A baby’s cry pierced the air. Alex had him on
speaker. Mark’s ecstatic voice boomed, “He’s here! A son! Amelia, you’re amazing!”
That was the man I’d loved for five years. Now,
I felt nothing but a cold, hollow rage.
Alex was appalled. “Your daughter is dead, your
<
wife almost died from blood loss, and you’re
celebrating with your mistress?” He was
shaking with fury. Mark, oblivious, said lightly,
“Since Amelia’s fine, I’ll come up and see this
little performance you and Sarah cooked up.”
Soon, Mark arrived, Amelia trailing behind,
holding a newborn. He loomed over me. “Happy
now?”
“Happy my daughter’s dead because you were
worried about your mistress?”
As Mark turned to a nurse, Amelia, baby in tow,
clung to him. “Sarah, I almost died. You saved
- us. Won’t you give him a nickname?” She was
perfectly made–up, except for the smeared
mascara from her ordeal. It was almost comical.
“Your fake eyelashes are falling off.”
Amelia frantically checked, then ripped off the
other one. Annoyed, she said, “See how much
ho looks like Mark? Ho’s practically family
he looks like Mark? He’s practically family
already.” Subtle, Amelia,
Mark, to his credit, frowned slightly. “All babies
look alike. Lily looked the same.” He waited for
my reaction.
“You saw Lily as a newborn? You were in
Europe with Amelia, comforting her, while I was
in labor alone.”
Mark flushed, but remembering my utility, he
said smoothly, “I had business. It wasn’t like
that. Don’t be jealous. Amelia and I are just
friends. To make up for it, we’ll all go to Europe
when you’re better.”
Amelia’s eyes burned with jealousy, unnoticed
by Mark. Hearing Lily’s name again, I lurched
forward. Amelia offered a hand, but I recoiled,
shoving her. She dropped the baby onto the
bed. It started wailing.
<
Amelia scooped him up, tears streaming.
“Sarah! I was trying to help! He just survived a
traumatic birth! Do you want him to die too?”
Mark exploded. “Sarah! I thought you were a
good person! How could you hurt a newborn?
You’re a mother yourself!”
“If I wanted to hurt him, I would have thrown
him on the floor, not the bed! I just gave your
precious Amelia 1200ml of my blood! How much
strength do you think I have left? Amelia
dropped him on purpose!”
Caught up in the moment, Mark had believed
her. Now, calmer, he probably saw the truth.
But he wouldn’t blame Amelia. Instead, he
chided me, “Stop calling her my mistress.
We’re just friends. You’re slandering her!”
I laughed, a harsh, hollow sound. “You married
me for my blood, abandoned me in labor to
comfort Amelia, spent countless nights with her
while I sat alone, telling me you were working,
while her social media posts documented your
every rendezvous! You were in the delivery
room while she was giving birth, naked! You
risked my life and killed our daughter for her
and your bastard child! And you say you’re just
friends? Do you think I’m stupid?” I grabbed a
glass and threw it at his head. He couldn’t
dodge. Blood welled up on his forehead.
Dabbing at the blood, Mark, still thinking it was
an act, told the nurse, “Bring Lily in when she’s
patched up.”
