“Yes, Professor,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite the lump in my throat.
She sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair. “Fine,” she said after a pause. “I can’t hold you back. I’ll give you three years to work there, but after that, I expect you to return. Consider it an opportunity to gain experience, alright?”
A wave of relief washed over me, and I bowed slightly in gratitude. “Thank you, Professor.”
By the time I left her office, it felt like a weight had been lifted. I was the last doctor to join the staff at the new hospital, and with our departure scheduled for the next day, I had to wrap up my work at Future Hospital quickly.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly that day, and Theodore made a full recovery.
So, to celebrate our last day in City A, I decided to take him to have dinner at his favorite buffet restaurant—a cozy spot with a playground that was perfect for families.
The evening started perfectly. Theodore laughed as he ran toward the playground after finishing his meal, his smile so infectious that I could not help but smile along with him.
For a moment, everything felt normal, almost like the life I used to have.
But just as I finished my plate and got up to pick up Theodore, a voice dripped with mock sweetness stopped me in my tracks.
“Amelia?”
I froze, recognizing that voice instantly. Turning slowly, I found myself face-to-face with Evelyn, her perfectly polished demeanor glowing under the warm restaurant lights.
Liam was right beside her, his posture rigid and his expression cold. He regarded me with disdain, his sneer almost palpable as he muttered under his breath, “Huft, you again.”
His icy gaze, the way he looked at me as though I were nothing more than an inconvenience, an unwelcome shadow in his new life, made it hard to breathe.
Evelyn’s lips curved into a saccharine smile, her tone sharp despite the facade of politeness.
“You’re not following us again, are you?” she asked mockingly, her voice carrying just enough volume to draw the attention of nearby diners.
I smirked, refusing to let her get the better of me. “Are you a fool?” I said, my tone flat but laced with irritation. “Can’t you see I’ve already finished eating? Which means I’ve been here since earlier.”
Her perfect smile faltered slightly, the crack in her composure giving me the smallest sense of satisfaction.
Without sparing them another glance, I turned on my heel and headed toward the restroom, too fed up to entertain their nonsense.
As I walked away, I could feel Evelyn’s gaze on my back. Clearly taken aback by my complete disinterest in her mocking, she leaned closer to Liam and said, “Honey, why don’t you take a seat first? I need to freshen up a bit.”
Liam nodded, his tone calm but dismissive. “Okay.”
Inside the bathroom, I leaned over the sink, splashing cold water on my face as I tried to steady my breath. My reflection stared back at me, a mixture of exhaustion and anger etched into my features.
Then, that familiar, smug voice broke through my thoughts.
“Why are you still pretty, even though I’ve already kicked you out?”
I turned around sharply, my hands tightening into fists. There she was, Evelyn, standing in the doorway with a mocking smirk on her face.
Without thinking, I lashed out, aiming to slap her across the face. But Evelyn was quick—she caught my hand before it could connect.
“You’re predictable,” she sneered, her grip tightening around my wrist.
I did not let her victory last long. With my free hand, I reached for her hair, determined to pull her down from her pedestal. Evelyn stepped back to avoid me, but her heels betrayed her.
“Ah!” Evelyn shrieked as she lost her balance and fell to the floor.
As luck—or misfortune—would have it, another woman entered the bathroom just in time to see Evelyn sprawled on the floor and me standing over her.
It was the perfect scene for Evelyn to play the victim.
Commotion erupted as the woman called for help, and before I knew it, Liam stormed into the bathroom.
His eyes locked on me, and they were filled with the kind of fury I had once hoped he would reserve for those who wronged me—not for me.
“What are you doing, Amelia?” he demanded, his voice sharp and cold.
Then he came to Evelyn, with her perfect plan, Evelyn started to play victim on me.
“I just came to freshen up, but she suddenly attacked me,” she said as her crocodile tears flowed from her eyes.
Liam was directly mad at me, “You planned this, didn’t you? You knew there wouldn’t be any cameras in the bathroom, so you thought you’d get away with it.”
I stared at him, stunned by how easily he believed Evelyn’s story.
“You’re stupid, Liam,” I said, my voice shaking with restrained fury. “Stupid and blind. You believe this bitch more than the woman who was your wife for three years? Why haven't you even tried to find out the truth at all?!”
He took a step closer, his final words slicing through me like a dagger. “I don’t care,” he said coldly, his voice devoid of emotion. “Just disappear from my life forever.”
Those words echoed in my mind. That was the moment I realized Liam had made his choice, a choice that did not include Theodore or me.
I was glad I had chosen to give up on him, leaving him alone with his stupidity.
I turned on my heel, picked up Theodore from the playground, and carried him to the car.
As I drove away from the restaurant, tears flowed freely down my face, blurring my vision.
Theodore’s soft snores from the back seat were the only comfort I had, a reminder of the one person who still needed me, who still loved me unconditionally.
But as I drove, a new thought began to take root in my mind. Leaving Liam quietly would not be enough.
He had discarded us, treated us like nothing. If he could be so heartless, then he deserved to feel the weight of his actions.
I took a detour, driving to a cliff well-known as a site where many had come to end their lives.
My hands trembled as I removed one of Theodore’s tiny shoes. Then, I took off my wedding ring, and placed both items on a large rock at the edge of the cliff.
With shaky hands, I snapped a photo of the shoe and the ring, the jagged rocks and rushing river below serving as a grim backdrop.
I attached the image to a text message addressed to Liam. [You forced me to do this, Liam.]
Meanwhile, I sat in my car, watching the message go from delivered to read. Liam did not respond, confirming what I already knew—he was as heartless as ever.
Without hesitation, I threw my sim card and deleted every trace of him from my phone.
I left the cliff behind, driving away not toward despair but toward freedom.
