His Betrayal Made Me Stand On My Own

Chapter 2

My wheelchair glided smoothly across the living room.

There wasn't a single raised threshold between rooms.

Every table corner was padded, and the bathroom had custom grab bars installed for me.

I looked at all the details Adrian had personally put in place for me.

I stopped my wheelchair.

A photograph of the two of us outside the church hung on the wall.

The sight made my stomach turn. It was sickening.

I turned and wheeled myself into the study.

I pulled open the desk drawer and started sorting through my own documents one by one.

A gray lockbox was wedged into the corner.

I pulled it out. My fingers hovered over the keypad.

I paused.

Then I entered Sophia's birthday.

The lock clicked open.

Inside was a neatly stacked pile of receipts.

I picked them up one at a time.

There were bills from a private maternity hospital and a receipt for an imported baby crib.

I stared at the dates.

On those same nights, pain had made my legs spasm until dawn. Adrian had stayed awake with red-rimmed eyes, kneeling beside the bed and massaging them for me.

He had cried over my pain while paying for Sophia's baby crib.

I took out my phone and photographed every receipt, then backed up the images.

Afterward, I stacked everything in the original order, put the papers back in the box, locked it, and returned it to its place.

At noon, I called overseas again.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, your preoperative tests have been reviewed and cleared. We can now schedule your amputation surgery."

"Make it as soon as possible."

"Phantom limb pain can persist for a long time after surgery. Are you sure you won't need a family member with you?"

"I'm sure. I'll sign the consent forms myself. All I want is a pair of prosthetic legs that will let me stand again."

"Understood. We'll prepare the paperwork."

After hanging up, I called Daniel Carter, who had been ahead of me in college and was now an attorney.

"Daniel, draft a divorce agreement for me."

He went silent for a second. "Have you thought this through?"

"I have. I also want a detailed asset division plan."

"Will he agree to the divorce?"

"That doesn't matter." I tightened my grip on the phone. "I want everything that's mine, and I want a clean break."

"All right. I'll get on it now."

At 11 p.m., the front door opened.

Adrian hurried in carrying a small paper box.

He set it on the coffee table. Inside were cake from the bakery I had loved for years.

He took off his coat and came straight toward me.

Then he crouched and pulled me, blanket and all, into his arms.

"Why are you still awake?" His voice was full of concern. "Didn't I tell you not to wait up for me?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I'm sorry, honey. Things were so hectic at the company today that I barely had time to drink water. The second the meeting ended, I went and stood in line to get these for you." His gaze dropped to my legs. "Did they hurt today?"

I rested against his shoulder and didn't pull away.

"No," I looked at the box on the coffee table. "Is that so? You must have had an exhausting day."

"Nothing I do for you is ever too much."

He released me and bent down to kiss my forehead.

His phone buzzed.

The phone on the coffee table lit up as a distinctive notification chime sounded.

I lowered my gaze.

A message from an unsaved number appeared on the screen.

Unknown Number: Adrian, the baby just kicked me. It hurt so much. I'm scared when you're not here.

Adrian went rigid.

He froze halfway toward me, then spun around, snatched up the phone, and flipped it facedown on the table.

When he turned back, panic flashed through his eyes for a split second.

Then the familiar gentle smile returned to his face.

"Spam." He forced himself to sound calm as he opened the box, took out one of the pastries, and held it to my lips. "Honey, let me feed you a bite, okay?"

I looked at the pastry in his hand, then at the gentle expression on his face. The hypocrisy made me sick.

I didn't move.

I only shook my head.

"I'm not hungry anymore. You eat it."

I met his eyes, my voice perfectly calm.

"After all, you've had quite a workout today."

The hand holding the cake froze in midair.

The smile on Adrian's face disappeared completely.