When I was 32 weeks pregnant with twins, I begged my husband to take me to the hospital. His mother blocked the doorway and said, “Take us to the mall first.” Hours later, a stranger rushed me to the ER—and when my husband finally walked in, what he said made everyone gasp.
Chapter 1: The Storm Beneath My Skin
The July heat of Arizona wasn’t ordinary heat. It was an invisible monster, melting asphalt and making the air vibrate like an illusion. But the heat outside the double-glazed windows of my suburban home was nothing compared to the storm raging inside me.
I, Sarah, was 32 weeks pregnant with twins. My belly was as taut as a balloon about to burst. My ankles were swollen, twice their normal size, and my skin felt like it was cracking. But the most terrifying thing wasn’t the physical discomfort.
It was the headache. A throbbing, hammer-like pain in my temples, accompanied by flashing lights dancing before my eyes whenever I tried to focus on something.
I was a nurse (though on maternity leave), I knew the signs. **Preeclampsia**. My blood pressure was skyrocketing. It wasn’t just dangerous. It was death knocking at the door.
I staggered into the living room. There, my husband David and my mother-in-law Eleanor were sitting on the sofa watching TV. Eleanor was browsing her iPad, looking at Nordstrom’s new summer collection.
“David,” I called, my voice weak from shortness of breath. “I need to go to the hospital. Right now.”
David looked up, still holding the TV remote. He looked at me, his pale blue eyes—eyes that had once captivated me—now showing weariness and… annoyance.
“What’s wrong, Sarah?” David sighed. “You just had a checkup last week. The doctor said everything was fine.”
“Not fine,” I clung to the armrest, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. “Everything’s blurry. My head is throbbing. I think my blood pressure is very high. We need to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department (L&D Triage).”
Eleanor put down her iPad and clicked her tongue loudly. She adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, scrutinizing me from head to toe with her usual disdain.
“Oh dear, it’s probably just another case of ‘overreacting’ during pregnancy,” she said, her voice sharp. “Back when I was pregnant with David, I carried sacks of wheat and didn’t complain at all. Girls these days are so fragile.”
“Mom, this is preeclampsia,” I tried to explain, suppressing my anger. “It could kill me and both babies.”
“Alright, alright,” David reluctantly stood up. “Let me get the car keys.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he still had some sense.
But as David reached for the car keys, Eleanor jumped up, blocking my way.
### Chapter 2: The Bargain for Life
“Wait, David,” Eleanor said sharply. “I promised to take you to Scottsdale Fashion Square this afternoon, didn’t I? Today is the last day of the big sale. You need to buy a dress for the charity event next week.”
David froze. He looked at his mother, then at me. The inherent weakness in him began to surface. David was the kind of man who would never dare say “No” to his mother, who had manipulated him since he could walk.
“Mom, Sarah is in pain…” David mumbled.
“She’s always in pain!” Eleanor snapped. “She has backaches, legaches, headaches. She’s just making excuses to ruin our special day. Look at her, her face is so rosy (actually, it’s bright red from high blood pressure), how could she possibly be dying?”
She turned to me, crossed her arms, and stood blocking the front door.
“You want to go to the hospital? Fine. But take us to the shopping mall first. It’s right on the way. Drop me off, then you two can go wherever you want.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
“What did you say?” I asked, my voice trembling. “You want me…in this condition…to get stuck in traffic for another 45 minutes just to take you shopping?”
“It’s on the way!” She shrugged. “Don’t be so selfish, Sarah. David works hard all week, and only has time for his mother on weekends.”
I turned to David, my eyes pleading. “David, please. I can’t wait. I feel…something’s wrong with the twins. They’re not kicking anymore.”
David looked at his watch, then at his mother’s sulky face. He made a decision—the worst decision of his life.
“Sarah,” David said, avoiding my gaze. “The shopping mall is nearby. Or… how about we drop Mom off there and go? It’ll only take another 20 minutes. Try to breathe steadily. Mom’s right, maybe you’re just overly worried.”
My world crumbled.
Not because of the headache. But because of the cold cruelty of the man I called my husband. He chose his mother’s discounted dress over the lives of his wife and child.
“Get out of the way!” I roared, a wild surge of strength rising within me. I lunged toward the door.
Eleanor didn’t move. She stood there.
She stood there like a rock, sneering, “You’re going to walk? You can’t drive. Get in the car obediently and wait for David to get dressed.”
“I said GET OUT OF THE WAY!” I pushed her. She stumbled back, utterly astonished that her usual meek lamb dared to defy me.
I snatched the spare car keys from the shoe rack and dashed out the door.
But as I stepped out into the 43°C Arizona heat, a wave of dizziness washed over me. Everything went dark. The keys slipped from my hand. I collapsed onto the sun-scorched lawn in front of the house.
Inside, I heard Eleanor yell, “See, David! She’s putting on a show! Don’t go help her! Let her lie there and learn her lesson!”
And David… he didn’t come out.
