When my mom fell seriously ill, my husband, Callum Hart, who struggled with a low sperm count, promised he would find a way to help. I gave him all my savings. Pregnant and working late-night shifts as a delivery driver, I passed by a sales office one night and saw Callum—someone who should have been working just as hard as I was—hugging his childhood friend and splurging on a new apartment. “She really thinks I only make a little bit every month. I make twenty thousand dollars, but I told her I only make two thousand dollars. I’ll make sure every penny of my paycheck has a part for you.” I fought back tears as I grabbed at his sleeve, hoping to borrow some money to treat my mom. He swatted my hand away, clearly irritated. “I give you two thousand dollars a month. Isn’t it that enough? Are you wasting it all?” He ignored my desperate cries and walked away, even kicking the baby in my belly he had been dreaming of. Later, he kneeled on the floor, begging me to forgive him, but I was too heartbroken and disillusioned. I didn’t want him anymore. ***** “How could you be delivering this late? It’s already cold! You’re seriously this dumb?” In the pouring rain, I was stuck in traffic during rush hour, and I ended up being a minute late. The customer, furious, threw the entire order at me. All I could do was force a smile, apologizing and offering to compensate her. As I walked out of the building, drenched and looking like a mess, I noticed Callum—who should’ve been working just as hard as me—spending a fortune buying a new apartment for Elara Finch, who had just divorced. “She really thinks I only make a little bit every month. I make twenty thousand dollars, but I told her I only make two thousand dollars. She’s so dumb that she believed me and handed over all her savings, which is exactly why I can afford to buy you this apartment. I’ll make sure every penny of my paycheck has a part for you.” Elara buried her head in Callum’s chest, acting all shy. “Cal, you’re so good to me.” Callum looked incredibly smug. “With the bond we’ve had since we were kids, I’m gonna take care of you for the rest of your life now that you’ve divorced.” I stood there frozen, my eyelids twitching. The sauce on the edge of my hair fell into my eyes. Tears started to pour down my face. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The Callum who used to work overtime tirelessly to pay for my mom’s medical bills, was actually lying to me and buying an apartment for Elara. Shaking, I dialed Callum’s number. After a few hang-ups, he finally answered, clearly annoyed. I asked him when he’d come to the hospital to visit my mom, but he dismissed me with a half-hearted answer. “Honey, I’m working hard to earn money for your mom’s treatment. I really can’t make it to the hospital right now. And even if you care about your mom, you should try to understand my situation. Don’t keep calling me, okay? I need to focus on work.” Listening to the beeping of the phone, I felt as if a huge hand was squeezing my chest, choking my heart. Even now, he was still lying to me. I forced a bitter smile. Callum’s mother had once sacrificed her own life to save him from a fire. She had given him her oxygen mask, not caring about the risk of an explosion, and had pulled him to safety. She inhaled too much smoke and was left with severe health consequences. After Callum and I got married, my mom treated him like her own son. But I never imagined that, in the end, our years of shared struggles would only lead to misery, not happiness. My mom had saved a heartless, selfish man.
