Page 31 of The Surgeon's Secret

The rest of the day passed in a blur of empty moments. Catherine went through the motions—checking in on her patients, reading reports, meeting with colleagues—but her mind was elsewhere. Every time she saw a familiar face in the hospital hallway, she felt like she was wearing a mask. She was so used to pretending that she was okay, but today it felt almost impossible to pretend. The weight of her own emotions was suffocating, and the thought of facing James and confronting him about everything that had been eating at her made her feel like she was drowning.

Finally, as the evening approached, James texted her. He would be home in an hour. The message was brief and unemotional, and Catherine felt yet another pang of disappointment that she couldn’t quite shake. He was always so distant, so unreachable, and this was no exception. She was used to it by now, but it still hurt. And now, for the first time in years, she was starting to believe that she deserved better than his cold, heartless indifference. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She had to do this.

When James walked through the door, he looked exactly the way he always did—tired but composed, his sharp jawline and perfectly styled hair giving off an air of effortless charm. He barely glanced at her as he set down his bag and shrugged out of his jacket, the same detached indifference that had become so familiar in their marriage hanging in the air between them. Catherine swallowed the lump in her throat.

“James, we need to talk,” she said, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.

James didn’t look up as he busied himself with something on the counter. “I’ve got a flight in the morning. You know I’m leaving again. Can’t this wait?”

Catherine’s heart sank. Of course he was more focused on his next trip, his next big case. Of course it could wait—because whatever she had to say didn’t matter. She was nothing more than a placeholder in his life, a wife he could check in with when it was convenient for him.

“No, it can’t wait,” she said, more firmly this time. She wasn’t going to back down. Shecouldn’t. “James, we’ve been living like this for years. We’re barely even…us anymore. You’re always gone, and when you are here, it’s like I don’t exist. I need to know where we stand. I need to know if this…if this marriage is something you still want.”

James finally looked up, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. “Catherine, you know I’m busy. You know how important my work is.” He sighed, his voice condescending as he continued, “You knew what you were getting into when you married me.”

Her chest tightened at his words. She knew what she was getting into? Was that it? Was she just supposed to accept being the neglected wife, always second to his career? Was that all she was worth?

“I know your work is important,” she said quietly. “But I’m important, too. I’m not just some…some accessory you bring out when it suits you.”

He scoffed and shook his head. “I don’t have time for this right now. I’m leaving in the morning. We’ll talk when I get back.”

The finality in his words was like a slap to her face. He wasn’t listening…and he was never going to. He was already checkedout and moving on to the next thing, the next case, the next destination. She wasn’t even a thought in his mind.

Catherine’s world tilted. The realization hit her like a wave as the sharp sting of rejection flooded her chest. She’d given everything to this marriage—her love, her time, her career—but it would never be enough. And now, standing in front of him, the truth was clear: she’d been living a lie. She wasn’t loved. Not the way she needed to be, not the way she deserved.

The tears came without warning, hot and bitter as they spilled down her cheeks. She tried to hold them back, but the dam had burst, and there was no stopping it now. The pain was partly because she realized her whole life for so many years had been just a lie. But mostly her tears were for Lexi. She loved Lexi, and yet, just as her friend Sinead had predicted, she had broken Lexi’s heart.

James barely reacted to her tears, his face impassive, as though her pain was just another inconvenience in his busy life. She felt herself break inside as she finally passed the point of no return.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered, her voice cracking. This time, those words felt truer than they ever had.

But James was already walking away, heading upstairs to pack for his next flight. He didn’t even look back.

Catherine took a deep breath and finally mustered the courage to say, “Stop.”

When James turned to face her, his hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his jaw set in that familiar, tight line. “I don’t understand why we have to have this conversation right now, Catherine. Can’t you see that I’m busy?” James said, his voice dripping with condescension. He didn’t even look at her. He was too busy adjusting his cufflinks. His words struck her like a slap to the face. She’d spent years trying to make herself small enough to fit into his life, but tonight, she was done.

“Busy?” Catherine repeated, her voice barely above a whisper, but the fire in it was unmistakable. “I’malwaysbusy, James. I’m always running on empty, always taking care of everything—my patients, the house,us. And what do I get in return? Nothing. Nothing but your ego and your absence.”

James finally looked at her, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "What do you want from me, Catherine?" he demanded, his tone sharp, almost mocking. "You knew what you were signing up for when you married me. You knew that my career comes first."

The words hit her like a battering ram. She'd heard them a hundred times before, but tonight, they broke something inside her. She'd spent so many years convincing herself that this marriage was enough. But it wasn't. It never had been.

"You're right," she spat, her voice rising with a sudden intensity that surprised even her. "I did know what I was signing up for. But I didn't sign up for this. I didn't sign up for you treating me like I'm invisible. Like I'm an afterthought in your life. I didn't sign up for a marriage where I'm just here for show."

James's face darkened. "That's not fair," he muttered, though the defensive edge in his voice betrayed him. "You know how much I do for this family. I've made a name for myself in this field. I've worked hard to provide for us. What more do you want from me, Catherine?"

The words sent a bitter laugh bubbling up from her chest. "More? You think I want more from you? I don't want your money, James. I don't want your accolades or awards. I wanted you. I wanted the man I married. I want someone who sees me, who hears me. But all I get from you is the back of your head when you walk out the door and the sound of your voice when you're telling me how busy you are."

James's eyes flashed with irritation and his jaw tightened. He took a step forward, but Catherine stood her ground. She wasn't going to let him diminish her anymore.

"I've given you everything I have," she continued, "and I've watched you walk away from me every single time. You're so wrapped up in your own world that you can't see what's right in front of you."

James's lips curled into a smirk, laced with contempt. "Oh, so now it's all my fault? You're the perfect wife, the perfect surgeon, the perfect everything, right? Maybe if you weren't so consumed with your own self-righteousness, you'd realize that I've had my hands full, too." His voice dropped, dripping with sarcasm. "It's hard to be a successful consultant when you have to come home to a wife who wants a goddamn parade for every little thing."

That hit her like a punch. He'd never once understood the sacrifices she'd made—the hours spent in the operating room, the sleepless nights. He saw her only as an extension of his life, a background character in his grand story.

"You think I want a parade?" Catherine's voice was low now, but the anger behind it burned brightly. "I don't want your praise or your hollow compliments. I want respect. I want to be seen. I want to feel like I matter to someone. But not to you, who can't be bothered to even listen when I'm telling you how I feel."

---