Chapter 1
I was nine months pregnant when my water broke.
My husband was driving me to the hospital when his phone rang.
It was his so-called best friend calling.
"I'm waiting for you at the highway rest stop. You promised you'd come get me," she said.
I was in so much pain, cold sweat running down my back, clutching his arm. "Honey, I'm about to have the baby..."
He was silent for three seconds, then suddenly pulled over onto the emergency lane.
"Just wait here. I'll be right back," he said.
Three hours later, when he finally returned, he froze on the spot, completely shell-shocked.
*****
Another wave of pain hit Rachel Quinn's belly.
She gritted her teeth, clutching the seatbelt for dear life.
Her water had broken almost half an hour ago, and her pants were soaked through.
Her husband, David Scott, was driving, his face pale, hands shaking on the wheel.
"Honey, can you go any faster?" Rachel pleaded, her voice choked with tears.
It hurt.
It hurt so much.
It felt like someone was carving into her belly with a knife, again and again.
"I know. We're almost at the hospital," David said, his voice tense.
He was scared, too.
Rachel watched the trees blur past outside the window, feeling a little more at ease.
'About ten miles to the city hospital.
'Hang in there.
'I had to hang in there,' she thought.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
David glanced at the screen, his expression shifting.
"Answer it," Rachel said.
He pressed his Bluetooth earpiece.
"David, I'm at the rest stop. When are you coming to get me?" Emily's voice chimed through the car speakers, sounding sweet and a little needy.
Rachel froze for a second.
It was Emily White.
David's college friend, the one he always called his "bestie."
Emily was coming back from out of town today, and last night David had promised to pick her up at the Interstate 1 exit.
But after Rachel's water broke early this morning, he had bigger things to worry about now.
"Emily, something urgent came up. Just grab a cab to my mom's place for now. I'll come by later," David said, sounding rushed.
"What's so urgent?" Emily's voice sounded a little hurt.
"I'm just a girl with all this luggage, and you want me to take a cab by myself?" she complained.
"David, you promised you'd pick me up yesterday."
Listening to them, Rachel suddenly felt uncomfortable.
But the pain was so overwhelming she didn't even have the strength to care.
"Honey..." she said.
She just wanted David to forget about Emily and get her to the hospital first.
But before she could finish, another wave of pain crashed over her.
She cried out, unable to hold it back.
Cold sweat instantly drenched her back.
"David, who was that?" Emily's voice shot up, sharp and demanding. "Who are you with?"
David gritted his teeth.
"It's Rachel. Her water broke, and I'm taking her to the hospital," he replied, his voice strained.
There was a two-second pause on the other end.
"Just go, I'll manage on my own," Emily said, her voice dropping.
Disappointment was clear in her voice.
"I'm sorry, Emily, I really—" David started, but then stopped.
He glanced at the GPS.
The highway rest stop was only three miles away.
But the hospital was still about ten miles out.
Rachel's vision went black from the pain, and she could feel the car slowing down.
"Honey?" She looked up.
David's face was pale, his expression tense.
He looked torn.
When she saw his face, a wave of dread washed over Rachel.
"David..." she whispered, her voice shaking.
The car slowed down even more.
Then.
It stopped.
It stopped on the highway's emergency lane.
Rachel stared at him, completely stunned.
David avoided her gaze, guilt written all over his face.
"Rachel, just just wait here for a bit," he said, his voice low.
"I'm going to the rest stop to pick up Emily. I'll be back in about ten minutes, maybe a bit more."
Rachel's head buzzed, like she'd been hit by a truck.
"What?" She thought she must've misheard him.
"You want me to wait for you on the highway?
"I'm about to have the baby!"
Her voice was sharp with pain and shock.
David's face flushed red.
"I know, but Emily's all alone at the rest stop. I'm really worried about her.
"The rest stop's just a few miles away. I'll be back in just a little over ten minutes.
"It's still ten miles to the hospital. Another ten minutes won't change anything!" he insisted.
Rachel couldn't believe what she was hearing.
She was shaking all over from the pain, staring at David, barely holding it together.
He was her husband.
He was the father of her child.
And now, with her water broken, he was actually going to leave her alone on the highway, just to pick up another woman.
"David," she called out, her voice trembling.
"Are you out of your mind?" she demanded.
