I stared at the ceiling, tears pooling but never falling. “Do you need me to call your family?” the nurse asked gently.
Family. The word scraped against my ribs like broken glass. I turned my head away and whispered, “No. There is no family anymore. I’m all alone.”
The nurse squeezed my shoulder, pity in her eyes. She left me with my thoughts. The steady beep of the monitor filled the room. My phone vibrated in my pocket. For a moment I thought it was my father — maybe he’d finally come for me. But when I answered, the voice on the other end wasn’t his.
“Lauren.”
My breath caught. Noah. His voice was the same as always — smooth, sharp, a warmth I hadn’t felt in years. “I heard from your father,” he said. “So you’re finally divorcing him, huh?”
I swallowed, my throat raw. “Yes. I’m done with him. I… I want out. Noah… do you still want me?”
He laughed — low, easy, like he already knew my answer. “Of course I do. You’re mine, Lauren. You always have been. I’ll pick you up myself — give me a few days. I can’t wait to make you mine for real this time.”
I shut my eyes, a strange heat blooming in my chest. “Yes. I’ll be waiting for you.”
When the call ended, I let myself hope for a breath — just a small taste of freedom. But then a shadow fell over my bed. I looked up — and there he was.
Xander. His eyes narrowed, lips curled into that cold half-smirk.
“Who were you talking to?” he asked, his voice low. “Are you cheating on me now, Lauren?”
Before I could reach for my phone, his hand shot out and snatched it from my fingers.
“Open it now,” Xander demanded, his hand gripping my phone like it was his property — like I was his property rather than wife.
I forced my voice to stay calm, even as my skin crawled. “The password is my birthday.”
He snorted, thumbs tapping the screen. “Easy. December 5.”
A bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “That’s not my birthday. That’s Nadia’s.”
His fingers froze mid-tap. He looked up, confusion flashing across his face before it twisted into irritation. “So what? Why are you being dramatic again, Lauren? It’s not that important.”
Not that important. Three years of marriage, one lost child, and he didn’t even know the day I was born. But deep down, I knew — he could recite every detail about Nadia without missing a beat. Her birthday. Her favorite food. The exact shade of lipstick she wore to bed.
Me? I was just… here.