1: Bolt From The Blue

“Mrs. Walton…”

Margot Walton lifted her gaze to face the doctor with anticipation in her hazel eyes. She held her breath and waited for the next thing he’d say.

“I’m sorry. You have cancer. I’m afraid you only have six months left to live.”

The doctor’s voice rang through Margot’s head like an annoying bell that wouldn’t stop. Her breath hitched for a second before her heartbeat became erratic.

Margot’s body turned cold and her vision became blurry as she had a quick recollection of her past flashing through her mind. The warm droplets of tears fell on her hands clenched on her lap. It was the last thing she expected after returning to the hospital for her lab test results.

“Hold on. Are you saying I’m not pregnant and I only have a few months to live? Are you sure?” The shock was written all over her face. She didn’t expect to die so soon. All along, she thought she was pregnant and the reason why she willingly did the test was to make sure it wasn’t just a false alarm like what happened in the past.

Thinking back, she wondered why the doctor advised her to do many tests. She had no idea it was because of this.

“But why?” Margot’s voice cracked as she tried her best to pull herself together. She was so excited a few moments ago and now she felt like throwing herself in the water and forgetting everything she heard so far. Perhaps she was so desperate to become a mother that she started to think she was pregnant after a few similar symptoms appeared.

She had been very careful of herself and made sure to keep healthy. Having cancer was something that hadn’t crossed her mind.

“The cancer cells already spread in your body. I can’t guarantee you’ll live any longer than six months. I suggest you let your loved ones know about this as soon as possible. We could try doing a surgery but it will depend on your current condition. We’ll have to run another test to make sure your body can handle it. Most importantly, you’ll have to prepare for the worst, Mrs. Walton.”

Margot refused to listen to the doctor’s words after the first line. She could only hear the rapid beating of her heart, knowing it could stop anytime soon.

“Tell me this isn’t real. I don’t want to die yet…” A tear fell from her eye as she finally processed everything. She kept pinching her thigh as she sat quietly, and the pain felt real. Margot already knew she’d get bruises from it, and it was enough to convince her that she wasn’t dreaming at all.

The doctor shook his head slowly, showing sympathy to one of the few patients he diagnosed with the worst case throughout his career so far.

“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Walton.”

The doctor’s diagnosis kept playing in repeat inside Margot’s head.

She took a deep breath as she walked out of the hospital building, clutching her aching chest. Her knees were about to give up, but her mind kept telling her to move. As she reached the parking lot, her eyes focused on the car waiting for her.

Wiping off her tears, Margot got inside the car and settled down in front of the wheel. She buckled up and stared outside, only to end up sobbing seconds later.

Margot was pouring all her grievances through tears when her phone rang. She grabbed her device and checked the caller. Her expression changed when she saw her stepmother’s name flashing on the screen—Linda.

“Mom?” Her voice came out as a whisper when she answered.

Linda wasn’t her biological mother, but she raised her like her own. She married Margot’s father five years later after his first wife died. Margot was thankful to have her around while growing up and Linda was so sweet she couldn’t wish for anybody else to mother her.

After learning about her condition from the doctor, she decided to keep it to herself. Margot was more worried about Harry, her husband, once he found out she was dying. She imagined her parents would have died earlier from shock if they had known, too. Thus, her decision to live to the fullest within her remaining time was not just all for herself but also for everyone she loved.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? You sounded stressed. Was it about tonight’s family dinner? Come on, I’ll handle it!”

Margot sighed. Today was her 3rd wedding anniversary with Harry. She chose the same day to come and get her results—almost too sure she was pregnant so she could announce it over family dinner. Who would have thought the news she got was not something anyone wanted to hear… Unless someone in the family wanted her dead.

“It’s nothing, Mom. Why did you call?” She asked, taking out her lipstick from the bag and pulling sheets of tissue to wipe the traces of tears in her eyes and face. “Oh, will Dad join us tonight?” Margot added while checking her face on the hand mirror she got with her.

“Yeah. I kept reminding him since last month. He’ll be there, sweetie.” Her stepmother sounded ecstatic, causing Margot to smile. “It’s a family celebration, so he shouldn’t miss it,” Linda added.

How could Margot tell her that she would cease to exist in less than a year? She could never. Margot knew it would break Linda’s heart.

“Well, I want to make sure you’re going to wear the dress I gifted you on your birthday last week. I specifically had it tailored for this day,” Linda continued.

“Oh. The white dress. Okay,” Margot replied. “I was wondering where I could use it, so thanks for telling me,” she continued with a smile.

“Alrighty! See you tonight, sweetie.”

Margot giggled when she heard Linda smacked her lips several times.

“See you,” she said and hung up.

After a phone call from Linda, Margot felt better. She almost forgot her predicament until she parked the car in the garage and walked inside the house. That was when remembered something important. Harry knew she was going to the hospital, and she had no idea what to tell him if he asked about it.

“Honey, I’m home.”

Margot closed the door behind her and looked around. She checked the time on her watch to make sure.

“He should be home by now,” she mumbled as she removed her coat and headed upstairs. 

Margot believed Harry would be there to cheer her up, no matter what she was going through. He wouldn’t have to ask why she was feeling down and instead listen to everything she’d say while doing his best to comfort her. It was something she had always been grateful for to her ever-loving husband.

… Or so she thought.

Margot halted in front of their bedroom door. Her mind may be filled with worries about her impending death, but her senses still worked just fine. She easily recognized what sounds were coming out of the room.

Moans and groans could be heard from the other side of the door. It was so familiar she could already guess what was happening. It wasn’t like she was born the other day and knew nothing about what people could be doing to make sounds like that.

“Oh! It’s so tight!” It was Harry’s voice.

“Wait a second. I’m coming!” A woman’s voice screamed.

Margot covered her mouth in disbelief when her brain convinced her that what she was thinking wasn’t just an assumption. Besides, she couldn’t think of anything else to explain why her husband was saying those things as he groaned at another woman. At the back of her head, Margot was hoping she misheard everything, and it was only because her mind was a mess.

‘Why?’ she kept asking herself. Margot served Harry her best. She was a good wife and Harry should know it more than anyone else. If there was one thing she regretted was that she hadn’t been pregnant yet.

Margot was aware of how much Harry wanted to be a father.

Another minute passed until the noises stopped, ending with Harry’s scream in euphoria without knowing his wife was listening.

With her shaking legs, Margot quietly went down the stairs and walked outside the door to their entrance. She took a couple of deep breaths while staring at the sky. After calming down her nerves from anger and disappointment, Margot opened the door again with a smile.

“Honey! I’m back!” She called rather loudly, making sure Harry and whoever his other woman would hear.

Margot scoffed when Harry didn’t come down, eventually. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water to chill her once again agitated head. She was in the middle of chugging down her drink when her husband hurried to where she was.

Harry was wearing boxer shorts and a sleeveless shirt, revealing his arms, legs, and half of his thighs.

Margot’s eyebrow raised as she waited for the other person to show herself. She couldn’t wait to see who it was and what she was wearing after getting dressed in a hurry since she called.

“Hey, sweetie. I came to bring a pair of shoes that match the dress you’ll be wearing tonight,” Linda said as she walked into the kitchen, smiling at her stepdaughter. She was sweating heavily and her mascara was slightly messed up.

Margot’s eyes widened as she choked on the water. She felt a sharp pain when her drink came through the wrong pipe.

“No way!” She blurted out, shaking.