Chapter Sixteen
MIREYA
The Human Resources office had an artificial scent of vanilla air freshener that failed to mask the tension in the room.
I sat in a stiff chair facing two women I had never met before.
One was an HR representative with graying hair and glasses whose face remained unreadable.
The other was Dr. Norms, the Chief of Staff.
I recognized her from hospital brochures, but we had never spoken in person until now.
A thick manila folder with my name printed on the tab sat on the desk between us.
"Thank you for coming in today, Miss Rosen," the HR woman began.
Her voice was smooth and practiced. She sounded as if she were discussing a simple change in benefits rather than the potential end of my career.
"I'm Leah Mills. Beside me is Dr. Norms. We need to talk about a formal report that has been submitted regarding your conduct. "
The words felt distant, like they were being spoken through a thick wall of glass.
"A formal report," I managed to repeat.
"The claim involves an inappropriate relationship with an attending physician." Leah opened the folder and laid several pages out on the desk. "Specifically, Dr. Riven Cross."
My stomach gave a sickening lurch.
"We’re launching an official ethics review," she continued firmly. "The board needs to see if any professional boundaries were crossed. We must determine if patient care suffered or if any hospital policies were broken."
Every sentence landed sharp and cold. They were dissecting my private life like it was just another surgery.
"I understand," I replied. I was surprised by how steady my voice sounded. Inside, my ribs felt like they were caving in, but I refused to let them see my hands shake.
"While this review is active, we advise you to keep your interactions with Dr. Cross strictly professional." Leah leaned forward, her eyes locking onto mine. "Do you fully understand what that instruction means?"
"Yes," I said.
"That means no personal conversations and no contact outside of work duties. If you’re scheduled for his surgeries, you must maintain a clear professional distance at all times."
"I understand," I said again.
"Good." She offered a small smile that didn’t change the coldness in her expression. "Now, we have several questions we need you to answer."
The interrogation felt relentless. They wanted to know exactly when the relationship began and if I felt any pressure to participate.
They asked if he showed me favoritism and if our feelings had ever impacted the way we treated patients.
They pushed me to explain why we had not reported our situation to the administration immediately.
I answered every single question with careful thought. I kept my tone level even though my fingers were digging into my palms beneath the table.
They scribbled notes and asked follow-up questions for nearly an hour.
They were treating my private emotions like pieces of evidence in a criminal trial.
A hot sense of shame began to burn in my chest. I had spent years working to be seen as a competent professional, and now these strangers were debating whether I had any integrity left.
"Is there anything else you want to tell us?" Leah asked as she prepared to close the file.
"No, there isn't," I said.
"Then we're finished for today. We will contact you as the investigation moves forward." She stood up and signaled the end of the meeting. "Thank you for your cooperation."
I got to my feet and walked toward the door. I managed to make it into the hallway before the adrenaline finally wore off.
Suddenly, my hands began to tremble violently.
I pressed them against my stomach and tried to force myself to breathe.
The hallway lights seemed far too bright, and the sounds of the hospital felt overwhelming.
Nurses walked past me laughing about their weekend plans while a resident joked with a colleague.
The world was continuing as normal for everyone except for me.
I ducked into a nearby supply closet to hide. It was the same one where I had collapsed months ago. I leaned against the metal shelving and closed my eyes. My chest felt so constricted I could barely draw breath.
I tried to do everything the right way. I had been a professional. I had done my job perfectly every single day. None of that seemed to matter now. Someone had decided to make my private life their business, and now my future was in jeopardy.
The door suddenly creaked open.
I looked up to see a man standing in the doorway. He was older with graying hair and wore a white coat with a name tag I didn't recognize. I had to squint to read the text.
Dr. Jason Henley. Cardiology.
I had seen him in the hallways before, but we had never worked together. We were total strangers.
"Miss Rosen," he said in a quiet, hesitant voice. "Could I speak with you for a moment?"
"I'm very busy right now," I snapped, trying to hide my puffy eyes.
"Please. Just a minute."
I didn't have the strength to fight. "What do you want?"
He stepped into the small room and closed the door behind him. His gaze darted to the shelving, to the floor, back to me. My fingers curled tighter against my sides.
"I feel I need to tell you something directly." He took a slow breath. "I’m the one who filed the report with the board."
The words didn't make sense at first. Then, the realization hit me.
"You," I said. My voice was flat and hollow. "You’re the one who reported us."
"Yes." He looked as if he were in actual pain. "I accidentally heard your conversation with Dr. Cross while we were in Boston. I heard you talking about living together and the fact that you hadn't told the hospital."
I couldn't find the words to respond.
"At the time, I thought it was a serious policy violation," he continued. "I believed that reporting it was the right thing to do for the integrity of the hospital. I thought I was protecting our patients."
“Protecting the patients?" I let out a sharp, broken laugh. "From what? From me being good at my job?"
“I realize now that I didn’t fully understand your situation. I didn't know the personal details or the cost of my actions." He looked at me with genuine regret. "I’m truly sorry for the harm this has caused you. I never intended to hurt you personally."
“But you went ahead and did it, anyway," I pointed out.
“Yes, I did."
“You eavesdropped on a private conversation and decided to destroy my career."
“That was never my intention—”
“I don't care about your intentions.” My voice shook.
“The damage is already done. The investigation is moving forward, and my reputation is ruined. Your apology changes nothing.”
He opened his mouth to defend himself, then closed it again. "You’re right. I’m sorry."
"Please get out," I said.
"Miss Rosen—"
"Get out."
He turned and left the closet without another word. I stood there alone, surrounded by boxes of surgical gloves and gauze, trying to keep myself from screaming.
