Chapter 2
645 Words
I returned home, only to find Liam following closely behind and pushing the door open.
He uncharacteristically came close, exuding an unfamiliar aura. "It's been almost a month. Haven't you been wanting this?"
I didn't expect that after I uncovered such an ugly truth, he would dismiss me like this.
"Don't touch me!" I struggled to break free. "I just saw Jenny. Don't you have anything to explain?"
In the past, whenever I got angry, he would always try to appease me immediately.
Now, impatience was etched on his face.
"What's done is done. Jenny has a bright future ahead. Don't make things too difficult for her."
I stared at him in disbelief, struggling to find my voice. "What about my mom? Is it okay for her to be bedridden for life?"
The man wearily pressed his temples. "Don't forget, I'm the only one who can perform your mom's monthly rehabilitation surgery."
I couldn't believe my ears. His threat was unmistakable.
When my mother was critically ill, I stayed by the operating room door for three days and nights.
Liam exhausted himself performing surgery on her, and even took the time to make porridge and personally feed me.
"Mom wouldn't want you to be this upset. Leave everything to me."
I once regarded him as the most reliable support in the world.
Liam was about to continue speaking when his phone rang loudly, and he answered it right away. When he softly replied to Jenny, it was in a gentle, unfamiliar tone.
As he was about to turn and leave, he paused, "What surprise were you talking about?"
I gently touched my abdomen, the truth I wanted to say felt like a lump in my throat.
"Nothing."
Liam didn't bother to ask further, and left without even saying goodbye.
Not long after, my phone chimed.
Photos flooded in one after another. Each photo was tagged with a different country's hotel name.
I had carefully sealed the souvenirs Liam brought back from each business trip in a glass cabinet.
These turned out to be tokens of their affair, his way of compensating me for his infidelity.
I swallowed the turmoil in my stomach and packed my bags to leave.
After my mother finishes her last rehabilitation surgery, we can leave together.
The next day, I was awakened by a sudden call from the hospital.
"Miss Lucia, your mother's previous illness has flared up earlier than expected. Only Dr. Liam can perform this surgery, but we can't reach him."
When I rushed to the hospital, my mother's voice weakly came through the oxygen mask. "Dear, don't beg him for my sake."
I shook my head, feeling utterly hopeless and helpless.
The doctor began to urge, "You're his wife. If you call, he might answer."
With trembling hands, I dialed the number, my heart sank.
But the cold mechanical female voice repeated over and over, like a bucket of cold water poured over my head.
I refused to give up and kept calling until my phone was nearly dead.
The substitute doctor in the operating room, sweating profusely, came out multiple times to remind me.
"I only have a ten percent chance of success. You'd better contact your husband quickly."
I broke down and fell to the ground, and twenty minutes later, Liam’s belated call came through.
My question burst out. "Liam, why aren't you coming to perform my mom's surgery?!"
Instead, Jenny's voice, full of smugness, came through. "Sorry, Mrs. Lambert, I twisted my ankle just now, and Liam is giving me a rubdown." Then came her coy whisper, "Take it easy, it really hurts!"
If I hadn't seen those blatant bed photos, I might foolishly believe they were just 'massaging.'
The next second, Liam grabbed the phone and impatiently shouted, "Your mother’s surgery is tomorrow. Stop using these little tricks to provoke jealousy. Don't call again!"
- Writer
