The surgical lamp blazed down, so bright it made my eyes ache. I closed them. Cold instruments probed inside me. A tiny life, scraped away from my body. Tears blurred my vision once more.
The next time I surfaced, it was the sound of voices outside my room that pulled me back.
"To help Mrs. Delgado carry the baby to term, Mr. Delgado actually flew in the best specialists from all over the world to our hospital. I heard he even got certified as a nutritionist, just to make sure the Delgado heir is born healthy."
A second woman's voice dropped to a whisper. "But I heard this 'Mrs. Delgado' is actually his sister-in-law? So what about his real wife? That poor woman..."
"Shh! Do you want to get fired? That topic is off-limits at this hospital. Keep your mouth shut!"
Footsteps retreated. The corridor fell silent.
I lay on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. Motionless.
My child had never once had his father present for a single prenatal checkup. Not one, right up until the termination.
Her child was given the best of everything the world had to offer.