Her Last Goodbye Novel by Mary Ann _ Novel





Her Last Goodbye Chapter 01

"You promised me you'd save Addie. Why did she die on that cold operating table?
"Paulina, you killed her!"
Under the harsh glare of the surgical lights, the operating table was soaked in blood as Patrick let out a cry of intense hatred.
Paulina jerked awake, gasping for air, cold sweat sliding down her face.
"Dr. Camacho, are you okay?" a colleague asked, noticing how pale she looked after the shift handover.
Paulina forced a small smile. "I'm fine..."
Just then, her phone buzzed.
She glanced at the screen. It was a message from Patrick.
"I'm waiting for you in the parking lot."
Even in those few words, she could picture the indifferent look on his face. Three years had passed, and she still wasn’t used to it.
"I'm coming over now," she replied.
She changed out of her white coat in the locker room and hurried to the parking lot.
A cold wind cut through the air.
Patrick stood by the car, tall, rigid, and impossibly elegant in his long black trench coat. Frost glimmered in his eyes.
Paulina slowed, her heart tightening. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The shift handover took longer than expected."
He gave a brief nod and opened the car door. "Get in."
After she sat down, she glanced at the empty back seat. "Grandpa's birthday gift—"
"It's in the trunk," he cut her off, effectively shutting down any chance of conversation.
Paulina's eyes dimmed, and her grip on the seatbelt tightened.
They didn't speak the entire drive, and the silence felt heavy and suffocating.
Hoping to ease the tension, Paulina struck up a conversation, though her words sounded awkward and forced.
"Last night, a patient left a note before leaving. The whole department was laughing. Do you want to take a guess at what it said?"
Patrick kept his eyes on the road. "What?"
She chuckled. "It said, 'Doctor, I don't feel great, so I'm heading home first.'"
He responded flatly, "That's... amusing."
Her smile froze, and a wave of helplessness rose in her chest.
For three years, Patrick had always been like this—he responded to everything, but there was never any warmth behind it.
And it all traced back to one thing—Adrienne Wooten died under Paulina's hands in the operating room.
No matter how Paulina tried to explain, Patrick was convinced she'd acted out of personal resentment and became increasingly cold and distant.
What was once a loving marriage had become cold and hollow.
Paulina had tried more than once to fix things, only for Patrick to respond with complete indifference.
Thinking about it left her drained, so she closed her eyes.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up outside her grandfather Dominic Camacho's house.
Dominic's eyes lit up when he saw them, and he had the housekeeper prepare a table full of their favorite dishes.
Over dinner, Patrick chatted warmly with Dominic about recent news.
When Dominic's gaze fell on Paulina's pale face, his expression softened with concern. "Look at you. You've lost even more weight."
Then, he turned to Patrick. "Ricky, from now on, make sure she eats properly every day."
"Okay." Patrick agreed, but didn't spare Paulina a glance.
Paulina's chest tightened. Ignoring the unease, she served him a piece of fish. "You've lost weight, too. Have some more."
He gave a barely visible frown. "Thanks."
Later, while clearing the table, Paulina noticed the piece of fish sitting untouched on his plate.
An indescribable mix of disappointment, hurt, and frustration filled her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.
She glanced over. Dominic was in his room, taking calls from old friends, while Patrick sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone.
She fought back the sting in her eyes and walked over to Patrick.
"We haven't gone to a movie together in a long time. I'm off tomorrow, so maybe we could—"
Patrick interrupted her. "You've been on two night shifts. Get some rest. Besides, I've got work."
With that, he stood up and grabbed his coat. "Tell Dominic I have to head back to the office for a meeting."
As he brushed past her, her shoulders trembled.
The door closed. Her eyes turned red, but she forced the tears back.
She didn't want Dominic to worry, and she couldn't face how fragile she felt right now.
Just then, a thin but warm hand rested on her shoulder.
"You can cry here if you need to."
Paulina turned and met Dominic's gentle, loving gaze. Her voice broke. "I don't want to cry. I just don't know what to do anymore."
As a doctor, she had witnessed enough death to remain unfazed in any situation.
Yet she still hadn't learned to be indifferent to her husband's cold shoulder, even after three years; every word he spoke cut as deeply as the first.
Dominic sighed. "You've known each other since you were young. Give it time. One day, you'll work through this."
Paulina lowered her head with a bitter smile. She had told herself the same thing before.
But Patrick no longer thought that way.
He already had someone else—Michelle Sullivan.
Michelle was just an ordinary college student, but looking like Adrienne had been enough to win his whole heart.

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