After Ninety-nine Times

Once the thought of leaving crossed my mind, it was only a matter of time before I acted on it.

It was early morning, and the hospital hallway was so quiet I could hear the IV drip clicking in the distance. I sat in my office, sorting through the documents I needed for my transfer, when I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

The door creaked open, and in popped Joseph’s face, wearing that fake smile.

He walked in with two cups of coffee, the collar of his white coat slightly open, revealing a deep blue dress shirt underneath. It stung my eyes the moment I saw it.

That shirt looked far too familiar. Just last month, Annie had shown me a photo and asked if I thought navy or royal blue looked better.

I thought she was buying it for me, so I casually picked royal blue. However, after glancing at the price, I told her not to bother as it was way too expensive.

That awkward smile she gave me back then felt especially cruel now.

“Dr. Hardy, about yesterday… I’m really sorry,” Joseph said, setting a cup of coffee on my desk. His voice was deliberately soft, as if trying to come off as sincere. “I came to apologize.”

I didn’t touch the coffee. Instead, my eyes were fixed on the collar of his shirt.

“Nice shirt.”

He looked down, straightened the collar with smug precision, and flashed a pleased smile.

“Oh, this is a gift from Dr. Quinn. She said royal blue suits my complexion.”

He paused before adding casually, “By the way, starting next week, I’ll officially be joining her team. She specifically requested the transfer, said she wanted me to learn more directly from her.”

Then, he leaned in, lowering his voice even further. “Dr. Hardy, I’ve been meaning to tell you… Don’t you think it's pathetic that you can’t even keep your woman?”

With a snap, the pen in my hand broke in half, ink spilling across my transfer form. I was furious, but I wasn’t about to lose control in my workplace.

Without a word, I stood up and opened the office door. “Get out.”

However, instead of leaving, Joseph suddenly looked panicked. He stumbled back, as if I’d raised a hand to him.

“Dr. Hardy, I just wanted to apologize. You didn’t have to–”

That was when I heard the sound of high heels clicking quickly down the hallway, and I instantly knew what this was all about.

A second later, Joseph suddenly flung himself backward like someone had shoved him. He crashed to the floor, coffee spilling all over his coat.

Annie appeared in the doorway right then and saw Joseph on the ground, soaked and groaning. Her face turned pale in an instant.

“Finn! What are you doing?”

I stayed rooted in place, staring at Joseph, who was curled up in pain on the floor, his white coat stained with coffee. For a moment, I was taken aback.

“I didn’t touch him. He–”

“Shut up!” Annie rushed over and pulled Joseph up, cutting me off cold. “He came here to apologize, and this is how you treat him?”

“I didn’t–”

“I saw it with my own eyes!” she snapped. “I was already worried when he said he was coming to see you. I knew you’d try to pick a fight! But I never thought you’d actually lay a hand on him. He’s just an intern, and you– How could you hit him?”

By then, a crowd of coworkers had gathered in the hallway.

I looked at her, standing there shielding Joseph like he was the victim. It was almost laughable.

“Annie, do you even know what he said to me?”

“Does it matter?” she sneered. “All I saw was you shoving him.”

Right on cue, Joseph let out a weak cough and clutched her sleeve. “I’m okay. The coffee was just a little hot…”

Annie immediately looked at his arm in panic. “It’s red! Come on, we need to get this treated.”

She helped him toward the hallway, but before leaving, she stopped at the door and threw one last comment over her shoulder.

“Finn, you’ve gone too far this time. You’ve crossed the line. If you don’t apologize to Joseph, we’re done.”

With that, the door slammed shut.

I stared down at the puddle of coffee on the floor. My reflection in it looked warped, almost unrecognizable.

The ink from the transfer form had spread across the page, soaking everything, just like my feelings that had slowly bled out over the past seven years.

What was left to hold onto? Nothing.

With a quiet sigh, I took out my phone and dialed the director’s number.

“About the transfer to Seaview… I’d like to expedite it. Yes, I’m ready to go this week. I’ll start preparing everything right away.”

After hanging up, I looked one last time at the framed photo of Annie and me on my desk before flipping it over.

I had forgiven her ninety-nine times. This time—the hundredth time—I was finally choosing to let myself go.