Chapter 1
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My husband Marcus is the hotshot surgeon at Central Hospital. Work’s always his excuse to avoid me – even now, when I’m a week away from giving birth.
So here I am,, driving myself to his hospital to get ready for delivery. I’m walking to the elevator in the underground garage when someone slams into me from behind. I hit the concrete face–first, my pregnant belly taking the full impact. Blood starts pooling around me instantly.
I’m lying there in my own blood, each contraction ripping through me until I’m
ghost–white with pain.
“Please… somebody help,” I gasp out. But she just stands there, pulling out her
phone with this smirk on her face. Ray – Marcus’s precious first love – actually
calling my husband right in front of me.
“Hey Marcus, baby,” her voice drips honey. “Coming up to see you. Got a tiny cut
on my hand… Think you could check it out? You’ll see me first, right? Your wife
won’t mind…” She flashes me one last smug look before stepping into the elevator.
My hands shake as I try calling Marcus. Once, twice, three times he hangs up.
When he finally answers, his voice is pure ice.
“How many goddamn times do I have to tell you not to call during my shift? Ray needs treatment for her hand. I don’t have time for your bullshit!”
He hangs up on me mid–sentence. I black out right there on the freezing concrete. Just bleeding out till some ER doc finishing his shift finds me and rushes me into
surgery.
Need a family member’s signature for surgery. I have to call Marcus again.
I barely start explaining about falling when he explodes: “For fuck’s sake, Sarah! Every single time Ray’s around, you pull this shit. Everything was fine five minutes ago – now suddenly there’s a problem? Stop using our baby for attention!” “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something? There’s cameras all over this hospital – what, you think I’m screwing around with Ray in some closet? You’re fucking insane!”
“Her hand is covered in nerves and blood vessels – one wrong move could cause
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permanent damage. This is life and death. If you’re going to make wild accusations instead of letting me do my job, I’m done explaining. Think whatever the hell you
want!”
Blood’s still spreading underneath me. The doctor gets fed up and grabs my
phone to explain, but Marcus has already hung up.
“I’ll sign it myself.” I try to smile but it feels more like a grimace. “I don’t have any family.”
The pity in the medical staff’s eyes cuts deeper than any scalpel as I scribble my
name.
They wheel me into surgery. The lights blur overhead, and everything fades to
black.
