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No Seat for You at Thanksgiving

No Seat for You at Thanksgiving

短篇故事 · Romance
作者:  Seven Secs已完成
語言: English
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14章節
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故事簡介

Cheating

Bias

Mistress

Plot Twists

Face Slapping

Tragic Love

The day before Thanksgiving, I walked into a bakery and found Talia Rademacher, the wife I'd been secretly married to for seven years. She wore a dress that looked completely out of place in the shop, and she was patiently helping the owner arrange the shelves. The owner, Bastien Delorme, greeted me warmly and asked what I needed. When he noticed me watching Talia, he smiled and introduced her. "That's my girlfriend. She got off work early today and came to help out." I remembered the text Talia had sent me half an hour earlier: [Working late tonight. Won't be home for dinner.] I looked down, smiled humorlessly, and said nothing. Sensing something was off, Talia looked up. Panic flickered in her eyes the moment she saw me, but she recovered almost at once. "Hello. What can I get for you?" she asked politely. She played the part well, as if I were just another customer. I played along. "I'm here to pick up my order." Bastien pulled it up right away. "Mr. Ashcombe, you ordered our Thanksgiving pie box for two." He grinned. "Spending the holiday with your wife? You two must be really close." I looked at the box on the counter. A couples' theme. Then I glanced at Talia, standing so close beside him that they looked like they belonged together, and the irony hit me. "No. My wife and I are about to get divorced."

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第 1 章

Chapter 1

Talia froze, staring at me in shock.

Her lips parted. Nothing came out.

Beside her, Bastien's smile faltered, but he recovered quickly.

"I'm sorry, man. It's chaos in here before the holiday, and sometimes I speak before I think." He gave me an embarrassed grin. "But seriously, a decent guy like you will meet someone better. If your wife loses you, that's her loss."

Talia's hands faltered on the gift boxes she was arranging. One slid off the edge of the shelf, hit the floor, and burst open, scattering pie across the tiles.

Bastien rushed to her side. "Talia! Are you hurt?"

He took her hand, turning it over and checking it. "Did it hit you?"

"I told you to leave this to me," he fussed. "You're a surgeon. You're supposed to be holding a scalpel, not stacking boxes."

I stood at the counter, watching them.

One worried, the other indulged him. They looked like a couple who couldn't have been closer.

If only the woman hadn't been my wife of seven years.

Something heavy settled behind my ribs.

Bastien noticed me looking and flushed. "Sorry you had to see that. My girlfriend's a doctor. She's amazing at the hospital, but here she's all thumbs. Every time she comes to help, she makes twice as much work for me."

He was complaining, but his eyes were smiling.

Talia's face had gone stiff. She cut in abruptly. "Bastien, that's enough."

"Sorry," he said again, chuckling awkwardly. "Running a shop makes you chatty. I can't seem to stop talking to customers."

"It's fine. You're friendly."

My voice was so steady that even I was surprised. I looked from him to Talia.

"You two seem happy. How did you meet?"

Talia's head snapped up. The warning in her eyes was unmistakable.

Bastien, oblivious, smiled shyly.

"At the hospital, actually."

