The Day I Painted My Husband's Bride novel Chapter 4

Pain!

My lower abdomen felt as if it had been hollowed out. I curled up and opened my eyes to see a blurry, stark white surrounding.

I frantically grasped at the shadows nearby: "Alex? Alex, where's my baby? How's the baby?"

His tears seemed to burn my arm as they fell: "Ember, we can have children later. You're still young."

As the anesthesia wore off, the man before me gradually came into focus. It wasn't Alex, it was Patrick!

Patrick's parents were old family friends of mine. We had been close before he went abroad to study. Later, with the distance and my falling in love, we grew apart. By the time we met again at my wedding, we had become strangers.

He turned away hastily, his voice choked with emotion: "I saw the invitation on Alex's Facebook. I thought it was for your wedding anniversary or something. It's a good thing I went. The doctor said you lost too much blood. If it had been any later..."

"What Facebook?" I took the phone he handed me. On Alex's Facebook, he was sitting by Nadia's hospital bed, holding her hand tightly. The caption read: I'll never leave you alone again.

Scrolling up, there was the wedding invitation for him and Nadia. It seems he forgot to block Patrick, or maybe he didn't even remember when he added Patrick as a friend.

I didn't feel much turmoil in my heart. At the moment I was abandoned in that car accident, I wished I had never known him. Now I just wanted to cut all ties with him as quickly as possible.

Patrick looked at me with concern and pity. I let out a bitter laugh. Over these seven years, how many people had looked at me with pity? At first, I was self-righteous, thinking they were all desecrating my love.

It was all my own doing.

"Patrick, can you handle the divorce case for me?" I couldn't use a familiar lawyer, or my dad would find out soon. I chose this path myself; I had no right to worry them now that it was falling apart.

Alex was about to put his arm around her when he saw I was awake. He awkwardly withdrew his outstretched hand: "See? You're fine. Have you had enough of this drama? If you're done, go back to work!"

Seeing I didn't respond, he sat down by my bed: "We can have children later."

I couldn't see any trace of sadness in his eyes.

"Call Mr. Cooper back. He said you canceled the makeup gig for their company's show tomorrow. He was planning to give you all their business this year! Since you seem fine, you might as well get ready and go in person. Don't miss out on making money!"

I looked at his other arm, which Nadia was holding. Their intimate posture made me laugh bitterly.

A whole week in the hospital, unable to find him to sign for my miscarriage surgery, and he shows up first thing in the morning for money.