FOUR

Cara’s POV

“Henry, what are you doing?” I ask, staring blankly at him. I am beginning to realize slowly right now, the depths of hatred my husband has for me. 

“What part of she's pregnant do you not understand?” Henry's harsh words take me aback. I'm still standing in the middle of the room, shock and pure anger climbing into me with every passing minute. 

“You're going to take her own side over your wife?” I ask, staring at him—at his empty and brown eyes. I know, almost immediately in that moment, that whatever Henry felt for me before is long gone. 

“Do not bite more than you can chew, wife” Henry continues, the last word exiting his mouth with sheer contempt. “Ever since she told me about the pregnancy, she's become more important than you. At least she can carry a baby and not lounge around the house like a useless piece of garbage.” 

I feel my throat close up at Henry's harsh and pointy words. 

“At least garbage is useful sometimes for composting. You're more useless than garbage, Cara.” He pushes even further.

I swallow. I want to tell him. I want him to know that we don't have to wait any longer. I want to tell him that I'm pregnant and then watch him fall at my feet. But for some reason, I don't. The shock is unable to let me find the words to tell him. 

“Why are you doing this to me? Why Patricia of all people?” I ask, begrudgingly pointing at a naked Patricia , still sitting on the edge of the bed, giving me the nastiest look I've ever seen. 

“Why not Patricia ?” He continues. “She knew just how much I was suffering by putting up with you. Unlike you, she can actually give me what I want. And it did not have to take two freaking years!” 

“Henry—”

“And unlike you, Patricia isn't boring in bed. She actually does the things I want. The things you could never do. So yeah. I went for her.” 

I stand still, staring at him. He's the one I caught cheating. I walked in on him and my best friend in our bedroom. But for some reason, I'm the one getting blamed. I look at my husband, or whoever it is standing before me in disbelief. This is not happening.

This is so not happening 

“Henry, baby—” Patricia starts. 

“Shut the hell up! He's not your baby.” I say, turning back to Patricia . For some reason, all of this continues to feel like a dream, even though I'm feeling every presence. 

I watch a slow smile creep in Patricia's face as she makes her way out of the bed and towards me. 

“Oh, but he is.” She says, dropping her feet on the floor and standing up to me. “I was trying to hide this from you before, you know, so you don't get your feelings hurt too much. But, well, cat's out of the bag, Cara. I've been sleeping with your husband.” 

I feel my feet weaken. Patricia is standing right in front of me, basically telling me to go screw myself. The rage in me starts to grow again, and something tells me this time, I may not be able to contain it. 

“I'm also giving him a baby.” She continues. “Something you've been unable to do for two years now. You see, unlike you, Henry loves me dearly. Our love is true love. And your time here is very limited.” 

That's it. 

It's almost involuntary, what happens next. I raise my hand and run my palm hard across Patricia's face. She stumbles and falls into the bed, a loud scream escaping her mouth as she puts her palm around her cheek. 

“What?!” Henry screams and gets out of the bed, moving closer to me. “You crazy bitch.”

Before I'm able to register what's happening, Henry slaps me as well, the force of his rugged palm connecting hard with my face. I feel a sharp pain hit my face and I move back, my ears stinging. 

“I told you not to touch her, didn't I?” He screams at me. I cover my red face with my palm, and in that moment, I see it in his eyes—the pure, unadulterated hate. “Try anything foolish again and you'll be out of this house faster than anything.”

Whoever this is, standing before me right now is not my husband. The love of my life is long—long gone. 

“Hey, Patricia, baby. Are you okay?” Henry asks, hurrying towards a crying Patricia. I continue to watch in utter disbelief as he helps her up to her feet. “Come on, let's get you to the hospital.” 

I watch them both make their way towards the door, only in their underwear and right as Henry grabs the doorknob, he turns to me. 

“Just because your best friend was able to do something you couldn't, doesn't give you the right to become a vengeful bitch.”

I'm unable to control the tears in my eyes anymore. They flow freely down my face as I stare at my husband exit the room with my best friend, leaving me alone to my misery. 

I remain frozen to the ground, the disbelief still hounding me and the tears in my eyes growing more unstoppable. I can't believe this. I can't believe this is really happening. Is this it? Is this how my marriage of two years crumbles to the ground 

A buzz in my jean pocket interrupts my spiral and I reach for my phone. Amidst teary eyes, I'm able to look at the name calling on my screen. It's Doctor Mary again. I pick up the call and put the phone to my ear.

“Doc?” I start, trying so hard not to make my voice falter.

“Oh, thank God. I've been trying to reach you.” 

“Yeah, I'm sorry. I just—I just got home.” 

“You need to come back to the hospital now, Cara. There's been a mistake.” She says to me, her frantic voice laced by the phone’s static. 

A frown covers my face, giving me an instant headache and my heart freezes in place. “What?” 

“The insemination.” Doctor Mary continues, the utter urgency in her voice filling me with fear. “There was a mix-up with the insemination. You need to get here now.” 

I remain frozen in place, my phone still against my ear, several thoughts running through my head at the same time.

What kind of mix-up?