Fiancé Discussed Academics With Childhood Friend at Wedding, I'm Done

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The next morning came with the typhoon and pouring rain.

I hurried downstairs to ride to work with Ray.

I was only a receptionist, but we did work at the same research institute.

Ray was already starting the car, talking with Peggy in the passenger seat about something.

I tapped anxiously on the window, but he didn't notice and just drove off.

"Ray, wait."

I chased after the car a few steps and slipped on the wet ground, scraping my elbow open.

Ray still didn't see me.

Whenever Peggy was around, he never could.

I wiped away the mud and blood however I could and ran for the subway station, biting through the pain.

Even so, I was late getting to the institute.

Ray and Peggy passed by shoulder to shoulder, and when he saw me the smile dropped from his face and his brow furrowed.

"Is this how you do your job at reception? Do you know what time it is?"

"Why didn't you wait for me this morning?"

I forced the question out through the hurt.

Before Ray could answer, Peggy jumped in first.

"It's not that Ray wouldn't wait for you, Sal. You wouldn't understand unless you did research, but every second matters in our experiments. We really can't waste time waiting."

She patted my shoulder, coaxing me softly.

Ray sighed too.

He looked at me helplessly, the way you'd look at a child who didn't know any better.

"You knew it was raining. Couldn't you have left earlier?"

"Ever since school I told you to have some discipline. Why do you never listen?"

"I don't expect you to make something of yourself like Peggy, but you can't even manage to be a decent receptionist?"

And yet, all those times Peggy forgot to bring her bag.

He was patient then.

He'd tease her with a smile, calling her a little genius at research and a scatterbrain in real life.

In that moment, I suddenly couldn't be bothered to argue.

The next second he jerked back and turned away, pretending he didn't know me at all.

Someone had come.

Ray said the institute didn't allow office romances, so he had to keep a strict distance from me.

But the colleague passing by stopped to tease him and Peggy.

"Oh ho, Dr. Dickerson, Dr. Baxter, if it isn't our institute's genius power couple."

"The lovebirds came in all sweet together again today, huh?"

I kept my head down, numb, already used to it.

At the institute, Ray and Peggy were the ones who matched.

Childhood friends, both brilliant, both doctors, the rising twin stars.

Until someone said, surprised,

"Who says Ray doesn't know how to treat a woman? Isn't Peggy's bag this season's new release? It's expensive and hard to get."

I stole a glance and froze.

Peggy's bag really was beautiful.

I'd mentioned that same bag to Ray.

But he'd bought me some off-brand knockoff online.

He said he was too busy to tell the difference.

And now the genuine limited-edition color was hanging on Peggy's shoulder.

"Hey, you, receptionist, can't you see Dr. Baxter and Dr. Dickerson are talking about work here?"

"Pour the tea. Not an ounce of sense."

I snapped back to myself and pushed down the sourness inside.

Answering quickly, I hurried over to pour the tea.

But just as Peggy got excited talking, she suddenly raised her hand, and the scalding tea spilled everywhere.

It ran down my cuff into my shirt, and the pain drained the color from my face.

Ray shoved me aside and carefully took Peggy's hand.

"Peggy! Are you all right?"

Once he'd made sure Peggy was fine,

he rushed to check the data materials on the table, going over them carefully.

Only then did he turn his eyes to me, his voice dropping.

"Can't you even pour tea right? Do you know those are the hands she does experiments with?"

"Come on, Ray, do you care about me or the experiment?"

Peggy pretended to pout.

Then she noticed the arm I was holding, an angry red spreading across it, and let out a gasp.

"Ray, Sally got burned, and it's a big patch. Go get the burn ointment, quick!"

Only then did Ray frown and pull my arm over to look.

Seeing no one around, he blew on it gently and lowered his voice.

"Does it hurt? Wait here, I'll get you some ointment."

But the burn ointment never came, not even by the end of the day.

Because Ray turned right around and went into the lab with Peggy.

And forgot this small thing.