I felt sorry for myself and even more sorry for the child growing inside me.
Thankfully, the emergency surgery only cost a little over $40.000. I scraped together every penny I could, even borrowing from a few colleagues in the airline industry and finally managed to cover the expense.
***
One of my friends asked if everything was alright. I typed and deleted several messages, finally saying, "No worries. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
I wanted someone to talk to about everything I was going through. Still, I realized everyone was busy flying as I scrolled through my contact list. No one would understand my situation.
Yes, I'm twenty-six this year. I should be chasing my dreams high in the sky, but I'm grounded because I'm pregnant and waiting for a baby.
At first, I didn't regret choosing to have this baby. I even felt proud, thinking I was ahead of my colleagues in building a complete family.
It wasn't until after marriage that Ian gradually exposed her true colors. He made me livestream for his social media, controlled my social life and forced me to make videos with him. He constantly pushed his values on me.
That's when I realized—he never truly loved me. It was ironic.
We both worked for the same airline. When we met, I was a new flight attendant and he was the senior purser on one of my flights. Our colleagues joked about how we looked perfect together, so I casually saved his number.
Back then, Ian was great at sweet-talking me. He'd pick me up after work, surprise me with custom cakes, plan romantic dinners after flights and even take me on trips during our days off. I had been independent since I was young, which made me always lack a sense of security and his gentle demeanour quickly swayed me.
On his birthday, we went to a sky-high restaurant. He got down on one knee and said he wanted me to be the most memorable birthday gift he'd ever receive.
I was about to say no, but then he removed his work hat and pointed to a scar on his head. He'd gotten it during a turbulent flight when he shielded me with his body, hitting the cabin ceiling himself. I was so moved at that moment that I said yes.
After we got married, Ian quickly showed his true colors. He insisted that we make short videos together.
I was soft-spoken and wasn't good at saying no. He must've noticed that about me, so he started taking advantage of me.
He even asked me to wear my uniform for adult content, claiming it was what the fans liked. When I refused, he'd waffle and say, "We don't need the money—it's just about documenting our lives."
I once worriedly asked if this might affect our jobs, but Ian replied without a second thought, "It's no big deal. Worst case, we'll both quit and focus on being full-time content creators."
Who would've thought those words would come true?
The roar of a sports car engine snapped me out of my thoughts. I strolled down the hospital corridor, watching doctors in white coats bustling about and heard the cries of newborns echoing from the delivery room …
I felt a pang of envy. I couldn't help but wonder: If I hadn't met Ian, would I still be free as a bird right now? But then a kick from my belly reminded me how unrealistic that thought was.
"What are you thinking, Cynthia? Would you abandon this innocent little life, leaving him to grow up unloved like you did?" The thought of my lonely upbringing made that impossible.
When I returned to the rented apartment, it was pitch black inside. Ian still wasn't home and hadn't even sent me a message. I'd be frantically trying to find him if this were the past, but tonight, I felt unusually calm.
Without needing to record or edit videos for him, I pulled out my phone and quietly searched for divorce procedures.
This brush with death finally made me see Ian for who he was. He's not the right person for me. I need to leave him as soon as possible—before it's too late.
Ian didn't return until noon the next day. He came in carrying herbal soup in one hand and supplements in the other.
After putting it down, he rushed to my bedside like an arrow. He clung to my legs while bawling. "Heavens, thank goodness you and the baby are alright! If something had happened to you two, how would I live on?"
It seemed he had seen the surveillance footage from outside the hospital and rushed over to put on this performance, but I didn't care to engage with him. I continued packing my suitcase.
Ian panicked and quickly pushed the suitcase aside, forcing me to look at him. "Cynthia, what happened yesterday was my fault. I wasn't thinking straight—I panicked. I was scared the hospital might call to say … no, I was scared something might happen to you and the baby ..."
He lowered his head, his voice growing quieter and quieter. Seeing him so timid and apologetic, I felt nothing but irony.
Ian was terrified of getting caught up in a murder that would ruin his influencer career, so he'd been hiding since yesterday. When he saw that I was not only unharmed but also wanted a divorce, he came running over in a panic to try and smooth things over.
I didn't want to hear his excuses, so I said coldly, "Let's go to the City Hall this afternoon to get a divorce."
