The dull ache from the surgery spread through my body. I leaned closely on Helios and walked toward the hospital door.
Just then, two people came closer, making me stop in place.
It was Nielson and Katniss, whom he was carefully holding.
The world was absurdly small.
Nielson held Katniss tightly with one arm, while his other hand carefully carried her bag, his face full of care.
He lifted his head and saw me. His eyes stayed for a moment on my overly pale face, a brief sign of worry passing through his eyes.
But then he saw Helios beside me and shouted, “Heather, bringing another man to the gynecologist? Is this how you were raised? You’re a shame to the Sanchez Family! Go home now!”
Katniss, meanwhile, pressed even closer to Nielson, her hand softly touching her lower stomach, looking weak and helpless.
“Nielson, don’t talk to Heather like that. Helios and she grew up together; it’s normal for them to come to the gynecologist together.”
Nielson’s eyes moved to Katniss’s hand on her stomach, his earlier anger softening right away into care.
“If your stomach hurts or you feel bad, stop worrying about others. This time, we found the best doctor to help you get better. Once you recover,” he paused, looking ahead with hope, “we’ll have another child.”
My body shook without control.
Even though the lasting pain of losing a life still stayed inside me, I was still grieving the life that was gone.
And yet, right in front of me, Nielson, with another woman, calmly and firmly planned for their next child.
I nearly collapsed, only staying upright because of Helios’s strong support.
In the middle of deep pain, I softly laughed.
Nielson frowned, looking at me with dislike. “What are you laughing at? You’re acting like a crazy woman, not at all like Mrs. Sanchez!”
I stopped laughing, stood up straight and said, “Nothing, I wish you a happy marriage.”
After saying that, I stopped looking at Nielson, only leaning even closer to Helios and slowly walked past them.
Behind me, I could almost hear Katniss’s sweet complaints and Nielson’s gentle comforting words.
Anyway, everything from now on had nothing to do with me.
I politely turned down Helios’s offer to stay at his apartment and went back alone to that cold villa.
I took out my suitcase and quietly started packing.
After all, we hadn’t been married long and I didn’t have many things that truly belonged to me. I wouldn’t take anything Nielson gave me. I opened the drawer and stared blankly at the box I once valued the most.
Inside were some old yellow photos: a secret photo of Nielson playing basketball, a picture of him at a press meeting…
And a thick diary, writing down the happiness I felt when I thought I was close to him, the helpless feeling I had when signing the contract, the pain of being locked in the wine cellar, being hit in front of others.
But now, all of that meant nothing.
I went to the backyard, lit a lighter and watched these things slowly burn into ash in the fire.
When the last flame went out, leaving only small red pieces, I knew that the old Heather of the past was gone.
Everything connected to Nielson no longer mattered to me.
After cleaning everything up, I went upstairs like I was in a daze and softly pushed open the nursery door.
The baby slept peacefully. I stood next to the crib, my heart full of mixed and hard-to-name sadness.
This “son” of mine, in name only, wasn’t he innocent too?
Just as I was lost in thought, a strong smell of alcohol suddenly came from behind me and a strong arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
