I slid the wedding ring off my finger and told myself quietly:
"There's nothing to talk over. Soon enough, I won't be his wife."
Dragging my body through the aftermath of the miscarriage, I stayed up the whole night and got the transfer paperwork submitted as fast as I could.
When I came back to the office, Sidney passed by my desk and set down a container of congee.
"Brought you this."
It was the first time he'd ever brought me breakfast, and I wasn't about to punish my own body over it.
I lifted the lid, only to find the congee buried under a thick layer of chopped scallions.
Back when we first started dating, the first time Sidney cooked for me, he accidentally seasoned the food with scallion powder.
I went into anaphylactic shock and ended up in the hospital, and Sidney sat by my bed crying, blaming himself, slapping his own face.
After that, checking what I couldn't eat before every meal became the most important thing in the world to Sidney.
But now, he didn't remember.
Then Cecily's delighted voice rang out beside me:
"Wow! Marlowe's Diner breakfast dumplings! Dr. Harding, you're way too good to me!"
Then I remembered. Marlowe's was a famous place near the hospital, an hour in line at least.
The congee was the free side that came with the dumplings.
Sidney ruffled Cecily's hair, his eyes soft with indulgence.
"Little glutton. If you like them, I'll get you more next time."
Then he went back to his seat, saw the bare desktop, and abruptly frowned.
At last Sidney turned his gaze to me and asked:
"You were busy last night?"
Every workday until now, I'd brewed Sidney his herbal tea to keep him sharp, and had his patient files and schedule sorted out for him ahead of time.
With none of it there today, no wonder he found it strange.
As for busy, I'd spent the whole night running to the bathroom, waiting for the miscarriage blood to finish draining, while I put together the transfer materials and the divorce papers.
I nodded and said flatly, "I was busy, yes."
But Sidney's face darkened at once, and he slammed a drawer shut.
The colleagues in the office all flinched at the sound and turned to look.
"Was that necessary? All I asked was for you to wrap up some work for that girl. What's with the face you've been putting on this whole time? Who's it for?"
"Sheila, you're not some little girl anymore. It's just your period. Don't tell me you still think everyone has to coddle you?"
I'd thought my heart had gone past the point of hurting, but my eyes still stung before I could stop them.
I looked straight at Sidney. "Did I say anything?"
At work, I rarely let Sidney see any weakness in me.
He faltered at the red rims of my eyes and turned his head away, irritated.
That was when Cecily stood up and started apologizing to me through tears:
"I'm sorry, Sheila, I didn't know you'd mind covering my shift this much... Please don't fall out with Dr. Harding over me..."
With that, Cecily ran out looking wronged, and Sidney went straight into a panic:
"Look at what you've done! Cornering a young girl like that. I can't believe you."
He shoved hard past my shoulder and rushed out after her.
The colleagues watched the whole scene and traded glances, throwing me looks of pity and quiet dismay.
Right then my phone buzzed with a message. I let out a long breath and opened it.
It was a notice from the European branch:
【Dr. Simmons, your transfer application has been approved. Please report to the European branch within one week. We look forward to having you!】
Good. Sidney, soon I'll be able to leave you completely.
Sidney didn't come home all night.
The next day, I printed the divorce papers, signed them, and took them with me to the hospital.
I'd just found Sidney and hadn't said a word yet when Cecily came running over, holding up her phone, her face full of panic.
