Tears In A Diamond Cage

Chapter Four

Elena woke up on Friday morning with hope for the first time in days. Today was her appointment with Dr. Mortaine. Today she would finally get answers about the fertility treatments.

She dressed carefully in her best outfit. A navy blue dress that Jack had bought her for their first anniversary. She did her makeup perfectly and styled her hair. If the doctor had good news, she wanted to look her best when she told Jack.

Elena arrived at Thornwick Medical Center thirty minutes early. She sat in the waiting room, checking her phone every few minutes. Jack hadn't texted her since yesterday when he told her not to wait up for dinner.

At exactly ten o'clock, Elena walked to the reception desk.

"Good morning," she said to the receptionist. "I'm Elena Kaelthorn. I have an appointment with Dr. Mortaine at ten."

The receptionist looked confused. "Let me check the schedule." She typed on her computer. "I'm sorry Mrs. Kaelthorn, but Dr. Mortaine is not available today."

Elena's heart sank. "Not available? But we confirmed this appointment on Wednesday. This is very important."

"Let me get someone to help you," the receptionist said.

A few minutes later, the kind nurse from Wednesday appeared. It was Sarah, the young nurse who had been nice to Elena when Nerissa was being cruel.

"Mrs. Kaelthorn," Sarah said gently. "I'm so sorry. Dr. Mortaine had to leave yesterday evening for an emergency medical course in Astrallis. It's a very important fertility conference that could help with new treatments."

Elena felt like the world was crashing down. "When will he be back?"

"In two weeks time," Sarah said sadly. "I know this is disappointing. He really wanted to discuss your test results with you today."

"Two weeks?" Elena whispered. "But I need those results now. It's urgent."

"I understand," Sarah said. "But Dr. Mortaine specifically said he wanted to discuss your case personally. He doesn't trust anyone else with your treatment plan."

Elena sat down heavily in a chair. Two weeks felt like forever. Jack was already losing patience with her. Victoria Ravencrest was back in his life and Mrs. Kaelthorn was threatening her. How could she wait two more weeks?

"Is there anything you can tell me about the results?" Elena asked desperately.

"I'm sorry," Sarah shook her head. "Only Dr. Mortaine can discuss medical details. But please don't lose hope, Mrs. Kaelthorn. I saw how excited he was about your case."

Just then, Elena heard a familiar laugh behind her. A cold, cruel laugh that made her stomach turn.

"Well, well, well," Nerissa Thorne appeared from behind the reception desk. "Look who's back. The barren wife."

Elena's face went red. Other patients in the waiting room looked over.

"Let me guess," Nerissa continued loudly. "You're here for more false hope? More expensive tests that won't change anything?"

Elena stayed quiet. She remembered Mrs. Kaelthorn's warning. If Elena caused any trouble, it would get back to Jack's mother.

"Oh, you're not talking today?" Nerissa smiled cruelly. "Smart choice. I heard your husband brought home a real woman yesterday. Victoria Ravencrest. Now that's what a billionaire's wife should look like."

Elena's hands started shaking, but she didn't reply.

Sarah, the nice nurse, tried to interrupt. "Nerissa, please. Mrs. Kaelthorn is dealing with disappointing news already."

"Disappointing news?" Nerissa laughed. "Her whole life is disappointing news. Three years of marriage and still no children. Meanwhile, Victoria Ravencrest could probably get pregnant just by looking at Jack Kaelthorn."

Elena felt tears coming, but she blinked them back. She wouldn't give Nerissa the satisfaction.

"You know what I heard?" Nerissa leaned closer to Elena. "I heard Victoria is spending lots of time with Jack. Going to fancy restaurants. How does it feel knowing your husband prefers another woman's company?"

Elena clenched her fists but stayed silent.

"I also heard," Nerissa continued, "that Jack took Victoria to his office yesterday. Showed her around like she was already his new wife. Is that true, Elena?"

Still no response from Elena.

"Cat got your tongue?" Nerissa mocked. "Or are you finally learning your place? Finally understanding that you don't belong in Jack's world?"

"That's enough," Sarah the nurse said firmly. "Mrs. Kaelthorn doesn't deserve this treatment."

