4
The man was subdued by the neighbors and handed over to the police. Meanwhile, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.
The knife had cut deep into my shoulder, leaving a gaping wound. The pain was excruciating, and cold sweat soaked my back.
Everything had happened so fast that I was still trembling, my body locked in fear. At that moment, I desperately needed comfort–just a little would have been enough.
So, I called my husband.
“Tom, I’m at the hospital. You need to come right away.”
“What’s going on? I’m working overtime right now.” His tone carried an edge of impatience, and the noise in the background didn’t sound like an office; it sounded more
like a busy restaurant.
“I was attacked. Someone stabbed me. There’s blood everywhere, and it hurts so much. Please, just come.”
The moment I heard my own voice, my tears spilled over, cascading down my cheeks and carrying with them all the fear and frustration I’d been holding inside.
But his next words threw me into a bottomless abyss.
“Lauren, can you stop joking around? You’re at home all day–who would just show up and stab you? You’re forty years old. Can you stop being so childish?”
“I’m not joking!” I shouted, my voice cracking with desperation. “I’m in the hospital right now. This is real!”
But to him, my panic only sounded like another one of my so–called “tantrums.”
“Look, I get it. You’re still mad about your birthday and how we didn’t celebrate with you. But making up a story like this is too much. I’m tired, Lauren. If you keep this up, I don’t
11 42 Fri, Jan 31 BB.
“Fine,” I whispered, my voice hollow. “Forget it. Pretend I didn’t call. You can go back to
work.”
And with that, he hung up.
I stood there, frozen in place, before shakily dialing my son’s number.
“Max, sweetie, it’s Mom. I’m in the hospital. Can you-”
Before I could finish, he cut me off, his voice dripping with irritation.
“Dad told me you made up some crazy story about getting stabbed. I didn’t believe him, but wow, you really went there. Mom, can you just stop? Please? Just leave us alone!”
“What? Wait. You’re with Dad? Isn’t he supposed to be working overtime?”
But before I could get an answer, Max hung up.
At that moment, I felt like a lone leaf adrift in a vast, merciless ocean.
Then, a thought struck me. My hands trembled as I opened Rachel’s social media profile.
Sure enough, there it was–a new video. She was all dolled up, pouting playfully at the camera. Behind her was the unmistakable decor of an upscale restaurant.
The caption read: “Grateful to have you by my side in this unfamiliar city.”
I recognized the restaurant immediately. It was where Tom and I had gone on our first. date. I’d wanted to revisit it several times after we got married, but Tom always said it was
too expensive.
The video only showed Rachel, but I caught a fleeting sound in the background–a voice I
knew better than my own.
“Mom,” it said.
Tears blurred my vision as I set my phone down. There was no mistaking it. That voice belonged to Max.
11.42 Fri, Jan 31 BB.
r
The tears came harder now, falling in heavy drops onto my lap.
The husband I had stood by through thick and thin. The son I had raised with endless love and sacrifice. Both of them had turned away from me, only to offer their care and
attention to someone else.
I wanted to convince myself it didn’t matter, but the ache in my chest was unbearable.
Even breathing felt like a monumental effort.
“Lauren? Isn’t Tom and Max coming to see you?”
Danny’s small, hesitant voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. He had been sitting quietly by my bedside, worry etched across his tiny face.
“No,” I said softly. “But it’s okay. Will you stay with me for a while?”
He nodded quickly, his little head bobbing like a woodpecker. “Of course! I’ll stay as long
as you need me. But…” His voice faltered, and he looked down. “Aren’t you mad? You know,
because… it was my dad who hurt you.”
Seeing his guilt–stricken expression, my heart ached. I reached out and gently ruffled his
hair.
“No, Danny. It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did I.”
I pulled him into a hug, both of us clinging to each other in search of comfort.
For years, I had poured my entire heart and soul into loving my husband and son. That
love had become the foundation of my world.
But now, I realized that love couldn’t sustain me anymore.
It was time to let go.
There were other people–other things–more deserving of my time and affection. Start
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ing today, I would rebuild my life, one piece at a time.
