Chapter 1: Hospital

║3 Months Later. Chicago, Illinois, US║

"Annalise Gracelyn Scott. Age 29. Born in Ohio with blood type O. No record of serious illness, and your last visit to the hospital was three months ago. Is there anything important I missed from your medical history?”

Ann blinked briefly and shook her head, “Nope.”

“Alright. My name is Ben. You can call me Doctor Ben, and I will try to help you today. Maybe we can start by hearing your complaints before doing any examinations, Mrs. Scott?” With glasses perched on his nose, the doctor looked up to meet Ann, who was sitting in front of him—Doctor Ben. His name is written on his desk, and Ann can read it clearly.

Okay, maybe everyone could see the discomfort written on Ann’s face. The problem was, what could she do when she had already entered and only realized afterward that instead of seeing a female doctor, she was facing a male doctor in the gynecology clinic?

“Miss Keaton would be better,” she said.

“Oh?” Doctor Ben furrowed his brow while looking at his computer screen, which Ann was sure was displaying her old identity that she hadn’t updated in the last three months due to too many things to take care of before finally landing in Chicago.

“I divorced three months ago, so I guess my last name should be changed.” Ann felt awkward saying it. But again, she reassured herself that now she was living in a foreign city with strangers she didn’t know. No one would care about her identity, her past, or the story she shared. Chicago didn’t care about any of that, so she felt free to say and share anything with strangers she would never meet again. And she was sure she would never meet this doctor again.

“Alright, my apologies. Would you like me to help you change your medical records?”

“Yes, please.” Ann nodded in agreement.

Goodbye, Scott, and all the terrible things she had to endure because of that cursed last name.

“We’re done. Congratulations on your new name, Miss Keaton. Or is that your maiden name?”

“Yes, it is.” Ann nodded again.

“Alright, so what’s bothering you today that brought you here? You know this is the gynecology clinic, right?”

Returning to the first question, the doctor asked the same thing. And this time, Ann had no reason not to talk about the complaints that had made her visit the gynecology clinic alone.

“I haven’t had my period in the last three months, even though I usually get it on the same date every month. This has never happened to me before, so I’m a bit worried about my condition.”

“Menstrual cycles don’t always come on the same date every month, and many factors usually influence this. But before we investigate what’s going on, we may need to run some tests because we might find the cause of the issue you’re experiencing. Did you take a pregnancy test before coming here?”

Ann almost scoffed at the question, “As I mentioned earlier, I divorced three months ago. So, I don’t think I could possibly be pregnant, right?”

The doctor in front of her nodded awkwardly, realizing he had missed a piece of information she had already provided. “This may sound a little uncomfortable, but it’s part of the examination I must do. How about your sexual activity?”

“I haven’t been with anyone.”

“Thank you for the information,” Doctor Ben nodded again. “Although, based on your statement, it’s highly unlikely you’re pregnant. However, I still have to ask you to take a pregnancy test because it’s important. Would you mind?”

“Can’t you just give me medication to regulate my period? I think that’s all I need.”

“Of course, but you have top take this test to assure me that you’re not pregnant. I know it’s uncomfortable, but it’s a necessary procedure.”

And yes, Ann didn’t have a choice but to follow every step of the examination, even though she knew perfectly well that... she couldn’t be pregnant. No, that was impossible.

“There’s no pregnancy, right?” Ann asked 15 minutes later—right after completing the pregnancy test as the doctor had recommended.

“I think it’s just a hormonal imbalance causing your period to be late. You might be exhausted and stressed. I can prescribe medication to make it better.”

“I’ve been taking pill contraceptives for the last three years. Could that have affected it?”

“Are you still taking them now?”

Ann shook her head, “I stopped three months ago.”

“Your period could be affected by stopping the contraceptives. But don’t worry, we’ll address it soon.” Doctor Ben typed something on the computer, and Ann assumed he was prescribing something, as he had mentioned. “If you’re open to it, I can suggest alternative contraceptives besides the pill, which might be more suitable for you.”

“I don’t want to use any contraceptives for the time being.”

“Are you planning to have a child?”

Ann almost burst out laughing—a laugh intended to mock and ridicule herself. “Isn’t this the third time I’ve mentioned that I just got divorced three months ago?”

“Shit.” Doctor Ben swore softly, then closed his eyes and covered his face briefly. “I apologize for what I said. First, I should have remembered the information you gave. Second, I shouldn’t have cursed in front of you because it’s unprofessional.”