"Doesn't deserve it?" Nerissa laughed. "She doesn't deserve anything she has. The house, the cars, the jewelry. All of it belongs to Jack. And soon, it will belong to Victoria Ravencrest."

Elena stood up quickly. She couldn't listen to this anymore.

"Leaving so soon?" Nerissa called out. "Don't you want to hear more about how perfect Victoria is? How she has everything you don't?"

Elena walked toward the exit as fast as she could.

"Two weeks, Mrs. Kaelthorn!" Nerissa shouted after her. "Two more weeks of disappointment! But I bet Jack won't wait that long to make his choice!"

Elena burst through the doors into the parking lot. She sat in Jack's car and finally let the tears fall.

Two weeks. She had to wait two weeks to find out if there was any hope for her marriage. Two weeks of watching Jack fall in love with Victoria Ravencrest all over again. Two weeks of Mrs. Kaelthorn's threats and Nerissa's cruelty.

Elena drove home slowly. When she got home, she went straight to her bedroom. The silence in the house was deafening. Even the servants seemed to be avoiding her.

Elena went upstairs to her bedroom and closed the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her carefully applied makeup was ruined from crying. Her expensive dress looked wrinkled and sad.

Elena opened her jewelry box and looked at all the diamonds Jack had given her. Beautiful, expensive pieces that meant nothing because they weren't given with love.

She picked up her wedding ring and stared at it. Three small diamonds on a platinum band. It had seemed so beautiful on their wedding day. Now it felt like a chain.

Her phone buzzed with a W******p message. Elena's heart stopped when she saw who sent it.

Victoria Ravencrest. She wondered how Victoria got her number.

Elena opened the message and immediately wished she hadn't. It was a photo of Jack, smiling broadly, wearing nothing but a white towel around his waist. He looked happy and relaxed in what appeared to be a hotel room.

Below the photo, Victoria had written: "Spend the night with me. Don't worry Elena, I am going to give him a healthy beautiful baby boy."

Elena's hands shook so badly she almost dropped the phone. The image burned into her mind. Jack looked happier in that photo than he had looked with Elena in three years of marriage.

Elena stared at the message until her vision blurred with tears. Victoria wasn't just taking Jack away from her. She was promising him the one thing Elena couldn't give him. A child.

Elena's phone rang immediately. Jack's name appeared on the screen.

"Hello?" Elena answered nervously.

"Elena, I'll be home late tonight," Jack said coldly. "I'm having dinner with Victoria and some business partners. Don't wait up."

"Jack, I went to the doctor today," Elena said quickly.

"And?" Jack sounded impatient.

"He's away for two weeks. I have to wait for my results."

There was silence on the other end.

"Jack? Are you there?"

"Two weeks," Jack said finally. "More delays and plenty disappointment."

"But the doctor is learning new treatments," Elena said desperately. "The nurse said he was excited about my case."

"Elena," Jack's voice was ice cold. "I'm tired of hearing about treatments and hope and possibilities. I want results. I want children which you can't give me."

Elena's heart broke. "I'm trying my best."

"Your best isn't good enough," Jack said harshly. "Maybe it's time we both accept you are barren."

The phone went dead.

Elena sat on the bed and cried harder than she ever had. Jack was giving up on her. He was falling in love with Victoria again.

Everything was falling apart.

Elena closed her eyes and tried to imagine a different life. A life where Jack loved her. A life where she could have children. A life where she wasn't the unwanted orphan girl who trapped a billionaire into marriage.

But when she opened her eyes, she was still in the same bedroom, wearing the same expensive jewelry that meant nothing, married to a man who was spending the night with another woman.

The image of Jack in that towel, smiling at Victoria, wouldn't leave her mind. Victoria's cruel message echoed in her head: "I am going to give him a healthy beautiful baby boy."

Two weeks felt like a lifetime. Elena wasn't sure she would survive that long, especially knowing that Jack was with Victoria every night.

But she had no choice. She had nowhere to go, no one to turn to, no money of her own.

All she could do was wait and hope that Dr. Mortaine would come back with a miracle.

Because without a miracle, Elena knew her marriage was over.