He Refused to Save My Mother, But Broke Rules for Her Dog

Chapter 4

The next day at noon, I took the documents to the base hospital.

Arthur had just finished a fourteen-hour chest trauma surgery. His office door was closed. I knocked twice, but Chloe was the one who opened it.

She had taken off her nurse's cap. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she was holding Arthur's office mug.

"He just fell asleep," she whispered. "What do you need?"

Through the gap in the door, I saw Arthur lying on the folding cot in the inner room, one arm over his eyes. Chloe stood there as naturally as if the office belonged to her too.

I handed her the document envelope.

"Please have him sign these."

She pulled out the first page.

When she saw the words Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, her fingers visibly hesitated.

When she looked up again, her face held nothing but concern.

"Aren't you refinancing the house? I'll make sure he signs every marked page."

She knew the documents had nothing to do with a mortgage.

I knew exactly what she was up to.

But I didn't call her out.

If Arthur spent even one minute reading what he signed, her lies would fail.

If he couldn't spare me that single minute, I had even less reason to explain.

I had given up all hope for our marriage.

"All right," I said. "Thank you."

I turned toward the elevator. A violent wave of nausea suddenly hit me.

I had barely eaten for days. I figured it was low blood sugar, so I went into the restroom to splash water on my face. The moment I gripped the sink, everything went black.

When I woke up, I was lying in an emergency observation room.

A young nurse slowed my IV and smiled. "Your blood sugar is a little low, but that's probably not the only reason you fainted. Your blood test shows you're pregnant."

I stared at her.

"How far along?"

"Based on your levels and the ultrasound, about six weeks."

Six weeks.

My hand moved instinctively to my abdomen.

It was still flat. Nothing felt different. If this had happened a day earlier, I might have been overjoyed. I would have called Arthur immediately and imagined the first time he held our child.

The door opened.

Arthur walked in and tossed the document envelope beside my bed.

"They're signed."

I opened it.

His signature appeared everywhere I had placed a tab: the divorce petition, the property settlement agreement, the waiver of formal service. Not a single page was missing.

"Handle house documents at home from now on." He frowned. "Don't bother Chloe at work with personal matters."

I looked at him.

"Aren't you curious why I'm here?"

Arthur glanced at the IV bag.

"Low blood sugar. The nurse said you can leave after you rest."

"Anything else?" I gave him one last chance.

"Sarah, I don't have time for guessing games."

His pager went off.

Chloe called to him from the hallway. Arthur walked out without looking at me again.

When the door closed, I lowered my gaze and touched my still-flat stomach.

This baby had come too late and too soon.

Too late, because I had finally seen its father clearly.

Too soon, because I hadn't yet found my way back to myself. I wasn't ready to raise a child alone.

He had abandoned our marriage. I no longer wanted to give him another chance.