my life plan.

I put all my skill points into one thing: being the best doctor I could possibly be.

Now that my career had been ripped away from me, I was suddenly adrift. I had no clue where to go from here.

"Taylor, you can't let him get away with this!" Julia was livid. "Sean totally framed you! We can take him to court!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Take him to court? With what? He made it airtight. Every shred of evidence is pinned on me."

"But we can't let him and that bitch Linda walk away scot-free!" Julia snapped.

"I won't let them get away with it," I said, my eyes icy and determined. "Julia, I need your help."

"Say the word! Whatever you need, I'm in!" Julia replied without hesitation.

"I need you to do two things for me," I said. "First, draft the divorce agreement. I'm leaving with nothing, but I want Sean to pay back every penny he spent of my money during our marriage, down to the last cent.

"Second, help me look into someone."

"Who?" Julia asked.

"Linda. I want to know everything about her, especially when she and Sean started working together behind my back."

Julia caught the fire in my eyes and gave a determined nod. "No problem! Taylor, relax. Leave it to me. I'll expose that bitch so thoroughly, she won't have a single secret left!

"Sean wants to throw you out with nothing? No way! What's yours, you'll get every last cent. He won't just pay back the money. He'll pay for every lie he told about you, too!"

Watching Julia stand up for me like that, I felt warm inside.

Getting stabbed in the back indeed hurt a lot.

But at least, someone was willing to stand in front of me, ready to shield me from the blow.

That was all I needed.

After Julia left, I lay alone in bed, staring at the ceiling.

I didn't sleep a wink all night.

I started reflecting on the past ten years of my marriage and fifteen years of my career.

Was I wrong?

Was I wrong for being so devoted to my work that I overlooked the feelings of those closest to me?

Maybe I did.

But I never once regretted saving a life.

And I never regretted fighting for every patient on the operating table.

If I really made a mistake, it was that I overestimated human nature and underestimated how complicated and dangerous people's hearts could be.

I thought sincerity would be repaid with sincerity.

But I forgot that the story of the farmer and the snake happened all the time in real life.

That was okay.

After being bitten by a snake, I'd rip out its fangs and tear out its guts.

Sean, Linda, the game was just getting started.

I'd collect every last cent you owed me with interest.