Physically and mentally drained, the night felt as dark as my thoughts. Just as I forced myself to move again, heavy rain began to pour down, drenching me in cold despair. With every passing moment, I felt the warmth of my blood seeping out, panic tightening its grip around my chest. I had no choice but to call Asher for help.
Before I could utter a word, his voice exploded through the phone, impatient and cutting. “Ingrid, are you done yet? I took you in because I felt sorry for you. Do you really think you’re a nobody?”
“I’m busy going to the hospital to take care of Dorothy! I don’t have time to talk to you. Don’t contact me again!”
After he hung up, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me. My vision dimmed, and I stumbled, unable to hold on any longer. Darkness engulfed me, and I collapsed in the relentless rain.
When I finally regained consciousness, all I saw was a cold, sterile white. I lay in a hospital bed, dressed in a thin gown, while a nurse adjusted my IV.
From her, I learned that a man had brought me to the hospital. For a fleeting moment, warmth flooded my heart at the thought that it might be Asher, but as the nurse began to describe the man’s appearance, I realized how naïve I had been.
Physically and mentally drained, I spent a few days in the hospital, recovering in the dull monotony of white walls and soft beeping machines. But when I finally approached the front desk to settle my medical bills, a wave of dread washed over me. My bank card was suspended.
I scrolled through my call logs, my heart sinking as bitterness coursed through me. Not only had he cut off contact, but he had also suspended my card. It was clear he was genuinely furious with me.
Yet, I was too stubborn to grovel for his help again. Instead, I reached out to my best friend for a loan to cover my hospital expenses. With borrowed money in hand, I grabbed my luggage and stepped out of the hospital, ready to face whatever came next.
The nurses behind me whispered about my desolation, their voices dripping with judgment.
“I heard she was a mistress who got pregnant by someone else’s child and was cruelly abandoned.”
“How pitiful. First, she had a miscarriage, then she nearly died from heavy bleeding. When they brought her in, she was completely soaked and vulnerable.”
“That’s right. Even the card from her lover was suspended. She has no money for her hospital bills. She deserves it.”