Chapter 1
News of my husband disappearing with the rescue team quickly spread across the internet. My father-in-law, despite the scorching heat, filmed a heartfelt video from the desert, pleading with me. Meanwhile, my mother-in-law accused me of being heartless and cold-blooded in front of the media. The entire online community labeled me as the heartless wife who didn't care about her husband's well-being.
I switched on "Do Not Disturb," cradled my peacefully sleeping daughter, Adelyn, and indulged in a relaxing spa treatment at the maternity center.
Three days earlier, I had been rushed into the delivery room, but my husband, Melvin, seemed more eager to rush to the Alps after receiving a distress call from his childhood friend, Samara.
As I lay on the operating table, overwhelmed by pain, I tearfully sent him a voice message. "If you choose Samara over us when our daughter and I need you the most, don't ever come back."
After a long wait, he sent a brief reply: "You have doctors. Only I can save Samara."
At three in the morning, my water broke prematurely, and I was urgently taken to the hospital. Intense abdominal pain nearly knocked me out. Due to an abnormal fetal position and the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck, her heart rate dropped significantly. They marked me as high-risk and required a family member by my side.
Suddenly, Melvin's phone rang. "What? Something happened to Samara?"
He ended the call and frantically packed his things, clearly intending to leave me behind. I clenched my teeth against the pain and grabbed his arm. "Melvin, the doctor said Adelyn and I are in danger. You can't go!"
Without even looking at me, Melvin quickly booked the earliest flight. "I have to leave. Samara's expedition team is missing in the Alps. She needs me!"
A wave of anxiety washed over me as tears filled my eyes. "But I really need you too. I might face serious complications. The doctor said it's critical."
Melvin had often talked about Samara's recent risky expeditions. She planned an ambitious route through unexplored parts of the Alps, one that no one had attempted before. If she was now in trouble, it was due to her own choices.
Melvin kept packing, barely acknowledging me. "Don't let the doctors scare you. It's just childbirth. How dangerous can it be?"
"But Samara's situation is different. Imagine how afraid she must be, stranded out there. I can't ignore her."
His words hit hard. I had undergone IVF for him, enduring countless injections, severe morning sickness, and doing everything I could to reach full term. The doctor even said this might be our only chance for a child. Yet Melvin seemed indifferent to the life I had fought so hard to protect.
Seeing my silence, he grew impatient. "I know you've been through a lot, but Samara is following her dreams. I can't just sit by and let her get hurt."
Desperation closed my throat, and I shook my head, sobbing helplessly. "Melvin, please don't leave me. I'm terrified. What should I do if you go?"
"Enough! If Samara dies, I'll never forgive myself. You need to believe in yourself and trust the doctors. It doesn't matter if I'm here or not!"
With those words, Melvin turned away, grabbed his coat, and left without a backward glance.
The medical staff around me couldn't bear to watch and tried to comfort me. "Ms. Lane, right now you need to focus on the baby. Stay calm and don't let this upset you."
Those words left me feeling a deep, bitter sadness. How surreal that strangers cared more about me and my child than my own husband, who abandoned us for another woman.
If only I had known his heart truly belonged to Samara, I would never have accepted his proposal all those years ago.