Crazy With Remorse

Late at night, I pressed my hand against my aching abdomen as I struggled to get out of bed. Sweat beaded on my forehead from the pain. Though I wanted to go to the hospital, the sharp cramps made it hard to stand.

I heard familiar footsteps outside the door. It was my husband, Edward Scott.

I didn't know where I found the courage, but I gripped the doorknob tightly and opened the door.

"Edward." Just saying his name made my chest tighten.

Edward stopped in his tracks and turned around. He looked at me coldly.

"You're back. Did you eat?" My voice carried a cautious tone of flattery, and I tried to sound calm and gentle.

But Edward's face remained icy. As though he hadn't heard me at all, he turned to leave.

The way he was acting made my heart feel like it had been pierced.

I stumbled after him and grabbed his sleeve. My lips were almost bleeding from how hard I was biting them, and the pain in my abdomen left me gasping for breath.

"Let go!" Edward's eyes were filled with fury.

I loosened my grip, only daring to hold onto the edge of his shirt.

My voice trembled as I said, "Edward, my stomach hurts so much. It's late at night now. Can you take me to the hospital?"

If it were daytime, I wouldn't have asked him for this.

Edward turned around and stared down at me.

Then he suddenly sneered. "Ms. Barrett, your acting is getting better and better. How long did you rehearse for this?"

With that, he slowly pulled his sleeve out of my grasp. He pinched my chin. "Since the day you betrayed me, I swore I would never forgive you in this lifetime. Unless…"

His smile turned cruel. "Unless you're dead."

All the blood seemed to stop in my veins at that moment. I couldn't stop shaking.

Without another word, Edward turned and went straight into his room after slamming the door shut.

The pain in my stomach felt like a knife twisting inside me, and I collapsed onto the floor. Struggling, I managed to pull out my phone and dial 911.

…

At Wimborne Hospital, the traffic outside was relentless. Everyone was rushing somewhere.

While sitting on a bench with my lab report in hand, I stared blankly ahead.

The results were in—late-stage colon cancer.

I couldn't believe it. I went to find my friend, Rory Howard. He was my senior in college and a gastroenterologist.

My eyes were red, and I forced a smile as I spoke to him. "Rory, the doctor said I have late-stage colon cancer." I tightened my grip on the lab report.

I looked at him with pleading eyes. "Can you check again? Maybe… they made a mistake."

Rory quickly took the report from my hands. He studied it carefully and gently reassured me, "Don't worry, Amelie. I'll check again to make sure. Just wait. Even if the result is bad, I'll be here for you. Don't panic."

Soon, I was being pushed back into the examination room.

The results came back the same as before—late-stage colon cancer.

I sat there in a daze. My lips trembled as I whispered, "How long do I have left?"

Rory kneeled down to meet my eyes and rested his hand firmly on my shoulder. "I will save you, Amelie."

His eyes were full of determination, but my tears still couldn't stop falling. "It's cancer. Cancer!"

I covered my face and sobbed. Rory gently placed his hand on my head, silently comforting me.

This illness was like my marriage to Edward—rotten to the core, and there was no saving it.

…

The room was dim. I sat alone on the couch, not wanting to turn on the lights.

In the early hours of the morning, I heard the sound of a car pulling up outside.

Soon, the door opened, and Edward stepped in.

He fumbled for the light switch. As soon as the lights came on, he saw me sitting motionless on the couch.

He turned away without a word. He undid his tie as he started to head upstairs.

"Edward," I called out to him.

However, he didn't stop.

My fingers clenched so hard that my nails dug into my palms.

While watching his familiar figure, I forced a smile and said, "Edward, let's get a divorce."

Edward finally stopped, just as I had hoped.

He stood against the light, which made him seem even more distant. I couldn't make out his face, so I just traced his face with my eyes.

This was the man I had loved for ten years. It was a love that only earned me his disdain. It had left me with nothing but scars.

I thought to myself that I shouldn't be a burden on him anymore.

"You can't go one day without making a scene, can you? Still playing your little games? Playing hard to get?"

I stood up and pulled the divorce papers from my bag. When my hand touched the painkiller bottle inside, I paused for a moment.

Then, I closed the bag without saying a word.

I walked up to Edward and handed him the divorce papers. "I've already signed it."

I tried to hide the emotions welling up inside me. "You want to marry Olivia, don't you?" I forced a smile. "I'm letting you go, Edward."

If I had known he liked Olivia Gardner, I never would've married him.

My marriage to him was once my deepest hope, but our relationship turned out to be forced and one-sided.