After My Miscarriage, My Husband Begged Me Not to Leave

On our wedding anniversary, my husband was staying at a hotel with his childhood best friend. Soon, my phone buzzed with a notification from Instagram. My husband had just posted a new update: “So glad to have you by my side for every single birthday.” In the photo, my husband and Chloe were leaning against each other, facing the ocean. I tapped the screen, left a like, and commented: “So romantic.” A few minutes later, Chloe’s call came through. Her voice was trembling, filled with fake tears. "Lily, today is my birthday. I just wanted to post a picture to celebrate. I didn't mean anything else by it. Please, don't get the wrong idea." Before I could even speak, a man’s voice hijacked the call. "Lily, are you ever going to stop? I’m just out here celebrating Chloe's birthday. Why do you always have to be so paranoid and ruin everything?" Without waiting for my reply, he turned to comfort Chloe. "Don't pay attention to her. She’s just bored out of her mind and constantly looking for attention." Chloe’s quiet sobs instantly turned into a smug, muffled giggle. I hung up. Two years of chasing him, three years of marriage. I had loved Ethan Carter for six long years. But at this exact moment, I suddenly wanted to let go. When Ethan came home, I was playing with my kitten on the couch. The little ball of fur was rubbing its head against my hand. Ethan looked at the cake on the dining table and frowned. "Didn't I tell you to stop eating this trash?" Ever since I married Ethan, he had strictly controlled my diet. His excuse was always that I was getting out of shape. He had completely forgotten that today was our fourth wedding anniversary. I only bought the cake to celebrate. Ethan swept the cake and the packaging straight into the trash can, not caring how it looked. Then, he tossed a handbag onto the table in front of me. "Chloe asked me to bring this to you. She said you’d love this style." I looked up. It was a limited-edition Hermès Birkin bag. With Chloe’s current salary and junior position, there was no way she could afford this bag. She wasn't giving me a gift. She was marking her territory. "Well, thank her for her immense generosity. It must have cost a fortune." "As long as you know," Ethan said dismissively. "Remember to text Chloe and tell her you're not mad. She’s been stressing out about it." "You're older than her, yet you're not half as mature as she is." I kept stroking the kitten and didn't reply. Ethan talked until his throat was dry. Seeing my silence, he grew annoyed. "What is this attitude? Didn't I already explain everything to you?" He kicked my knee with his foot. "Can you say something? Stop sitting there like a corpse." I winced, a sharp pain shooting through my leg. My knees were highly sensitive to cold and damp weather. It was a permanent injury I got years ago, when I dragged Ethan out of a burning car wreck and a jagged piece of metal sliced through my joint. The kitten was startled by his sudden movement and leaped out of my arms, vanishing into the hallway. Seeing the cold sweat breaking out on my forehead, Ethan finally realized what he had done. "I’ll go get your medicine from the bedroom." I wanted to stop him, but the words caught in my throat. Earlier today, I had felt unwell and went to the clinic. The doctor told me I was pregnant. I had planned to tell Ethan tonight, on our anniversary. But now, looking at him, I realized there was absolutely no point. Ethan brought the pillbox and handed it to me. Just as he was about to pour me a glass of water, his phone rang. He glanced at me, hesitated, and then walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window to take the call. "Hey, what's wrong?" "Ethan, my stomach hurts so bad... I can't even stand up. Can you please take me to the ER?" Chloe’s sweet, whiny voice echoed clearly through the quiet room. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Ethan panicked instantly. "Are you at home? I'm coming right now." "Is Lily with you? She won't be mad if you leave, right?" "Who cares if she's mad? Don't worry about her." As Ethan spoke, he glared at me, his eyes warning me not to make a scene. "Tell Lily I said thank you." "We're family, Chloe. You don't need to thank her," I said loudly, stepping closer to Ethan’s phone. Both of them went dead silent on the line. "What are you waiting for?" I smiled calmly. "Go. Don't keep Chloe waiting." Ethan hung up and quickly changed his shoes at the entryway. "I'm really leaving." "Okay," I replied, not looking at him. In the past, if Chloe called Ethan in the middle of the night, I would have thrown a massive fit. But now, I felt nothing. I knew that whether I screamed or cried, Ethan would leave me for her anyway. Why not just let him go? "I'm really going." "Wait..." "I knew it!" Ethan snapped, his face instantly twisting into anger. "Lily, stop pretending to be understanding. Chloe is sick. It's my duty to take her to the hospital. Can you stop being so petty?" I shook my head and smiled. "I'm not asking you to stay. I just