Dead to Her, Dead Inside

I suddenly remembered the time my stomach condition flared up unexpectedly. At the time, it had hurt so badly that I couldn't even walk. My life was essentially hanging by a thin thread.

I was hoping Meghan could help me contact the hospital, but she refused me with a gentle yet firm voice.

"Julian, I'm a lawyer. I can't drop a case because of you. I have a responsibility to my clients."

With that, she hung up.

I had no choice but to dial 911 myself. But before the ambulance arrived, I'd passed out from the pain.

I remembered the doctor saying that if I'd arrived any later, my stomach would have perforated.

As it turned out, her work wasn't something she couldn't put aside. It was just that I wasn't important enough to her.

I smiled wryly and forced down the bitterness in my chest.

My sudden movement startled the nurses. They came over dutifully to inform me of my condition.

"Mr. Marshall, we were working to save you all night. You're stable for now, but we'll need to keep you under observation for a few more days.

"You'll need another surgery soon since the injury to your arm is quite serious. You should contact a family member soon. We'll need a signature and someone to handle the payments."

I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse. "Ms. Hudson is my wife."

The nurses' expressions changed instantly. Shock crossed their faces, followed by awkward smiles.

"Ms. Hudson might not know that you were injured in the earthquake. Please wait for a moment. We'll get her right away."

"There's no need," I said, closing my eyes. "Don't call her. She won't come, so just give me the forms that need signing. I can pay the fees myself."

I wasn't mentally prepared to face her and lay everything out just yet.

Looking at me, the nurses hesitated.

"Well... Everything else is fine, but your arm is too severely injured. You might need a skin graft. There's a chance you can't keep the tattoo on your arm."

That tattoo was something we'd gotten together when we were dating.

Looking at it, I smiled wryly and said with a heavy heart, "It's meaningless now. I don't mind cutting that piece of flesh away. Just go ahead with the skin graft."

After what happened during the earthquake today, I'd finally realized that there was no longer a future for us.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Meghan.

Why was she calling me now? Did she finally remember me after settling her first love in?

I secretly flashed a bitter smile. My fingertip hovered over the screen for a long time before I finally answered.

"Darling, where are you? I heard the earthquake around your company was really bad. Are you okay? Why haven't you come home yet?"

My voice caught in my throat. So she knew that the earthquake had hit my office building the hardest.

We had been in love for so many years. Yet, she left with my colleague and didn't bother to look at me while I was lying there helplessly.

As soon as I spoke, I couldn't help but choke up. "Home? Which one do you mean?"

Meghan's breathing hitched. She tried to laugh it off.

"Come on. What are you saying? Don't we only have one home? Do I have a second home or something? I know I didn't come home last night and missed your fancy dinner plans. I'm sorry, okay? Don't be mad anymore, please?"

Hearing Meghan spout lie after lie, I couldn't hold back a laugh. It felt as if dozens of ants were gnawing at my heart. It was sore and ached terribly.

She used to say that she had to work late into the night. Even when we had planned a date, she would always stand me up.

I'd been stupid enough to believe her every word. I thought she was exhausted from work, so I'd make snacks for her every night and foolishly waited for her to come home.

I now wondered how much of what Meghan said was ever true.

I smiled wryly. "Meghan, let's get a divorce."

Her tone changed in an instant. She nervously said, "Julian, stop saying things like that just because you're upset. I work overtime for the both of us. Skipping a date here and there isn't such a big deal, is it? There's no need to be so petty. I'll cook for you myself to make it up to you tonight, okay?"

But before I could answer, she added quickly, "I have work to do. Let's talk tonight. See you later."