I trudged back home, feeling deflated, and looked around at our old, worn-down house that had been our home for over a decade. Just then, my phone buzzed again with a message from Callum. Callum: [Honey, I’ve got to work late at the office tonight. I won’t be coming home. Get some rest, okay?] I lowered my gaze, numb. After a long day, I didn’t even care whether the message was true. I swallowed my emotions and quickly prepared myself to head to the hospital to take care of my mom. Just as I was about to get on my scooter, my phone rang— it was my mom’s doctor. “Your mom’s condition has suddenly worsened, and she’s been rushed into surgery. Get here with the money as soon as you can!” My heart skipped a beat. I let go of the scooter handle, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, my knee scraped up badly. But I didn’t even feel the pain. All I could think about was calling Callum for some money. “Honey, my mom’s situation has worsened. Can you send me some more money?” There was a long pause on the other end, and I could tell he didn’t believe me. “I used up all the money last time we paid the bills. I don’t have anything left, honey. Your mom’s been lying in bed for so many years. You can’t let that drag us down. Maybe it’s time to just let go.” Even now, Callum was still lying to me. I felt like I was about to break. “Please, I know you still have money! Please, just send me some more! My mom is in surgery right now! If we can’t pay, she might not make it!” I heard Elara’s voice in the background, stirring trouble. “Cal, this woman is clearly using you. She’s always asking for money and doesn’t care about your health at all. You should stay away from these two bloodsuckers.” It felt like all the air in my lungs had been squeezed out of me. Working late? In the bedroom of the luxurious apartment he bought for Elara in the city? I scoffed bitterly, but then, remembering all the years Callum and I had spent together, I held on to a glimmer of hope and said, “Honey, I’m not lying. My mom’s really in danger. Please, just send me a little more money to help save her. Think about everything my mom did for you when you were a kid…” But before I could finish, Callum interrupted me with a shout of anger. “It was just your mom saving me from a fire! Isn’t that what any firefighter would do? How long are you going to guilt-trip me over that?” I couldn’t believe it—Callum actually thought like this. My voice trembled as I tried to explain, “That’s not what I meant…” But Callum snapped, “You always want money! Do you ever think about how I’m still stuck at the office working late? Even Ellie understands how hard I work and brings me lunch. But you? You’re out here delivering food to make a quick buck. You just embarrass me in front of my colleagues! Thalia, I’m so disappointed in you.” I stared at the “call ended” screen, trembling. I wiped my wet face and got back on my scooter, speeding into the night. I couldn’t tell if the wetness on my face was from sweat or tears. I only knew that the faster I went, the closer I was to my mom. I sat outside the operating room all night, barely breathing, until they moved my mom into the ICU. Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. “The surgical fees need to be paid quickly, and the follow-up treatments won’t be cheap.” Looking at my mom lying so quietly on the bed, I felt my body slide down onto the cold floor. I didn’t know how long I stayed there before I finally stood up and headed home. There was nothing left to do but this.
I pulled the property deed out of the safe. This house was a gift from my dad before he passed away. It was an old, run-down place, but the location was decent. If I sold it, I should be able to buy some time to deal with the urgent situation. But as I was heading out the door with the deed in my hand, I ran straight into Callum, who was coming home with Elara. “What’s that in your hand?” I told Callum the truth, explaining that I was planning to sell the house to save my mom. Elara, disgusted by my disheveled appearance, pinched her nose and wrapped her arm around Callum’s, saying, “Your mom just has a minor lung condition. What’s with selling the house to fix that? You’re clearly up to something, trying to sell Cal’s property to make life easier for yourself!” I ignored Elara, my mind set on getting to the hospital with the money as fast as possible. But seeing the doubt in Callum’s eyes, I knew he wouldn’t let me sell the house. I gave him a cold, resolute look and said, “Move aside. I have somewhere I need to be.” Just as I was about to push past him to leave, Callum grabbed my wrist. “Thalia, you’re crazy! Your mom just has a little lung condition. How much could it possibly cost? Why are you selling my house?” Shaking, I fumbled through my worn-out bag and pulled out my mom’s diagnosis report. I was about to hand it to Callum when he snatched it from my hands and ripped it to shreds. “Don’t try to fool me with this fake stuff! I’m telling you, I’m not letting you sell my house. I’ve taken care of you two for years, and now you want to sell my property? What’s really going on here?” Callum shoved me to the ground, and the sharp pain in the back of my head made me gasp. “You’re pretending again! You’re just delivering takeout. What’s so exhausting about that?” That was the last straw. My emotions snapped, and I screamed, “My mom’s dying of cancer! I’m selling the house my dad left me to save her life—what’s wrong with that?!” For a moment, Callum’s face went blank, taken aback. Seeing