Chapter 4
When Julia woke up again her entire body was in terrible pain and she had an oxygen mask over her face.
The nurse looked relieved when she saw Julia was awake. "Thank goodness you're finally up. We don't know what happened but you had a severe allergic reaction to the new medication."
Julia's throat felt tight and a chill ran down her spine. "Allergic reaction?"
The nurse looked confused for a moment. "Yes. The higher-ups said there was an issue with the new medication so your reaction was more serious than usual.
"But don't worry. Since this was the hospital's mistake, they'll waive all your medical bills."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Julia had started laughing silently, and it frightened her. "Are you okay?"
Julia stared at the medical chart in the nurse's hands. It felt like someone had deliberately ripped open her wounds and poured alcohol all over them. The pain made her whole body tremble.
She suddenly remembered giving birth to Ethan. The delivery had gone wrong halfway through, and they'd had to switch to an emergency C-section. Her body couldn't handle anesthesia, so she'd had to endure being cut open while fully conscious.
She remembered passing out from the pain over and over again and being forced back to consciousness. She had nearly died bringing him into this world.
She remembered Michael rushing into the room afterward with red and swollen eyes. He had grabbed her wrist and told her with so much fear and heartbreak that he'd scheduled a vasectomy. He said they would never have another child because he couldn't put her through that again.
Julia had valued them more than her own life and thought she was happy. But what had all those years of compromise and sacrifice gotten her?
The TV was showing a video from the kindergarten graduation. Ethan wore his graduation cap and held hands with both of them, and they looked like a perfect happy family.
Julia suddenly struggled to reach for her phone on the nightstand. Her voice was terrifyingly calm.
"Hello, I need to hold a press conference."
When Michael found her, Julia was at the villa clearing out her belongings.
The love letters he had written her every single day after they got together, the scented candles he had made by hand to help her sleep during her pregnancy, all the gifts he had given her on every holiday...
"What are you doing?"
Julia looked up at the sound of his voice. Michael had rushed over, and he was still wearing the suit that matched Isabelle's outfit. There were bits of confetti still stuck in his hair.
He stared at her with a dark expression. The eyes that had once been full of tenderness now only held anger and impatience.
"You're the one who called the press conference? Are you insane? Do you really want to destroy me and Ethan?"
Julia looked at him quietly without saying a word. She just dropped the lighter in her hand.
The flames swallowed up the papers with a whoosh. Nothing was left.
Michael didn't care what she was burning. He strode over and grabbed her wrist. His voice was ice cold.
"Come with me right now to set the record straight. Isabelle was never a mistress, and Ethan never tried to kill you."
"And what's the story?" Julia asked coldly.
Michael froze for a second at her calm question, but his expression quickly turned like this was all obvious.
"We'll say you have mental health issues. That's why you haven't appeared in public all these years. Isabelle is someone I hired to help take care of Ethan.
"I'll have the hospital issue you a medical certificate. As long as you admit you were wrong, I won't let them take you to a psychiatric facility."
Julia suddenly found it absurd. To protect Isabelle's reputation, he was willing to completely destroy her dignity. He even treated her ability to live a normal life like it was some kind of gift he was giving her.
Julia closed her eyes. She just felt exhausted and emotionally drained.
"Michael, I want a divorce," she whispered.
"Are you done with this tantrum?" Michael gripped her wrist even tighter. The pressure felt like he might actually break her bones, and he was barely holding back his anger.
"Isabelle just got back to the country. It's normal for me to help her out. You're still Mrs. Foster. We even have a son together. What more could you possibly want?
"Julia, I never thought you could be this vicious. You're willing to scheme against your own husband and child. Did you even think about what this scandal will do to the company?"
"So what?" Julia's voice caught slightly as she fought back tears and looked Michael straight in the eye. His expression was ugly.
"So just to make your perfect love story with her come true, I'm supposed to put up with my husband cheating on me, being humiliated by his mistress to my face, and being poisoned by my own son?
"Michael, I'm not joking. Once we're divorced, you can marry her and keep playing happy family with your perfect little trio."