The Standard For Her The Scraps For Me
I stopped running through my memory, searching for what I might have done wrong.
I stopped writing those long, rambling texts begging him to promise hed show up next time.
Instead, I opened the work group chat. Underneath the photo his childhood friend, Scarlett, had just posteda professional shot of the two of them in bridal wear
I calmly typed a single reply: "Congrats. A long life of happiness."
The air in the chat room, where my colleagues were undoubtedly taking bets on whether Id start a fight, went silent.
The very next second, the photo vanished. Owens name flashed on my screen, his voice glacial when I answered.
Scarlett just accidentally sent that to the wrong group. Did you have to be so passive-aggressive? How is she supposed to hold her head up at the hospital after you pull a stunt like this?
Besides, it was just a birthday photoshoot. Whats the big deal if I helped Scarlett fulfill a silly little bride fantasy of hers? Its just one picture. People with a dirty mind see filth everywhere.
Retract that message and apologize to Scarlett. Ill make time to go to the courthouse with you after Ive finished celebrating her birthday.
Faced with his fifty-second flimsy promise, I agreed without a second thought.
By the time he came back, my resignation would be processed.
Then, I would end things with him. And after that, we would never meet again.
1
I hung up, and my fianc, Owen, called me over a dozen times in a row, but I ignored every one.
Next, a text from Owen flashed up.
[Tess, did you just hang up on me? What, I cant call you out when youre in the wrong?]
[Answer the phone now, or suffer the consequences!]
I couldnt blame Owen for losing his temper. Before this, Id always been the one to compromise, always the one who spoke softly and kindly.
It was always his right to hang up on me. This was the first time Id ever ended a call on him.
When I didnt respond to his texts, he went silent.
But moments later, my phone pinged with notifications: alerts that our shared status had been unbound on every couples app and shared account we used. I didnt need to guessit was Owens petty work.
Id lost count of how many times hed done this. Every time he got angry, hed sever our digital ties as a way to throw his weight around.
I would always choke down my pride, apologize, and beg him to re-bind them.
But now, I was truly exhausted. I couldnt be bothered to soothe him anymore.
I was about to close the chat when Scarlett posted on her social media, including a screenshot of the group chat and tagging me directly.
[Oops! Accidentally shared my birthday shoot to the wrong group earlier. I only meant it as a joke for Owen, but I guess Tess took it too seriously. I won't dare to joke around like that again.]
The instant the post went live, Owenwho never touched social mediaslammed a huge Like on it.
Then he commented: [Scarlett, it was just a birthday photoshoot. Some people just have a sordid mind. A dirty heart sees filth everywhere.]
The some people he meant was me.
Soon, colleagues started swiping through the comments, quickly rallying to Scarletts defense.
[Dont blame yourself, Scarlett, its not your fault. Tess is just too petty and cant take a joke.]
[Seriously, it was just a lighthearted joke. Why is she making such a huge deal out of it?]
I just found it bitterly amusing.
Owen instantly jumped to Scarletts defense, protecting her image in the comments section.
Yet, he always greeted me, his fiance of ten years, with the maximum amount of malice and suspicion.
When hed stood me up for the appointment to ride a ferris wheel with Scarlett, Id only complained a little, and hed accused me of being paranoid and unreasonable.
Now, I was quiet, I wasnt throwing a fit, and I offered a simple, composed "long life of happiness," and he still called me passive-aggressive.
It was clear: When the love is gone, everything you do is wrong.
I gave a bitter smile, locked my screen, and decided I didnt care to read any more.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I registered the civil servants gentle voice.
Maam, your number has expired. Would you like to take a new ticket and rebook?
I shook my head, my voice quiet.
No, thank you.
I tore the ticket into tiny pieces and dropped it into the trash can next to me.
The expired number, I didnt want it. The expired wedding date, and the expired man, I didnt want either.
Before this, I had given Owen fifty-two chances to marry me.
But every time the date drew near, he would call, claim an emergency surgery at the hospital, and brazenly stand me up.
If I showed the slightest displeasure, hed use human life to guilt-trip me.
Tess, how can you be so cold-blooded? Is a marriage certificate more important than a living persons life?
He always positioned himself on the moral high ground to condemn me.
He was confident he had fooled me, unaware that I knew everything.
Every time he abandoned me for Scarlett, she would send me private messages of provocation.
Photos of them watching the Northern Lights in the Arctic, making a heart shape under the Eiffel Tower
I stayed, holding onto the years we had shared, giving Owen chance after chance.
