A Surgeon’s Last Incision

On our wedding night, my husband hurt me, and I bled quite a lot. After that, he was left traumatized, and he gave me the cold shoulder for six whole months. I was understanding. I brought in the best therapist I could find, hoping we could find our way back to each other. Then one day, while I was making rounds as a doctor, I heard him with my own ears, speaking to a physician inside an exam room: "Doctor, my first love is coming back tonight. "I heard your hospital does cosmetic procedures for men... down there. Please use your very best technique. I want her to experience the perfect first time!" Outside the door, in my white coat, I clenched my fist until my knuckles turned white. Chapter 1 Denise, the head nurse, was walking behind me. When she caught the look on my face, she asked carefully, "Dr. Grantham, is something wrong? "Is there... a problem with the men's health clinic?" I forced back the coppery taste rising in my throat and pulled myself together. "No, nothing. I've seen enough of the layout here." I glanced at my watch. "It's getting late. Let's wrap up today's walkthrough. "Go ahead and get back to work. Have the inspection report on my desk this afternoon." With that, I practically fled toward the elevators. I was afraid that if I stayed one more second, I'd lose control, storm in there, and confront that man. Back in my office, I locked the door. The composure I'd been forcing collapsed the moment it closed behind me. I never thought Vivienne would actually come back. My mind drifted back ten years, whether I wanted it to or not. At school, Miles had been practically worshiped, and Vivienne was the darling everyone adored. The whole school agreed they were made for each other. But right when they were most in love, Vivienne left the country without a word of warning. Miles's whole world fell apart. I was the one who stayed by his side—as nothing more than a friend—and helped him work through it. It took me three years before he finally looked at me as more than that. That night, he smiled and said, "Lydia, will you go out with me?" I thought I could become the person he leaned on. Only now did I understand. I'd just been a piece of driftwood he grabbed onto to keep from drowning after his heartbreak. I gave a bitter laugh at my own expense. On our wedding night, he'd been rough, and the pain got so bad that I shoved him away. When we turned on the light, I was bleeding. Thankfully, it wasn't serious. He waited on me hand and foot for a week, and I healed. But afterward, whenever I tried to get close to him, he'd lower his head in embarrassment and say he couldn't perform. My heart ached for him. I figured that night had frightened him too. So I hired top specialists in men's health to treat him. I even bought him the luxury watches and cars he loved, just to see him smile. Only today did I learn that the man I'd been so careful to protect was a liar through and through. Maybe I'd heard wrong? An absurd thought surfaced in my mind. Or maybe he'd just been joking with the doctor? He loved me. He loved our home. How could he ever do something like this? I couldn't believe the man who'd shared my bed for six months would deceive me so cruelly. I was desperate to know the truth, so I called him. Miles's voice came through, a little tired. "Hello? What is it?" The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I hesitated. "Miles, I... I have an emergency surgery tonight. I might be home late." "Oh. Okay." His tone was cold. I paused, then tested the waters. "I heard... Is Vivienne coming back soon?" There were several seconds of silence on the other end. Then his voice turned guarded. "Who told you that?" My heart sank like a stone. His reaction had already given me my answer. "No one. I think somebody mentioned it at the last class reunion." I made up an excuse on the spot. "Oh." Miles sounded relieved. "Really? I wouldn't know. We haven't been in touch for years." "All right. Get some rest," I said. Then I hung up in a hurry. The office was eerily quiet. If I hadn't heard that conversation with my own ears today, I would've believed every word he said, just like countless times before. But now, his words were seared into my brain like a brand, burning over and over. Chapter 2 It wasn't until the sky outside had gone completely dark that I finally drove home. The house was quiet. Our housekeeper Ruth had already made dinner and was eating alone in the kitchen. She looked a little surprised to see me. "Ma'am, didn't you say you had surgery tonight?" "It got canceled," I said offhandedly. "Where's Miles?" "Mr. Corwin came home this afternoon saying he was tired. He's been resting upstairs ever since and didn't even come down for dinner." Ruth lowered her voice. "He seemed to be in an awfully good mood today, though. He was even humming." Humming? How long had it been since I'd heard him hum? Six months? Longer? My heart clenched so tightly I could barely breathe. I headed straight upstairs. The door to the master bedroom was ajar. Bright light spilled out, along with the faint sound of running water. I didn't go in. Instead, I slipped into the study next door. It had a small inner balcony that connected to the master bedroom's balcony. I stepped out without a sound and, hidden by the night, looked through the bedroom's floor-to-ceiling windows. Miles had finished his shower and was standing in front of the full-length mirror. He took out an elegant box I'd never seen before and opened it. Inside was a sexy men's thong. He held it up against