Devastated

Josephine’s POV

“Spotted! Billionaire, Francesco De Luca and Astral telecoms heiress, April Newman, spark dating rumours after getting caught sharing a steamy kiss three days ago,” The article's headline read.

Repressing the urge to cry, I scrolled through the pictures and there it was, the proof of what had been happening right under my eyes for almost a year now.

Hell, it had probably been happening for over a year at that point.

My husband, Francesco De Luca, was in a relationship with his longtime business partner, April Newman, who I had once met at a charity function that my husband threw in honour of our wedding, three years ago.

In two of the pictures, they were both laughing along to something, with April's hand clasped to her mouth, and in the last picture, they were full-on kissing in front of the restaurant, with April wearing Francesco’s coat.

So this was really it.

Francesco was never going to come back to me, no matter how hard I cried and prayed to the universe.

My loving Francesco was replaced with a jerkbag after I got diagnosed with infertility a year ago.

As I stared into space caressing my abdomen in a bid to relieve the mild cramps I was feeling there, my phone dinged with a call.

On seeing Francesco’s name, I temporarily forgot all about my cramps and swiftly answered the call.

“You are so hot, it’s fucking insane. I just can’t seem to get enough of you, April.” Francesco growled, and my eyes widened into the size of saucers.

“Ugh, i-it just won't go all the way in, should we try a different position?” April moaned, which made me cough out a joyless laughter.

“Maybe you should stop moving and let me do the work, baby,” My husband replied, and I huffed mirthlessly.

As if reading about their relationships on various blogs wasn't enough, I had to listen as my husband fucked his business partner turned mistress.

Just how fulfilling could my life get.

“I-It's squeezing me so perfectly, I don't want to stop,” April continued. “I think I might need to lie down at this point. It's taking all my energy.”

“Mine too,” Francesco replied.

I was too stunned to utter a word as I listened to their dirty ramblings coupled with grunts and pants.

“Oh, wow, I wasn't expecting this position to feel so good. I love it, Francesco,” April cried. “S-So so much. Fuck.”

“I'm glad you do.” My husband said, and April gasped.

“Your phone!” She shrieked, to which Francesco huffed before the line went dead.

Staring at the blank screen of my phone, I burst into a peal of laughter, tears of despair rolling down my cheeks as I thought about my pathetic life.

I dropped out of law school in my first year after my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and took up a job of waiting tables at a bar. It was there Francesco and I met.

Barely three months after we met, he volunteered to take care of the medical bills. Unfortunately, my mother passed away five months later as the tumor had spread to her other organs.

The following month, Francesco and I got married and he vowed to take care of me as I had no one.

He had even asked me to go back to law school but because I wanted to repay his kindness by giving him kids, I had foolishly refused his offer.

As a heavy lump of tears clogged my throat, I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if only I had gone back to law school.

I would probably be done with my degree and would have become a lawyer.

Truly, I had been foolish for love.

And now, I could never win Francesco’s heart again. April was probably fertile and not a barren desert, which was what Francesco’s mother “fondly” referred to me as.

My abdominal cramps were intensifying as the minutes flew by, which was now starting to scare me.

One would think that I'd be free from any stomach-related problems as I was now infertile, but for some reasons, I still wasn't.

I was still suffering even though I was useless as a woman.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed emergency as I lied on the tiled floor of my bedroom in a fetal position.

I would have gone downstairs to ask for the maid's assistance if they weren't on their weekend break.

“9-1-1, what's your emergency?”

“Hi, I have really bad cramps,” I replied, just as I felt something slip out of me, which made my heart pang with fear.

Looking in between my legs, I saw blood trickling downward and I yelped.

“I-I'm bleeding,” I stuttered out, chills racing down my spine. “Am I dying?”

“Please calm down, ma'am. You are not dying,” She replied. “How may I address you?”

“J-Josephine,” I whispered, feeling my heartbeat in my ears as I stared at the vermilion coating my thighs.

“Alright, Josephine. I have reached out to paramedics and they should get to you in fifteen minutes. In the meantime, I'd like to ask you some questions. May I?”

“Y-Yes sure.”

“Are you pregnant?”

Despite my situation, I managed a sad laugh, “I-I’m not and can never be. I'm infertile.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Do you feel dizzy?” the dispatcher asked.

A fresh wave of pain tore through my belly—sharper, more relentless than before. My limbs grew heavy, an unbearable fatigue settling over me like a weighted blanket.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could utter a word, my phone screen flickered and went black.

Panic surged through me, but it was fleeting—overtaken by the darkness closing in.

I could only hope the paramedics were already on their way as everything finally went dark.

+

I wasn't dead.

That was the first thought that registered in my mind as the pungent smell of antiseptic wafted into my nostrils, causing me to blink my eyes open. Staring at the plain white ceiling, I realized that I wasn't at home.

Looking away from the ceiling, I saw a female doctor who I recognized as Dr. Derek–the same doctor who diagnosed me with infertility three months ago, typing into an iPad.

Inhaling shakily, I tried to sit up and it was then Doctor Derek noticed that I had regained consciousness.

“Mrs De Luca, we meet again,” She said, and I managed a nod.

“Y-Yes. What happened to me?” I whispered, as she helped me sit up.

“You had a miscarriage, Mrs De Luca. I'm sorry.” She replied, and I gasped, as my hands flew to cover my mouth.

“N-No. But you told us that I couldn't conceive because I was infertile, so how did I miscarry?” I blurted out.

“Even infertile people have a tiny chance of getting pregnant. It's extremely rare but it happens,” She replied. “You lost quite a lot of blood. We had to transfuse five pints of blood into you within thirty minutes. It was a dire situation. You were out for fifteen hours.”

“Thanks for saving my life,”I told Doctor Derek.“What was the child's gender?”

“They were twin boys.”

“So I lost twins,” I muttered, swallowing the lump of tears in my throat.

“Yes, Mrs De Luca,” The doctor replied solemnly.

My life was really a joke. I had gone from being barren to getting pregnant with twins and losing them.

“Okay, thank you.” I replied, trying but failing to ignore the hurt in my heart as I focused on the white walls of the room.

“We tried our best to save them but it was to no avail. I'm really sorry for your loss, Mrs De Luca.” Doctor Derek uttered.

“I-It’s fine. Did anybody call?” I asked, to which she shook her head in negation, her gaze sympathetic.

“No, Mrs De Luca. I will be back in an hour. I have to attend to my other patients.” Doctor Derek said before leaving the room.

Staring at my belly, I realized that it was time for me to leave Francesco. I had been a delusional and pathetic idiot for too long.

He was clearly never going to change. He was never going to love me again. He was hellbent on making me as miserable as possible.

I had to leave him for my own sake.