### Chapter 3: The Angel in the Orange Vest
I lay on the grass, feeling the heat burning my skin. My consciousness faded. I clutched my belly, whispering apologies to my two little ones. *I’m sorry. I chose the wrong father for you.*
A screeching screech of brakes rang out.
It wasn’t David’s car.
A FedEx delivery truck pulled up right in front of my house.
A large, dark-skinned man in an orange and purple uniform jumped out. He was carrying a package, but when he saw me sprawled on the grass, he dropped the package and rushed over.
“Miss! Are you alright?” His voice was full of concern.
I opened my eyes with difficulty. “Help… hospital… my baby…”
The man looked at my visibly pregnant belly, then at the house where David and his mother were standing looking out the window (they hadn’t come out yet). He understood immediately. He didn’t ask any more questions.
“I’m Marcus. I’ll take you.”
Marcus lifted me up as if I were a feather, even though I weighed nearly 90kg. He placed me in the passenger seat of the delivery truck and buckled my seatbelt.
“Hold on tight,” he said, jumping into the driver’s seat.
The truck roared to life. Marcus wasn’t driving like a delivery driver anymore. He drove like a Formula 1 racer. He honked loudly, ran red lights, and weaved through heavy traffic.
“Don’t fall asleep!” Marcus yelled when he saw me drift off. “Talk to me! What’s your name?”
“Sarah…” I whispered.
“Okay, Sarah. I have three kids. My wife was like you. You’ll be alright. We’re almost there.”
In my delirium, I saw David drive our Audi out of the garage. But he didn’t chase after me. He turned right.
Towards the shopping mall.
Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and mingling with sweat. My love for David died in that very moment.
### Chapter 4: The Boundary Between Life and Death
Phoenix Memorial Hospital.
Marcus carried me straight into the emergency room, shouting, “Pregnant woman! Twins! Signs of seizures! We need a doctor immediately!”
Nurses and doctors rushed over. I was placed on a stretcher.
“Blood pressure 210/110! Fetal heart rate dropping! Code Blue!”
The machines beeped incessantly. The clanging of metal. The tearing of clothes.
“We have to operate immediately! She’s having placental abruption!”
An anesthesiologist placed an oxygen mask over my face. “Sarah, we’re going to deliver the babies. Hang in there.”
Before the anesthesia pulled me into darkness, I grasped the nurse’s hand.
“My husband…” I whispered.
“Is he coming?” the nurse asked.
“Don’t… let… him… in…”
Then everything went silent.
***
I woke up in the intensive care unit (ICU). My throat was parched, my stomach ached as if it were being torn apart.
“Sarah?” A gentle voice called out.
It was my sister Emily. She was crying, holding my hand tightly.
“My babies…?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“They’re in the NICU,” Emily smiled through her tears. “Two boys. Premature, with weak lungs, but the doctors say they’re warriors. They’ll live.”
I burst into tears. I was alive. My babies were alive.
“Who called you?”
“A man named Marcus. He used my phone to call the emergency contact list. He waited outside for four hours until you arrived.”
“What about David?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
Emily’s face hardened. “No sign of him. I’ve called him 20 times. He won’t answer.”
I looked at the clock on the wall. Six hours had passed since I was admitted.
Six hours.
### Chapter 5: The Appearance of the Criminal
An hour later, as I was being transferred back to the regular recovery room, the door burst open.
David walked in.
Followed by Eleanor.
And the most horrifying thing, the thing that left both the nurses and Emily speechless: **They were carrying shopping bags.**
*Nordstrom* bags.**Sephora* bags.**Macy’s* bags.
They entered the hospital room as if they were stepping into a café after a stroll. David looked a little flustered, but Eleanor maintained her haughty demeanor, though her foundation had smudged slightly from the heat.
“Oh, you’re awake?” Eleanor said, setting down her shopping bags on the family sofa. “What’s all the commotion about? I called the hospital and they said the surgery is over, so I told David to finish his shopping first, to avoid unnecessary trips.”
David approached my bed. He tried to take my hand, but I recoiled as if burned.
“Are you alright?” David asked, his tone as if he were asking if I was okay.
“No dinner, David.” “Mom’s so worried about you (a blatant lie). We were planning to come earlier, but there was too much traffic.”
Emily stood up, her face flushed with anger: “Are you crazy, David? Your wife almost died! Your baby is in an incubator! And you’re out shopping?”
“Come on, Emily,” David waved his hand. “Don’t dramatize it. Sarah is fine. Besides, my mother needs to prepare for the party. You know her temperament.”
The nurses in the room exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disgust for this husband.
But David didn’t stop there. He looked around the room, then at me, and uttered the fateful words – words that silenced everyone in the room.
### Chapter 6: The Twist
David cleared his throat, taking a crumpled piece of paper from his jacket pocket – the provisional hospital bill the receptionist had just given him.
He looked at me, his face devoid of any remorse or concern for the twins. Instead, he was flushed with anger.
