Trio to Duo

My girlfriend, Jade Swanson, was very respectful toward her teachers. Every time we went out on a date, she even invited my single male teacher, Oliver Graham, along. Three for dinner. Three at the movies. Even when we traveled, it was three people sharing a room. I got jealous and lost my temper, but she only said, "Oliver is your mentor. Making him happy is equivalent to helping you build a good relationship. You're not very capable. Since we were little, haven't I always helped you smooth things out? You're a man, so don't be so petty!" On Valentine's Day, I finally passed my housemanship. Jade hired an outdoor band half a month in advance to celebrate for me. She said, "From now on, the three of us will no longer go out together. It's just going to be two." I waited for a full six hours until early morning, soaked under the rainstorm, yet the venue remained empty. Shivering, I made my way back to the hospital break room, where a warm, cozy light spilled from inside. Jade was carefully drying Oliver’s wet hair, her tone tinged with playful reproach. "You insisted on going out even though it was raining. What if you caught a cold?" Oliver smiled with a gentlemanly charm. "I was just going to get some candles. Jade, thank you for spending my birthday with me." Subconsciously, I opened my chat with Jade again. There were still no new messages from her. I gave a self-deprecating smile. It turned out they were "the two" she mentioned: she and Oliver. Fine then. In that case, I would stop being the invisible third wheel in their story. Chapter 1 I snapped a photo of them with a click and then turned around into the rain. When I got home and took a shower, it was already 2:30 am; Jade still had not sent a single explanation for standing me up. The department head, Tim Arren, tagged me in the group chat. Tim: [Damian, the patient in Bed 19 just hit the call button. Why didn't you go?] I sent the photo over. [Dr. Arren, Dr. Graham was in the on-call room today, so I headed back first.] Just as I was about to cook some pasta, Jade's message popped up. Jade: [Damian Lake, why did you post the photo in the group chat and shift the blame onto Oliver?] It had been five years, yet she had always called me, her boyfriend, by my full name, yet she had a special name for my supervising physician. The continuous stream of messages hurt my eyes. I quoted the last one. [Jade, where are you? The rain is so heavy.] She merely replied with: [?] The chat box showed she was typing, but the message she sent was. [Explain in the group chat immediately. You were the one who abandoned your post. Oliver had nothing to do with it.] Once again, she chose to turn a blind eye. Somehow, whenever Oliver was involved, my problems were always the last thing she cared about. I did not reply; instead, I set my phone to "Do Not Disturb" and focused on cooking my pasta, adding plenty of beef to the pot. Just as I dished it up, I heard a noise at the door. Jade's dress was soaked through, while Oliver looked completely dry. Jade was sensitive to the cold and prone to headaches if she got caught in the rain, yet I could only imagine how much she had tilted the umbrella toward Oliver. "A celebratory gift for you. I had important business to attend to today and should've handled things better. You're a man; don't be so sensitive." Jade placed two concert tickets on the table; they were to see my favorite singer. One sentence and two tickets to casually brush aside the ten hours of agony I had endured. Oliver looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Damian. I didn't realize Jade was planning to celebrate with you today. I had her keep me company for my birthday instead..." I remained silent. Jade shot me a look of annoyance. "Dr. Graham only has one birthday a year, Damian Lake. Don't be immature." Passing my housemanship was a once-in-a-lifetime milestone. Oliver tried to smooth things over, naturally leaning in to wipe the rain from Jade's neck. "It's alright, Jade; Damian passing his housemanship is a happy occasion. Damian, don't let it weigh on your mind. I've already explained the situation to Dr. Arren, so you won't face any disciplinary action for tonight." Seeing that I did not react, Jade tapped the table with her manicured nails in a warning manner. "Aren't you going to say thank you? You were negligent in your duties, and it was Oliver who smoothed things over." Oliver held her back, shaking his head and signaling her with a look; Jade sighed and dropped the subject. The next moment, she picked up my pasta and placed it in front of Oliver. "Oliver, you must be starving after all this. Have a bite." I was the one who had not had a drop of water or a morsel of food for a full ten hours since 6:30 PM. I stared at her defiantly. "That's mine." Chapter 2 Oliver froze with the fork in his hand, his handsome face turning red. "No, sorry. Here you go." Jade reached out to stop him. "Damian, it's just a plate of pasta. Do you really have to fight with Dr. Graham for it? Don't you respect your mentor?" Stomach acid was burning and swirling in my empty stomach. I snatched the plate of pasta. "I don't." The noodles had already clumped up, and the food I was eating was tasteless, but it could satiate my hunger. "Damian!" "I'm fine. Don't make a fuss over me. It's my