When I came to again, the smell of hospital disinfectant flooded my nose.
The moment I opened my eyes, my mother rushed to my side.
"Does anything hurt? The doctor's right here, just tell us!"
Remembering the blood on her hands before I passed out, I pressed a hand to my belly without thinking.
"We couldn't save the baby. Why hasn't your husband come yet? For something like this, he should be here."
At the doctor's words, my mother's eyes reddened at once.
She'd made more than one call, but every time the line went dead almost the second it connected.
"Talk it out properly with Fergus, don't let it turn into a misunderstanding. Mom's condition isn't urgent, and you... the two of you still have Nate, after all."
I dug my nails into my palm and nodded anyway.
I called, and to my surprise he picked up.
"Fergus, our baby is gone—"
He cut me off before I could finish.
"Is this funny to you, Rita? Now you remember the baby? If Stephanie hadn't come over, Nate would've fainted from hunger!"
"If Aunt Stephanie hadn't stepped in to cover for me back there, what would've been left of my reputation? Why can't you and your mother be a little more reasonable?"
"You didn't leave me an ounce of face at the hospital, so I had no choice but to play along and tell everyone Stephanie is my wife. You brought this on yourself."
Every word landed like a needle in my heart and my mother's.
A second before the line cut off, I heard Nate calling out.
"Daddy, come play with me and Aunt Stephanie already! Forget about Mommy, I hate her!"
My tears struck the back of my hand, and my phone chimed.
"Transfer: two thousand dollars."
Fergus's message came right after:
"Stop making trouble. The money at home is all spoken for. Just take the two thousand for your mom for now."
I stared blankly at those four digits, and all I felt was contempt.
Spoken for?
For opening a beauty salon for his first love's mother?
A sudden warmth landed on my shoulder. I looked up, and my mother was forcing a smile at me.
"Sweetheart, divorce him. We don't owe him a thing!"
I nodded, and sent Fergus's transfer back.
The money at home had been frozen for now so Nate could study abroad and get an education.
But at this point,
let Fergus and that so-called "wife" of his carry it. I only wanted the share that was mine.
I wiped my tears and called Blake Chavez.
"Draft me a divorce agreement. He can have the boy. I don't want him."
The call had barely ended, before I could even let out a breath,
when those familiar comment-stream voices started up in my ears.
"You'd better hurry home and check on things. Any longer and it'll be a done deal!"
"If I were her, I'd move the money out first. Fergus gets to spend two hundred grand, but she can't?"
"I really hope Rita gets to live the happy life. No husband, no kid, but plenty of money!"
