“Mr. Hayes was so attentive,” she continued, almost dreamy. “He kept holding his wife’s hand and talking to her softly. You wouldn’t even guess he’s someone so powerful.”
Each word felt like something pressing deeper into me.
“And the way he looked at her,” she added, smiling. “Gosh, it was so sweet. I mean, you can really tell he loves her a lot.”
I closed my eyes slowly.
“Even when the doctor came out, he didn’t leave her side,” she said again, laughing quietly. “He kept comforting her, like she was the one who just went through surgery. If I had a husband like that, I’d never let him go.”
I let out a small breath. So that was how it looked from the outside. A loving husband. A devoted man.
And me? What was I?
I forced a small smile, even though no one was looking.
“…That’s good,” I murmured. “As long as she’s okay.”
…
I lay there staring at the ceiling, my hand hooked to the IV, the slow drip the only thing keeping time. My body still felt heavy and numb, like it didn’t belong to me anymore.
The nurse had just left when the door opened again.
I thought it's Hudson but it wasn't.
Amber walked in.
She looked soft, fragile, eyes still a little red like she’d been crying for hours. In her hands was a basket of fruit, neatly wrapped like this was some kind of polite visit.
“Ms. Hereford…” she said gently, stepping closer. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to trouble you like this again.”
I looked at her but didn’t say anything.
She placed the basket down and gave me a small smile. “Thank you. Really… if it wasn’t for you, my mom wouldn’t have made it. You saved her.”
Her voice softened, almost sweet but it's fake.
“Thank you for being such a devoted slave to my husband— I mean… devoted wife to Hudson.”
My fingers twitched slightly on the blanket.
Slave?
“Do you want some apples?” she asked, already reaching for one. “I’ll peel it for you.”
“I’m fine,” I said quietly.
She didn’t stop.
The knife slid against the apple skin in slow, careful strokes. The sound was soft, almost soothing. Almost.
“I really didn’t expect…” she continued, her voice turning distant, like she was drifting somewhere else. “After all these years, he’s still like that with me.”
My chest tightened.
“What do you mean?” I asked, even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it.
She let out a small laugh, shaking her head. “He just never changed.”
The peel fell in one long strip as she spoke.