My parents were long gone, and since
marrying Mark, I had gradually lost contact
with my friends, and now there was no one to
turn to.
<
In the end, I could only call Mark with a sliver
of hope.
The phone rang with a long and nerve-
wracking busy tone.
Just when I thought the call was about to be
automatically disconnected, the phone was
finally answered.
My eyes lit up, and I eagerly opened my
mouth:
“Mark, I’m at the hospital, could you
possibly…”
But before I could finish speaking, I heard
Mark’s casual laugh.
<
“Don’t tell me you’re going to say you were
seriously injured by kidnappers and taken to
the hospital?”
The contempt and sarcasm in Mark’s words
instantly choked off what I was about to say.
“Amy was right, this is just a stunt you’re
trying to pull!”
“If they were real kidnappers, would you still
be alive to make this call? Now that your
kidnapping act didn’t work, you’re starting to
try other tricks?”
Was it because he believed what Amy said
that he didn’t answer my calls and didn’t
come back to rescue me?
My baart aabad dully and Laculda’t help but
<
My heart ached dully, and I couldn’t help but
speak up in my defense:
“I didn’t stage anything, I don’t know those
kidnappers at all, I was really hurt.”
But my explanation was too pale, and Mark
became impatient:
“Don’t pretend, Amy heard you sneaking
around making calls to the kidnappers! The
black card I gave you for your birthday shows
that you transferred $500,000 to an unknown
account beforehand!”
“If they weren’t hired by you, why did they
only grab Amy at first?”
I had never done any of those things Mark
was talking about
<
“I didn’t spend a penny of the money on that
card.”
After a pause, I suddenly remembered
something:
“But I lent it to Amy a few days ago.”
As soon as I spoke, I heard Amy’s hysterical
sobs.
“Mark, you’ve given me enough cards, why
would I take your wife’s card?”
“I know your wife can’t stand me, isn’t it
enough that she’s trying to steal you? Now
she’s even trying to blame me for this!”
“Also, why did she call you Mark?”
r
On the other end of the line, Amy’s emotions
suddenly became agitated.
Mark seemed flustered and quickly coaxed
her in a gentle voice:
“You know, your wife’s mental health is a little
rocky, she’s just calling the wrong name.”
Right.
Ever since Jake died, it was like I became a
person who could never be seen, the “sick”
wife Mark always talked about.
Mark and I were husband and wife.
I listened in a daze as Mark finished gently
comforting Amy, turned to me, and his voice
L
“Susan, you still want to argue!”
“You’re always picking on Amy, not only did
you stage this kidnapping yourself, but now
you want to blame her afterward, when did
you become so vicious!”
“Do you know that Amy was frightened
because of you and almost had a
miscarriage! Can’t you tolerate her and the
child in her belly!”
“That’s your nephew! How can you be so
heartless!”
My fingers gripped the medical bill so tightly
my knuckles turned white, crumpling the
paper.
Finally, I couldn’t help but choke out:
<
“But I’m pregnant too, how could I hire
someone to hurt myself!”
“Do you know that our only child is already
dead because of those kidnappers!”
Mark’s breath hitched, his voice strained:
“What did you say?”
Just as Mark was about to say something, the
phone was suddenly snatched away by an
emotionally agitated Amy, who cursed at me:
“Why didn’t you get pregnant sooner or later,
you had to get pregnant after you hired
kidnappers and got caught, how can there be
such a coincidence! Do you think I don’t know
what you’re thinking!”
<
“You’re already a married woman, and you’re
still trying to seduce your husband’s brother,
how can you be so shameless!”
Mark’s attention was immediately diverted by
Amy’s reaction.
“Amy, honey, she’s got some mental issues,
she’s just saying nonsense, I have nothing to
do with her, let alone any child.”
“If she has mental problems, let her go to a
mental hospital! Mark, I really can’t stand her
clinging to you like this, can we send her to a
mental hospital?”
I listened to Mark’s unwavering and gentle
“Okay” on the other end of the line.
<
My heart plummeted.
Then, I heard Mark’s cold voice:
“It seems I’ve been too good to you all this
time, you hired kidnappers and won’t admit it,
and now you’re even trying to fool me by
saying you’re pregnant!”
“Susan, you really disappoint me!”
With that, he hung up.
Listening to the dial tone coming from the
phone, my heart felt like it was being
squeezed tightly by a pair of big hands,
hurting so much I almost suffocated.
From the moment I was caught by the
<
kidnappers and injured until now, the husband
who should have been by my side didn’t show
a hint of concern, his heart and eyes were full
of another woman, and he even suspected me
of staging everything.
Ever since Amy moved into our house, this
had happened more than once.
Every time, Mark would choose to abandon
me and make me feel wronged in order to
take care of her emotions.
Just now, Amy said she wanted to send me to
a mental hospital, and Mark agreed without
hesitation.
Looking at my bleeding finger and lower
abdomen.
<
I thought, I must be in a terrible state right
now.
