Chapter 3

Amelia 

“You’re awake!” Someone exclaimed in a kind Southern twang. 

I opened my eyes slowly, disoriented and confused. 

Where was I? 

The walls were a plain white and flooded with harsh lights. I winced, trying to understand what was going on. 

“Where am I?” I asked groggily. 

“Poor darling,” the accent replied. “you’re in the Maryland hospital.” 

I turned my head carefully to see a nurse staring down at me worriedly. My whole body hurt but my head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. 

“What happened? Why am I here?” 

“Don’t you remember?” 

The last thing I remembered was running out of the Mallory house and my husband screaming my name. I remembered feeling terrified and horrified by my actions. Everything after that was a big blur. 

“You ran into the street and got knocked down by an incoming bike. You’re lucky that the bike was going slowly and you didn’t get yourself killed.” The nurse chided softly. “What were you thinking?” 

I was thinking that I needed to run as fast as I could before my husband caught me and strangled me to death. 

“Where’s my phone? I need to make a call.” 

She frowned, “I think you need your rest more.” 

“No, you don’t understand,” I barked, “My husband will be worried.” 

I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been unconscious but I just knew that Lachlan wasn’t going to be pleased with me disappearing into thin air. 

“Fine,” she said, “but if the call upsets you, I’ll end it immediately.” 

I nodded hurriedly and she turned to dig out my phone from a plastic bag before handing it to me. I wasn’t sure if my phone had sustained any harm since it was so full of cracks, I couldn’t tell if a new one had joined in.

What mattered was that it was still functional.

My head was woozy and it took me a few times for my fingers to be able to punch in Lachlan’s number. The call rang a few times before he picked it with a distracted, “Hello?”

“I-uh- it’s me.” I said carefully.

“Who?” 

I swallowed roughly, feeling how parched my throat was, “It’s Amelia. Your wife.”

I could feel the nurse’s confused gaze on me but refused to look at her. 

“Amelia? Where the fuck have you been? You had better come home this instant.” He said angrily, “I can’t Believe you embarrassed me in such a way. In front of my family for that matter. You’ll face the consequences of your irrational actions.” 

I winced, “I g-got in an accident,” I explained, “I’ve been unconscious a-and I just woke up and-“ 

“Save your explanations. I don’t care,” he said. I heard Cassandra’s voice at the background and my hands tightened around the plastic of the phone, wondering where he was. 

“I’ll b-be home soon.” I said.

“I wish you had died in that accident. At least that way I’d have been free from you forever. You’re nothing but a stain to my name and that of my family’s.”

I sucked in a horrified breath, it was the first time Lachlan had ever made his hatred of me so clear. I had known he loathed me, but I didn’t think it had reached the extent that he would wish me dead. How could he be so cruel. 

 “Y-you don’t mean that. I love you, Lachlan.” 

“The next time you say that, you won’t like my reaction,” he said coldly, shocking me. 

“I’m sorry,” I rushed to say, but he had already hung up, uncaring of me and my apologies. 

Tears fell out of my eyes and my body trembled at yet another rejection from my husband. I was so lost in my despondence that when the nurse tapped me lightly on the arm, I jerked, startled. 

“It’s just me, miss.” She said lightly. 

“Mrs,” I corrected reflexively, “I’m Mrs Mallory.” 

She looked from me to the phone in my hand doubtfully, “I assume that call was to your husband.” 

“Yes, so?” I said defensively.

She stared at me with something that bordered too close too pity for my liking, “that’s now how husbands are supposed to treat their wives.” 

“You don’t understand anything about Lachlan and I,” I said angrily, “He was as forced into this as I was. He’s angry, as is expected, he just needs time to-“ 

She cut in immediately, “I’m not interested in hearing your tail of woe or listening to you defend that man that just made you cry. All I’ll tell you is that there’s a life out there that will make you far happier and fulfilled.” 

I stared at her in anger, “Are you a nurse or a relationship counsellor?” 

Her eyes widened in surprise, “I didn’t mean to overstep.” 

“Am I free to leave?” I asked instead, quickly changing the topic. I didn’t want to talk about my marriage anymore. It was far more complicated than she thought she knew. 

I loved Lachlan with all my heart and eventually, my love would find a way to get through to him and he’ll see that we were meant to be. 

“It’s advisable that you stay a few days, especially given your home situation. You have a few bruises and you almost died for Godsake.” 

I catalogued my bruises and concluded that none of it was a big deal. Lachlan was particular about me not sleeping away from home and I didn’t want to incur his wrath. I needed to go and apologize for the mess I had made of his family dinner and hope he’d forgive me. 

“I would like to talk to the doctor in charge, please,” I said stonily. 

“What you need is rest and sometime to heal away from-“ the nurse began but I quickly cut her off. 

“I would like to see the doctor,” I reiterated. 

She sighed and grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down her number and passed it to me, “call me whenever. I’ll always be there to help. Believe it or not, I care about you and your baby –“ 

My head swirled and I stared at her open mouthed, “What baby?” 

She gave me a surprised look, “I’m sorry, I thought you knew. You’re four weeks pregnant, Mrs Mallory.”

I could only blink at her in

surprise as the words sank down into my brain. 

After all these years, I was going to have Lachlan’s baby!