Find some other sucker to play dad.

I threw out a final "Whatever, let's just get a divorce" and walked out the door, heading straight for the hospital.

I don't know if it was the weather or my mood, but the old injury in my arm was acting up.

The inflammation kicked in, and I was running a fever, feeling hazy.

For the next few days, other than going to work to hand over my projects, I barely went home.

I checked myself into the hospital, just for some peace and quiet.

This evening, as I was leaving work to go back for a follow-up, a sharp, breaking pain shot through my arm.

I was about to head to the hospital when Sebastian's secretary stopped me, shoving a huge pile of files into my hands.

"Leo, Mr. Sebastian said these project files have to be finished within the half-hour. You're a veteran here, this shouldn't be a problem for you."

Sebastian was Josie's "brother," of course.

Sticking up for his little sister was perfectly normal.

For the past few days, I was either forced to work overtime or made to do menial tasks like getting coffee.

Basically, my work was my work, and everyone else's work was also my work.

I'd already put in my resignation and was just finishing up my handover.

I had worked at this company for years, after all. I still had some attachment to it, so I didn't make a big deal out of it and just did the work.

But not today.

"It is a problem. I have to go to the hospital."

"You get sick every time there's overtime? Your timing is impeccable."

"It's an old injury. My arm hurts. It's on my medical records."

"Oh, please. A little arm pain? Why are you so delicate? This won't take long. Just finish it and then you can go."

My vision was starting to go black from the pain. I didn't have the energy to argue with her.

"You do it. Or you can dock my pay. Either way, I'm not doing it today."

"You stop right there. If you ignore a reasonable task assigned by a superior, Mr. Sebastian might have to fire you."

"Do what you want."

The secretary blocked my way, about to say more, when Sebastian and Josie walked by and saw the whole scene.

The secretary tattled. "Mr. Sebastian, Leo is refusing a reasonable work assignment and is trying to leave his post without permission."

Sebastian pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose.

"It's true, I assigned him the task. It's urgent, tied to a big contract for the company. The other teams are working overtime too. Leo, if you're in that much of a hurry, you could have just told me directly instead of making a scene."

My face was calm, as if I hadn't caught the veiled threat in his words.

"Is leaving at the end of the workday considered 'making a scene'? I'm sick. I'm going to the hospital."

The secretary crossed her arms and smirked.

"He sure knows how to pick his moments. I stopped using that excuse in elementary school."

Josie looked like she'd lost face. She shot me a glare and said coldly:

"Get back to work. Can't your little illness wait? Did the company hire you to just slack off and collect a paycheck?"