Natasha.
A cold chill spread throughout my body, and I was sitting on the bed with my mind blank, barely remaining conscious.
My heart broke when I heard what the doctor said about the cause of my miscarriage. I never expected this to happen to me.
I was stunned, trying to digest every word Doctor Andrew had mentioned earlier about the poison he had found in my body.
So many questions are running through my mind right now, but none of them can be spoken.
I was disoriented and scared.
My goosebumps bristled at the thought of me unconsciously introducing the poison myself with my hands all this time.
This poison obviously couldn't have gotten into my body suddenly or been consumed consciously.
All the prejudices about how the poison had eaten away at me all this time and taken my son's life made my heart ache even more, as if it was squeezed tightly and filled with anger.
My tears fell once again while my lips were locked because there were too many things I couldn't understand.
My reverie was only broken when Nicholas sighed loudly and sat on my bed.
Chromium-6 is a kind of poison that has no odor or taste. It can be found in soil, rocks, animals, and plants."
Nicholas was seen reading one of the articles on his phone, and then glanced at me concernedly.
"I thought about it, Nats!" Nicholas said. "It's too strange that you didn't even realize there was poison in your body."
Nicholas was right.
I didn't feel the reaction or effects of the poison at all, not even if its presence was detected.
"Did your Family Doctor never mention this?"
I looked at Nicholas, swallowed my saliva, and shook my head.
"I-I don't know, Nich!" I stammered. "I-I don't know."
Nicholas patted my shoulder lightly.
His hand touched my chin and asked me to look at him.
"What do you want to do now, Nats?" he asked.
Slowly, I touched my stomach again and hugged it tightly.
I cried, lamenting my failure to keep the baby I had so dreamed of due to that strange poison.
All the problems that came along with my current loss made me even more devastated. My heart is like being slashed by thousands of knives at the same time, until the pain cannot be described in words.
I was devastated.
It's like half of my soul was forcibly pulled out and disappeared with the lost baby.
"Can you find out how the poison got into me, Nich?" I asked and looked at him expectantly.
Nicholas seemed to take a deep breath once more and nodded.
"I'll do everything I can."
He left after assuring me he would help me find the cause, including telling Gregory about my situation.
I looked again at the back of Nicholas, who had appeared to save me yesterday.
Unexpectedly, the kidnapping incident at my house last night was seen by Nicholas, so he moved quickly to bring help.
His profession as a lawyer gave him many police connections, which enabled him to move faster to find where I was hidden.
It was even Nicholas who got the approval for my operation here.
All the things that Gregory, my husband, who is famous for owning the largest mineral water distillery business in America, should be doing and has been named one of the most influential entrepreneurs over the past few years.
I should be proud of his achievements.
But the other side of my heart always screams disgust and anger at him for always leaving me and choosing to live in a studio apartment that Gregory claims is closer to the office, making it easier for him to get work done.
I realized my existence was worthless before him when Gregory again ignored me, who was in danger.
It was as if losing me wasn't a big deal, and he was capable of hurting me.
Thoughts about everything made my anger rise again until I unconsciously clenched my fists.
My teeth chattered to hold back the raging feelings of disappointment, sadness, anger, and devastation, which were forming a huge storm in my heart and mind.
I sighed loudly and tried to get off the bed with a limp.
I needed some fresh air to relieve my chest, which felt increasingly tight.
But just a finger's breadth away from opening my room door, I was startled by Gregory's ringtone coming from outside.
I quickly opened the door and looked for the voice.
"Gregory!"
I can't be wrong. The ringtone with Gregory's voice made him more recognizable.
I decided to follow the sound of Gregory's phone even though the pain in my stomach was still pressing. My eyes widened to see my husband hugging and kissing Wilma, my sister.
They embraced and exchanged spit passionately in one corner of the deserted hospital hallway.
Gregory gently rubbed Wilma's 7-month pregnant belly like a husband and wife.
"You took so long!" Wilma protested in a spoiled voice.
My eyes suddenly felt wet, and my vision blurred as tears began to well up at this painful sight.
My husband and my biological sister.
Are the two people I loved so much betraying me?
My feelings felt strange again.
My breathing was so labored that I opened my mouth wide, searching for fresh air to help me breathe.
I was transfixed.
My body froze, and my voice could not come out.
"Sorry, Honey, I just met an important client."
Honey?
I suddenly looked away and smiled with a pierced heart at Gregory's soft voice.
It's very different from the way he spoke to me yesterday.
Wilma clung to my husband's burly arm.
She also pulled Gregory to sit beside her.
"What did the Doctor say?" Gregory asked Wilma.
"Fine!" Wilma replied with a happy twinkle in her eye. "The doctor even said I can have a normal birth if there are no problems until the due date."
I saw Gregory smile and kiss Wilma's forehead.
"Thankfully, I'm glad you and our child are doing well."
When I heard Gregory's words, my head felt like it had been struck by lightning.
'So the baby is theirs? Not Wilma's child with her husband, Abraham?'
"Shush...! What if someone overhears, Greg?" Wilma asked.
Gregory furrowed his brow and flicked my sister's forehead with a crisp laugh.
"Were you afraid Natasha would find out about our relationship?" Gregory said.
"Isn't that right?" Wilma asked back. "We've been hiding our relationship because we didn't want Natasha to know, right?"
Gregory shook his head.
He pulled Wilma into his arms.
"I held back because you were still with Abraham. But I didn't care if Natasha knew about us."
"Really?"
Wilma's eyes blinked.
"She's not important, Wilma! Only you and our baby are important now."
I turned around and closed my eyes tightly as they kissed again.
My legs wobbled, and my body wavered as I tried to turn around and escape. I tried to hold back and suppress the pain in my heart that was deepening.
I quickened my pace to return to the room.
But the voices of several people made my head turn back to see Gregory and Wilma, who were intimately walking while embracing each other and attracting the surrounding people's attention.
"Look! So intimate!"
"Wow... what a couple, handsome and beautiful! How will their baby be?"
The compliments must have been heard by those smiling broadly and nodding occasionally.
While I just stared at them with my broken heart.
***