But he just trampled my sincerity into the dirt.
Now, even the last sliver of affection was gone.
I thought, our relationship has finally reached its end.
2
Pulling my thoughts back to the present, I left the courthouse and drove to the hospital, ready to find Human Resources and finalize my departure.
I had written my resignation application two weeks ago, and Owen had signed it himself two days prior.
He signed it without even looking, his swiftness surprising me.
He had always guarded his privacy from menever giving me his phone password, always unlocking his phone away from my sight. Yet, he trusted Scarlett enough to share confidential hospital information with her.
I thought Owen had finally lowered his guard with me. That thought evaporated the moment I saw the impeccably dressed Scarlett standing near the entrance.
I instantly understood. Hed signed so quickly because he was rushing off to meet her.
If I wasnt mistaken, the necklace around Scarletts neck was a million-dollar diamond pendantThe Oceans Heartor a close replica.
Owen was wildly generous to Scarletta million-dollar necklace, bought on a whim.
To me, he was stingy to the point of cruelty. Forget a necklace, I hadnt had a new outfit in years. I was still wearing the same faded shirt and worn-out jeans.
When I once mentioned wanting a new dress, Owen refused, sternly lecturing me about being vain, wasting money, and not appreciating how hard he worked. He told me to focus my energy on my career instead.
In the end, it just meant I wasnt worthy of him spending money on.
...
At the hospital, I processed my resignation with HR.
With Owens signature on the document, the HR manager didn't make a fuss and quickly submitted the application online.
Ive submitted the request for you. It should take about two days to finalize. Just use this time to finish handing over your current work.
I nodded. As I left the HR office, my colleagues eyes followed me, full of mocking glances.
Did you hear Tess is quitting? Tsk, tsk. So what if she was with the Director for ten years? She still cant compare to Scarlett. I bet Scarlett and the Director are getting serious soon!
Scarlett is sweet, smart, and charming. What does Tess, that faded, yesterdays news, have going for her?
Many of them were trainees I had personally mentored.
When Id covered for them in the past, theyd called me "Madam Director" and promised to look out for me someday.
Now, seeing the political winds change, they were all tripping over themselves to kiss Owen and Scarletts asses.
I gave a cold laugh and shot back:
Actually, Im jumping ship. Ive been headhunted by another hospital offering a high-six-figure salary and benefits triple what Im getting here.
Without waiting for their faces to turn green with envy, I grabbed my packed personal belongings and walked out without a second glance.
Id just stepped outside the hospital doors when Owen called.
Tess, its Scarletts birthday today. You need to take over her patients and her research project while shes on leave.
Before I could refuse, he instantly sent me the medical research projecta document that currently only had a title.
This wasnt the first time Owen had forced me to take over Scarletts work.
It was always the same: I did the work, Scarlett got the credit and the fame, and if anything went wrong, I was the one who took the blame.
At first, I resisted, and Owen would accuse me of being selfish and cold-hearted, threatening to take the work on himself.
Since running the hospital was already exhausting for him, I always relented, choosing to compromise.
But they never showed gratitude. They just took advantage, becoming more demanding and entitled.
Since I was quitting anyway, I didnt feel the need to tolerate it anymore.
I refuse. Because Im already
I was about to tell him about my resignation when I heard Scarletts soft, fragile voice in the background.
Owen, if Tess doesnt want to, forget it. I can handle the work myself
Owens voice immediately softened for her.
Scarlett, its your birthday. You should be celebrating happily, not stressing about work.
His voice immediately hardened again when he spoke to me.
Tess, do you realize that because of the scene you made in the group chat earlier, Scarlett feels guilty and is upset? Im giving you a chance to atone. Dont be so ungrateful!
I laughed in disbelief.
Scarlett was celebrating her birthday, and Owen was granting her leave and obsessing over her feelings.
Yet, when I had a fever, Owen refused my request for leave, insisting I come in to work. He said if I couldnt do surgery, I could do paperworkthat moving around would help me recover faster.
The result was that I got much sicker and was bedridden for two weeks.
Hearing my cold laugh, Owen instantly snapped.
Tess, youre the one who messed up, and you have the audacity to laugh? If you keep this up, I swear Ill break up with y
I knew Owen was about to use his go-to threat.
In the past, he always leveraged a breakup to manipulate me whenever we had a disagreement.
He knew I cared about him, knew I couldn't bear to leave him.
But this time, I cut him off before he could finish.
Good. I was about to say the same thing. Were over.
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