CHAPTER 1:"EITHER I SUFFER OR DIE, HE WON'T CARE"
RIA POV.
I didn’t mean to.
It was never my intention to slap him.But how dare he ask me what I had sacrificed for this marriage? How dare he compare me to Evelyn?
“You?” he sneered, grabbing my hair and yanking my head back.
Before I could react, he shoved me to the floor. Then, like nothing had happened, he continued dressing.
“My parents” I began, my voice trembling.“My parents died so we could be together. I never finished school. I” My words broke into sobs before I could finish.
“Your parents would have died anyway,” he cut in coldly. “Those loan sharks would have come for them. That night only made it faster and less painful.”The words hit harder than the shove.
“If I hadn’t” he snapped. “If I hadn’t come that night, if I hadn’t used you as a rebound, if I hadn’t listened to you and blocked Evelyn”
His voice rose with every word.“She wouldn’t have married an abusive man. We would still be together!”Like it was all my fault.Like he forgot she cheated on him.Like he wasn’t the one who came to me, drenched in the rain that night.And yet, somehow, it was still my fault.
“I told you,” he said, his voice suddenly softer, “I don’t resent you. I’m still married to you. I still care about you. ‘Care’
The word felt like a joke.
“But Evelyn is traumatized and pregnant. You wouldn’t understand, you’re not pregnant. It’s only 1 a.m. If I leave now, I’ll be back in time.”Back in time.Like I was something to return to.
“But this scheming part” he added.“Scheming?” I scoffed.“That’s what Evelyn calls it.”
Of course it is.
“Here we go,” he muttered, grabbing his car keys.A second later, the door slammed.The sound sent a sharp shiver down my spine.I barely had time to breathe before the headache came back.
It hit like something splitting my skull open.I dropped to the floor, clutching my head, my vision blurring, my thoughts twisting into something unrecognizable.I don’t know how long I stayed like that.
I only remember someone entering the room.
Then
Clapping. Loud. Sharp. Right above my ears.
Cold water poured over me, forcing my eyes open.“Pathetic,” his mother’s voice cut through the haze. “My son married beneath him, and now you pretend to have a headache just because he’s leaving.”
Her heel pressed down on my hand.
Pain shot through my fingers, but it was nothing compared to my head.
“Please” I whispered. “I need the hospital”
It was all I could manage before everything went black.
When I woke up, the house was silent.My body was still on the floor.My hand throbbed where she had stepped on it. But the headache was gone.
Or at least, quieter. I forced myself up, using what little strength I had left.Step by step, I made my way outside.The night air hit my skin, cold and unforgiving.My legs gave out before I could reach the gate.
I hit the pavement hard .And everything went dark again.
The first thing I noticed when I woke up, was the silence. Not the kind from home. Cold, suffocating, filled with things left unsaid.
This one was different. Soft that I could only hear the beeping sound.
My eyes forced open, the bright white light above me made me shut them. The smell hit next.
Antiseptic. Hospital.
“You’re awake.”
The voice was familiar.Warm but strained. I turned my head slowly, my body heavy, like it didn’t belong to me.
“Dr Marcus” My voice came out dry, barely there.He stepped closer immediately, his expression tight with worry. Too much worry.The kind people wear when they’re about to say something you don’t want to hear.
“You gave us a scare,” he said gently.
“My head” I whispered, wincing as the pain throbbed again, dull but present. “It hurts”
His silence lasted a second too long.
Then
“I know.”
Something in his tone made my stomach twist.
“What is it?” I asked, forcing myself to sit up. He hesitated. That was all it took.“Tell me.” “It’s a tumor.”The word didn’t register at first.
It just floated there.Meaningless. Distant. “what?”
“A brain tumor,” he said quietly. “It’s in a very dangerous position. Operating on it” He exhaled slowly. “There’s a chance it could save you. But”
“But what?”“There’s about a ninety percent chance you won’t survive the surgery.”The room felt smaller.
Like the walls were closing in.
“Ninety?” I repeated faintly. “I’m sorry.”
No. No, that didn’t make sense.I was just, I was fine. I mean, I wasn’t fine, but. “This doesn’t just happen,” I said, my voice rising slightly. “There were signs, right? Something” “The headaches,” he said gently. “They’ve likely been there for a while. But” He paused again.
My chest tightened.
“But what?”“Your condition worsened because of your pregnancy.”
Everything stopped.“my what?”. I pushed myself upright too fast, ignoring the way my head spun. “I’m what?”. “You’re pregnant,” he said carefully. “A few weeks along.”
The words hit harder than the diagnosis.
Pregnant.I shook my head slowly, like that alone could undo it. “No, that’s not possible”
But it was. Of course it was.
Adrian.
My grip tightened on the sheets. “You have a choice,” Dr. Marcus continued, his voice steady but heavy. “And I need you to understand it clearly.”
I looked at him, my heart pounding.“If you keep the pregnancy, we can’t treat the tumor aggressively. Most of the medication you’d need would harm the baby.” He swallowed. “The headaches will get worse. Much worse.” My fingers trembled.
“And if I don’t?”. “If you terminate the pregnancy, we can attempt surgery.”
Attempt.
The word felt cruel. “There’s still that ninety percent risk,” he added quietly. I let out a hollow laugh. “But I will try my best, I can’t lose you after losing your father”. “So either I suffer or I die.”
He didn’t respond.That was answer enough. “There’s more,” he said after a moment.
I looked up at him, numb. “If your condition declines while you’re still pregnant” he continued carefully, “there’s a high chance of premature delivery. The baby may not survive.” Silence filled the room. Painful and heavy. “I tried calling your husband,” he said softly. “Several times.”
Of course he did.I reached for my phone with shaky hands.No missed calls from Adrian.No messages.Nothing.My screen lit up.The date stared back at me. Our anniversary. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Of course. “I’ll talk to him tonight,” I said, my voice distant. “He’ll come.”
He had to.Didn’t he? Dr. Marcus studied me for a moment, like he wanted to say something more. But he didn’t. “Take some time,” he said instead. “Think about it carefully. This isn’t a decision you rush.” A humorless thought crossed my mind. As if I had time.
The hospital felt colder when I stepped out.
Or maybe it was just me.
Everything felt muted. Like I was walking through a life that no longer belonged to me. I didn’t remember leaving my room. Didn’t remember signing anything. Didn’t remember how I ended up outside. I only remember unlocking my phone again. And seeing her.
Evelyn.
A new post. My fingers froze as I tapped it. A picture loaded. Adrian. His arm around her.His mother standing beside them. All of them smiling. Happy. Whole. Like nothing in the world was wrong. Like I didn’t exist.
The caption was simple. Surrounded by love. For a long time, I just stared at the screen.
At his smile. At the way he looked at her. At everything that should have been mine or maybe never was. And for the first time
Something inside me broke.
