Page 52 of Dr. Roz Harrington
“Still away with Rebecca,” Olivia answered, tucking her brown hair behind her ear. “She’s visiting Rebecca’s family this weekend. She sent me pictures; she looks happy.”
Catherine’s gaze flicked to Roz at the mention ofhappy,but she didn’t say anything yet. Instead, she offered a tight smile and turned the conversation toward safer topics: hospital politics, upcoming surgeries, and departmental gossip.
Roz stayed quiet, answering in clipped tones when addressed, her focus on picking at her food. Olivia glanced at her more than once, clearly noticing her silence, but she didn’t push. Roz was grateful for that.
It wasn’t until Catherine shifted the conversation that the tension began to creep back in like an unwelcome guest.
“Roz, I heard about your latest…decision in the OR last week,” Catherine said casually, her tone dripping with calculated nonchalance. “Another bold move, wasn’t it? I suppose we can all rely on you to keep things interesting.”
Roz’s fork froze halfway to her mouth. She looked up, meeting Catherine’s icy blue gaze. The meaning beneath the words was clear.Bold move.Interesting.Catherine knew, maybe not the full extent of what Evelyn had walked in on, but enough to imply a scandal. Roz’s fingers tightened around the utensil, her knuckles turning white.
“I saved her life,” Roz said evenly, forcing her voice to stay calm. “That’s the job, isn’t it?”
Catherine smirked faintly. “Of course. Though I wonder if your…personal distractions have started to interfere with your judgment.”
The words landed like a slap. Roz’s pulse spiked, and her jaw clenched. Across the table, Olivia frowned, clearly sensing the shift in the atmosphere.
“Catherine,” Olivia said, her voice carrying a note of warning. “Maybe Roz is finally happy for once. Is that such a crime?”
Roz froze, her chest tightening.Happy.The word seemed to hang in the air like an accusation. Roz wasn’t sure if she wanted to thank Olivia or tell her to shut the hell up. Catherine, on the other hand, didn’t miss a beat.
“Happiness?” Catherine’s laugh was quiet, humorless. “That’s rich. I didn’t realize recklessness equated to happiness.”
“That’s enough,” Roz snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a blade.
Catherine raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. “Touchy, aren’t we? I’m just concerned, Roz. Someone has to be.”
Roz slammed her wine glass down, the sharp sound making Olivia jump. The room fell silent. Roz’s pulse thundered in her ears, her carefully constructed walls starting to crack.
“This isn’t your business,” Roz said, her voice shaking with barely contained anger. “None of this is your business.”
Catherine’s expression didn’t waver, her gaze steady and unrelenting. “It is when it affects the family.”
“Family.” Roz scoffed, pushing back her chair. “You don’t know the first thing about family, Catherine. Not real family.”
Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but Roz didn’t let her. She stood, her movements stiff and deliberate.
“I’m done here,” she said, her voice colder now, the anger buried beneath ice. “Enjoy your lunch.”
“Roz, ” Olivia started, but Roz was already walking away.
She didn’t look back as she left the dining room, the air too thick with judgment and suffocating expectation. Her footsteps echoed through the hallway as she grabbed her coat and pushed out the front door, the cold air whipping her face.
Roz stood on the gravel driveway, breathing hard, her fists clenched at her sides. She hated this. Hated the way her family could reduce her to a raw, frayed version of herself. Hated that Catherine’s words stung because they weren’t entirely wrong.
Most of all, she hated that she had let Evelyn and Catherine get under her skin, that she had stormed out like a child instead of holding her ground.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Roz ignored it.
She climbed into her car, slamming the door shut behind her, and sat there in silence.
Her family’s voices still rang in her ears, but underneath it all, she heard Sam’s:“You don’t have to keep shutting me out.”
Roz closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the seat, trying to steady her breathing.
Roz’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned pale, the leather creaking under the pressure. The silence inside the car was oppressive, pressing against her ears like a physical weight. The cool, autumn air outside fogged her windows as she sat motionless in the driveway, her pulse still pounding from the encounter.
She could still hear Catherine’s smug voice, Evelyn’s disapproval, and Olivia’s misplaced attempts at comfort.Happy.Olivia had said it so easily, like Roz could ever allow herself to be happy without consequence. Happiness wasn’t for people like her. It wasn’t for Harringtons who carried the weight of legacy and reputation on their backs.
