Chapter 1

Marlowe’s POV

“Are you okay?” The nurse asked as they rolled the gurney down the hallway of the hospital. 

“Please call my husband.” I cried, grasping the edge of the gurney as regret washed through me. 

If I had known this was going to be the outcome of the whole ordeal, I wouldn’t have stepped out at all. 

“We have been trying to reach out to him but he wouldn’t pick his calls.” The nurse replied, hovering above me with a look of concern on her face. 

This had been the response I had been getting since I was pulled out from the taxi that had been involved in an accident. 

“Please try it again, please.” I muttered, my chest contracting in pain. 

Derek had always been like this but I felt my incessant calls were going to bug him so much that he would pick up but that never happened. 

“Should I call him with my phone?” The nurse asked. 

“Even without his presence, we can commence treatment, why are you adamant he should be here before we get started.” 

To this, I had no response and so I remained mute, hoping Derek wouldn’t receive her calls but to my disdain he did.

Embarrassed, I titled my head to the side, my eyes tightly shut as I sent my teeth into my lips. I wondered what the nurse was thinking in her head after the turnout of events. 

“Your wife is at the hospital, you need to come over immediately.”She spoke with a tone of urgency. 

Since her phone was on a loudspeaker, I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t say anything that would embarrass me even more. 

“I’m busy; I will try to make out time to see her later in the evening.” He replied hastily. 

“Is it about the money needed for the treatment, I will make a full payment now.” He rapped. 

For the rest of their conversations, I zoned out as I wasn’t mentally prepared to listen to any more of their talks. 

In a bid to make our third year wedding anniversary a memorable one, I decided to set out very early to get the materials I needed to decorate the house before he returned for dinner only to get involved in a nearly fatal accident that got me bruised all over. 

“He said we should commence treatment.” The nurse said, leaning over me but I didn’t say a word to her as I was too embarrassed to even look in her direction. 

Snapping my eyes shut, I began to reminisce about our good jolly old days of courtship and then an elaborate wedding that was forever engraved in my memory. 

“Where did all that go?” I muttered, hot tears rolling down my eyes in torrents. 

Not minding the attention I was garnering for myself, I began to sob loudly as I kept reminiscing about everything that had been going on in my life lately. 

I must have cried myself to sleep; for how long, I had no idea of it. 

Throwing my feet off the bed, I grabbed my phone which was lying on the bedside table next to me and then began to waddle towards the exit. 

“Your husband said he was going to come for you, you have to wait for him, don’t you think?” The nurse from earlier asked. 

Flashing her a weak smile, I replied, “He is still busy.”

Nodding, whilst giving me a weird look, she said, “I should get you a taxi then.” 

“Don’t worry about me, I will be fine.” I said in a breath and before she could think of another thing to make me stay back, I hurried towards the exit. 

Immediately I stepped out of the hospital building, I took in a deep breath as the cold breeze blew my hair all over my face. 

“And once again, we aren’t going to mark our wedding anniversary.” I muttered with my hands wrapped around myself. 

A loveless marriage is not only mentally draining but it also exerts anxiety. 

Right now, I was unsure of what Derek’s reaction was going to be when I got home.

“I hope I don’t meet him tonight.” I mumbled, flagging down a taxi. 

When I got home, my heart began to race when I saw his car in the garage. 

Darting my eyes around, I tried to steady my heavy breathing, trying to come up with a perfect tale to tell him when he made enquiries. 

Unable to come up with a tale, I decided to go ahead like that, hoping he would ignore me. 

Cautiously, I pushed in the door with my heart in my mouth, expecting to see him in the living room but he was nowhere to be found. 

Relieved by this, I walked further in, heading towards the stairs and soon I was making my way towards our bedroom. 

Just outside the room, the muffled sound of people made me stop walking for a moment as I craned my neck, in a bid to ascertain if I was hearing correctly or making up scenarios. 

“Who is there with him?” I muttered, my heart slamming against my chest in a quick succession. 

Unable to keep my curiosity in check anymore, I hurried towards the door and then grabbed the handle. 

After counting three in my head, I pushed the door in, my eyes popping out of its sockets at the sight in front of me. 

Lying next to Derek on our matrimonial bed was no other person than Tessy, his alleged sister. 

“What is going on here?” I asked, alternating my gaze between the couples. 

“You are supposed to be in the hospital, what are you doing here?” Derek asked, his voice filled with spite.

“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” I yelled at him, clenching my hands by my side.

“You said Tessy is your sister, are you seriously commiting incest right now?” 

Nodding towards the table with his hands crossed on his chest, he said, “Sign those documents.”