The Doctor's Genius Ex-wife

Chapter 2

EIGHT MONTHS, TWO WEEKS

It had been months since she was jailed, and Nate had never visited. Ivy still couldn’t comprehend why he had done this to her. She had never wronged him. They had been happy—until she couldn't bear a child. She read in the news that he had recovered and returned to work. What he did was deliberate; as a doctor, he knew exactly where to stab himself without it being fatal.

Nine months had passed, and he never showed up—not even once. Ivy looked down at her growing belly, gently caressing it as tears filled her eyes. It was the only source of joy she had since being locked away.

At one point, she had wanted to end her life, but every time she thought of the child growing inside her, she found the strength to keep going. She fantasized about the baby growing up, imagining a child she could love and adore with all her heart.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention. She lifted her head and saw the female prison guard approaching her cell.

"Inmate 3290, please come with me. You have a visitor." The guard informed Ivy. She assumed it was her usual visitor, an elderly woman named Martha, who had been caring for her grandmother since Ivy's incarceration.

Ivy nodded and painfully rose from the floor, trailing behind the prison guard. They arrived at the visitor's room, and the guard pushed the door open, revealing a pale man with brunette hair. Ivy had never seen him before.

Noticing the confusion on her face, he stood up. "Please, have a seat. I'm not here to harm you. I just came to deliver this from your husband." He pointed to a file on the desk.

Ivy sat down and picked up the papers. As she opened it, she saw the words "DIVORCE AGREEMENT" printed boldly at the top.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she held them back and steeled herself. She had done enough crying over the past nine months; this wouldn’t break her now. She had been anticipating the divorce papers, knowing it was only a matter of time.

As she read through the agreement, her eyes landed on the alimony section. She couldn’t believe he was offering such a meager sum.

Who on earth offers only ten percent in alimony? He’s famous and earns more than some business owners, she thought, and a fresh wave of pain surged through her.

Ivy refused to let it consume her; she didn't want the money and had no intention of accepting it. She looked up at the lawyer in front of her.

"Please, may I have your pen?" He nodded and handed it to her. She felt no regret about signing the papers; her only regret was not being able to see her grandmother for the past nine months.

After she signed, she handed the documents back to him and made her way out of the room. Once back in her cell, she dropped to the floor and allowed the tears to flow.

It was too much for Ivy to handle; she could no longer hold back her tears. The man she had loved and given everything to had thrown her away like a piece of trash.

That wasn’t enough; he had framed her for something he had done, and now she was serving time for a crime she never committed. Ivy cried as much as she could, tears pouring down her face until she could no longer feel them.

She sat down in the corner of her cell, lost in thought as she reminisced about the last three years spent with him.

Just as she was deep in her memories, a sharp pain shot through her waist, and she screamed. The prison guard came running to her aid.

Ivy tried to push herself up but couldn’t until the guard squatted in front of her.

"Are you okay?" the guard asked, holding onto her.

"No! My waist! I just felt a sharp pain there. I can hardly move my legs," Ivy cried, clutching her waist as the guard tried to help her up.

Ivy screamed incessantly, drawing the attention of other prison guards and inmates.

They rushed to her side and carried her to the prison hospital for treatment. As soon as they reached the entrance, blood began to run down her thigh.

An elderly midwife named Emma, who worked at the hospital, hurried out to assist in carrying Ivy to the bed.

“It’s time. I need one of you to stay behind while she pushes. Ivy, you have to stay strong; your baby is about to come out.” Ivy nodded, sweat dripping down her face as she tried to compose herself.

Emma hurriedly prepared everything for the delivery and returned. The prison guard led the way out, while the senior guard stayed behind to assist Emma. Ivy spread her legs wide open, and Emma urged her to push.

“Calm down. Inhale and exhale, then try to push slowly." She instructed, her hands outstretched toward Ivy's private area, waiting to see the baby’s head.

Ivy took a deep breath, exhaled, and pushed. Soon, the baby’s head emerged, and they heard the cry of a newborn. Emma encouraged her to keep pushing, which Ivy did until the baby was finally out. In that instant, she fainted.

“What a cute little girl we have!” Emma praised as she carried the baby away to clean her off. The baby continued to cry while Emma sang softly to her.

“Mrs. Emma, are you sure she’s okay? I think she passed out.” one of the guards inquired, glancing at Ivy. Emma remained calm; she knew Ivy had fainted.

“Don’t worry. This is her first time, and I noticed she has a fragile womb. She could have lost the baby if I hadn’t looked after her for the past nine months.”

“Okay. I should help clean up the blood.” The guard said. Emma nodded and quickly tended to the baby, the smile never leaving her face.

Three hours later, Ivy’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked around but didn’t see anyone until she heard the guard’s voice.

"You are awake." The female guard said as she stood close to the bed.

Emma stepped forward, holding the baby. She handed the child to the guard and helped Ivy sit up.

"It’s a baby girl, a beautiful girl." Emma said as she gently placed the baby in Ivy's arms.

Tears of joy streamed down Ivy's cheeks as she cradled her daughter. The baby was the only reason she hadn’t succumbed to despair and ended her life.

"Don’t cry. It’s a blessing to have a child, don’t you think?" Emma said, looking at the guard, who nodded in agreement.

Fresh tears spilled down Ivy’s face as the reality of raising a child in jail flooded her thoughts.

"I can’t take care of her in here. I still have years left to serve. Can you please adopt her? I promise to come for her when I’m done."

"No, Ivy, I’m sorry, but I can’t take her. You need to look after her yourself. A child should be with her mother."

Ivy sniffed and tilted her head, tears continuing to fall.

"I have just a month left here, and my contract will be over. I don’t plan to renew it; I’m coming of age. I’m sorry, but I need to rest."

"Please, Mrs. Emma, think about the time we have shared together. You wanted to be in her life. Now that she’s here, please adopt her. I can’t provide proper care for her here."

"Mrs. Emma, it’s clear that you want this baby. You have always talked about how you would raise her. Why not adopt her?" The guard chimed in.

"I can’t give her a better life. I’m just an old woman who loves children. I want her to have a brighter future; is that too much to ask?" Emma said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

Ivy took Emma’s hands in hers, trying to draw her attention away from her own pain. She looked up to see the elderly woman's swollen eyes.

"Please don’t say no. I believe in you. Take the baby with you and adopt her."

Emma was quiet for the next five minutes, staring at the baby. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay. I will adopt her."

Both women burst into tears, overwhelmed with emotion. The guard stepped forward, trying to comfort them, but their sobs continued until they gradually subsided.

"You made the right decision. I will give you both some space. If you need me, I will be outside." She said, quietly making her way out of the room.