That night, I posted the house for sale online. Then, I booked a plane ticket—three days from now. Tomorrow, I had an appointment for an abortion. The doctor had asked me to arrive early for a full exam.
The next morning, as I lay down on the examination bed at the hospital, the outer door suddenly slammed open.
"Doctor, please check my wife first. She’s in urgent condition!"
That familiar, unmistakable voice pierced through the cold hospital walls.
It was Darien.
"The patient inside is still being examined. Please wait outside," the doctor replied, coolly and barely flinching.
However, I knew Darien too well. He never took no for an answer. So, I sat up quickly and got ready to leave.
With a loud bang, the door burst open and Darien barged in. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me up from the bed before even registering who I was.
"Elodie? What are you doing here?"
Before I could respond, he turned to the doctor outside, his tone shifted from confusion to relief. "It’s all right, Doctor, we know each other. She’s a friend. Let her finish her exam later—we’ll go now."
With that, he tugged my arm, trying to drag me out.
A jolt of pain stabbed my lower abdomen. I bent forward, stifling a gasp.