Fractured

Evelyn

I lay motionless on the bed, my eyes fixed on the large window across the room.

The curtains were partially drawn, allowing thin streams of afternoon sunlight to filter into the bedroom.

The buzzing sound from my phone vibrated repeatedly from the lampstand beside the bed, but I didn't move or even glance at it.

I simply continued staring at the window, feeling hollow.

Adrian hadn't come home yesterday… again.

At first, I had convinced myself he was busy, and probably angry or hurt. I had called countless times, sent messages, voicemails, everything.

Yet every call went unanswered. Every message remained unread. Until finally, after persistent attempts, he finally picked up… or rather, Doris did.

"Mr. Adrian is very busy at the moment," she had said smoothly. "He won't be able to answer your calls."

At the time, I had been too stunned to respond. Too stunned to ask why she was answering his phone, and ask when exactly she had become the person screening his calls.

After that, I had tried reaching him again and again. Finally, Adrian responded with a text asking me to stop bothering him. After that, his number stopped going through completely.

My throat tightened. Fresh tears burned behind my eyes. Everything felt heavy.

Everything seemed to be collapsing around me, and I didn't have the strength to stop it.

A knock sounded at the door.

I didn't react. I wasn't in the mood to see anyone.

Another knock followed, then the door slowly opened. Footsteps entered the room, and then a familiar voice called out.

"Evie!"

I froze, and slowly lifted my head.

"Kendall..."

The moment I saw her, something inside me broke.

My best friend rushed across the room.

Within seconds, her arms wrapped around me.

The tears I'd been desperately holding back burst free as sobs escaped my lips. I buried my face against her shoulder and cried.

Kendall held me tightly. One hand rubbed my back while the other gently stroked my hair.

"It's okay," she whispered softly.

I shook my head.

"No..." my voice cracked. "No, it's not."

More tears spilled down my cheeks as the words tumbled out.

"I lost another baby, Kendall."

Kendall immediately tightened her embrace. "Oh, Evie..."

I could hear the pain in her voice, the sympathy, the heartbreak, and somehow that made me cry even harder.

"I lost another one again," I sobbed harder. "I'm so tired. I tried so hard."

Kendall kept soothing me.

"It's okay. You'll be okay. I'm here. You're not alone."

For several minutes, she simply held me while I cried.

Eventually, my sobs subsided, my breathing steadied, and the tears slowed.

Kendall carefully wiped my cheeks, then looked at me. A mixture of concern and confusion filled her face.

"Why didn't you tell me about the IVF, Evie? When did you decide to try again? I got your text and had to hand over all my work before taking the first flight to New York.”

Guilt immediately flooded me as fresh tears stung my eyes again.

"I… I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't want to raise anybody's hopes yet. I just wanted to try one more time."

One last chance.

One last miracle.

One last possibility.

I thought maybe this time the baby would stay. Maybe this child would survive.

Maybe...

The words refused to come. My throat closed. The disappointment hurt too much.

Kendall pulled me closer.

"It's okay,” she said gently. “I understand. I'm here now… you don't have to go through all this alone.”

I nodded weakly, grateful for her presence. Just then, my phone began ringing.

Kendall turned. "Should I get that?"

I didn't answer. She walked over to the lampstand, picked up the phone, and handed it to me.

"You might want—"

The moment I saw the caller ID, panic shot through me.

"No. Don't answer it!”

Kendall frowned. Her eyes moved from my face to the phone, then back to me.

"Evie? Why don't you want to answer? Talk to me."

I swallowed. My hands trembled. For a long moment, I debated whether to tell her.

I hadn't told anyone, not even Adrian, but I was exhausted, tired of carrying everything alone. Finally, I exhaled.

"The call is from a loan company."

Kendall frowned. "What loan company?"

I stared at the floor.

"I… I borrowed money. I took a loan for this last IVF treatment."

"What?" Kendall stared at me. "How much?"

The number felt heavier every time I thought about it. "Sixty-five thousand dollars."

Her jaw nearly dropped.

"Evie!"

I winced. The shock in her voice wasn't surprising. IVF treatment was expensive, especially after multiple failed attempts.

Between consultations, medications, fertility procedures, embryo transfers, specialists, and hospital expenses, everything had added up.