David gritted his teeth, staying silent.
He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.
"Hello, is this 911? My wife's at the XXX mile marker on Interstate 1, her water broke..."
He rattled off the location in a rush.
"Please send an ambulance right away!"
Then he hung up.
He turned to look at Rachel.
"I've called an ambulance. They'll be here soon.
"Just wait here. I'm going to pick up Emily. I'll be right back," he added.
With that, he got out of the car.
He pushed open the door and stepped out.
Rachel watched helplessly as he made his way to the driver's seat.
He opened the door and got in.
Then he started the engine.
And then.
He really did drive away.
He left her all alone on the highway's emergency lane.
Rachel sat in the back seat, the pain so intense she almost blacked out.
Tears streamed down her face in silence.
That was when it hit her.
In David's heart, Emily meant more to him than her, the wife about to give birth.
Another wave of pain hit her belly.
She curled up in the seat, her whole body trembling.
It was pitch black outside.
Only a few cars sped past on the highway.
Nobody stopped.
She clutched my belly, her mind completely blank.
Her mind drifted back to three years ago, to the words David had whispered to her on their wedding day.
"I'll take care of you for the rest of my life."
"I'll protect you."
"I love you."
Every word was a lie.
All of it—just lies.
She sobbed, her whole body trembling.
Then.
Suddenly, a truck screeched to a stop beside her.
A burly, middle-aged man with a scruffy beard jumped out and rushed over, pounding on the window.
"Miss! Miss! Are you okay?!" the man shouted, his voice thick with concern.
Tears blurred her vision as Rachel looked up.
"I... I'm about to have the baby..." she managed to choke out.
The driver's face went pale.
"Where's your husband?!"
Rachel shook her head, sobbing. "He... he left..."
The driver froze for a second, then snapped into action.
"Left? What the hell kind of man does that?!" he shouted, his voice full of rage.
Without another word, he opened the car door and carefully helped her out.
"Don't worry. I'll get you to the hospital" he said, his voice steady and reassuring.
"We'll be there in no time!" he added.
He helped Rachel into the truck, and she was in so much pain she couldn't even speak.
The truck roared to life.
It sped off toward the hospital.
*****
Three hours later, David's car reappeared on the highway's emergency lane.
He'd dropped Emily off at his mom's place, hung out with her for a while, and only then remembered Rachel was still out there on the highway.
He started to panic a little.
But he tried to reassure himself.
The ambulance must've come by now.
Rachel should be at the hospital by now.
He parked the car right where he'd left it and got out.
He looked around.
It was empty.
Nothing was there.
He stood there, stunned.
Then he grabbed his phone and dialed Rachel's number.
No answer.
He tried again, his fingers trembling.
Still no answer.
David felt a cold chill run down his spine.
He quickly dialed up the hospital.
"Excuse me, was a patient named Rachel Quinn brought in?" he asked, his voice tight with worry.
"Yes, she was brought in three hours ago. She's already in the delivery room," the nurse replied, calm and professional.
David finally breathed out, relief flooding through him.
Suddenly, it dawned on him.
'Three hours ago?' David thought, a chill running down his spine.
He glanced at his watch.
Three hours ago.
That was when he'd just left Rachel on the highway.
'Did the ambulance really get there that fast?' David wondered, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.
But he didn't dwell on it.
He just drove straight to the hospital.
When he got to the hospital, the delivery room light was still on.
David stood outside the delivery room, his face full of anxiety.
He thought back to what had happened on the highway and felt a little guilty.
But he still thought he'd done the right thing.
After all, Rachel made it to the hospital safe and sound.
Suddenly, the delivery room door swung open.
A nurse stepped out.
"Who's the family member of the patient?" she called out.
David rushed forward.
"That's me. I'm her husband," he blurted out.
The nurse shot him a cold, withering look.
"Mother and baby are both safe.
"But the mother's in really bad shape. She was left on the highway for way too long and almost had a massive hemorrhage," she said, her tone sharp.
David froze, his mind going blank. "What?"
The nurse let out a cold, scornful laugh.
"How could you, as her husband, just dump your pregnant wife on the side of the highway?
"If it weren't for that truck driver, your wife and baby might not have made it!" she snapped, her eyes full of contempt.
David's face went ghostly pale.