Anita's eyes fluttered open to find herself lying on a hospital bed. Her nose scrunched up. She wasn't a fan of hospitals. They carried too many unpleasant memories.
"You're awake," his annoying voice sounded again, prompting Anita to roll her eyes.
"What are you still doing here? Crawl back into the hole you came out from, Killian," she glared at him.
If only looks could kill.
However, he smiled but this time, it was restrained and that was when Anita noticed his countenance had changed…or, when she felt her own body had changed.
Her frown deepened. Trying to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her entire body. A subconscious yelp escaped her lips, prompting Killian to rush over to support her, but Anita flung his hands off.
"Don't you bloody touch me!"
But of course, he wouldn't listen. "Don't move around carelessly. Please lay down. I'll get the doctor."
Anita also realized that she had no strength to struggle. She was in pain. Severe pain.
He watched her being obedient for once and sighed with relief before striding out to get a doctor.
Soon, he returned with a team of doctors, who quickly carried out tests after tests on Anita.
Anita had no idea what was going on and nobody would tell her. Moreover, she had no strength to banter words with anyone. In the end, she would know what had happened to her, after they were done with this exaggerated exercise - what they do most times to milk people dry. She thought.
After long minutes of running different tests on her, a doctor finally spoke up. "She's out of danger. As for her–"
"Tell me what the hell is wrong with me. It's my body and I deserve to know!" she glared at the doctor, wishing she could stand on her feet and yank that white hair off his head, so he'd receive sense.
How could he ignore and tell a stranger her medical condition? Was he sick in the head?
As if they planned to anger Anita to death, the idiot Killian pulled the doctor's attention, "You were saying?"
"Killian!" Anita tried to yell, but that only hurt her stomach the more and she whimpered from the pain.
Still, she couldn't tear the doctor's attention from Killian, as the others quickly checked on her.
"She's been found to have contacted syphilis, which had caused her miscarriage…"
Anita's mind blew into a thousand fragments. Her eyes wide with horror as she stared at the doctors and Killian but couldn't actually see anything.
S– she lost her baby? She had STDs?
Those were the only things Anita heard before her mind and brain failed to cooperate with her and she passed out.
The ward erupted into a frenzy of activities as the doctors scurried to revive her.
Meanwhile, Killian stood still, fists clenched by his sides, knuckles cracking and turning white, as his eyes blazed with fury that could tear down kingdoms.
"David…" he growled as he gritted his teeth hard so the sound was audible.
…
Anita stayed in the hospital for a week and all that time, neither her husband nor her in-laws called her.
As stared at her phone screen, different emotions coursed through her. She was utterly disappointed, outraged, and heartbroken all at once.
She'd thought to quietly leave their lives, believing they'd at one point, feel remorseful and guilty especially when they saw her baby in the future, but now Anita had changed her mind
A baby she wept for, starved for, prayed for... She couldn't count how many times she fell into depression just because she wanted a baby. She sponsored an orphanage, empowered women and children, hoping God would have mercy on her and give her her own child.
And now that He did, it was killed because of her husband's cheating.
May she be damned if she didn't give David and his family hell.
The door clicked open to reveal Killian striding in. "Annette, I've filled out your discharge papers. You're free to go home now."
He didn't stop there, "Thank goodness you're still in the early stage of syphilis. It would have–"
"Thank you for your concern and all the help you've rendered for the past week," Anita cut him off, getting off the bed. "Our journey ends here."
With that, she attempted to leave, but Killian yanked her hand back and pinned her wrist to the wall.
"What are you doing?" Anita panicked. The look in his eyes had changed. He looked like a beast - fierce and crazy.
"Are you going back to him?"
Anita gulped. It had nothing to do with him. Whatever she chose to do with her life didn't concern him.
She wanted to say those words to his face, but her voice failed her. Anita refused to admit it, but she was scared of this version of him. And the warning bells in her head rang loudly, urging her to stay far away from him.
"Let me go!" her voice shook slightly. She tried to pull away but his grip grew tighter.
"Not this time. I won't let you go this time, Annette."
Anita's mind suddenly snapped. The fury she'd suppressed for Killian erupted. How dare he use those words? Did he know what they meant? When she said those same words, when she begged him to stay, what did he tell her?
'We live in a different world now, Annette. I'm not worthy of you.'
What made him think he could come and go the way he wanted? What made him think that he was worthy of her now?
"Fuck off!" she shoved him with all her strength and finally freed herself. "I won't warn you again, stay away from me." She whispered in a dangerously low voice.
Seeing he took a step back, her lips curled. But nothing about that smile looked happy. It was a smile that sent a chill down one's spine.
As she stormed out of the room, Anita reinforced her believe. Killian was dead to her, and it would remain so.
…
Anita returned to an empty matrimonial home. It seemed that David had not returned home for the past week.
The dishes she was cleaning before she suddenly felt light-headed and passed out were still sitting in the sink.
Anita had immediately rushed to the hospital, fearing she might have some illness, only to be told she was pregnant.
Because she failed to get pregnant for eight years, Anita stopped keeping track of her menstrual cycles, reason she failed to notice the signs.
The good news had hit her like a brick of wall, crushing her with disbelief and great joy, but unfortunately, her joy wasn't meant to last past that day.
If she said that she wasn't hurt by all of these - that her husband didn't notice her absence, she'd be lying. Her heart still cared.
Was David doing alright? Has he eaten? Was he in the office, and his work, how was he coping?... She wished to know what he was up to, but Anita was using her head this time, not her heart.
She returned to the living room, and switched on the TV.
And there he was, looking dashing and proud. And that person beside him…