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14 章節
Chapter 1
Talia froze, staring at me in shock.Her lips parted. Nothing came out.Beside her, Bastien's smile faltered, but he recovered quickly."I'm sorry, man. It's chaos in here before the holiday, and sometimes I speak before I think." He gave me an embarrassed grin. "But seriously, a decent guy like you will meet someone better. If your wife loses you, that's her loss."Talia's hands faltered on the gift boxes she was arranging. One slid off the edge of the shelf, hit the floor, and burst open, scattering pie across the tiles.Bastien rushed to her side. "Talia! Are you hurt?"He took her hand, turning it over and checking it. "Did it hit you?""I told you to leave this to me," he fussed. "You're a surgeon. You're supposed to be holding a scalpel, not stacking boxes."I stood at the counter, watching them.One worried, the other indulged him. They looked like a couple who couldn't have been closer.If only the woman hadn't been my wife of seven years.Something heavy settled beh
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Chapter 2
"My mother was hospitalized," Bastien explained. "Talia was her attending physician. She was incredible. Really thorough, really kind. Mom was in bad shape, and Talia helped find specialists and got her a bed. Mom recovered, and I couldn't thank Talia enough. One thing led to another, and we fell in love.""Was that four years ago? In the fall?" I asked before I could stop myself.His eyes widened. "Yeah. How did you know?"How did I know?Because that fall, four years ago, my mother was in the hospital too.Her heart was failing. The doctors said she needed bypass surgery as soon as possible. I went to Talia, begging her to help me contact a cardiac specialist. Even just one phone call."Wes, I'm busy," she'd said, as though I were inconveniencing her.I was desperate. I argued. I begged. She accused me of being irrational and said I was suffocating her with my demands.That night she never came to the hospital.I filled out forms, searched for doctors, signed consents, and w
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Chapter 3
"One day, when we can afford it," Talia had promised, "I'll give you the wedding you deserve. The best one."But her career took off. She got busier, and the wedding kept getting pushed back.I never demanded it. I told myself a ceremony didn't matter if we loved each other. Neither did keeping our marriage private. If her colleagues didn't know about me, that was fine too.Now I understood.She hadn't loved me enough to make room for me in her life.My phone buzzed.Two messages from Talia.I'll come home tonight.We need to discuss the divorce.I stared at the screen. After ten years of struggling beside her, helping her study for exams, sharing cramped rentals, and watching her work her way up from junior doctor to department chief, she planned to walk away with a new lover and a spotless future.Why should she get to leave so easily?I couldn't make sense of it. I sat in the car until night fell. Only then did I drive home.Talia was waiting on the couch, looking tired.
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Chapter 4
Her father, Conrad, set down his teacup. "It's good to have you home. The house is livelier with you here."I smiled at them.Diane guided me to the couch. Then she looked at her daughter."You've been married seven years now. Isn't it time you two started thinking about children?"I glanced at Talia. Her expression changed, and she reached for the fruit platter."Mom, have something to eat first.""I'm talking about something important, not snacks. You're both getting older. You know better than anyone that it doesn't get easier to have children if you keep waiting. You're a doctor, for heaven's sake.""I know," Talia said after a pause.Satisfied, Diane patted my hand."Don't let her walk all over you, Wes. If she doesn't treat you right, tell me. I'll straighten her out."I lowered my eyes. "All right."My phone vibrated.I'm downstairs, Bastien wrote. I'll bring the order up now.Please do, I replied.Diane was still talking."You two have been together since you wer
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Chapter 5
For one suspended second, nobody moved.Diane's smile froze. Conrad's teacup struck the table with a sharp clatter. Bastien stood in the doorway clutching the pie boxes, the color draining from his face.He looked at Talia, then at me."What are you talking about?" he managed. "Your wife?""Talia," I said. "My wife of seven years."The boxes slipped from his hands. The pretty packaging burst open and pie spilled across the floor, but Bastien didn't seem to notice."Talia. Tell me he isn't serious."Her face was drawn tight. Her lips moved, but she didn't deny it right away.I watched the light in Bastien's eyes shatter, bit by bit. Then, abruptly, he laughed."You said you were single," he whispered. "You said your family kept pushing you to get married, and you were sick of hearing about it. You said once the holiday rush was over, you'd take me to meet your parents."With every sentence, Diane turned paler.Conrad surged to his feet. "Talia! Is any of that true?""Dad, Mo
