I was discharged from the hospital five days later. My body had yet to heal fully, but I forced myself to walk toward the house that was no longer my home.
I paused at the entrance as soon as I caught the sound of voices from within.
"Isn't it Meryl's due date tomorrow? Is she really not planning on coming back?" my dad, Timothy Stewart, asked.
"You know what Meryl is like, Timothy. She uses these tactics to manipulate us for attention. You know, she even brought up divorce. It's just her way of trying to make me pay attention to her," Wallace explained firmly.
"That's right! Meryl had always been like this since childhood! How could she disappear during Beth's birthday party and then bring up the divorce with you, though? How outrageous! She needs to be taught a serious lesson!" Mom chimed in, agreeing with Wallace.
Wallace nodded firmly. "If she doesn't admit she's in the wrong and apologize to Beth, I'll refuse to go to the hospital for the delivery. That should be enough of a punishment to make her see the error of her ways."
Beth immediately interjected, exclaiming, "You can't do that, Wallace! You have to stay with Meryl when she delivers the baby. After all, the baby is what matters the most right now. We can't abandon Meryl and the baby just because she's clearly trying to strong-arm us by running away for days."
She sounded as though she were genuinely concerned for the baby and me, but in reality, she was accusing me of being childish and causing completely unnecessary drama.
I pushed the door open and walked in, making them immediately turn their attention to me.
Upon spotting me, Wallace became more convinced of his assumption.
"I knew you'd come back on your own. You've achieved your goal, so you don't need to use divorce and the baby to get my attention anymore. I'll personally accompany you to the hospital for the delivery, Meryl."
I offered no reply. I simply stood at the door, silently watching the people who were supposed to be my closest family speak such cruelties about me, all thanks to Beth.
I limped as I moved across the threshold, instinctively tightening my coat around me. It was clearly colder outside, but stepping in felt even more bitterly cold.
They spotted the gauze-wrapped wounds still visible on my body and instantly concluded that I was merely putting on an elaborate show.
"I already agreed to accompany you to the hospital for the delivery, Meryl. Why are you still going to such lengths with this act?" Wallace asked, his brow furrowed in utter annoyance.
I wasn't putting on a show, though. My leg had come perilously close to breaking, and I had gotten severe abrasions when I had rolled across the street during the crash.
I walked right up to them, took out the divorce agreement from my bag, and handed it directly to Wallace.
Mom shot me a reproachful look, saying, "Wallace has already said he'll be with you during the delivery, Meryl. How could you still bring this here?"
Beth was the only one who moved. Snatching the divorce agreement from me, she casually flipped through it.
She moved closer to me and asked with feigned innocence, "How come the agreement doesn't have the court's approval, Meryl? You must have brought some fake documents, right?"
Beth's words were all the proof Wallace and Mom needed to believe I was merely staging a performance. The initial flicker of tension they felt instantly dissolved, leaving them with only resignation and profound disappointment in me.
"You can go ahead and keep up with the whole charade, Meryl. You want to get a divorce, right? How do you intend to get it when this agreement doesn't even have the court's approval?" Mom asked, looking at me with disappointment.
I stated plainly, "I've already submitted the documents for a no-fault divorce. The court has already approved it, which means that, in a month, we'll be officially divorced. This document is merely the official summary of the divorce agreement that I'm required to give Wallace."
Beth immediately cut in, exclaiming, "Even if you want attention, you can't just make things up, Meryl! You know, applying for a no-fault divorce is extremely complicated! You don't even meet the minimum requirements to file for it!"
It only took a single remark from Beth to convince them that I was just throwing a childish temper tantrum. Mom and Dad's expressions immediately hardened with stern disapproval.
Wallace's demeanor turned even colder. "That's enough of this nonsense, Meryl! You ought to know that none of us will believe any of your lies anymore! You should pack your things now—I'll take you to the hospital for the delivery!"
"The baby is gone!" I roared as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.
It was only then that their attention finally shifted to my abdomen, where the once-prominent baby bump was now noticeably flat.
