"Patrick… we can’t keep pretending this is something it’s not."
"I love you, but love isn’t enough."
"I’m scared, and I don’t trust myself not to forgive you again."
All awful. All true. All useless.
I’m replaying version three hundred in my head when I hear my name.
“Dr. Boise.”
The sound freezes my blood. I know that voice. I would know it in a nightmare.
Murphy.
He’s striding straight toward me like a bad omen in a suit, shoulders stiff, jaw locked, eyes full of something feral.
I forget how to breathe.
He stops just a foot from me, invading my personal space like always.
“You and I,” he says loudly, “have unfinished business.”
My throat goes dry. “You’re not allowed to be here.”
He smiles, sharp and ugly. “And yet. Here I am. Since you’re apparently allowed to end my career, I figured I’m allowed to ask why.”
I can feel every nurse in the hall stop what they’re doing, even the patients stop to listen.
I steel my voice. “You got fired because of your repeated harassment and creating a hostile work environment.”
His nostrils flare. “Harassment?” His voice climbs. “Harassment? Because I refused to give you special favors? Because I didn’t bend over backwards for you just because you’re pregnant-”
“That’s not what happened,” I snap, louder than I mean to. “I never asked for special favors. I asked to be treated thesameas everyone else. You treated meworse.”
He steps closer, heat rolling off him. “You weaponized HR. You cried, and complained, and got them to do your dirty work for you-”
I can feel my hands shaking, but my voice doesn’t waver.
“You should take up any discussions about your dismissal with HR.”
His face twists, red blooming up his neck. He looks like he wants to lunge, only he never gets the chance.
“Dr. Murphy.”
The voice that cuts through the hall is pure steel.
Chief Pratt.
Security flanks him on both sides as he approaches.
Murphy erupts. “It’s like that, huh? What you fu-”
“Enough,” Chief says, cutting off whatever disgusting remark Murphy was about to make, his voice is lethal when he says. “You are trespassing. You need to leave. Now.”
Security steps in, taking Murphy by the arms.
He struggles, voice cracking with rage. “She ruined my career! She-”