Ann almost smiled at his apology. The doctor in front of her seemed unprofessional because he missed the information she gave. Even his cursing made him seem even more unprofessional. But this time, she didn’t feel upset or angry. After all, she knew she couldn’t expect everyone to remember a little detail about her divorce, could she?

However, the situation changed in the blink of an eye

Ann tugged at the sleeve of her shirt, covering the scars on her wrist entirely. She wasn’t sure what doctor Ben had seen on her arm, but she felt uncomfortable under his gaze. The change was swift. And Ann also noticed a shift in his expression.

“I’m serious when I say that your state of mind can influence your period. If you’re dealing with emotional issues, it’s very likely your period will be affected. Perhaps… you’ve been under a lot of stress lately? Rather than just prescribing the medication, I can refer you to someone who specializes in this area if you’d like.”

Ann found the doctor’s words somewhat convoluted and hard to follow. Yet, strangely enough... she understood.

“I cut my own arm on purpose, but I don’t think it’s such a big deal that you need to refer me to a psychiatrist. I can handle it myself.”

“It’s okay if you can’t handle it alone.”

Ann blinked. It felt... like she was being judged for the decision she made three months ago.

No, of course, this doctor didn’t mean to judge her. He was just a doctor, probably with an instinct to offer help, even when it wasn’t the kind of help she had come here seeking.

“I got divorced three months ago and had a miscarriage at that time. I think that’s a pretty strong reason for what I did to my arm. But I can assure you, I don’t need any more help. I just want to know why I haven’t had my period since the miscarriage three months ago.”

For a moment, all Ann could hear was the ticking of the clock to her left.

It was as if silence engulfed them for a brief moment.

Yes, just a moment. Because a few seconds later, Ann heard the doctor’s voice again.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Ann shook her head briefly. “It’s fine. It’s been three months, and I’m starting to accept it. Besides, I think it’s for the best that I had a miscarriage because... maybe that was the best outcome.” She could hear the tremor in her voice, and she hated it.

“The best?”

“Yes, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I hadn’t miscarried. I would’ve stayed with my cheating, abusive husband. Not just me, but my child would have been trapped in the same situation, and I might never have been able to save them.” Ann shrugged, “If you compare it to what would’ve happened if I hadn’t miscarried, isn’t the current situation better?”

“Sorry if this question makes you uncomfortable, but did you experience verbal abuse from your husband? Are you sure it wasn’t him who hurt your wrist?”

This time, Ann didn’t try to hide her scar.

The cut on her arm was one of the marks left from the pain of the loss she had endured three months ago.

Her divorce from Alban had saddened her, but she could be certain that her sadness wasn’t because she loved him. In three years of marriage, Ann was sure she had never given him any love. Her sadness was purely regret for every wasted moment in those last three years. If only she had a little more courage to fight back, she wouldn’t have come this far, right?

And as for the cuts on her wrist—well, even though she knew she had carried the child of a man she hated, she couldn’t deny that she had loved that child. The child was innocent, and Ann hated herself for realizing that she had been responsible for the child’s death. Did... did the child feel pain when Ann fell down the stairs? Did he or she suffer before they died?

“I cut my arm,” Ann exhaled briefly. “He did hit me and hurt me, but this wound I gave myself, consciously.”

“I’m really sorry you had to go through all of that.”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to be responsible for the mistakes of your gender, right?” Ann knew she wasn’t good at making jokes, and this time, her words sounded strange, but—

Oh, had Ann shared too much of her life story with the doctor in front of her? Had this gone too far?

She remembered that she had kept all of these problems to herself for the last three months. And yet, this morning, she found herself sitting in the gynecologist’s room, pouring out her personal issues as if she were talking to an old friend.

Damn. She really had poor control over herself lately. So many impulsive decisions are taken without a second thought. But who cared? After all, she wasn’t going to see this stranger again, right? What was the harm in sharing everything and then disappearing? After this, they would never meet again, meaning there would be no other opportunity for this man to bring up her issues. She wouldn’t return to this gynecology clinic, and the doctor in front of her would only remember her as one of his patients with a sad life story. But, of course, they wouldn’t cross paths again and remember each other.

Chicago was a big city...

This was just the beginning of her journey in this city. And Ann had already promised herself that she would start many new things here—things she couldn’t do while living in her hometown. In this place, Ann could do whatever she wanted. She could tell whatever story she wanted to tell. She would start everything anew, with a new version of herself, and she would face every risk without fear or doubt. Her story this morning was just a little part of the new beginning she was about to embrace.

Oh... she was finally in Chicago.