Chapter 4: The Last Day

The next morning, the alarm on Arthur's phone jolted Kayla awake. She slowly sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes — and found Arthur already dressed and ready.

"Where are you going?" Kayla asked, her voice scratchy with sleep.

Arthur was fastening his cuff buttons when he glanced over at her. "I need to fly back to Country A this morning. There's an emergency surgery that can't wait, and urgent business at the hospital."

Kayla shifted upright, still half in a fog. "Right now? But it's only been one day since we —"

Arthur cut her off. "You know a surgeon's schedule is unpredictable. I've left the monthly allowance on the dining table. Use it wisely. Finish your paperwork here as quickly as possible and come join me in Country A. Understood?"

Kayla nodded automatically. Part of her felt relieved — she wouldn't have to deal with this awkwardness every day, at least for now. But another part of her ached with the sting of being abandoned so casually.

Arthur paused for a moment, studying Kayla's pale face. Then, unexpectedly, he reached out and briefly brushed the top of her head — a gesture so quick it almost didn't happen.

"Take care of yourself. Call me if anything comes up," he said.

Before Kayla could respond, Arthur grabbed his suitcase — already packed, though she had no idea when he'd done it — and walked out of the bedroom.

The sound of the apartment door closing confirmed it: Kayla was alone again. Just like before.

She let out a long sigh and stared at the empty side of the bed. Her title had changed to "wife," but she still felt like the same lonely Kayla — only now with an added layer of secrecy and fear of her own husband.

"Chin up, Kayla. You should be happy you won't have to see your stiff-as-a-board husband for a while," she muttered to herself.

Kayla got ready to head to campus and take care of her clinical rotation registration. On her way through the kitchen, she noticed something on the minimalist wooden dining table: a thick brown envelope and a black credit card. Next to them sat a slip of paper covered in handwriting that was unnervingly neat for a doctor, though still legible.

The PIN is your birthday. Use this for school expenses and your trip to Country A. Don't get sick!!!

"Arthur"

Kayla stared at the note for a long time. "So cold. Even his handwriting feels stiff," she murmured.

But she couldn't deny the small flicker of warmth that crept in when she realized Arthur had arranged a card in her name before they'd even officially tied the knot.

"Why am I even thinking about him?" she said, shaking her head.

Just as Kayla was about to brew some coffee, her phone buzzed. Her mother's name lit up the screen.

"Hello, sweetheart. Are you up?"

"Yeah, Mom. Just woke up. I'm getting ready to head to campus."

"Has Arthur already left?"

"Yeah, he has. How did you know?"

"He called your father to say goodbye before he left. I feel terrible — you've only been married a day and he's already gone."

"It's fine, Mom. I understand. That's just how it is when you're a doctor, right?"

"I'm glad you're not upset. Oh, by the way — Aunt Emma... I mean, your mother-in-law called. She said if you need any help with paperwork or booking your flight to Country A, just reach out to her directly. Don't be shy about it."

"I will, Mom. I'll let her know."

"Alright, get some rest. Enjoy this month of freedom before your rotation starts."

"I will. Oh — have you and Dad left already?"

"Yes, we're on our way home now. We didn't know Arthur would be heading back to Country A so soon. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay, Mom. I'll only be here a little longer anyway, since I'll be heading there for my rotation too."

"I'll be waiting for you to come home."

"Okay, Mom."

After the call ended, Kayla stood in the kitchen, thinking aloud. "Mom and Dad really seem to like Arthur. But what am I even supposed to call him? I can't just say 'Arthur' — that feels weird somehow. 'Honey' would be way too cringey. Maybe just use his name for now... Ugh, I need to ask him what he actually wants to be called."

The weeks that followed in Country C were consumed by the logistics of registering for her clinical rotation in Country A. Strangely, Arthur never called. Their communication amounted to nothing more than brief text messages that bore no resemblance to a married couple — Arthur would ask about her registration status, or whether she needed more money.

No "How are you?" No "I miss you." Kayla felt more like a business partner than a wife. But oddly enough, the distance kept her safely within her comfort zone.

Today was Kayla's last day in Country C. Tomorrow she would return to Country A to begin her clinical rotation. All her travel arrangements had already been handled by Arthur — all she had to do was pack.

Instead of feeling excited about returning to her hometown and reuniting with her husband, Kayla felt only sadness. Her freedom was ending. A new chapter of her life — living in Country A alongside the husband she feared — was about to begin.

The final night was painfully quiet. Kayla sat in the middle of her bedroom, surrounded by oversized suitcases, gazing around the apartment that had given her so much peace.

Tomorrow, she wouldn't just be returning to Country A as a medical student starting her clinical rotation. She would be returning as the wife of a rigid, unreadable man named Arthur — a man she still knew almost nothing about.

Their introduction had been so brief, the wedding so rushed, and Arthur's demeanor so impenetrable that Kayla had never worked up the courage to ask deeper questions about him. She was too embarrassed to ask her parents or his.

"All I know is that Arthur's a doctor, but I have no idea which hospital. If it turns out he works at the same hospital where I'm doing my rotation, that'd actually be great — I could ask him for help whenever I'm confused, or get him to cover for me. Honestly, if we end up at the same hospital, it's basically proof that we're meant to be, hehe," Kayla mused to herself.