Seven Years of Marriage, Seven Years of Lies

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital room.

Full of regret, a nurse told me that my baby didn't make it.

I slowly moved my hands to my belly. Now, there was nothing left but the loose skin, a faint reminder of the child that had once been there.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, I reached for my phone on the pillow beside me.

I wanted to text Zayne to tell him I wanted a divorce.

That was when his call came through.

I pressed the answer button.

Before I could say a word, he started yelling, "What the hell are those rumors online? Did you start them? Are you out of your mind? Do you even know how much damage this is doing to the hospital? You better take it down now. I can't stand you for another day. Do you even realize spreading lies is illegal? Can you, for once, act like a normal human being?

"Delete it! Or I'm divorcing you on the spot."

Before I could even process his words, he hung up on me.

Hatred swelled up, drowning out my reason.

I dug my nails deep into my palms, my knuckles shaking from the pressure.

But this time, Jodie was fine, and Zayne hadn't done anything overtly illegal. I had no grounds to call the police on him.

His words echoed in my mind. I unlocked my phone and checked.

It turned out, that on the day of the car accident, some random passerby had filmed a video and posted it online.

People noticed right away how no one seemed to care when I called for help, even though I was in critical condition.

The hospital's emergency department was being dragged across the internet, trending for all the wrong reasons.

If Robert hadn't stepped in, things could've gotten even worse. Maybe the whole hospital would've been forced to shut down.

I searched for the hospital's account, only to find it had been deleted after being flooded with hate.

The emergency department had undeniably screwed up in a life-or-death situation.

I had no reason to make the video go away.

In fact, I was glad it was out there.

Then I clicked on Jodie's social media. Unlike the chaos at the hospital, her life seemed untouched.

Her posts were all peaceful, full of sunshine and tranquility.

There wasn't the slightest hint of a breakdown or distress.

While I was in surgery, she posted an update.

[A perfect lover is the best cure for any mental illness.]

I stared at the words, a mocking smile creeping across my face.

I silently gave her post a thumbs-up for her flawless acting skills.

She could keep Zayne all to herself.

My phone rang again. Zayne was calling.

I didn't bother answering. I hit decline and blocked his number.

A notification still popped up from him.

Zayne: [What the hell are you saying to Jodie? If you've got a problem, take it out on me, but stop acting crazy around her.]

I: [Divorce me.]

Then I blocked him on that app too.

Outside, I could hear a commotion in the hallway.

Reporters had swarmed into the hospital, demanding an interview with the head of the emergency department.

Nurses and doctors yelled at them, trying to prevent anyone from taking photos.

Robert stepped out of his office, trying to restore order.

He claimed to be the one in the video, but it didn't help.

The hospital head arrived, rushing over to deal with the situation, but nobody was listening to him either.

Under public pressure, the hospital threw one of its own under the bus—the woman who had taken my emergency call.

She broke down, sobbing as she explained that Zayne had used her.

She claimed it was just a mistake on her part.

Then the hospital head called Zayne.

He was ordered to show up within half an hour.

Robert came into my room, worried that the reporters might get to me. He advised me to stay put, promising they'd handle everything since it was their fault.

I barely nodded when the door burst open, and there was Zayne, kicking his way in.

He stormed past Robert, his face twisted in fury.

He yelled at me, "Are you too stupid to understand what I'm saying? You know what happened, so why haven't you explained it? If you keep spreading lies, I'll sue you. Is this all just some pathetic attempt to force me into divorcing you?"

"Let's get divorced then," I said.

He didn't seem to hear me. His eyes locked on my flat stomach.

For a moment, his expression froze.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, he looked around the room.

Finally, he asked, "Where's the baby?"