Henley had done this. A man I didn't even know had listened to a private moment and decided it was his job to judge me. The sense of betrayal felt much sharper than I ever expected.
I stayed in that small room for a long time. Eventually, I realized it was late and the shift change was happening. I walked to the break room because I desperately needed a glass of water.
Cassian was standing by the counter making coffee. He looked up when I walked in, and his expression softened immediately.
"Mireya." He set his mug down and walked over to me. "I don't think we have been properly introduced. I'm Cassian Reeds. I'm a friend of Riven’s."
"I know who you are," I said tiredly.
"Right. Of course, you do." He looked sincere and a little bit awkward. "I heard about the ethics review today. I’m so sorry this is happening. It isn't fair to either of you."
"Fair or not, it’s happening," I replied.
"I know." He studied my face for a second. "For whatever it’s worth, I'm on your side. Riven has been different since he met you. He’s better. He finally seems more like a human being."
I wanted those words to make me feel better, but they didn't.
"Thank you, Cassian."
"He cares about you a great deal. Probably more than he has cared about anyone in a very long time." He kept his voice low. "Don't let hospital bureaucracy convince you otherwise."
I nodded, unable to speak because of the lump in my throat.
"If you need anything at all," he added. "If you need a character witness or someone to vouch for your work, I'm here for you."
"I really appreciate that."
He gave my shoulder a quick squeeze and left the room. I stood alone in the silence of the break room, staring at the coffee machine.
By the time I finally left the hospital, it was past eight o'clock. The October air was cold and sharp against my face. I took the bus to the new apartment I had rented, where Mom was now staying.
I unlocked the door and heard voices coming from the living room. My mother was on the couch, and my sister, Lyra, was sitting right next to her.
"Reya!" Lyra jumped up and gave me a massive hug. "Surprise! I decided to come home early for fall break. Mom said you were working long hours, so I wanted to—" She stopped and pulled back to look at my face. "Wait, what’s wrong?"
"It's nothing," I tried to say.
"You’re a terrible liar." She pulled me over to the sofa. "Sit down and tell us what happened."
I wanted to pretend that everything was fine. I wanted to be the strong person I had always been for them. But as I looked at my family, something inside me finally broke.
The whole story came pouring out of me. I told them about the night I fainted in the supply closet, when I moved into Riven's place to monitor Emma's post-op recovery, slowly falling for him, the conference, the secret report and the ethics review, and the investigation threatening everything I'd worked for.
By the time I finished talking, I was crying uncontrollably. It was the kind of heavy sobbing that makes your chest ache.
"Oh, my sweet girl." Mom pulled me into her arms. "Why didn't you tell us any of this?"
"I didn't want to burden you," I sobbed.
"A burden?" She pulled back to look me in the eyes. "Mireya, you’re my daughter. You could never be a burden to me."
"But you're recovering from cancer. You don't need to deal with my mess too."
"Your problems are our problems. That’s what being a family is all about." Her voice was strong and full of conviction. "I'm angry that you have been carrying all of this weight by yourself. You thought you had to protect us from your own life."
"I'm supposed to be the strong one for everyone," I whispered.
"Who told you that?" Lyra interrupted. "You’re not a superhero. You’re allowed to struggle sometimes."
"I can't struggle. You guys need me to handle things."
"We need you to be honest with us. We want to help you." Lyra grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "This hospital investigation is absolute garbage. They’re treating you like a criminal just for falling in love."
"But I work for him. He’s my superior," I argued.
"So what? You’re both consenting adults. Being in a relationship does not change how talented you are at your job." She looked me in the eye. "Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool."
Mom wiped the tears from my cheeks. "Are you in love with this man?"
The question made me pause.
"I think I am," I admitted. "It's all very complicated."
"Love is always a bit complicated, honey." She smiled warmly. "But that does not mean it’s a mistake."
"The hospital seems to think it’s a mistake."
"The hospital is worried about their rules, not your heart." She cupped my face with her hands. "I'm so proud of you, Mireya."
"Proud of me for what? For being under investigation? For potentially losing my career?"
"I'm proud of you for being brave enough to love someone. You have spent your whole life taking care of us. You deserve someone who takes care of you.”
Those words finally broke the last of my defenses. I cried even harder, and they both held me until the shaking stopped. For the first time in months, the weight on my shoulders felt a little bit lighter because I wasn't carrying it alone.
"What do you want to do now?" Lyra asked eventually.
I wiped my face and took a shaky breath. "I want to fight this," I said. "I want to prove that my relationship with Riven does not change my integrity. I want the truth to be more important than gossip."
"Then we will help you fight every step of the way." Mom’s voice was as strong as steel. "We’re a family, and that’s what we do."
"I'm not sure if I can win this."
"You won't know the answer unless you try." Lyra smiled at me. "Even if you don't win, you'll know that you didn't just run away."
She was right. I’d spent so much of my life running from problems and hiding my needs. I was finished with running.
"Okay," I said. "I'm going to fight for my job."
"Good." Mom kissed my forehead. "We’re right here with you."
We sat together in the quiet apartment while the sounds of the city drifted through the window.
"Does he make you happy, Mireya?" Mom asked.
I thought about our mornings together. I thought about the way he looked at me when he thought I wasn't watching. I thought about how he made me feel like I finally had a partner in this world.
"Yes," I said clearly. "He makes me very happy."
"Then you fight for him." She squeezed my hand. "You fight for both of you."
I knew at that moment that I would. I would fight even if it cost me my position at the hospital. Even if I lost the investigation, I would know that I had tried. I was brave enough to love someone even when the world told me it was a mistake.
That had to be worth something.