All Chapters of My Mate Left Me on the Operating Table: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The video spread through Briar Glen’s community groups the next morning.It began with me saying history lectures didn’t help exes reconcile.Vanessa stood below the stage, blinking back tears.Then came my answer that she had said the wrong thing.Nothing she said beforehand remained.Comments accused a university professor of publicly humiliating an injured actress.Someone mentioned Owen.*She keeps seeing Dr. Mercer on weekends. Maybe we should ask who changed their mind first.*My stomach tightened.Morgan knocked while I was still holding the phone.“You’ve seen it?”“Yes.”“An anonymous complaint reached the office. It’s being logged normally. No one is making decisions from a clip.”“Have students seen it?”“Probably.”That was the part that hurt.I could tolerate gossip about my private life. I couldn’t simply ignore something aimed at my relationship with my students.Adrian called.“I’ll have Vanessa take it down.”“Who posted it?”“A friend from the theater. Vanessa didn’t

For the first time, I read my surgical records closely.Until then, I had only cared whether the silver was gone and how quickly the wound would heal.Now I examined every page.Admission. Anesthesia. Procedure start. Handover.Eleven minutes passed between Adrian stopping work and Owen taking over.During those minutes, Owen had been finishing another procedure.The nurse recorded the request for a replacement surgeon and the changes in my heart rate.I remembered Adrian’s explanation.*Owen arrived before I left.*They had passed each other at the door.But when Adrian put down the scalpel and removed his gloves, Owen wasn’t there yet.I hadn’t been entirely unattended. The nurse and anesthetist remained.Still, my surgeon had stopped, and the replacement had not reached the table.The next day, I met Irene from patient services.“What do you want us to investigate?”“Whether the handover was appropriate. And why the person operating on me could make that decision and later insist no

Adrian sent a long explanation the following morning.He described the college accident, Vanessa’s months beside him, and the tour she had postponed.Later, another offer came. She wanted to leave Briar Glen. He wanted her to stay.They argued until both said things they couldn’t take back.She left.Years later, she returned and said she regretted it.*I kept thinking that if I had been more mature, she wouldn’t have gone.*I read the message and put down my phone.At last, I understood why he kept hovering near the boundary.He wanted our life.He also wanted another chance to catch the woman he had once lost.He thought both were possible as long as he never technically crossed the line.That afternoon, he sent another message.*I never slept with her.*I considered it.*I believe you.*He called immediately.I didn’t answer.Instead, I sent the rest.*I don’t need to catch you in bed with someone before I’m allowed to leave.*The screen stayed quiet.The hospital interviews took pl

The new apartment was near campus.Two bedrooms. A small living room. A window just large enough for Hazel to claim.She inspected every corner on our first evening, then settled into my old armchair.I wasn’t as quick to adjust.The bedroom held none of Adrian’s things. No watch beside the bed. No familiar pillow.I expected that absence to make everything easier.Instead, after the lights went out, my body listened for sounds that wouldn’t come.At two, my mark began to burn.The discomfort wasn’t severe, but the pull persisted.I followed Evelyn’s instructions and contacted the on-call service. They arranged a morning review and told me what changes would require urgent care.I didn’t call Adrian.The assessment showed the staged withdrawal was still within the expected range.“Did you want to contact him last night?” Evelyn asked.“Yes.”“Because you wanted the relationship back, or because the connection was familiar?”I thought carefully.“Because it was familiar.”She didn’t tel

After a long silence, Adrian picked up his pen.He signed.The dissolution was quieter than I expected.No scream. No flood of memories.Evelyn remained beside me while Judith read the final confirmation. Adrian and I placed our hands over our marks and withdrew the connection we had once freely offered.Heat spread along my neck.Then the persistent thread inside me loosened.I gripped the chair.Adrian looked up, his expression drawn with pain.For the first time, I had to read that pain on his face.I couldn’t feel it directly.Evelyn said my name.“Look at me. How are you feeling?”“It hurts a little.”“Can you continue?”“Yes.”I wasn’t pretending.This was the discomfort I had been told to expect, the discomfort I had chosen.Soon, it began to recede.Judith placed the certificate before us.“The bond is dissolved.”I looked at my name.Clara Hayes.No connection requiring another person’s agreement.Adrian’s hand remained against his neck.“I can’t feel you.”I didn’t answer.Fo