wanted to tell you that you forgot your bag." Ethan froze. "Chloe’s ID card is in your wallet, isn't it? If you forget it, it'll be hard for her to check in at the ER." In the past, every time I opened Ethan's bag, I would find her ID or her keys. We had fought about it a hundred times. His excuse was always that Chloe was forgetful, so he kept her things for safekeeping. Eventually, I stopped asking. Ethan grabbed his bag. Before he stepped out, he muttered, "Wait for me at home. I'll be back soon."I sat in the living room all night. Ethan never returned. He forgot about my injured knee, and he forgot his promise to come back. Because I was pregnant, I couldn't take my usual pain medication. I had to limp to the bathroom, using the wall for support, to wring out a hot towel to wrap around my throbbing knee. Just as I settled back onto the couch, my phone buzzed. It was a Snapchat message from Chloe. “Lily, I’m so sorry. My period cramps are just unbearable. I wanted to go home, but Ethan was too worried. “ “He insisted I stay in the hospital overnight for observation. I’m afraid he won't be able to make it back tonight. Hope you don't mind!” I stared at the screen, my heart flatlining. This wasn't the first time Ethan had done this. A minute later, Chloe posted an IG story: “Feeling so safe. You’re always there whenever I need you.” It was a blatant provocation, meant solely for my eyes. The photo showed a hospital room. Ethan was asleep, resting his head on the edge of her mattress, his profile illuminated by the dim light. Someone had commented: “Girl, is this your man? He’s gorgeous!” Chloe replied: “Don't be silly! He’s just my childhood bestie~” “Just a bestie? I don't buy it,” another friend replied. Chloe didn't reply to that one. Looking at the photo of Ethan sleeping peacefully by her bed, a sharp, physical pang shot through my chest. Two weeks ago, Ethan’s friends had hosted a private party. He had texted me the address and told me to join them. I took an Uber there. When I arrived, Ethan wasn't there yet. I sat in the private dining booth, waiting. Suddenly, the door pushed open. It wasn't Ethan. It was his friend, Tyler Simmons. I had met Tyler a few times, but we were barely acquaintances. As soon as Tyler sat down, he started making highly inappropriate conversation, slowly sliding his chair closer to mine. I politely asked him to give me some space. He just laughed, leaning in even closer. "You really are a beauty, Lily." I stared at him, alarmed. "Excuse me?" "I've thought you were hot since the first day I saw you." "Mr. Simmons, that's enough." I stood up to leave, but Tyler grabbed my wrist tightly. "I told Ethan I liked you. Do you want to know what he said?" "He said you were easy. He said you were wild in bed, and that he didn't mind if I took you for a spin." I shook my head in disbelief. "You're lying." "Am I? Then why do you think you're the only one in this room right now?" Tyler lunged forward, locking his arms around me. I struggled, but he held me in a chokehold. "Just be a good girl and stop fighting." I slammed my heel onto Tyler’s leather shoe with all my strength. He yelled in pain and released me. I bolted for the door. By some twisted twist of fate, the moment I threw the door open, I saw Ethan walking down the hallway, laughing with Chloe. "Ethan!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. But he didn't even turn his head. He led Chloe into the VIP room next door. As they passed, Chloe glanced back at me. She slowly ran a hand through her hair, her eyes dripping with malice. On her finger, I saw a massive, rare blue sapphire ring. It was the exact ring Ethan had promised to buy me during his last business trip. How pathetic. When Ethan finally came home late that night, his first words to me were a furious interrogation. "Lily, what the hell is wrong with you? I gave you the address. Why didn't you show up? I told everyone you were coming. You made me look like an idiot in front of my friends!" I ripped open my collar, forcing him to look at the dark red bruises on my neck. "What is that?" he asked. There was no worry in his eyes, only cold annoyance. I told him exactly what Tyler had done. Ethan didn't believe a single word. "Lily, have you no shame? How can you lie about something like that?" "Do you honestly think you're some goddess that every man falls in love with at first sight?" "Look at yourself. You’ve let yourself go so much. Even if you stood naked in front of Tyler, he wouldn't even blink!" Ethan threw all the blame on me. He walked away without looking back. The next morning, seeing my swollen, bloodshot eyes, he casually muttered that he had had too much to drink and told me not to take his words seriously. Ethan only got away with this because it was me. If the woman Tyler had grabbed that night had been Chloe, Ethan would have torn the city apart. I clenched my fists as the memories flooded my mind, suffocating me. After a moment of silence, I opened my Snapchat and sent a message to the lawyer I had contacted a few days ago. “Hi, I’d like to move forward