My Goodbye His Regret Chapter 1

For three years, Arthur Finch has never publicly acknowledged our marriage.

He was in the middle of a panel interview when the moderator asked.

“Professor Finch, a question from our online audience. Are you drawn to the steady, quiet type, or someone with a little more… fire?”

Arthur, a man who has made a career of precision and discipline, answered with a straight face.

“Neither. I’m drawn to a person.”

The moderator blinked, then recovered with a practiced smile. “Of course. And what kind of person might that be? Is she here with us today?”

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the audience until it found me. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

“No.”

I clutched the lab report in my pocket, the paper crinkling under the pressure. A familiar, hollow smile touched my lips. In the periphery, I saw his expression flicker with something like surprise as I slowly stood up and walked out, leaving the auditorium behind.

* * *

“Is it Lily Monroe?”

Someone from the audience shouted the question, their voice sharp in the sudden quiet.

My steps faltered at the door.

Lily Monroe. Arthur’s brilliant protégée, his current research partner. Their names were always linked, on publications, at academic conferences. The rumors were relentless.

The air in the auditorium seemed to solidify. My nails dug into my palms.

I held my breath, waiting for Arthur’s denial. A drowning woman grasping for a phantom hand.

After a few seconds of silence, he simply offered a mild, academic smile.

“I’d appreciate it if we could keep the focus on our field of study. Let’s stick to professional questions, please.”

He didn’t deny it. He never did.

The hope I’d been holding, a fragile bubble in my chest, finally burst. The fall left an aching void.