fault." Oliver pursed his lips and stood up. "I shouldn't have come to disturb you tonight. I'm leaving now." "I'll see you off." Jade grabbed the keys and walked to the door before turning back. "Oliver did surgeries all day today to squeeze out time to write your housemanship evaluation form. He braved the rain today to celebrate with you. Damian, you're 26 now. You're a man. Don't be petty like a girl. It's time to grow up." ‘Celebrating with me means stealing my pasta?' I thought. Men also needed food to satisfy their hunger and needed care. I should be sensible. I should know how to take good care of myself, not starve anymore, and not get wet in the rain. Before going to bed, Oliver's Instagram published a hotel room photo with an amorous light, using the caption: [Blowing dry the beauty's hair]. The broad body was tightly wrapped around the curvy person in front of him, and I recognized the red lace immediately. Jade wore it when she gave herself to me for the first time. My heart suddenly became empty, and my nose could not help feeling sore. I took out my phone to send a message to question Jade, but the last sentence in the chat box was still [Damian, stop making a fuss. Remember to apologize to Oliver tomorrow.] I suddenly lost the will to continue and deleted the words one by one. The post was already flooded with comments, and everyone was going crazy shipping them. I smiled and commented: [When will we receive the wedding invitation?] ... The next day, I was awakened by the aroma of butter toast. When I walked into the kitchen, Jade was busy cooking, wearing an apron. Seeing me, she smiled. You're awake? Come and have breakfast." I leaned against the door and did not move. Jade walked over and took out a rose from her hand out of thin air, the latest luxury watch hanging from it.. After five years of dating, this was the first time she prepared such a surprise like this. My throat tightened. "What do you mean by this?" Jade planted a kiss on my cheek and looked at me with an amused expression. "My boyfriend looks so cute when he's jealous. The rain was too heavy last night, so I just booked a hotel room nearby; he's your mentor, so I simply wanted to make sure he was well looked after. It's my fault for not celebrating with you last night. I had so many cases on my plate that it completely slipped my mind. Don't worry. It won't happen again. And we're getting engaged soon, so you aren't allowed to let your imagination run wild like that again." Jade seemed the same, yet she behaved like a completely different person compared to yesterday. My heart began to race involuntarily, and a sense of anticipation secretly sprouted like grass from a crack in a stone wall. "Okay." Just as I nodded, Jade suddenly picked up her phone and started typing away with a smile. Using a need to use the toilet as an excuse, I slipped into the study and turned on the computer. Jade and Oliver's chat log was on it. Oliver: [Cute.jpg] Oliver: [Did you do everything I taught you?] Chapter 3 Jade: [The watch was given, the words were spoken, and he was pacified. Damian is always prone to losing his temper. If it weren't for your advice, we would have been in a complete mess this year.] Jade: [If only he were half as mature as you and behaved like a real man.] There was a heavy feeling blocking my throat, and my head felt numb. It turned out all those little gifts to calm me down, those gentle words, those sincere and honest feelings were from another man. I clutched my stomach, dry-heaving as tears welled up in my eyes from the sour, burning ache. When I came out again, Jade had already left. Under the milk was a note: [I'm going to work now. Since you're not angry anymore, remember to explain to Dr. Arren what happened last night when you go to the hospital this afternoon. Don't let Oliver take the blame for you.] 'Ridiculous,' I thought as I swiftly tore it in half and threw it in the trash. 'Jade, it was you who said I'm insensible and can't be generous enough to cover up someone else's mistakes,' I pondered. When I arrived at the hospital, I explained everything to Tim in detail. However, what I received in return was a dismissal notice. Tim spoke with a hint of regret. "Damian... I know last night wasn't entirely your fault, but I'm sorry. Even though you passed your housemanship, we... can't keep you." Tucked inside the dismissal notice was a comprehensive evaluation of me, written by Oliver and doctors from several other departments. Out of a maximum score of ten, I only got 3.6 — setting a new all-time low for the hospital. "This evaluation system is a long-standing tradition here; we put people first, so meeting the professional standards alone isn't enough." I walked out holding the dismissal notice and gazed at the hospital — the very place I had strived to join since my university days; I felt a sharp, stinging ache in my heart. I snapped a photo and sent it to Jade. [Is this the evaluation you said he stayed up all night writing for me? A 3.6? Jade, the hospital is dismissing me!] She replied instantly: [Don't panic. There must be a misunderstanding. I'll smooth things over. Don't confront Oliver; it won't look good for him.] Reading that, I clenched my fists, wanting nothing more than to scream and curse, but I held back. Jade had always been excellent