After My Husband
After My Husband 9

Chapter 9

Part 9

Things that were once difficult for me to understand became clear the moment I stopped loving him. How could one–sided effort be called love?

In a mutual relationship, if my efforts were never reciprocated, how could that be called love? Indeed, my unwavering devotion was met with Adrian’s selfish indifference. He never loved me to begin with.

Yet, I chose to stay with him when Sophie abandoned him, comforting him during his lowest times, even foolishly marrying him. At one point, I even considered having a child with him. In hindsight, I finally realized how foolish I had been.

Adrian was unwilling to divorce me, but I did not delay my plans for further training. After getting off the plane, I went to the hospital to report in, ready to embrace a new chapter in life. The hospital provided dormitories, so after completing the registration process, I retired to my room before returning back. The short break was a welcome change from the emotional turmoil of the past few days.

my

A knock on the door alerted me to the arrival of the person in charge of new trainees. He told me that the doctor who would be mentoring me was still operating on a patient and he had asked me to wait.

I waited until it was dark before I finally saw a tall young man strode into the office. As colleagues were leaving for the day, one senior colleague patted him on the shoulder and said, “Doctor Graham, your new apprentice is here. She’s been waiting for you all afternoon.”

Doctor Graham? Doctor Tyler Graham? Surprise flickered across my face. The youthful stranger was far removed from the seasoned mentor I had anticipated.

After washing his hands, he looked in my direction while drying them. I immediately stood up and walked over. “Hello, Doctor Graham, I’m….”

“Madeline, I presume,” he stated. Reaching his desk, he tossed a thick stack of documents in my direction. “Familiarize yourself with these,” he instructed, “and follow me during my ward rounds tomorrow morning.”

He was stern, even more so than my mentor during my internship. With a nod, I gathered the documents and waited for a bit. But seeing that he did not say another word to me, I took my leave. I stayed up late reading the materials and the next day I almost overslept. Tyler did not comment on my near tardiness. He introduced me briefly to everyone and then began making rounds. Sure enough, he asked me many questions along the way. His seriousness made me a bit nervous, but fortunately, I was able to answer all his questions correctly.

Later, a colleague, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, joked with me about Tyler. “Well done, Madeline! Doctor Graham is very strict. He has a reputation for reducing first–day trainees to tears. Seems you’ve managed to avoid that particular initiation.”

Over time, I heard more and more gossip about Tyler. The young female nurses and doctors at the hospital loved to share stories about him. They said that despite his good looks, he was always strict and particularly unforgiving, which was why he still had not found a girlfriend.

Taking advantage of Tyler’s absence, a colleague teased me as we wrapped up for the day. “Hey, Madeline,” she chirped, “you seem handling Doctor Graham quite well. Do you think he might have a soft spot for you? Or perhaps you for him?”

The joke, delivered with a playful nudge, drew a sardonic smile from me. How could Tyler have a soft spot for me? I just managed to complete the tasks he assigned. Following him every day kept me on

11:03

Chapter 9

edge.

“No way, I’m already married,” I said, letting out a tired exhale, stretching the tension from my shoulders.

The revelation hung in the air for a beat before a clatter shattered behind me. I turned around reflexively. Tyler, his expression unreadable, tossed a stethoscope onto the table with an unnecessary amount of force.

My colleague, startled from her playful inquiry, scurried out the door, her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity. However, a few seconds after leaving, she returned and stood at the door, shouting, “Madeline, someone’s here to see you. They say it’s your husband.”

Adrian? Rising from my chair, I moved towards the exit and actually saw Adrian, looking travel worn.