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She tried not to be defensive, but old habits die hard. She kept her voice smooth and professional. "I'm sorry. Dr. Ward wasn't listening to my concerns regarding a patient I believe is having cardiac difficulties. Women are misdiagnosed many times for indigestion and I wanted to run this last test. He refused."
"He refused for a reason. Because it's indigestion and Dr. Ward said she's uninsured. You gonna pay for it?"
She tightened her lips. "If I have to."
"How superior you are. Think you're smarter than Ward?"
"No."
"Think you're smarter than me?"
She glared. "No. I went with my instincts. Something's wrong and I couldn't live with myself if it was my fault and I sent her out of here. She's still my patient."
"Instincts, huh? The same one that told you to escape from me outside a church window?"
Gen flinched. "This has nothing to do with us."
"It has everything to do with us." He pushed his hand through his hair and closed the distance. "I miss you, Genevieve."
"Please, don't."
"I want you back and it's been enough time. Marry me."
"I can't. It's over. I'm sorry it happened this way, that I hurt you. But I can't be with you anymore. Ever."
The beauty faded to ugliness. Those lush lips turned in a sneer. "I don't think you understand. I refuse to be humiliated and mocked. I also refuse to lose you. We can make this work between us and be happy, but if you still deny me I have one option left. I will make you pay." Her breath strangled in her throat. He loomed over her, cheeks red. "Starting with a formal disciplinary mark in your file. You disobeyed two doctors--your bosses--and ordered unnecessary tests we refused."
"I was trying to do the best thing for my patient. How many times have you told me that was key to the job?"
"I also said look at the facts. Making random choices based on an odd feeling puts everyone at risk. And I don't want a surgeon like that on my team."
"You're doing this to get back at me," she whispered.
"I want you back because we belong together. I can forget the whole incident and get you back on the floor with Ward."
"If I marry you."
"If you come back to the man who loves you."
Her chest felt hollow. Grief and anger swirled together in a mess that rose up and exploded. "Never. Just stay away from me and let me do my job. Your love is an illusion to control and manipulate me. I know what you've been doing behind my back with my family, trying to set yourself up as the good guy. I'm done."
"Yes. You are done." He reached out to touch her hair but she jerked away. "We'll start with the write-up in your file. I'll have Ward lodge a formal complaint about your instability. Many of your peers have noticed your erratic behavior, so that could become a problem. You can continue working here, Genevieve, but this is my world you live in. I promise to make every day hell and eventually get you kicked out of the hospital. I will destroy your career piece by piece. Do we understand each other?"
Tears threatened, but she'd die rather than release them. "Is this how you show your love for someone? By hurting and abusing them?"
"It didn't have to be this way. You chose this. Remember that."
Her future flashed before her. She could take the whispers and taunts. She could handle the coldness and manipulation. But the slow eroding of her skill and growth as a doctor would destroy her. By the time he was done, she'd lose every shred of confidence in her abilities and the love for medicine that was in her core. He'd leave her with nothing. And he could do it.
Gen knew she had options. She could go to HR. Fight him and go on record. But with his support, prestige, and position, especially with their previous love relationship, it would look like she wanted him back and he'd refused her. David could spin it any way and people would believe it. She'd never be welcomed into another residency program.
A piece of her heart slowly broke off and crumbled. In that moment, everything was crushed. Her hope and love for a man she once believed in, and the career she'd dreamed of since she was young.
All gone.
"I understand."
"Good. And your decision?"
She stepped back, numb. Maybe it was better this way. The pain would come later as she said the final words to destroy the final fragile thread between them.
"I resign from my residency. Good-bye, David."
She walked out the door. Everyone stared at her, greedily watching for a medical soap opera to unfold. Gen refused to give them anything else of her.
The tech touched her on the shoulder. "Doctor, the results came in for the cardiac enzymes."
"What are they?"
"Positive."
She enjoyed the quick rush of satisfaction before she turned to David, who stood in the doorway watching her leave. "Give the results to Ward and tell him I was right. She's got blockage and we need to stave off a heart attack."
Those were the last words she spoke before she left everything behind.
thirteen
GEN, GET UP."
"Ugh, what's that smell?"
"I think it's her. I told you we should've busted in yesterday."
"I know. I couldn't find my spare key. Why won't she wake up? What if she overdosed?"
"Don't be so dramatic, there's no wine or pill bottles. But the empty ice cream cartons and candy wrappers means she's on a sugar crash. Gen, sweetie, open your eyes."
The voices swirled together in a beautiful musical harmony. Her eyelids felt heavy and she had a bad feeling that if she opened them she'd remember something terrible. She tried to ignore them, but the nice voices came with hands that were poking her and trying to turn her over. Gen growled. "Go away. I'm tired."
Her body was shaken harder than a James Bond martini. "Wake up, I mean it. You're freaking us out."
She opened one eye. Three female faces peered down at her. "How come you're not at work?" Gen mumbled.
"It's Sunday," Kate said. "We've been trying to reach you since yesterday. Thought you were with Wolfe, but he's at some kind of convention thing, so he told us to break in. How long have you been in bed?"
Huh. When did her life splinter into tiny pieces so she had no job, no possessions, and no future? Oh yeah, Thursday. "Few days."
Kennedy pulled back. "Woman, you need to brush your teeth."
"Tomorrow." She tried to roll back over but they forced her to sit up, climbing on top of the bed so they all surrounded her.
"Did something happen with David or the hospital?" Arilyn asked.
Gen realized they didn't know. After her exit, she'd gone directly to the grocery store and bought everything that looked like it would kill her. Saturated fats and sugar galore. Trying to avoid a big pity party on top of her wedding fiasco, she'd texted everyone that she'd be working nonstop and would catch up later. Knowing Wolfe would be checking on her anyway, she'd told him she was staying at Kate's and she'd contact him next week.
Then she'd gone to bed and stayed there.
"Honey, what happened? Wolfe was frantic. You lied and said you were with me," Kate said.
"Didn't want him to worry. He's been babysitting me and it's getting embarrassing. I'll be fine."
Kennedy lifted two empty bags of Funions. "If you ate these you're not fine."
Gen took a breath. "I quit the hospital. My residency is over. I had a huge showdown with David and he threatened to make my life hell, and I realized I can't continue there."
Kate stood up and smoothed back her hair. "Okay, I'm going to go kill him now. Remember, you're my witnesses, so I was never there."
Gen grabbed her hand. "I know you're serious, so sit back down. I need you here, not in jail."
Kennedy fumed. "He can't get away with that. You need to report him."
She lifted her hands. "Guys, he's covered his tracks well. In fact, he planted seeds of depression and anxiety. Wrote up a report for HR. He runs the unit, and I'm just the silly runaway bride. I'm not going back, and I don't
want to get involved in a lawsuit or investigation I'll lose. It'll actually be worse for me."
"I'm sorry, Gen. But I am going to kill him for you."
She smiled at Kate. "I know you would. You're such a good friend."
"Let's avoid talk of murder, please, and figure this out," Arilyn piped up. "Can we hook you up with a tape recorder where you can get him to confess his evil plans on record?"