at handling these kinds of situations, and I needed her help to stay. After all, I deserved to stay. I sat on a hospital bench and waited a full three hours before Jade finally arrived, followed by Oliver, who looked worn and weary. I stood up, deciding to strike first. "I don't know what he's told you now, but this evaluation form is in black and white; it's not fake. Jade, you have to help me..." Slap! A sharp slap rang out, and the surroundings fell instantly silent; everyone stared at me. Clutching my stinging left cheek, I was filled with disbelief. "You hit me? On what grounds?" Jade met my wounded gaze, a flicker of reluctance, regret, and heartache crossing her face. However, a single sigh from Oliver made her expression turn icy once more. She quietly played a video that had hit a million views, with Oliver's photo from last night as the background. A digitally altered male voice passionately narrated how Oliver had intruded upon someone else's relationship; the comments section below was flooded with condemnation and abuse directed at him. Oliver's eyes were bloodshot, his tone heavy with disappointment. "Damian, I didn't mean anything by that post yesterday. I was just touched by how thoughtful Jade was being that I only helped her dry her hair. I deleted it immediately after you commented. How could you accuse me of seducing your girlfriend and spread rumors about me online? I'm your mentor!" I was dumbfounded, shaking my head instinctively. "I didn't do it. Jade, you know I've never lied to you." Jade looked at me with eyes colder than ice, her tone laced with deep disappointment. "Damian, I used to think you were just immature and that you still had the mindset of a boy. I never imagined you could be so malicious as to spread baseless rumors about your own mentor!" Without investigating or even asking, Jade had already decided I was the one who had done it. "Jade, what happened to your professional conduct as a lawyer?" "I don't need you to remind me." Jade pulled a document from her briefcase. "I've already drafted the complaint." I steadied myself against the cold wall, forcing a smile that looked worse than tears. The last shred of hope I had held for Jade vanished into thin air. 'Fine, let's keep it strictly professional. Filing a lawsuit? I can do that too,' I thought. Chapter 4 To prevent Oliver from tampering with the situation, I turned around and went to another hospital for a medical assessment. After meeting with the lawyer, I went home to pack my things. To my surprise, Jade was also at home. Usually at this time, she was either working overtime or accompanying Oliver to his favorite restaurant. Now that I had withdrawn, she somehow did not focus on enjoying their alone time together. "What? Were you afraid that I'd steal something, so you came back to watch me?" Jade froze, never expecting the usually gentle me to speak so sarcastically. "Damian, you've changed a lot over the past few days." I walked past her and silently packed my things. On the day of the trial, the law would give me a fair verdict. Jade let out a long sigh and grabbed me. "Don't do this. Be good." I had been exercising regularly for years and was strong. I did not want to hurt her and could only watch her carefully as she applied ice packs to my wounds. It did not matter, as I had already done the injury assessment. "Does it still hurt?" The more I ignored her, the gentler she became. "Damian, I had no choice when we were in the hospital today. The influence of public opinion is too great. If I didn't do this, the people at the hospital would also misunderstand Oliver. He's your mentor. You made a mistake, so I have to help you uphold matters in a manner that respects your mentor." I smiled, but I no longer felt any emotion. "Are you done? I need to get back to packing." Jade paused, a flash of impatience crossing her delicate made-up face. "Are you still going to make a scene? We've been together for five years; we've met each other's parents and we're about to set a wedding date." I shook my head, my voice calm. "There won't be a wedding. After all, we'll be busy dealing with court proceedings; where would we find the time?" Jade froze, the lecture she was about to give me was stuck in her throat. Instinctively, she reached for her phone. I glanced over; sure enough, it was her chat with Oliver. I remarked kindly, "No need to ask him for advice on how to placate me. I'm not throwing a tantrum this time; I'm serious. Jade, enough with being a trio. You two can finally enjoy life as a couple." Jade stared at me in astonishment. "You were snooping on my phone? Damian, do you realize that's an invasion of privacy?" I pursed my lips and smiled. "In that case, feel free to go ahead and sue me. Ms. Swanson." ... As soon as I stepped out of the residential complex, a crowd of reporters swarmed me with their microphones thrusted at me. "Mr. Lake, there's a new rumor claiming you're the one who came between Ms. Swanson and Dr. Graham. Please give us an explanation!" I instinctively stepped back but lost my footing, slamming the lower half of my body hard against the stone steps. Pain instantly washed over me. Someone shouted, "Blood! He's bleeding heavily down there!" In the split second before I lost consciousness, I saw Jade's face pale as a sheet. "Damian!"