After Losing My Baby, I Let Him Go

I only had to wait about half an hour for the shuttle bus.

As I got on, the ticket lady started chatting. "Headed into town this late, huh? Doing a bit of shopping or something?"

I gave her a polite smile. "Nah, I was just heading home. I was visiting family."

We made small talk for a bit, and then things went quiet.

Suddenly, the driver shouted, "Oh, shit! No!"

Before I could even think, the whole world flipped. The bus lurched, and the shriek of brakes and crunching metal filled the air, sending a rush of fear through me.

The bus went out of control, tossing me like a rag doll as it rolled. I instinctively shielded my stomach. I was already two months pregnant. When it finally stopped, I found myself outside on the ground.

I checked myself over, relieved to be able to move. Apparently, my phone survived, too. I tried calling Joshua, but the signal was weak.

Trying to sit up, I realized my legs were numb. I started dragging myself toward the road, each inch making the pain worse, but I eventually got there.

Desperately, I kept trying to reach him.

Finally, he picked up.

"Didn't I tell you not to bother me? What now? I said I couldn't talk. Just wait until I'm home!"

Lying there on the cold ground and staring at the dark sky, I felt completely alone. Tears blurred my vision, dulling the pain in my body but not the ache in my chest.

But I wasn't ready to give up.

I called my husband back and said, "Joshua… our baby's gone!"

There was silence, and then he sounded stunned, almost disbelieving. "Are you serious? How could that happen?"

I laughed bitterly. "Do you think I'd make something like this up? I was in a bus accident—"

Before I could finish, he interrupted, "How could you be so careless? You can't even keep a baby safe. What are you good for?"

It felt like a knife twisting in my chest. Was this really the man I'd loved so deeply?

Since I lost my parents young, all I had left was my older brother. He had enough on his plate with his family, so I didn't tell him everything. I didn't want to worry him.

Instead, I just told him I was feeling worn out and would be closing my stall for a while.

"Lily, are you sure you're okay? If there's anything on your mind, you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah…" I forced down my sadness.

"It's nothing, really. I just haven't had a break in a while, and since Joshua's on leave, we thought we'd take some time to relax." There was a pause before he replied, "Alright, just take care of yourself. Things have been crazy here, so I haven't been able to visit you. You'll have to come to see us soon."

"Sure." I hung up, then covered my mouth to muffle my sobs.

Not long after, my friend Maggie rushed into my hospital room, hurrying to comfort me when she saw my tears. "Lily, don't cry. I came as fast as I could. I didn't want you to be here alone. What happened? How did you end up in a car accident? And where's Joshua?"

I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I told her everything.

Maggie's face darkened as she grabbed her phone, ready to call Joshua and give him a piece of her mind, but he walked into the room just then.

Maggie didn't hold back, turning on him instantly. "Joshua, are you out of your mind? Ignoring your sick parents, leaving Lily stranded out in the middle of nowhere? What are you even doing?"

Joshua just brushed past her like she wasn't even there, walking straight over to me.

He gently stroked my head, speaking in a low voice. "Lily, don't make this harder than it is. Other people were around earlier, so I had to scold you." It was always about appearances with him, especially in front of Suzie.

He expected me to be the quiet, obedient partner in public, and seeing him like this now just made my skin crawl. I pushed his hand away, feeling nothing but disgust. Joshua's face darkened at my reaction, and he glared coldly at Maggie.

He knew I was furious about how he'd treated me, which, to him, was as good as losing face.

Sure enough, Joshua started in on me again. "I told you before I left to stay overnight in the countryside, and I'd pick you up the next day. But no, you had to take the bus by yourself. Now look at this mess. How is any of this my fault?"

"Joshua, do you even hear yourself?" Maggie was nearly shaking with anger, looking ready to deck him.

I stopped her, reminding her we were in a hospital, not a party.

Maggie held back, but just barely.

Neither of us were pushovers. We worked at the night market, standing on our feet all night. It wasn't a guarantee we'd lose if things came down to it.

But even with all my toughness, deep down, I still wanted to be a woman who was cared for and protected.

Joshua couldn't have cared less about Maggie's anger. He slouched into the chair beside me, pulled out his phone, and started scrolling, acting like nothing else mattered.

I was just about to tell him to leave when his phone rang. The tone in his voice softened immediately, and I didn't even have to guess. It was obviously Suzie. "Don't even think about meeting him. The guy's a total mess when he drinks," he said in a low, playful tone. "What? Are you looking for a job? Why? A girl like you doesn't need to work." "No, no, it's too much stress. Girls should stay home and relax and enjoy life. Got it?"

Listening to him sweet-talking to her, my head started pounding with anger.

Was this really the Joshua I'd known? He was going on about how women should stay home and be pampered.

I remembered so clearly how he'd praised my independence when he was chasing me. Told me I was "different," that I wasn't like those women who just waited around at home.

Still whispering in that doting tone, Joshua kept chatting with Suzie until I couldn't hold back.

"Can you leave? I need rest, and you're disturbing me."

He froze and slowly hung up, his face hardening as he looked at me.