"You didn't want to be the bad guy, so you let me do it for you. Now that something's happened, you're standing here playing dumb."
"If I'd known, I never should have gotten involved in the first place."
The moment the words left my mouth, my emotions surged too high.
A sharp cramp seized my stomach.
I doubled over, clutching my belly, and sank back against the hospital bed.
Zachery panicked immediately. "Ellie, don't get worked up. The doctor said the baby's condition is very unstable right now."
"Just rest and focus on the pregnancy. We can talk about the pardon letter later."
The worry in his eyes was genuine.
But I felt nothing anymore.
"I want to be alone," I said, barely above a whisper. "Please leave."
It wasn't until the room was empty, until it was just me and the silence, that the tears finally came.
In five years of marriage, Zachery had been perfect in every other way.
He was romantic. He remembered every anniversary. He'd secretly plan surprises for me.
No matter how busy he was, he always made time to help me care for my paralyzed younger brother, without a single complaint.
"He's your only family. Of course I'm going to treat him well."
That was the reason I'd held on this long.