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Chapter 6
At home, she had always been her parents' pride.She'd probably never been so humiliated in her life.After a long, painful silence, she finally bowed her head. "I'm sorry," she said, without meeting my eyes.Conrad pointed at her, his hand trembling."I didn't raise a daughter who shirks her responsibilities. Wesley stood by you for ten years. When you had nothing, he went without right alongside you. When you were busy, he cared for this family. When Joanne died, he was barely holding himself together."His voice cracked with fury."And you were out taking care of another man?"Talia went white. Bastien stared at me."Your mother...?" His voice shook.I didn't look at him. Some wounds weren't his to ask about.Diane was crying openly now."Joanne might have survived if they'd found a specialist in time. He begged you to help. You told him you had to avoid a conflict of interest. What conflict? You're a doctor! You could bend over backward for someone else's mother, but for
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Chapter 7
"I'm a doctor. I can't let a personal matter interfere with the hospital.""You always have a reason."I looked her straight in the eyes."When my mother needed help, you said you couldn't interfere with procedures. Now you won't admit to an affair because it might interfere with the hospital. Talia, you use professional ethics to hide your own selfishness. It's ugly."Color rose and drained from her face."I'll tell people," Bastien said suddenly.Everyone turned.He wiped his cheeks. His voice shook, but the words were clear."I'll post a statement. I'll tell everyone she lied to me. She said she was single. I had no idea she was married.""Bastien!" Talia exclaimed."Don't say my name." His eyes were red. "I thought you were kind. Responsible. Mature. Now I know you're just good at lying. You lied to him and you lied to me. I'm done helping you look respectable."He walked out.Talia moved to follow, but Conrad said coldly, "Take one more step after him and see what happ
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Chapter 8
Then I answered."Wes." Talia sounded hoarse, as though she hadn't slept. "Did you really have to take it this far?"I stood at the curb while the wind stung my eyes."I could ask you the same thing. Why did you have to push me this far?"She was silent for several seconds."The hospital has taken me off the operating schedule. They've put me on temporary leave. Some patients' families have been showing up at the department and making scenes. I can't control any of that.""And? You expect me to feel sorry for you?""I know I was wrong," she said tightly. "But I've saved lives, Wes. You can't destroy my entire career over our private problems.""Did I ruin your career? Bastien posted the statement. You had the affair. People online are the ones attacking you, and the hospital took you off surgery. How do you still think I'm the one hurting you?"Her breath caught."You're always talking about being a doctor," I continued. "Then you know what happens when something diseased is
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Chapter 9
Bastien stared at the suitcases by the wall."You're moving out?""Yes. Once the divorce is final, I'm selling the house."He nodded and looked down."I'm sorry."It was his second apology. Strangely, his regret sounded more genuine than anything Talia had said.I set a glass of water in front of him."You don't have to keep apologizing. If you really didn't know she was married, she deceived you too."Tears slipped down his cheeks."But I still hurt you. I stood right there calling her my girlfriend. I told you your wife didn't deserve you. I made a complete fool of myself."I said nothing.He let out a bitter laugh."Not just that day. For the last two years, I've been making a fool of myself.""Two years?"He blinked, then went even paler."We met four years ago. We've only officially been dating since last year. But I was in love with her from the time my mother left the hospital. She kept pulling away, then coming close again. She said she was busy. She said she did
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Chapter 10
I gave the albums and message records to Mr. Corcoran.After reviewing them, he looked troubled."This is more than enough. If Dr. Rademacher hopes to end this without public humiliation, I'm afraid that ship has sailed.""Then she doesn't have to save face," I said.Within days, the hospital announced the results of its preliminary review. Talia was suspended pending investigation and temporarily stripped of her departmental management responsibilities. Her recommendation for an associate chief medical officer position, once considered almost certain, was withdrawn.The reputation she'd spent years building collapsed.Some people said she deserved it. Others argued that a surgeon's private life shouldn't matter if she was good at her job.But I knew this wasn't about her private life. It was about a line no decent person crosses.She'd turned away when her husband's mother was dying, then bent every rule to help a man she wanted to impress. Her so-called principles had been fa
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