Chapter 3

I didn't move and kept my eyes glued to the screen, reading my novel.

The doorknob rattled and clattered.

Michael was yelling outside. "Claire, I know you're in there. Open up. We need to talk."

I cranked up the volume on my phone.

Let him yell. I kept reading.

After a while, it went quiet outside. I thought he'd left.

A few minutes later, I heard a key in the lock. The door opened, and Michael stood in the doorway. His face was livid.

Next to him was the archivist, looking awkward. "Dr. Sutton, Dr. Drew said it was urgent"

I nodded. "It's fine. You can go."

The archivist looked relieved and hurried out.

Michael walked in. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He looked like he was ready for a showdown.

I put my phone down and looked at him. "What do you want?"

My calmness pissed him off. "Claire, what the hell are you doing? You quit the group chat, won't answer your phone, and won't come home. What's your problem?"

"What do you want me to do? Thank you? Applaud your love with Melissa?"

Michael's chest heaved. "I told you, this is temporary. It's for the bigger picture. Can't you be reasonable?"

"Be reasonable?" I echoed. "So like before, I'm supposed to hand over my research to Melissa so she can get all the credit? That's what you call being reasonable?

"She screws up in surgery, and I'm the one who takes the blame? That's being reasonable, too?"

'Michael, I've been the reasonable girl for ten years. And what did I get for it?"

Michael was left speechless.

He turned his face away. "Let's not talk about the past anymore. I came here today to tell you that I've already talked to my parents. We're getting married next month. I'll give you what you deserve then."

He stepped closer and reached out to take my hand.

I pulled away.

His hand hung awkwardly in the air.

The moment was painfully awkward.

"A wedding?" I scoffed, as if I'd heard the world's funniest joke. "Michael, are you serious right now? We're done. We broke up."

He froze. "Break up? When did I agree to that?"

I stood up, meeting his eyes. "Do I need your approval? Letting you know, the day you gave my paper to Melissa, that's the day we ended."

Michael's face turned ugly. He probably never imagined that I'd be the one to end things. After all, I was always the one chasing after him.

He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist, hard. His grip was so tight it hurt.

"Don't be childish, Claire," he snapped. "You love me, I know you do. Stop using this breakup thing to threaten me. It's not going to work."

I looked at him. The man I'd loved for ten years. Suddenly, he felt like a total stranger. For his confidence, his arrogance, and his sense of entitlement.

I jerked my hand free. "I'm not threatening you, Michael. I don't love you anymore."

That hit him harder than any insult ever could.

For the first time, I saw panic in his eyes.

"You don't love me anymore? No way. We've been together for ten years—" he blurted.

I cut him off. "Yeah, ten years. How much have I done for you? And what have you ever done for me? Besides saying you love me, what have you actually done?"

He had nothing to say. He hadn't done anything.

All his good stuff went to Mel, and all I ever got was to be the good girl.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Fine, Claire, let's not talk about feelings. Let's talk reality. If you leave me, where are you gonna go? Nobody would dare hire you without my say-so.

"You've got a disciplinary action on your record. It's a career-ender. What hospital is going to hire a doctor with professional misconduct on their file?"

That was a threat, a straight-up threat. He thought that would keep me under his thumb.

I laughed, "Don't worry, Michael. I'm not leaving this hospital. I'll stay in the Medical Records.

"It's fine. It's peaceful. All that stuff you mentioned? I don't care. Job, future, reputation. I can throw it all away. Including you, Michael. I don't need you either."

His face went completely pale, as if someone had sucked every bit of strength out of him.

He slumped against the door, mumbling under his breath. "You're crazy. You've totally lost it."

I wasn't crazy, and I was clearer than I'd ever been in my life.

When someone's heart was dead, suddenly they were sharper than ever.

He stared at me, his eyes swirling with anger, confusion, and fear.

Maybe he finally realized the Claire who used to do whatever he said wasn't here anymore.

Silence stretched out in the cramped little room. The clock on the wall ticked on, loud in the quiet.

After what felt like forever, Michael finally spoke, and his voice was rough and hoarse. "Claire, are you going to cut me off like this?"

I didn't say a word, but watched him.

My silence spoke for itself.

He forced out a bitter smile. "Fine. I'll give you some time. Whenever you figure it out, I'll be waiting."

He yanked the door open, walked out, and didn't glance back.

I sat back down and picked up my phone.

The couple in my novel were tearing each other apart with a dramatic breakup, but I felt absolutely nothing.

The screen glowed in the dim room, and a news alert popped up. [The royal delegation from Seraphis has arrived in town. The prince checked into Unity Medical Center's VIP ward due to sudden illness.]

Unity Medical Center was my hospital.