himself, a look of anticipation on his face. There was barely any fabric to it, and it showed off his toned, muscular build. He struck pose after pose in front of the mirror. One moment he was running his fingers over his abs, the next he was biting his lip, like a lovesick boy getting ready for a date. It hurt just to look at him. He'd never worn anything like that for me. He'd never shown me even a hint of that flirtatious side. I bit down hard on my lip until the taste of blood filled my mouth. Once he'd admired himself enough, he started digging through a drawer. He rummaged for a long time, but nothing seemed to satisfy him. Finally, he pulled out the diamond watch I'd given him as a wedding keepsake. He put it on, then took it off again, irritated. Then he made a call, his voice tender. "Hey, Vivienne. Have you landed? "I've missed you so much... Oh, by the way, I don't have a single decent watch to wear. "Did you bring me a present this time?" I couldn't listen anymore. I shut the balcony door and retreated into the study. Back downstairs, I acted as if nothing had happened and told Ruth, "Miles is resting, so don't bother calling him down. I'll grab a bite and then go to the study." Dinner tasted like sawdust. When I was done, I locked myself in the study. I didn't sleep a wink that night. Just before dawn, I heard a car engine downstairs. It was quiet, as if someone had deliberately slowed down. Then came the sound of the front door opening and closing softly. He must be back. I sat in the study, silently listening to his footsteps. They had a lightness to them, a kind of giddy satisfaction, as he crept carefully up the stairs. Everything was exactly as I'd expected. But inside, I'd already gone dead silent. A few hours later, when I went back downstairs, Miles was already up. He was in his pajamas, his face flushed with a satisfied glow. When he saw me coming out of the study, he froze for a second, then greeted me as if nothing were wrong. "Morning. What time did you get home last night?" "Late." I pulled out a chair and sat down across from him. Chapter 3 There was a black leather collar around Miles's neck, and just below his collarbone, a red hickey was faintly visible. My eyes jerked away as if that red mark had burned them. "Oh." His reply was absent. He kept his head down over his milk, as if he couldn't stand to spend another second talking to me. "What's that on your neck?" I couldn't stop myself from asking, my voice low. He stiffened and instinctively covered his neck with his hand, forcing a laugh. "Nothing. It's just... a mosquito bit me while I was sleeping last night. "The mosquitoes are brutal this summer." Once again, he lied to my face without batting an eye. I didn't press him. I just ate my breakfast in silence. When he finished eating, he got up to head upstairs. As he passed me, I caught the lingering scent of cloying perfume on him, mixed with the smell of red wine. "Wait," I called. He turned back impatiently. "What now?" I took a velvet box out of my pocket and slid it in front of him. "Next week is the anniversary of the day we met. I wanted to give you your present early." He froze, as if he hadn't expected me to remember. He opened the box. Inside lay a pair of sapphire cuff links. "Do you like them?" I asked. "...They're okay, I guess." He picked them up and gave them a careless glance. His tone was flat. No delight, no gratitude. "Put them on. Let me see." He frowned like I was being a nuisance, but he reluctantly swapped them in anyway. "How do they look?" he asked halfheartedly. "They look great." I nodded, but my eyes landed on the pair he'd just taken off. They were the most ordinary steel cuff links, in an outdated style. I'd never seen him wear them. With his taste these days, he'd never like something like that. The only explanation was that someone had given them to him. Someone who mattered a great deal to him. Maybe Vivienne. I swallowed the turmoil rising in my chest and casually picked up the old pair. "These are worn out. Toss them and wear the ones I gave you." "What are you doing?!" He snatched the cuff links out of my hand, his eyes blazing with anger. "These are mine! Whether I throw them out is none of your business!" He shot me a vicious glare and stormed upstairs without looking back. As I watched him go, I felt my heart sink inch by inch. The dazzling gems I'd chosen so carefully couldn't compare to a cheap piece of steel she'd tossed his way. Over the next few days, I stopped testing him and stopped asking questions. I went to work and came home on time, treated him pleasantly, and turned a blind eye to his dates with Vivienne. Then the anniversary of the day we met arrived. I left work early to pick up the cake I'd ordered, then stopped by the florist for a huge bouquet of his favorite white roses. When I got home, Miles was sitting on the living room couch. When he saw the roses and the cake in my hands, a flash of surprise crossed his face. I handed him the flowers with a smile. "Happy anniversary, honey." He didn't take them. He just stood up awkwardly. "Um... Lydia, I've got something tonight. I made plans with a friend." "Oh? What friend is more important than our anniversary?" My smile didn't change, but my eyes grew colder by the second. "Just... a friend. Nobody special." His gaze darted away. He couldn't even look at me. "We'll make it up another day, okay?" "No." I set the flowers and cake down on the coffee table so hard that the thud made him jump. Step by step, I closed in on him. "Miles, is this friend of yours Vivienne?"