Heartbroken; From Ruin to Being the Queen of Them All

I sat in the living room at 2pm, and the door opened, revealing Derek. A wrist wound around his forearm, but dropped the moment its owner saw me. Sandra.

He’d brought Sandra here. To our home.

Without any thought of what I would feel.

“Xanthe.” Sandra rushed to pull me into a hug, wrapping her hands around me. “How are you doing? It’s been long since I saw you.”

Yes, it had. Because I didn’t make my pregnancy report at her hospital. I’d been too lazy to go all the way to hers and if anything, I didn’t want the slightest bit of information to get to my husband before I could surprise him.

However, I ended up being the one surprised. Pushing Sandra away from me slightly, I stood to my feet. “Why is she here with you? Why did you bring her home?”

“Ah,” Derek and Sandra shared a quick glance, before he continued, “I saw her on the road while coming. As I stopped to greet her, she said she hadn’t come to see you in a while. Xanthe, isn’t that nice of Sandra?”

He was asking me?

“What made you stop coming to the hospital, Xanthe? Even if Sam was dead,” she paused and I saw it. The sharp slip of the mask on her face. How did I never notice? “At least, you can speak with me. We are friends, aren’t we?”

“You,” I started, trying to keep myself calm, “are my doctor.”

“That’s rude.” Derek interjected. “Sandra is now more than being just your doctor. She’s family.”

Family.

“She wasn’t the one who caused Sam’s death. Stop projecting your insecurity and hate on her.” He added.

Then who do I blame?

For the death of my little baby whose father had abandoned a woman that didn’t belong to our home…who do I blame?

Talking further with him was pointless. He would never understand me.

I turned to walk up to my bedroom, waiting for no further explanation –like the reason why he didn’t come back home last night.

“Xanthe. I have something to tell you.” Sandra said sharply, making me halt on my feet. She raised her hands, and I was quick to see it. The ice that shone from her finger.

A ring.

“I’m getting married. He proposed to me last night.” She squealed.

“Wow….” Derek looked shocked, “Con…congratulations, Sandra.”

She smiled, their pinky finger touching for a second, just a split second. I noticed.

A bitter expression laid on my face as I raised my eyes back to look at her. “Congratulations, Sandra. Hopefully, I get invited to the wedding.”

“Okay. Once the date is set. I will give you a card, though I’m not sure you’d be able to come though.”

Yes, because according to your plan, I should be in the psych already.

“Why do you think so?” I pushed.

“Huh…” she chuckled nervously, “Work. Derek said there was a lot of work to be done at the company. I didn’t even expect you’d be at home today.” She said,

Why? So you could have enough time with my husband? The words stayed on the tip of my tongue, like it was poisoned. But all it took for me to swallow it back was the folding of my hands.

“Have a nice day, Sandra.” I said instead, walking up the stairs.

“Actually, is it possible for me to stay here for a while?” She said again. I halted on my feet, turning to stare at her.

“What?”

“I have the six o’clock shift. It’s 2pm already and my hour is really far. I would just hang around till 6.” She shrugged.

“No–“

“That’s fine. Isn’t it, Xanthe?”

I waited for the words to follow: Afterall, she’s family.

Seeing that I didn’t have a choice, I moved ahead, closing the door to my bedroom.

Derek hadn’t given an explanation for last night, he hadn’t asked why I didn’t go to work, and he most certainly didn’t leave his mistress to follow me into the bedroom. How did I never see this? How was I so blind to those who were stabbing me right at my back?

Marriage?

He proposed to her. On the day of our anniversary. While still married to me.

A smile tilted my lips, “I promise you Derek, for betraying my trust and killing my son, you would pay the price.”