###Chapter 6
491 Words
Family? Evangeline forced back the scalding tears.
The man showering his mistress with devotion was the very person she'd vowed to grow old with.
The nurses continued with their small talk.
"Mr. Daugherty's grand wedding is set for Fountain Manor next month! Only billionaires book that venue. That's true love!"
A shrill ringing filled Evangeline's ears. She struggled up to shut the door.
Through the slit, she saw that familiar, towering silhouette walked toward her room.
Jackson's voice rang out through the corridor as he addressed the nurses,"I'll cover all the medical expenses for this patient."
Her breath hitched. Did he know she was here?
Covering her medical expenses was all she could get as his spouse?
"Jax, these pastries are so tasty!" Aveline approached, balancing an ornate dessert tray.
She beamed at the nurses."Jax had these flown in from Paris! We're celebrating. I'm four weeks pregnant!"
Evangeline froze mid—motion, feeling dismayed.
Four weeks pregnant? She lost the baby, and lost her ability to conceive, while Jackson and his mistress were expecting.
The timing matched up perfectly with his "business trip" abroad when he had so thoughtfully video—called to reassure her,"Evie, see? Just me alone in this hotel room. No one else. You can relax, okay?"
Back then, she had foolishly believed she possessed the world's most devoted husband.
"Jack, even if I doubted the whole world, I could never doubt you. You are my world."
How little did she know her world had already crumbled. His thoughtfulness was just smoke and mirrors.
"Slit your wrists. Make him lose you forever. Make him regret it for life!"
The sinister whisper slithered through her mind like a serpent's hiss.
Beads of sweat formed on Evangeline's forehead as the urge to end it all overwhelmed her, leaving her breathless.
Almost unconsciously, her fingers closed around the fruit knife on the bedside table. The blade trembled against her pale wrist.
"Ms. Murillo! What are you doing?"
A nurse burst in, snatching the knife away.
"Postpartum depression is serious. You must take your medication! Let me get you water."
"I'm ... fine." Evangeline collapsed against the pillows, drained.
The pills brought numbness, but the anguish in her chest remained.
She packed her belongings with mechanical movements, determined to discharge herself.
The nurse handed her a business card.
"Ms. Murillo, a beautiful and elegant woman like you mustn't do anything rash. Go to this renowned specialist. I'm sure he'll help you."
Evangeline read the card: Leandro Hudson, a distinguished professor, board member of the International Association of Applied Psychology, advisor to Psychology Journal... The credentials were indeed impressive.
"Thank you. I'll definitely start over," Evangeline's heart was filled with hope.
"I'll recover. I won't let their betrayal destroy me," she told herself.
As she bid the nurse farewell and stepped out of the ward, her eyes suddenly darkened.
There was Jackson, tall, stern, standing rigid by the window across from the ward.
- Writer
