I blacked out completely, losing all sense of awareness.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a hospital bed. A dull ache throbbed in my belly, and instinctively, I reached out to soothe the baby I thought was still inside me. But my hand froze mid–air when I realized that the once full roundness of my stomach was now flat. Panic surged through me as I fumbled for the call button to summon the nurse.}
The nurse approached me with a look of pity in her eyes, hesitating before she spoke. “You went into preterm labor due to some external trauma. It was really bad. By the time they found you and got you here, the baby had been without oxygen for too long. We couldn’t detect a heartbeat.”
“We managed to extract the stillborn in time to save your life, but your body has suffered greatly. You’ll need a lot of care and recovery, or you might face difficulties getting pregnant again.”
After Zachary and his friends left the club, a janitor found me unconscious and heavily bleeding in the restroom. They called 911 and got me to the hospital just in time. Throughout all this, my husband never once thought of the wife he left behind. He and Lilian simply moved their party elsewhere, carrying on without a care.
The nurse checked my vitals as part of her routine, then said, “Your phone was damaged, so we couldn’t reach anyone. Can you give me your husband’s number? He should really be here with you.“}
“Really, your life and your baby’s are hanging by a thread, and he’s not even here?“}
I recited Zachary’s number to her, but the call went unanswered. I gave her another number, and after a long wait, someone finally picked up. “Hello, is this a relative of Ms. Rosalind? She needs-” Lilian’s sultry voice interrupted over the line. “Ugh… Zachary, it’s Rosalind’s call.”
“Rosalind, can you give it a rest? Can I have just a little freedom during the holidays?” The call ended abruptly, and when the nurse tried again, she found the number had been blocked.}
“What a jerk,” she muttered. Seeing my distress, the nurse held back on further comments, urging me to rest instead. “Your health is the priority. Just ring if you need anything.”
it pained me to realize that a complete stranger cared more about me than my husband of several years. My heart ached with a deep, involuntary pain. The cost of really seeing a man for who he was turned out to be far too high.”
Before the nurse left, I managed to ask, “My baby… was it a boy or a girl?” With a sigh, she answered, “A beautiful little girl.” Tears streamed down my face, soaking the pillow beneath me. I’m so sorry, my little princess. I couldn’t protect you.
…E
I hired a caregiver to help me and bought a new phone. The first thing I did was text Zachary. [Let’s get a divorce.]}
His call came through almost instantly, his anger barely concealed even as he tried to suppress it. “Rosalind, you’re being ridiculous. Are you treating our marriage like a joke?”
*Our baby is gone because of you. You don’t deserve to be a father, Zachary!“}
His voice was filled with impatience.
“Rosalind, enough already. Stop using the baby to guilt–trip me. You’re just upset I didn’t spend New Year’s Eve with you, right? I’ll come horne now. I’ll stay with you for the next few days. Happy?“}
Before i could respond, Lilian’s tearful voice chimed in from the background. “Zachary, I’m sorry. I didn’t think Rosalind would take it so hard.”%
Zachary brushed me off, “Just wait at home, okay? Gotta go.”
As the call ended, I faintly heard the crinkling of a plastic wrapper being torn open. It made me sick to my stomach. Absolutely revolting.
