As soon as the words left his mouth, I hung up and blocked his number immediately.
Silence. That was all I wanted—for my child’s final journey to be untainted.
Lying on the cold operating table, I stared up at the stark white lights, their harsh glow making my eyes burn.
Anne’s social media updates continued relentlessly. Each vibrant photo was a loud declaration of joy.
As the child was taken from me, Anne posted a photo of a diamond Evan had bid for at the highest price during an auction. In the next photo, they were passionately kissing amidst a crowd’s applause, the comments below filled with heartfelt congratulations. It all painted a picture-perfect romantic scene.
I lay on the hospital bed, feeling like both my body and heart had been hollowed out, bleeding endlessly.
During my recovery, Evan tried to call me countless times, but I had blocked him on every platform.
Eventually, he turned to my family.
They barged into my hospital room, not to ask why I was there, but to pressure me instead.
“Claire, you’re a married woman who is about to have a child. What’s the point of leaving him now?”
I shot back without hesitation.
“I’ll be fine without him. The real question is, can you let go of his money?”
“How dare you talk like that!” my father barked, hands on his hips. “My son-in-law can spend his money however he wants. Supporting me is his obligation!”
“Is that so? Then why did you also take every last penny of mine? Why did you leave me stranded in the rain without enough to call a cab? Am I even your daughter?” My voice trembled with rage, and I yelled at them, my hands shaking.
He faltered for a moment, guilt flashing across his face.
However, my brother shamelessly chimed in,
“You should be giving money to Mom and Dad! They worked so hard to raise you. Don’t tell me you think you’ve repaid that debt!”
My mother, ever dramatic, plopped onto the floor and began wailing.
“Oh, look at what a wonderful daughter I raised! Married off and now she doesn’t care about her parents anymore!”
By then, patients from neighboring rooms had gathered to watch the spectacle. A nurse stepped in with a stern expression and firmly warned, “This is a hospital. Keep the noise down.”