Standing by the side of the road with everything I’d taken from the house, I froze for a second.
What now?
The question hung there, empty — until thirty years of lies and betrayal came crashing back. Anger flickered in my chest, then roared to life.
I wasn’t going to be that pathetic, clueless woman anymore.
I’d spent my whole life fading into the background — quiet, timid, forgettable.
Not anymore.
The people who hurt me? They were going to pay.
I stepped off the curb and flagged down a cab.
“Hospital,” I said, slamming the door behind me.
First stop — I was getting checked for poisoning.
***
I’d spent years living with constant aches — back pain, stiff joints, sore muscles from endless overwork. Painkillers became my lifeline, the only way to get through the day.
And, like always, I’d taken them before I left the house.
The test results came back fast.
The doctor confirmed it: I was poisoned.
The good news? They caught it early. The dose wasn’t high enough to do permanent damage.
They gave me the antidote on the spot.
I should’ve been relieved, but my mind was already on my next stop.
The gynecology department.
I needed answers about my child.
Answers I’d been too afraid to face for years.
When the test results came out, I couldn’t make sense of the medical jargon. Frustrated, I headed to the doctor’s office for an explanation.
And that’s when I ran into Jack.
He was pacing the hallway, phone pressed to his ear, looking tense. The second he spotted me, he ended the call and stormed over.
“What the hell are you doing wandering around? Why aren’t you in Gigi’s room?”
His gaze shifted to the gynecology sign behind me, and his expression twisted — irritation giving way to something nastier. Disgust.
“This isn’t a place for someone like you. What are you even doing here? Get out.”
His words dripped with disrespect.
I just stood there, watching him.
No shock. No anger. Just this cold, bitter realization washing over me.
How blind I’d been.
Before today, I saw Jack as the perfect picture of success — polished, driven, a young man in a tailored suit who seemed to have it all together.
I’d been proud of him.
I’d worried about him.
I’d loved him like he was my own.