with the divorce papers.”The next morning, the smell of food woke me up. I walked out of the bedroom and saw breakfast laid out on the table. "Eat something," Ethan said. I stood there, stunned. In our five years together, the times Ethan had bought me breakfast could be counted on one hand. He probably felt a shred of guilt for staying out all night, so he brought food as a peace offering. "What? I bought you breakfast, and you're still giving me that face?" My knee had kept me up all night. I was exhausted, and I didn't have the energy to argue with him. I sat down and picked up a fork. "Does your leg still hurt after taking the meds last night?" Ethan asked half-heartedly. "It's fine." "I figured. It's been years. It should be fully healed by now." My breath caught. Looking at his indifferent face, my heart turned to ice. Years ago, Ethan had lost control of his car and crashed into a concrete barrier. He was trapped inside. I had risked my life to pull him out before the engine caught fire. In the chaos, a sharp piece of metal had sliced deep into my knee. I almost passed out from the pain. Since then, the chronic pain had never left me. But I never complained to Ethan. I didn't want him to feel guilty. Now, I realized how incredibly stupid I had been. Ethan didn't care about my pain. He didn't care about me at all. "Chloe wasn't feeling well last night. I was too worried to leave, so I couldn't make it back." "Okay," I murmured, keeping my eyes on my plate. Ethan stared at me for a few minutes, clearly unsettled by my lack of reaction. Usually, I would have yelled, cried, and made his life miserable. "You're acting weird today." I looked up. The faint outline of a lipstick mark on his collar was glaringly obvious. Sensing my gaze, Ethan quickly got up and went to the bathroom. When he came out, the collar had been wiped clean. "When I left the hospital this morning, Chloe tripped and fell. I caught her. Her face must have brushed against my shirt." "I know. It was an accident." Ethan smiled, relieved. "You've really matured, Lily." Hearing the word "matured," a sharp, sudden cramp hit my lower abdomen. Suppressing the pain, I said, "Isn't that what you wanted? You should be happy." Ethan nodded. "If you had been this sensible before, we wouldn't have fought so much." His smile felt like a knife twisting in my stomach. The pain was intensifying rapidly. Cold sweat began to bead on my forehead, and I pressed my hands against my abdomen. "Ethan..." I was about to ask him to take me to the hospital when his phone rang. The screen lit up: Chloe. "Ethan, the doctor said I can go home now. Can you come help me with the discharge paperwork? I can't do it all by myself," she whined. Ethan’s face softened instantly. "Of course. I'll be right there." He hung up and looked at me. "Chloe needs me." "Can you take me with you?" I gasped. My stomach was in excruciating pain, and since he was already going to the hospital, it made sense to go together. "I'm going to help Chloe. Why would you come along?" Ethan’s tone snapped back to its usual coldness. "I told you nothing happened between us. Why can't you just trust me? And here I was, just thinking you had finally grown up!" The pain was so intense I could barely breathe, let alone argue. "My stomach hurts, Ethan. Just drop me off at the ER. It's on your way." Ethan’s face darkened completely. "Lily, are you serious right now? Chloe’s stomach hurts, so now your stomach hurts too? Are you seriously faking an illness to compete with her? Can you stop being so childish?" "Ethan, I'm pregnant! I'm not playing games, and I'm not trying to win some petty competition with Chloe!" "Lily Vance!" Ethan raised his voice, on the verge of a full-blown outburst. "I can't believe you would use something like pregnancy to lie to me! This is sick!" "We’ve been married for years, and you’ve never gotten pregnant. Suddenly, the moment Chloe gets sick, you're pregnant and your stomach hurts? I didn't know getting pregnant was that easy." "I didn't realize you were such a good actress." "Fine," I whispered, my voice shaking. "If you won't take me, I'll call an Uber." Ethan sneered. "Go ahead. Keep playing your little drama. But let me warn you, Lily: you better actually be sick. If I find out you went to the hospital just to harass Chloe, I will divorce you!" I let out a weak, hollow laugh. Divorce. How wonderful. For the first time in years, Ethan and I finally agreed on something. "I've been meaning to tell you anyway. Divorce sounds perfect. I’ve already had my lawyer draft the papers. Just tell me when you're free to sign them." Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You already had them drafted?" "Yes!" "Fine! If that's what you want, Lily! Let's see who will ever want a washed-up, pathetic woman like you. Don't come crawling back to me crying!" Ethan slammed the front door so hard the walls rattled. Outside, the engine roared to life, and the sound of his car faded into the distance. I fell to my knees, shaking uncontrollably. I looked down. The chair beneath me was covered in blood.