Chapter 2

2.

The next morning, I went straight to the Chief of Medicine's office.

When I handed in my resignation, Dr. Miller looked devastated.

"Losing you is a massive blow to our OB-GYN department, Gavin."

"Did your wife agree to this? I remember how upset she got last time you almost left."

I nodded slowly, keeping my voice calm. "She'll understand."

When I got back to my desk, there was a package waiting for me.

I opened it to find a single photograph.

It was a close-up of a woman's stomach, covered in hickeys and bite marks.

Right in the middle was a surgical scar I knew all too well.

It was Joanna's stomach.

Years ago, when she was seven months pregnant, I had received my first offer to go abroad.

While I was hesitating, she was rushed to the hospital with a complication.

I performed the surgery myself, but we couldn't save the baby.

That scar was a permanent reminder of the day I chose her over my dreams.

She had cried for weeks, begging me never to leave her side again.

I felt so much guilt that I went and had a vasectomy in secret to spare her more pain.

Looking at the photo now, I realized her "complication" back then was probably just a sex game gone wrong.

I sneered and took a photo of the picture, uploading it to my private vault.

When I got home, Joanna was in the living room, glowing.

"You're home early! Hey, why aren't you wearing the tracker I gave you?"

"It was rubbing my skin the wrong way," I said dismissively.

She wouldn't let it go, stepping closer to me with a smile.

"Let me see. I'll adjust the strap for you."

"I spent a lot of money on this, Gavin. It's a waste if you don't wear it."

I watched her fiddling with the device on my wrist, my heart feeling like a block of ice.

She was such a good actress.

I couldn't believe I had played the role of the doting husband for so long.

"There! Perfect," she said, patting my arm.

I forced a smile and shoved my hand into my pocket.

She didn't notice my disgust and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"It's the weekend. Should we have an early night?"

I pulled away slightly. "I have a long surgery scheduled for tomorrow."

"On a Saturday? That's so sudden," she said, her eyes flickering with something I couldn't read.

"That's a shame. I wanted to catch a movie. I guess I'll just sleep in then."

I nodded and went into the study without another word.

The next morning, Joanna was up early making breakfast, which was unusual for her.

"I wanted to do something nice for you," she said with a sweet smile.

I looked at the pancakes and bacon. "What's the occasion?"

"You've been working so hard lately. I just want to take care of my man."

She even walked me to the door and gave me a long, lingering kiss.

I said my goodbyes and left, but I didn't go to the hospital.

I drove straight to my lawyer's office to finalize the divorce papers.

After that, I went to the hospital to finish my final handover.

I took the fitness tracker off my wrist and tossed it into the trash can by the entrance.

As I was leaving, I saw Joanna's car pulling into a parking lot nearby.

She wasn't alone.

I watched from a distance as she jumped into the arms of Max, her yoga instructor.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest as I followed them.