Falling Through Lies

I slowly opened my heavy eyelids, and the first thing I saw was white. The doctors must’ve already operated on me, but my leg still felt like countless steel needles were stabbing into it. To make things worse, I desperately needed to use the bathroom.

I turned my head slightly toward the guy in the next bed. His wife was hovering over him with genuine worry, asking him how he felt after surgery. Their daughter was leaning against the bedside, whispering words of comfort. They looked like a happy family.

A wave of envy washed over me. I really didn’t want to disturb their peaceful moment, so I decided to hold it in until the doctor came for rounds. However, as I continued to struggle and felt my limits quickly approaching, one of my co-workers rushed into the room holding my admission papers.

His face was full of panic. “Jeremy, how’re you holding up? The doctor said you broke your right leg. You’ll need to stay in bed for two months.”

I opened my mouth, but not a word came out. I honestly couldn’t even tell what hurt more anymore—my leg or my bladder. The pain blurred everything in my head.

So, I just reached out a trembling hand and forced out two words, “Bathroom… please…”

My co-worker understood instantly and hurried out to get a wheelchair from the nurse before carefully lifting me into it.

After taking care of the most urgent problem in life, I sat in the wheelchair while my co-worker slowly pushed me back toward my room.

Right then, I saw Bailey pulling a doctor aside, her face full of panic as she asked, “Doctor, how’s my husband?”

My heart twisted. Had she finally realized that the man she caused to fall and break his leg was her own husband? Was that guilt and regret? Was she here to see me?

A faint, conflicted hope rose in my chest. However, the next exchange shattered that hope instantly.

The doctor looked at her with confusion. “Your husband? You mean the man who was just brought in, Derek Crane?”

Bailey nodded quickly. “Yes, that’s him. The wind was really strong today. He was laughing hard when he opened the window and then suddenly had an asthma attack.”

The doctor frowned at her excuse, clearly irritated. “Patients with asthma should avoid emotional triggers and anything that could cause an attack. You didn’t know that?”

Bailey lowered her head, apologizing over and over. “I’m sorry, doctor. I don’t have asthma myself, so I didn’t know. I’ll definitely take better care of my husband from now on.”

My mind went blank. She didn’t have asthma. She never did. Yet, ever since we got married, she’d been constantly asking me for money to buy expensive imported asthma medication. As it turned out, all my hard-earned wages were for her ex-boyfriend?

A stabbing pain ripped through my chest. It felt like my heart had been pierced straight through.

She’d never once met any of my co-workers—not even after we married—because she thought my job was embarrassing. Naturally, my co-worker assumed she was a loving wife deeply worried about her husband. He pushed me right past Derek’s room.

I tried my best to stare straight ahead, telling myself not to look, think, or feel. However, in the end, I couldn’t stop myself. I turned my head and peeked inside. That one glance made my heart sink all over again.

Bailey was gently holding a cup for Derek, helping him with some water. She looked so caring and tender, a side she had never shown me before

When he accidentally choked, she immediately patted his back with gentle strokes and whispered, “Slow down. Careful.”

Worry was genuine in her voice, but every word was like a knife slicing into my chest.

My eyes flooded with tears before I even realized it, blurring everything in front of me.