**“Sarah, I need you to explain this immediately. Why did you let that filthy truck driver carry you? And more importantly, why did you book the VIP room? Do you know my mother had to return her favorite Hermès handbag just because I was afraid my credit card would exceed its limit because of this bill? You’re so selfish! You ruined my mother’s special day and embarrassed her at the checkout counter!”**
The room fell silent.
The hum of the air conditioner was clearly audible.
Emily’s mouth dropped open, speechless.
The nurse dropped her medicine tray to the floor. *Crash.*
He didn’t ask where the babies were.
He didn’t ask if I was in pain.
He was angry because the truck driver had saved my life.
And he was angry because… his mother’s handbag.
Eleanor, standing behind him, nodded in agreement: “That’s right! That bag is a limited edition! My mother had to return it in embarrassment. What kind of wasteful daughter-in-law is she, demanding a luxury room before she’s even dead? Next time she gives birth, she should give birth at home to save money!”
Their cruelty and ignorance had surpassed all human limits.
I looked at David. At the man I had loved for five years. I suddenly realized, I hadn’t married a man. I married a puppet, a parasite clinging to my mother’s skirts.
I took a deep breath. The pain from the incision was nothing compared to the cold, detached clarity that was taking over my brain.
“David,” I said. My voice was low, but it resonated with strength.
“What?” David snapped.
“You said you were afraid of exceeding your credit card limit, right?”
“Yes! You’re the primary cardholder!” (He was actually completely wrong.)
I smiled.
**“You’re mistaken, David. You were never the primary cardholder. You were only the authorized user. All the bank accounts, the house we live in, and even the Audi you just drove to go shopping… all of them are in my name and belong to my pre-marital inheritance.”**
David was stunned. “You… what did you say?”
“I let you think you were the breadwinner because I wanted to save face for you,” I continued, each word like a knife. “But this afternoon, when you turned toward the mall and left me to die, I called my lawyer in the ambulance.”
I pulled the phone from under my pillow.
**“I’ve frozen all your accounts. I’ve canceled your and your mother’s supplemental cards. The reason you couldn’t pay for the Hermès bag wasn’t because of the hospital bill… but because I cut off your financial support three hours ago.”**
### Chapter 7: The Price to Pay
Eleanor’s face turned from red to pale, then purple. She screamed, “You… you bitch! You dare freeze my cards? I’m your mother-in-law!”
“Not anymore,” I replied coldly. “Security!”
Two hospital security guards – who had been standing outside and heard everything – immediately entered. They’d been annoyed with this family ever since they walked in with their shopping bags.
“Please leave,” the security guard said, his hand on his baton.
“This is my husband! I have the right to stay!” David yelled, trying to lunge toward the hospital bed.
“You have no right to do anything,” I said. “I signed the medical authorization for Emily. And I also filed for an emergency divorce and a restraining order on charges of domestic violence and neglect. The police are on their way to take statements about the incident this afternoon.”
“Dominance? I didn’t hit you!” David panicked.
“Leaving a pregnant woman suffering from pre-eclampsia in 43-degree heat to go shopping is intentional infliction of injury and attempted murder,” Emily added, her voice sharp.
David looked at me, then at his mother. Eleanor had lost her haughty demeanor. She realized her son’s only source of money – me – had disappeared. She began to cry, playing the victim: “Sarah, I was just joking! David is so naive, he only listens to me! Please forgive me!”
“Get them out. Immediately,” I ordered, turning away.
As they were dragged out of the room, David’s screams echoed: “Sarah! You can’t do this! I have nowhere to go! Is this your house? Sarah!!!”
### Chapter 8: A New Dawn
Three days later, I was discharged from the hospital.
I didn’t go back to my old house.
I had the locks replaced and put it up for sale that same week. I moved to a luxury apartment near Emily’s.
The twins, Leo and Max, stayed in the NICU for another three weeks, but they were growing stronger and more resilient.
And what about David and Eleanor?
Their lives crumbled faster than a sandcastle before the waves.
With their finances cut off, David couldn’t pay his gambling debts (another secret my lawyer uncovered). The Audi was repossessed by the bank. They were evicted from their home.
Eleanor had to move into a run-down state nursing home because David couldn’t afford the rent for her.
David had to work as a sales clerk at the very mall he had abandoned me to go to – a cruel twist of fate.
Six months later.
I was pushing a double stroller in the park. It was autumn in Arizona, cool and pleasant.
A FedEx truck pulled up by the side of the road. Marcus stepped out, a gift box in his hand. Since that day, Marcus had become the godfather of the two children. He was the most wonderful man I had ever met (in the sense of a close friend).
“Hello, little boys!” Marcus laughed, tickling Leo’s stomach.
I looked at Marcus, then at my two little angels. I remembered that fateful day. The pain was gone, leaving only gratitude.
If David hadn’t been so cruel, I might still be living in meekness, still a slave to that toxic family. His betrayal was a bitter pill, but it healed my life.
I smiled, breathing in the free air. No more shopping malls. No more unreasonable demands. Just me and my children, walking our own path.
