The Hospital Visit

Chapter One

Elena Valdris sat in the waiting room of Thornwick Medical Center, checking her phone for the tenth time. The Kaelthorn family owned half of this hospital, but that didn't mean she got special treatment.

"Mrs. Kaelthorn?" A familiar voice called out. Elena looked up to see Nerissa Thorne, the head nurse. She knew Nerissa from all those boring charity events Jack's mother dragged her to.

Elena stood up quickly. "Yes, is Dr. Mortaine ready?"

Nerissa smiled, but it wasn't friendly. "Oh honey, he had an emergency. You'll need to wait much longer."

"But I've been waiting for weeks for this appointment," Elena said. "Jack is expecting answers about why I can't get pregnant."

"Well, maybe your husband should have called ahead if this was so important," Nerissa said loudly. Other patients in the waiting room started looking over.

Elena felt her face getting hot. "Can you please tell me when he'll be back?"

"Look sweetie," Nerissa crossed her arms and spoke even louder. "Everyone knows your problem. Some women just can't have babies. No matter how rich their husbands are."

The words hit Elena hard. A young mother with twin babies stared at her with pity. An old woman shook her head sadly.

"Mrs. Kaelthorn comes from nothing," Nerissa announced to the whole waiting room. "She was an orphan who got lucky when she saved Mr. Jack from that fire. Now she thinks she deserves everything."

Elena's hands started shaking. "Please stop."

"Stop what? Telling the truth?" Nerissa laughed. "Jack Kaelthorn is worth ten billion dollars. His family built half of Aethermoor. He could have married a princess. Instead he got stuck with a barren orphan."

People were whispering now:

"Is that really Jack Kaelthorn's wife?"

"The one who can't have children?"

"Poor Mr. Jack."

"Three years of marriage and still no heir."

Elena felt tears coming. "I just want to see the doctor."

"You want to know what I think?" Nerissa stepped closer. "I think you should divorce Jack and let him find a real woman. Someone who can actually give him children."

"That's enough." A younger nurse walked over. "Mrs. Kaelthorn, I'm Sarah. Dr. Mortaine left instructions about your test results from last week."

Elena looked up with hope. "My results?"

"Yes. He wants you to come back Friday at ten. Your blood work showed something important and he has treatment options to discuss."

Elena's heart jumped. "Treatment options? You mean there might be hope?"

Sarah smiled kindly. "The doctor will explain everything. But yes, don't give up hope."

Nerissa rolled her eyes. "More false hope. Jack must be getting tired of this."

"Actually," Sarah said firmly, "Mrs. Kaelthorn's test results were quite promising. The doctor was excited to discuss the new fertility treatments available."

Elena felt a spark of joy for the first time in months. "Really?"

"Really," Sarah nodded. "Friday at ten. Don't be late."

But Nerissa wasn't done. "Promising results don't change the fact that you're still the orphan girl who trapped Jack into marriage. Everyone in Vaelthorne City knows you saved him just to get his money."

"I didn't save him for money!" Elena said, her voice breaking. "I saved him because it was the right thing to do!"

"Sure you did," Nerissa smirked. "And I'm sure you had no idea he was Jack Kaelthorn, heir to the biggest fortune in Aethermoor."

Elena couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her purse and ran toward the exit. Behind her, she could hear Nerissa talking to someone on the phone.

"Mrs. Kaelthorn? Yes, your daughter-in-law just caused quite a scene at the hospital. I thought you should know."

Elena burst through the doors into the parking lot. She sat in Jack's silver Bentley and cried. The car cost more than most people's houses, but she felt like the poorest person in the world.

She remembered that night four years ago. She was walking home from her job at a cheap diner when she saw the warehouse fire. She heard screaming and ran inside without thinking. Jack was trapped under a fallen beam, unconscious. She dragged him out just as the roof collapsed.

The newspapers called her a hero. Jack's family called her a gold digger. But Jack felt guilty about owing his life to an orphan, so he married her six months later. Not out of love but out of guilt.

Elena started the car and drove through the rich Thornwick District. Past mansions that cost fifty million dollars. Past the country club where membership cost more than a house. Past Jack's company building with fifty floors and his name in gold letters.

She ended up at Meridian Park. She had no happy childhood memories since she grew up in Silvermere Orphanage, but this park was peaceful. She watched families playing with their children and felt her heart break a little more.

Her phone buzzed. A text from Jack: "Mother says you caused trouble at the hospital. What happened?"

Of course his mother already knew. Mrs. Kaelthorn had spies everywhere.

Elena typed back: "Have to return Friday for test results. Doctor has treatment options."

Jack replied: "What kind of treatment? This better not be another waste of time and money."

Elena stared at the message. Even when there was hope, Jack only cared about money and time. She turned off her phone.

When she finally drove home, their mansion looked like a palace. Twelve bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a swimming pool, tennis court, and gardens that required ten gardeners. But it felt like a beautiful prison.

Jack's red Lamborghini wasn't in the driveway. He was probably still at Kaelthorn Corporation, making more millions while his wife sat alone in their empty house.

Elena walked upstairs to their bedroom. Everything was perfect and expensive. The bed cost thirty thousand dollars. Her closet was full of designer clothes. Her jewelry box had diamonds worth millions.

But what good was money when you felt worthless?

She looked at herself in the mirror and heard Nerissa's words again. "Barren orphan. Gold digger. Trapped Jack into marriage."

Maybe they were right. Maybe she should divorce Jack and let him find someone better. Someone who could give him the children and family he deserved.

But the thought of losing Jack made her cry harder. She loved him so much, even though he only married her out of obligation. Even though his mother hated her. Even though everyone thought she was a gold digger.

Elena lay on their expensive bed and cried until she had no tears left. Friday couldn't come fast enough. Maybe Dr. Mortaine really did have treatment options. Maybe there was still hope for her marriage.

Maybe she could finally prove to everyone, including herself, that she was worth more than just the orphan girl who got lucky.

But deep down, Elena was scared. Scared that even if she could have children, Jack would never love her the way she loved him. Scared that she would always be the obligation wife, never the chosen one.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine a different life. One where Jack looked at her with love instead of duty. One where his mother welcomed her instead of barely tolerating her. One where she felt like she belonged instead of like an outsider looking in.

Tomorrow she would put on her designer clothes and expensive jewelry and pretend to be happy. She would smile when Jack asked about the appointment. She would be polite when his mother called with her usual complaints.

But tonight, she just wanted to dream about being loved for who she was, not what she owed or what she could give.