It was Wilbert Chambers. My husband. The man I’ve been married to for five years. The man who controls the whole city. The man who is supposed to protect me.
That day, while I was pressing the bell like a madwoman and no doctors came, Wilbert walked in. Perfect suit, perfect shoes, calm face. He handed me my phone like it was some kind of gift and said, “The police now dropped the case. Record a video. Apologize. Do it publicly. If you do, your dad gets surgery. Vegetative or dead, you choose.”
My hands shook. My whole body trembled. I couldn’t stop my tears. I looked at him and whispered, “W-why?”
Why him? Why would my own husband help Nivianne? Why betray me?
And for the second time since I’ve known him, I cried in front of Wilbert. The first time was at our wedding because of happiness... But now? Shame on him.
“Stop cyrying, Anika...”
His eyes flickered like something in him didn’t want to see me cry, like maybe for half a second he cared. He even lifted his hand, like he wanted to wipe my tears, but then he stopped. He pulled back like my pain disgusted him.