And this final attempt had cost more than I could afford… much more.

"Why would you do that, Evie?"

Tears burned my eyes again.

"I needed another chance. My online business hasn't been doing well lately, and I didn't have enough money."

"Oh my God,” Kendall dragged a hand across her face. "Does Adrian know?"

"No,” my voice cracked. “I couldn't tell him because he would have said no, Kendall. And honestly… He would've been right."

The room fell silent.

Kendall opened her mouth, and closed it. Then sighed deeply… It was the kind of sigh that came from someone who genuinely didn't know what to say.

Finally, she reached for my hand.

"Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

I wanted to believe her. I really did, but at that moment, hope felt difficult. Still, hearing her say it made me feel slightly less alone, and perhaps that was enough… for now.

Kendall stood up suddenly. "Get up."

"What?"

"You heard me,” she pointed toward the bathroom. “Go and freshen up, we're going out.”

"I'm tired. I don't want to go anywhere."

"Too bad, but you're definitely coming with me whether you like it or not."

I stared at her… She was just impossible.

"I'm serious, Evie,” her expression softened. "You can't stay trapped in this room."

"I'm not ready."

"No one is asking you to be ready,” she moved closer. "I just want you to breathe… Please."

“Alright,” I finally conceded. “Where are we going?”

"A spa."

"A spa, Kendall? A spa won't fix my life."

"No, it won't,” she smiled slightly. "But it might stop you from drowning in it even if it's for a few hours."

I couldn't argue with that. Before I could respond, my phone chimed again.

I groaned, and grabbed it, intending to silence it completely. Then a notification appeared.

Doris posted a new photo.

Against my better judgment, I clicked it. The image loaded instantly, and my heart sank.

There was Adrian, sitting inside an elegant restaurant with a smile on his face… a genuine smile. Across from him sat a client.

They appeared to be deep in conversation. Meanwhile, Doris stood beside him, taking a selfie. Her head leaned slightly toward his shoulder, and one eye closed in a playful wink.

The caption read:

"Business dinners made better with the best boss in town. Grateful to learn from someone who leads with excellence. #WorkLife #BossGoals"

I stared at the screen, unable to look away. Adrian looked happy, relaxed, smiling, while I was here, broken, crying, and grieving alone.

A painful ache spread through my chest.

I wasn't even sure what hurt more. The fact that he hadn't come home for three straight days, or the fact that he looked completely unaffected by everything that had happened.

I slowly locked the screen, and forced a weak smile. "Let's go to the spa, Kendall."

A small look of relief crossed her face. About an hour later, Kendall's car pulled into the parking lot of The Ivory Blossom Spa & Wellness Retreat.

The building looked beautiful.

Elegant cream walls, large glass windows, beautiful flowers lining the entrance with soft instrumental music floating through the lobby.

The scent of lavender immediately greeted us. For the first time in days, my shoulders relaxed a little.

The experience itself was wonderful.

Massages, aromatherapy, warm herbal tea, facial treatments, and relaxation rooms… Everything felt quiet and peaceful.

For a few hours, I wasn't thinking about anything and simply existed. Surprisingly, it felt really nice.

By the time we finished, I felt lighter. As Kendall and I exited the building, excited about the whole spa experience, suddenly a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen.

I froze.

The sensation was brief, but intense, like a knife twisting inside me.

Kendall instantly noticed and stopped.

"Evie?"

I didn't answer. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach.

"What's wrong?"

I forced a smile and shook my head.

"Nothing. I just… I felt a sharp pain just now."

"What kind of pain?" Kendall stepped closer. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"

I quickly shook my head.

"No. I'm fine."

"You don't look fine, Evie."

"It passed,” I forced another smile. "See?"

I attempted to take another step, then it happened again. This time the pain was worse.

A violent stab tore through my lower abdomen, and my knees nearly buckled as a gasp escaped my lips.

"Ah!"

I doubled over slightly, my vision blurring.

"Evie!"

Kendall grabbed my arm immediately, her voice filled with panic.

The pain intensified. Something felt terribly wrong. I looked at Kendall helplessly.

"Kendall..." my voice trembled as I swallowed painfully. "Please… Please take me to the hospital.”