this, Elara quickly jumped in. “Cal, you’ve been with her for so long, and her mom was never seriously ill. How did she suddenly get cancer at this time? They’ve already taken so much from you over the years—maybe this is just another scheme to scam you for more money!” Elara’s words confirmed, in Callum’s eyes, that my mom and I were nothing more than bloodsuckers. Thinking back on all the money my mom’s treatments had cost, Callum’s expression darkened. “We’ve been married for years. You think I don’t know what’s going on with you and your mom? I hate liars like you! Go stay in the room and think about things. I’ll go verify the situation with your mom.” He locked the door behind him, ignoring my cries, and walked away. I collapsed in the corner, hands pressed together, praying desperately that my mom would be okay. Later that night, Callum came home, holding takeout from the place I used to order from all the time. He knelt down and gently wiped away my tears, his eyes soft—though I couldn’t tell if it was real or just another act. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper with you earlier. I just thought, if you sold the house, we’d have nowhere to live, and your mom wouldn’t have a place to recover when she gets out of the hospital. Please, eat something. Then I’ll take you to see your mom, okay?” I rubbed my eyes, barely able to focus, and started shoveling the food into my mouth. It was like if I ate faster, my mom would get better sooner. “We’ll figure out the money,” Callum continued. “If I apply for a yearlong business trip, my salary will go up from two thousand dollars to six thousand dollars a month. We can manage.” I looked at him, disbelief flooding me. A yearlong business trip? Was he really going on a trip, or was this just an excuse to go be with Elara, who had just gotten divorced? “What’s the matter? You can’t bear to be apart from me?” I suppressed my emotions and shook my head. The priority was getting the money for my mom’s treatment, not worrying about whether or not Callum was cheating. As we sat in the car, I absentmindedly reached up to adjust the visor, hoping to look a little better. But when I opened it, a small note fell out. I immediately knew—it was Elara’s doing, reminding everyone that Callum’s passenger seat was hers alone. I bit my lip and carefully put the note back. Callum, seeing the note, just gave an awkward smile. “It’s from a previous Uber passenger. I was trying to raise money for your mom’s medical expenses. Don’t mind it.” I rubbed my throbbing temples, my head leaning against the window. After everything—his repeated lies—my heart was numb. I would trust him one more time. If he could lie about his salary to buy Elara an apartment, surely he’d pay my mom’s medical bills as her son-in-law. But just as the car stopped at the hospital, I received a message from my mom’s doctor. [Sorry, ma’am. Your mother didn’t make it. Despite efforts, we couldn’t save her.] At that moment, it felt like thunder had struck me. I froze, unable to move. Hearing my phone crash to the ground, Callum came over, confused. “What happened? Can’t even hold your phone straight? We are not able to afford a new phone.” Staring at Callum’s smug expression, my rage erupted. I slammed my fist into his chest. “My mom is dead! If you hadn’t locked me in the house, lied about your salary, and bought Elara an apartment, she wouldn’t have died!” Callum frowned. “How could that be? It’s just a mild case of pneumonia, right?” But then, the realization hit him, and he grabbed me by the collar, shouting, “You’ve been following me!” When he looked at my tear-streaked face, his anger flared even higher. “Answer me! Why the hell were you following me? I earned this money myself, and I have the right to spend it however I want! You two have taken so much from me over the years—how much more do you want? My every penny?!” I struggled, trying to break free and get to the hospital to see my mom one last time, but Callum’s grip was ironclad. “Trying to run away now that your lies have been exposed? I’m trying to do you a favor by taking you to the hospital, and you’ve been lying to me! You’ve really disappointed me. Now go back home and think about who’s in charge!” Desperate, I used all my strength to slap him. My eyes burning with fury, I glared at him and spat, “Callum Hart! I’ll hate you for the rest of my life!” Callum wiped the blood from his lips and slapped me back with a sharp crack. “Get back home and stay there!” he ordered. I refused, my fists flying in a wild frenzy. “Go back to your own house if you want, but I’m staying at the hospital to be with my mom! You want me to come home? Why? You and Elara’s shared home isn’t enough for you?” Furious, Callum kicked me hard. “How dare you insult Ellie?! You want to stay at the hospital? Fine, never come back!” With that, he got in the car and drove off, leaving me in the parking lot. I writhed in agony on the ground, a sharp pain searing through my abdomen. Then, a horrible realization dawned on me— My child was gone. I had planned to surprise Callum with the news, but instead, the child we had both eagerly awaited was lost because of him. Weakly, I crawled through the dimly lit underground parking lot, leaving a trail of blood behind me. All I could think about was seeing my mom one last time. But darkness surrounded me like the claws of a demon, and overwhelming grief and fear gripped my heart. “Callum Hart, I don’t want you anymore. Let’s get a divorce.”
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