Chapter 1 - The Emergency Ward
The taxi sped through the streets of Manhattan,
the city lights blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors,
yet I saw nothing but the pale face of my wife.
She was leaning against the window,
clutching our son,
Liam,
to her chest as if he were the only thing keeping her alive.
The driver,
sensing the urgency,
ran two yellow lights,
muttering prayers under his breath.
When we arrived at the hospital,
I didn't wait for the door to be opened.
I scooped Maya into my arms,
feeling how light she had become,
how fragile her bones felt through her thin cardigan.
A nurse met us at the entrance,
her eyes widening when she saw the blood on Maya’s clothes.
"She had a C-section eleven days ago,"
I shouted,
my voice cracking with a mixture of rage and terror.
"She hasn't eaten,
she’s losing blood,
and the baby is freezing."
Suddenly,
the world became a whirlwind of activity.
Gurneys were pushed,
orders were barked,
and Liam was gently taken from her arms by a pediatrician.
I stood in the middle of the hallway,
my hands shaking,
covered in the salt of my wife's tears.
The doctor pulled me aside,
his expression grim.
"She is severely dehydrated,"
he said,
shaking his head in disbelief.
"Her incision is infected because of malnutrition and lack of care."
"Another few hours,"
he whispered,
"and you might have lost her."
I leaned against the cold tile wall,
the weight of his words crushing the air from my lungs.
I thought of my mother,
Eleanor,
and my sister,
Chloe.
I thought of the fourteen thousand dollars I had sent.
I thought of the salmon,
the steaks,
and the medicine they had stolen.
My phone buzzed in my pocket,
a notification from a social media app.
It was a photo posted by Chloe.
She was holding a glass of champagne,
the turquoise waters of Miami sparkling behind her.
The caption read:
"Much needed family getaway while the brother is away!"
I closed my eyes,
counting to ten,
but the fire in my chest only grew hotter.
The betrayal wasn't just financial;
it was a death sentence they had signed for my wife.
I walked to the quietest corner of the waiting room,
sat down,
May you like
and opened my laptop.
It was time to see exactly what had happened in my home.
