Walking Away for Good

The surgery was over. The child I had fought so hard to conceive had once again left me. I sat there, lost in thought.

Pressing a hand against my now-flat stomach, my phone suddenly rang loudly. It was already past midnight. Shawn was calling.

"Where the hell are you? Did you die somewhere? Do you not realize that Lucille and I both drank tonight? She’s barely dressed, and she’s about to give birth soon! If she catches a cold because you didn’t take her home right away, what are you going to do about it?"

I clutched my still-damp gown, the dull ache in my lower abdomen making my speech sluggish.

"I’m at the hospital."

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then, Lucille’s panicked voice came through, "The hospital? Shawn… could your wife have really gone there to get an abortion because of me? I’m so sorry! This is all my fault! I’ll get out of the car now. I never meant to come between you two…"

"What are you so afraid of?" Shawn suddenly let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Don’t I know her? She’s spent five years running in and out of hospitals doing IVF just to get pregnant. Now that she’s finally succeeded, like hell she’d be willing to abort it."

Yeah… The old me would never have given up this child because I once believed it was the product of our love, but now… was there any love left between us? All that remained was a relationship poisoned by resentment.

I let out a cold laugh. "Shawn, are you so sure I wouldn’t go through with it?"

His breathing grew heavy, his patience running out. "Alright, Imelda, stop playing games just to get a rise out of me. Quit being childish. Lucille and I are waiting here. Hurry up and get over here to drive us home."

Just then, a hand gently pulled mine, and a nurse’s voice rang clearly through the call. "I’ve removed your IV. You should be fine, but come back for a check-up in a few days."

Then, she reminded me, "Since you just had an abortion, make sure you don’t catch a cold."

I stopped listening to whatever else Shawn had to say and hung up.

The moment my feet touched the ground, a sharp pain shot up my leg. Only then did I realize my ankle and thigh, which had been injured from my fall, were swollen and bruised. Limping all the way home was agonizing.

When I finally stepped inside, the lights were already on.

The moment I pushed the door open, a pillow flew past me, crashing onto the floor beside my right foot.

I looked up. Shawn’s expression was dark with anger. "Imelda, you’re getting more ridiculous by the day!"

I calmly picked up the pillow, my face emotionless. "Yet you managed to get home just fine without me driving, didn’t you?"

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was for me?!" Shawn took a deep breath, his chest heaving. "A CEO… without a dedicated chauffeur?"

I had no energy to argue. I just wanted to go to my room and rest, but my injured leg gave out, and I stumbled, falling toward Shawn.

He instinctively caught me. "You’re hurt?"

For a brief moment, I saw a flicker of concern in his eyes. I hesitated. Should I tell him about the abortion?

Just this once—one last time?

However, as I wavered, the bathroom door swung open.

Lucille walked out, dressed in Shawn’s shirt. She froze when she saw me.

"Imelda… I thought you weren’t coming home tonight."

Her long, pale legs swayed under the white shirt. Her pregnant belly stretched the fabric just enough to reveal glimpses of what was underneath.

I stared at her, rage surging through me. Then, I ripped my hand from Shawn’s grasp and slapped him hard.

"Take it off."