Chapter 4: Cast Out With Nothing

“Petra, you didn’t come home last night.” Mary thundered, pointing accusingly directly into Petra’s face. “Were you fooling around with some man?”

The hospital room instantly became tense.

Petra sat frozen beside her mother's bed, still holding the divorce papers. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her supposed mother-in-law.

How could this woman stand here and accuse her after everything they had done?

Before Petra could even respond, Mary suddenly bent closer and grabbed the collar of her gown. Her fingers tugged the fabric aside toward Petra's chest.

A faint red mark was visible on her skin.

Mary's eyes lit up immediately.

“Ha!” Mary snapped, her voice loud enough to draw attention from everyone in the room. “Everyone, look! That man from last night left love bites on her neck!”

The accusation echoed through the room.

On the other side of the ward, a middle-aged woman who had been resting on her hospital bed slowly turned her head toward them. The woman wasn't looking at Petra.

She was staring shockingly at Mary.

Even she seemed disturbed by Mary's behavior.

Petra immediately pulled her gown back into place.

Humiliation washed over her.

Her face burned.

She wished she could disappear. She wished the floor would simply open and swallow her whole.

“What a shameless woman!” Mary continued, showing no signs of stopping. “You cheated on my son and now you're trying to act innocent!”

The words struck Petra repeatedly like stones.

For hours she had blamed herself.

For hours she had carried the burden of that horrible night.

But now, hearing Mary twist the truth so shamelessly, something inside her finally snapped.

“It’s all your fault!” Petra finally shot back, her voice shaking with anger and grief. “You want Vanessa because she’s an heiress, and you want her family’s wealth. That’s why you set a trap to frame me, forcing me to leave with nothing and make way for her!”

The room fell silent.

Even the nurse standing nearby paused.

Mary's face darkened instantly. The old woman's lips trembled with fury.

Before Petra could react, Mary's hand swung through the air, landing on Petra’s right cheek with a hot slap.

The sound echoed through the room.

Petra's head jerked sharply to the side as pain exploded across her cheek.

She instinctively raised her hand and held the burning skin.

She stood frozen, one hand cupping her cheek in an attempt to soother the pain.

She felt humiliated.

Heartbroken.

“You also know that Vanessa is an heiress,” Mary said, her tone dripping with mockery. “Even if you work yourself to death, you can’t afford even one of her bags!”

Petra slowly lifted her eyes.

Her entire body trembled of the overwhelming betrayal.

She had spent years treating these people like family.

Yet now they looked at her as though she were trash.

Mary folded her arms proudly.

“I’d advise you to know your place and not block my son’s road to success!”

She glanced proudly toward Hubert.

Hubert nodded in agreement.

The sight made Petra sick.

“I—”

“Vanessa might be adopted, but Mr. Shaw is sterile,” Hubert snapped instantly, cutting Petra off before she could speak. “She’s his only daughter and the sole heir!”

Petra stared at him, utter shocked at his cruel behavior.

The man before her looked like a complete stranger.

Where was the man who had once waited outside her classes?

Where was the man who had sworn he would love her forever?

Where was the man who had promised to build a future with her?

He was gone.

Perhaps he had never existed.

“Petra,” Hubert continued, crossing his arms confidently. “I’m here to discuss the divorce with you today for your own good. If Vanessa came herself, you’d end up like your mother and lie in a hospital bed.”

He pointed disgustingly toward Wendy.

The unconscious woman remained completely unaware of the conversation unfolding around her.

Petra followed his finger.

Pain stabbed her heart.

Her mother had done nothing wrong. Yet she was paying the highest price.

“Stop wasting time,” Hubert continued. “Hurry up and sign the agreement.”

His finger pointed sharply at the papers resting on the bed.

Tears flooded Petra's eyes.

Her chest rose and fell painfully.

For a long moment she simply stared at the documents.

This was the end.

Not just of her marriage. Of the life she had built.

The future she had imagined.

The dreams she had protected.

Everything.

Slowly, she bent forward and picked up the pen.

Her fingers shook violently.

A tear landed on the paper.

Then another. And another.

Hubert and his mother watched impatiently.

Neither showed the slightest sympathy.

Petra lowered the pen down to the document, and slowly, she pen down her signature on every page that required it.

Each stroke felt like cutting away a piece of herself.

When she finally reached the last page, she paused briefly.

Her vision blurred as the tears wouldn't stop.

But eventually, she signed her name.

The moment she finished, Mary immediately leaned forward and snatched the papers from her hands.

A satisfied smile spread across her face. She quickly handed them to Hubert.

“Smart choice!” Hubert said, his tone dripping with mockery. “Mom, let's go.”

Without another word, he turned away and Mary followed him.

Together, they walked out of the hospital room.

For several moments Petra simply sat there.

Motionless. Broken.

Then her shoulders began to shake, quiet sobs escaping her lips.

She slowly bent toward the floor and began gathering the clothes that had spilled from the torn nylon bag.

Every item felt like another reminder that she no longer had a home.

She folded each piece carefully and placed it back inside the bag.

Hot tears continued falling freely.

This time she didn't bother wiping them away.

There was nobody left to hide them from.

******************

Two months later.

The hospital room looked almost exactly the same.

Only Petra had changed.

She looked thinner.

More exhausted.

The light that once filled her eyes had faded considerably.

Every day she divided her time between working part-time jobs and caring for her mother.

Sleep had become a luxury. Hope had become difficult.

Yet she continued moving forward. Because Wendy still needed her.

Petra sat beside her mother's bed holding a small towel soaked in warm water.

Carefully, she cleaned Wendy's hand.

The old woman remained unconscious.

Her condition had improved slightly according to the doctors, but she still hadn't woken up or recovered enough to get her discharged.

She once had a spinal injury from car accident which resulted to her now using wheelchair. Her condition worsened after Hubert pushed her to the floor two months ago.

Petra gently wiped each finger.

“Mom,” she whispered softly. “You have to wake up soon.”

But no response came.

Only the steady beeping of the monitors.

The nurse standing nearby adjusted the drip and checked several readings on the machine.

Everything seemed normal.

Petra returned her attention to her mother's hand.

Then suddenly a strange sensation rose inside her stomach.

Her face paled.

A wave of nausea hit without warning. She immediately covered her mouth.

The towel slipped from her fingers.

The nurse looked down at Petra as concern appeared on her face.

Petra swallowed hard.

The feeling passed briefly. Then returned again.

Stronger.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

The nurse continued watching her.

“You’ve been dry heaving a lot,” the nurse said. “Are you pregnant? You should get it checked out.”

The words struck Petra like lightning.

Pregnant?

Her head immediately lifted.

Shock filled her face. How could she be pregnant?

The room seemed to fall away around her. How could that be possible?

Slowly, Petra looked away.

Her thoughts became chaotic.

A memory surfaced.

Her heartbeat gradually increased.

The nurse returned to her work, but Petra remained completely frozen.

A terrible realization slowly formed inside her mind.

Two months.

Her eyes widened.

Two whole months.

She hadn't thought much about it because her life had become a nightmare after the divorce.

Between hospital bills, caring for her mother, and trying to survive, she had ignored her own body.

Now the truth stood directly before her.

“I haven’t had my period for two months…” she whispered with furrowed eyebrows, looking blankly at the wall. “Could I really be pregnant?”

Her hand went gently to her stomach. “But that man… he said he was sterile!”